U.S. patent number 3,614,543 [Application Number 04/873,457] was granted by the patent office on 1971-10-19 for method of actuating magnetic valves and circuit for carrying out said method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Voith Getriebe KG. Invention is credited to Heinrich Dick.
United States Patent |
3,614,543 |
Dick |
October 19, 1971 |
METHOD OF ACTUATING MAGNETIC VALVES AND CIRCUIT FOR CARRYING OUT
SAID METHOD
Abstract
The specification discloses a control circuit for
electromagnetic devices and a method of operating such devices in
which a higher voltage is supplied for actuating the devices to
pull the armatures thereof to attracted position, while a lower
voltage is supplied to hold the armatures in attracted position. In
the circuit the coils of the electromagnetic devices are connected
across a line in series with a voltage-dropping resistor and a
bypass around the voltage-dropping resistor is closed automatically
when a switch pertaining to a coil to be energized is moved to
coil-engaging position.
Inventors: |
Dick; Heinrich (Heidenheim,
DT) |
Assignee: |
Voith Getriebe KG ((Breny),
DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5712731 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/873,457 |
Filed: |
November 3, 1969 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Nov 8, 1968 [DT] |
|
|
P 18 07 748.0 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
361/154;
307/141.4; 361/196 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H03K
17/28 (20130101); H03K 17/60 (20130101); H03K
17/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H03K
17/60 (20060101); H03K 17/08 (20060101); H03K
17/28 (20060101); H01h 047/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;317/154,123CD
;307/141,141.4,141.8 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith, Jr.; David
Assistant Examiner: Smith; William J.
Claims
I claim:
1. In a direct current system for controlling the supply of energy
to the coil of electromagnetic means having moveable armature
means, a supply of direct current voltage, a voltage-dropping
resistor in series with said coil means across said supply, a
normally open line bypassing said voltage-dropping resistor, a
voltage sensitive control element in said line responsive to a
supply of voltage thereto to bring about closing of said line,
switch means between said voltage dropping resistor and said coil
means adapted to be actuated between opened and closed positions,
circuit means including delay elements in the form of a first
resistor and a first capacitor in series therewith operatively
connecting said switch means to said control element and operable
in response to actuation of said switch means to supply voltage to
said control element for a predetermined period of time commencing
with the actuation of said switch means, said period of time being
determined by the value of said delay elements, said control
element having a connection to the said first resistor near the end
thereof opposite said first capacitor.
2. A direct current system according to claim 1, in which said
control element includes transistor means including at least one
transistor having the base thereof connected to the said resistor
near the end thereof opposite to the capacitor.
3. A direct current system according to claim 2, in which said
transistor means further includes a power transistor having its
collector-emitter connected in parallel with said voltage-dropping
resistor, and an amplifying transistor having its collector-emitter
circuit connected to the base of said power transistor and having
its base connected to the collector-emitter circuit of said one
transistor.
4. A direct current system according to claim 3, in which said coil
means comprise the coils of a plurality of magnetic valves for a
multispeed transmission, each coil having one end connected to the
negative side of said source and the other end connected to a
respective switch contact, a bus bar, switchblades connected to the
bus bar and adapted to close on said contacts, said
voltage-dropping resistor connecting said bus bar to the positive
side of said source, said first capacitor and first resistor being
connected in series in the order named between said bus bar and the
negative side of said source, a first PNP transistor having the
base thereof connected to the said resistor near the end thereof
opposite to the capacitor, a power transistor having its
collector-emitter path connected between said bus bar and the
positive side of said source, and an amplifying transistor
connected between the collector-emitter path of said first
transistor and the base of said power transistor and operable to
make the latter conductive when said first transistor goes
conductive.
5. A direct current system according to claim 4, in which, during a
transmission shifting operation, at least one coil has the current
supply thereto interrupted and thereafter at least one other coil
has the current supply thereto established.
6. A direct current system according to claim 4, in which the time
constant of the serially arranged first capacitor and first
resistor is selected to provide a delay corresponding to the time
required to attract an armature to attracted position.
7. A direct current system according to claim 4, which includes a
further resistor between said bus bar and the said contact
pertaining to one of said coils, said further resistor having about
the same ohmic resistance as said voltage-dropping resistor, and
the time constant of said serially arranged first capacitor and
first resistor being selected to provide a delay greater than the
time required to attract an armature to attracted position.
8. A direct current system according to claim 4, which includes a
further resistor between said bus bar and the said contact
pertaining to one of said coils, said further resistor having about
the same ohmic resistance as said voltage-dropping resistor, a
second contact on which the switchblade pertaining to the
last-mentioned contact is adapted to close, and a further capacitor
connected between said second contact and the resistor side of said
first capacitor, the time constant of said first capacitor and
first resistor alone providing for a delay no greater than the time
for an armature to move to attracted position and the time constant
thereof when said switchblade is closed on said second contact so
as to connect said further capacitor in circuit with said first
capacitor providing for a delay greater than the time for an
armature to move to attracted position.
