Activating device

Details Activating device Activating device

1999-06-25

2001-06-12

Sherry, Michael J. (Department: 2836)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Control circuits for electromagnetic devices

For relays or solenoids

C361S167000, C361S191000, C361S210000, C307S010100, C307S125000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06246564

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns an activating device having an electric circuit to switch ON and OFF any kind of electric device, such as a motor driven device. More specifically, it concerns an activating device having an electric circuit to switch any type of switching system in which at least one switching unit among a plurality of switching units must be switched ON or OFF safely without failure. For example, the activating device of this invention could be used to switch a motor ON and OFF to open and close power windows in an automobile, even when that automobile is submerged in water.
2. Background of the Invention
Most motor drive systems for opening and closing power windows in automobiles have an electronic control system capable of an automatic reverse function for the power windows and a multiplex communication control function. The motor serves as the drive source for the power windows. The most common way to supply appropriate power to the motor and to control its operation is to use a drive method using relays. Typical configurations of motor drive devices of the prior art are shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
.
In the conventional motor drive device according to the prior art, the motor activating device for an automobile power window has two relays, a first relay
2
and a second relay
3
, for supplying power to the motor
1
. The first relay
2
drives the motor in reverse (as when closing the window of an automobile), while the second relay
3
drives the motor in a forward direction (as when opening the window of an automobile). Two operating switches, a first operating switch
4
and a second operating switch
5
, activate the motor
1
to operate the power window in the close and open directions.
The first and second relays
2
and
3
include coils
2
a
and
3
a
, respectively, which create magnetic force, and first and second contacts
2
b
and
3
b
, respectively. The first and second contacts
2
b
and
3
b
each have a common terminal C, a normal open terminal (N.O. terminal) and a normal close terminal (N.C. terminal). When the electric current is not flowing through the first and second coils
2
a
and
3
a
so that the relays are not in operation, the C terminals and the N.C. terminals are in contact with each other. When electric current is flowing through the first and second coils
2
a
and
3
a
, the C terminals and the N.O. terminals are in contact with each other.
The N.O. terminals of the first and second relays
2
and
3
are connected to a power supply E, typically the automobile battery, while the N.C. terminals are connected to ground. The C terminal of first relay
2
is connected to the reverse terminal of the motor where the motor closes the window if the terminal is connected to the power supply side. The C terminal of second relay
3
is connected to the forward terminal of the motor. The motor opens the window if the forward terminal is connected to the power supply side.
The first and second operating switches
4
and
5
, respectively, each have a contact which is actuated when the driver operates the switches. A rotating switch unit is typically used for these two operating switches
4
and
5
. The operating switch
4
will go ON if the rotating switch rotates in one direction for closing the automobile window, while switch
5
will go ON if it rotates in the other direction for opening the automobile window.
In the configuration shown in
FIG. 3
, the first and second coils
2
a
and
3
a
of first and second relays
2
and
3
can be connected to a line from the power supply by means of the operating switches
4
and
5
. Making and breaking the respective switching contact of the operating switches directly opens and closes this line from the power supply. In another configuration as shown in
FIG. 4
, the operating switches
4
and
5
are provided in the ground line of the first and second coils
2
a
and
3
a
of the first and second relays
2
and
3
. This configuration is also of the type in which the switching contact directly opens or closes the connection between each relay coil and the ground line.
In both the configurations shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, there are two ON-OFF transistors, (
11
and
12
in
FIG. 3
, and
11
a
and
12
a
in FIG.
4
), and a signal processor (
13
in
FIG. 3 and 13
a
in FIG.
4
), which causes the motor to run in a given direction based on a remote signal from a remote window opener or on a particular situation at a given moment, and which outputs a drive signal to actuate one of the aforesaid transistors. These transistors and the signal processor are on either the ground or power supply side of the first and second coils
2
a
and
3
a
of the first and second relays
2
and
3
. Signal processor
13
(or
13
a
) is typically a single-chip microprocessor. In the circuit in
FIG. 3
, it drives transistors
11
and
12
through transistors
14
and
15
.
In this configuration, the input lines (
16
and
17
in
FIG. 3 and 16
a
and
17
a
in
FIG. 4
) connect one terminal of the first and second operating switches
4
and
5
to the input terminal of the signal processor
13
, which monitors the open/closed state (i.e., the ON/OFF state) of the operating switches
4
and
5
.
In both
FIGS. 3 and 4
, an automatic mode switch
18
inputs an “automatic window close” command to signal processor
13
in response to the actuation of an automatic operating unit.
In the drive circuits described above, the drive operation of the motor
1
is directly controlled by opening or closing one of the terminals for the coils
2
a
and
3
a
in the relays
2
and
3
, respectively. This control is performed by the operating switch
4
or S.
When the first operating switch
4
is actuated and its contact closes, the voltage from the power supply E causes current to flow into the first coil
2
a
, which magnetizes the first relay
2
, thereby causing only the first contact
2
b
to operate. When the first operation switch
4
is activated, only the reverse terminal la of the motor is connected, through the C and N.O terminals of first contact
2
b
, to the power supply E, so the motor runs in reverse, causing the automobile window to close.
When the switch
5
is actuated and its contact closes, the voltage from the power supply E causes current to flow into the second coil
3
a
, which magnetizes the second relay
3
, thereby causing only the second contact
3
b
to operate. In this case, only the forward terminal
1
b
of the motor is connected, through the C and N.O terminals of the second contact
3
b
, to the power supply E, so the motor runs forward, causing the automobile window to open.
With the drive circuits described above, the signal processing function of the signal processor
13
(or
13
a
) allows the operation of the motor
1
in a specified direction to be controlled in response to a radio signal input from the exterior even though neither the operating switch
4
nor switch
5
has been actuated, i.e., the motor is remotely controlled.
The signal processor
13
(or
13
a
) reads the current value and rpm of the motor
1
while it is running in reverse (i.e., while the window is closing). If the signal processor determines from the current value and other data that the window is jammed, the signal processing function of the signal processor
13
(or
13
a
) forces the motor
1
to run forward and open the window even though the switch
5
has not been actuated (auto-reverse function).
If the automatic switch
18
is actuated, the signal processing function of the signal processor
13
(or
13
a
) will cause the motor
1
to automatically reverse until it is pre-determined, via a detection signal from a limit switch (not shown), that the window is completely closed (automatic close function).
When the signal processor
13
(or
13
a
) must the drive motor
1
in the forward direction in order to execute the aforesaid remote control or auto-reverse function, it outputs a drive signal only to the transistor
12
(or
12
a
) to switch the transistor ON

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