Power supply device with unbalance monitoring circuit

• US 5,146,397 A
• Filed: 12/13/1990
• Issued: 09/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Logistics AG (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Fruhling, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): STERRETT, JEFFREY L
• Application Number:
  US07/626,654
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 324/509, 324/510, 340/650, 340/651, 361/42, 363/51, 363/74
• US Class Current: 363/74
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16538 in AC or DC supplies G01R19/16519 and G01R19/16528 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/50 Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/585 providing voltages of opposite polarities

Abstract

A power supply device with a monitoring circuit for detecting an unbalance in a direct voltage transmitted between two line conductors and which is normally balanced with respect to ground potential. A voltage divider circuit is arranged between the two line conductors and consists of components which are identical in pairs. The center tap of the voltage divider is connected to ground potential and at further taps thereof in each case positive and negative part-voltages are produced. A first positive part voltage is compared with a second negative part voltage and a second positive part voltage is compared with a first negative part-voltage so that the balance of the direct voltage with respect to ground potential is simply and reliably monitored.

Claims

1. A power supply device with an unbalance monitoring circuit for a direct voltage transmitted between two line conductors, which voltage normally is balanced with respect to ground potential, comprising:

a voltage divider circuit connected between the two line conductors and which includes components which are in each case identical in pairs, a centre tap of the voltage divider circuit being connected to the ground potential and at further taps thereof positive and negative part-voltages referred to ground potential are produced, and comparator means for comparing a first positive part-voltage with a second negative part-voltage and a second positive part-voltage with a first negative part-voltage.

2. A power supply device according to claim 4 wherein the components of the voltage divider circuit comprise ohmic resistors.

3. A power supply device according to claim 1 wherein the comparator means for the part-voltage comprise first and second operational amplifiers, an inverting input of the first operational amplifier being connected via first and second components to taps for the second positive and the first negative part-voltage, respectively, a non-inverting input of the second operational amplifier being connected via third and fourth components to taps for the first positive and the second negative part-voltage, respectively, and means connecting a non-inverting input of the first and an inverting input of the second operational amplifier to ground potential.

4. A power supply device according to claim 3 wherein each of the operational amplifiers are provided with feedback via a resistor.

5. A power supply device according to claim 4 further comprising first and second pairs of anti-parallel-connected diodes connected between the inverting and the non-inverting inputs of the respective first and second amplifiers.

6. A power supply device according to claim 3, further comprising means for coupling outputs of the operational amplifiers to one another to form a common junction operative as a signalling connection.

7. A power supply device according to claim 6 wherein each of the operational amplifiers in each case are provided with feedback via a resistor.

8. A power supply device according to claim 6 further comprising first and second pairs of anti-parallel-connected diodes connected between the inverting and the non-inverting inputs of the respective first and second amplifiers.

9. A power supply device according to claim 3 further comprising first and second pairs of anti-parallel-connected diodes connected between the respective inverting and the non-inverting input of the first and second operational amplifiers.

10. A power supply device according to claim 3, further comprising means for coupling outputs of the operational amplifiers to one another to form a common junction operative as a signalling connection.

11. A power supply device according to claim 1 wherein in each case, at least one tap for a positive and one tap for a negative part-voltage is connected to the comparator means.

12. A power supply device according to claim 11 wherein the comparator means for the part-voltages comprise first and second operational amplifiers, an inverting input of the first operational amplifier being connected via first and second components to taps for the second positive and the first negative part-voltage, respectively, a non-inverting input of the second operational amplifier being connected via third and fourth components to taps for the first positive and the second negative part-voltage, respectively, and means connecting a non-inverting input of the first and an inverting input of the second operational amplifier to ground potential.

13. A power supply device according to claim 11 wherein the components of the voltage divider circuit comprise ohmic resistors.

14. A circuit for monitoring an unbalance condition between two terminals of a direct voltage power supply balanced with respect to a reference potential, said monitoring circuit comprising:

a voltage divider circuit connected to said two power supply terminals and having a center tap coupled to said reference potential, said voltage divider circuit including at least a first pair of equal impedance components and a second pair of equal impedance components and with a first pair of taps at which, in a balanced voltage condition, equal first positive and negative part-voltages with respect to said reference potential are produced and a second pair of taps at which are produced equal second positive and negative part-voltages with respect to said reference potential, and

comparator means coupled to the taps of the voltage divider circuit so as to compare the first positive part-voltage with the second negative part-voltage and to compare the second positive part-voltage with the first negative part-voltage.

15. A monitoring circuit as claimed in claim 14 wherein said comparator means includes at least one further input coupled to the reference potential and at least one pair of anti-parallel connected diodes coupled between the further input and one of said first and second inputs.

16. A monitoring circuit as claimed in claim 15 wherein said comparator means includes at least one operational amplifier with a feedback resistor connected between its output and its inverting input.

17. A monitoring circuit as claimed in claim 14 further comprising first (R4a) and second (R4b) resistors coupling said first pair of taps to first and second inputs, respectively, of the comparator means and third (R5a) and fourth (R5b) resistors coupling said second pair of taps to the second and first inputs, respectively, of the comparator means, and wherein first and second equal positive and negative part-voltages U2a and U2b, respectively, are produced at the first pair of taps and third and fourth equal positive and negative part-voltages U1a and U2b, respectively, are produced at the second pair of taps, and said first and fourth resistors (R4aand R5b) are chosen so that U2a/R1b=R4a/R5b.

18. A monitoring circuit as claimed in claim 17 wherein said comparator means includes at least one operational amplifier with a feedback resistor connected between its output and its inverting input.

19. A monitoring circuit as claimed in claim 18 wherein said comparator means includes at least one further input coupled to the reference potential and at least one pair of anti-parallel connected diodes coupled between the further input and one of said first and second inputs.

20. A monitoring circuit as claimed in claim 17 wherein said comparator means includes at least one further input coupled to the reference potential and at least one pair of anti-parallel connected diodes coupled between the further input and one of said first and second inputs.