Switching device for solenoid switch

Details Switching device for solenoid switch Switching device for solenoid switch

1997-04-24

1998-10-06

Fleming, Fritz

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Control circuits for electromagnetic devices

Systems for magnetizing, demagnetizing, or controlling the...

307 106, H01H 4722

Patent

active

058186794

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for a starting relay for a starter of an internal combustion engine.
In motor vehicles, it is known to use starting relays for a starter device of an internal combustion engine. These starting relays are used to switch a high current with a relatively low control current. The high current (starter current, necessary for turning over an engine by means of a starter), amounts to as much as approximately 1000 A in passenger cars, for instance. The current flowing during the starting process via the relay coil of the starting relay, by comparison, is about 80 to 100 A, for instance. This relatively low current compared with the starter current is still too high, however, to be switched directly via a starting switch (ignition lock) or via an electronic control unit. To that end, it is known from German Patent DE 37 37 430 C, among other sources, to assign the starting relay an auxiliary relay, which is actuatable by means of the starter switch of the motor vehicle. One disadvantage is that for the additional auxiliary relay not only must additional installation space in the motor vehicle be made available; besides, this relay is one additional consumer with a correspondingly high power loss.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit arrangement of the above-described type which eliminates the above-described disadvantages.
According to the invention, the circuit arrangement for an auxiliary relay that actuates a starting relay for a starter device of an internal combustion engine includes a temperature measuring means and control and/or regulating circuit means for controlling, in a turned-on state, an operating current flowing through a relay coil of the auxiliary relay according to a temperature measured by the temperature measuring means so that the operating current and mean value of the operating current are controlled according to the temperature of the auxiliary relay or the starting relay.
The circuit arrangement according to the invention offers the advantage that the auxiliary relay can be optimized, that is, reduced with respect to its structural size in particular, so that less installation space has to be made available. Because a control and/or regulating circuit is provided that varies the operating current of the auxiliary relay, it is advantageously possible to vary the operating current of the auxiliary relay as a function of selectable criteria in such a way that for every operating state of the auxiliary relay its operating current assumes only the actual magnitude necessary, so that the power loss occurring at the auxiliary relay is reduced as greatly as possible. It thus becomes possible to integrate the auxiliary relay with the starting relay, producing a compact structural unit.
In an advantageous feature of the invention it is provided that the control circuit includes a clocked control or current regulating circuit; via the clock frequency and/or the duty cycle, the magnitude of the operating current can be fixed as a function of certain operating states of the auxiliary relay. This advantageously makes it possible to adapt the operating current of the auxiliary relay to varying operating conditions, such as an operating temperature and/or an armature position of the auxiliary relay. By means of this optimal adaptation of the operating current to each operating state of the auxiliary relay, the power loss of the auxiliary relay is reduced. This is the result in particular of a lowering of the operating current, once the armature of the auxiliary relay has attracted, or has just begun its motion along its path of motion. It is also advantageous that by optimal controlled clocking of the operating current of the auxiliary relay, it is possible to set a constant high mean operating current value under various operating conditions, and especially various temperature conditions. It should be taken into account that at different temperatures, on the one hand the charac

REFERENCES:
patent: 4755688 (1988-07-01), Isozumi
patent: 4896637 (1990-01-01), Yamamoto
patent: 5053911 (1991-10-01), Kopec et al.
patent: 5107391 (1992-04-01), Siepmann

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