9. A direct current system according to claim 8, which includes a
further coil having a respectively said contact and a further coil
having a respective said contact and a respective switchblade
connected to said bus bar and closeable on the contact, a third
capacitor connected between the last-mentioned contact and said
first resistor near the capacitor end thereof, and a diode poled
toward said first resistor and interposed between said first
capacitor and the connecting point of said third resistor to the
capacitor end of said first resistor.
10. A direct current system according to claim 4, which includes a
diode connected from the negative side of said source to the
resistor side of said first capacitor and poled toward said first
capacitor.
11. A circuit for controlling the supply of energy to the coil of
electromagnetic means having a moveable armature; a direct current
voltage source, a first resistor and a first switch in series with
said coil across said source, a second switch actuatable to bypass
said first resistor, said circuit also comprising a delay circuit
for controlling said second switch, said delay circuit comprising a
condenser and a second resistor in series therewith, a transistor
having the collector-emitter path connected in controlling relation
to said second switch, said capacitor and said second resistor and
the base emitter path of said transistor forming a series circuit
connected in parallel with said coil, said transistor being
operable upon conduction of said collector-emitter path to actuate
said second switch.
12. A circuit according to claim 11 in which said transistor is the
input stage of a current amplifier circuit, said current amplifier
circuit also including an output transistor having its
collector-emitter path connected in parallel with said first
resistor, an amplifier transistor having the collector-emitter path
connected to the base of said output transistor and having a base
connected to the collector-emitter path of said first mentioned
transistor.
Description
The present invention relates to a method of actuating a magnetic
working valve, solenoid, or the like, which is to be hold in
working position for a long period of time and which is provided
with a magnetic coil to be connected to a source of voltage for
attracting the movable magnetic core, and which is furthermore
provided with an iron jacket, iron yoke, or the like, which is
closed only in attracted condition of the movable magnetic core and
is adapted to be short circuit the excited magnetic flux.
Magnets of this type have, with regard to their copper windings, to
be designed for a high output in view of the high current
attraction in order to prevent the current which flows also in
attracted condition from unduly heating up the coil packet. The
overheating is particularly disturbing when a plurality of magnetic
valves are provided in an electrohydraulic control system and when
the magnetic valves have to remain in their working positions for a
long period of time. Valves which are in effective positions over a
long period of time are very large and heavy which fact represents
a particular drawback when a plurality of such valves are employed
and, for instance, with vehicle transmission controls because with
vehicles the weight and space question is particularly
important.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a
control method for magnetic valves which will permit the design of
small magnetic valves, even if such valves have to remain in their
effective position over a long period of time, while simultaneously
avoiding the danger of overheating the windings.
This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will
appear more clearly from the following specification in connection
with the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a control circuit for the actuating current of
two magnetic valves which are adapted selectively to be moved into
and out of their effective position while the current control is
effected by making a magnetic coil effective.
FIG. 2 is a control circuit for the actuating current of a
plurality of magnetic valves which are adapted selectively to be
made effective and ineffective while the circuit control with four
magnetic valves is carried put by making a preceding coil
ineffective.
The above-outlined object has been realized according to the
present invention by connecting in a manner known as per se during
the period of attraction of the movable magnetic coil the coil
first to a source of high-attraction voltage (100 percent) for
producing a high-attracting magnetic flux in the still open yoke,
and after the magnetic core has been attracted, during the entire
working period of the magnetic valve to connect the coil to a
low-holding voltage for producing a holding magnetic flux in the
closed yoke, said holding voltage preferably amounting to about
from 5to 20 percent of the attracting voltage.
For carrying out the method according to the present invention, a
direct current circuit is suggested in which the current-feeding
line to the exciter coil of the magnetic valve there is provided an
Ohm resistor which is adapted to be bridged by a bypass line and a
switch within the bypass line which switch is electrically or
electronically controlled and when in rest position is open. In the
current -feeding line to the exciter coil of the magnetic valve
there is furthermore provided a preferably likewise electrically or
electronically controlled switch which is in rest position is open
and which is adapted to turn on and turn off the magnetic valve.
The arrangement further more comprises a delay circuit for the
delayed opening of the switch which is arranged in parallel to the
resistor and brings about a delay of said last-mentioned switch
when the main switch has been thrown in.
The delay circuit is expediently designed as a so-called
R-C-member, and the switch is designed as a transistorized
three-stage current amplifier circuit in which the base emitter
section of the entrance transistor is in series with the R-C-member
and in which the collecting emitter section of the exit transistor
is parallel to the barrier resistor.
The circuit described so far is suitable for the current control
when actuating only one magnetic valve. If the actuating current is
to be controlled for a plurality of magnetic valves which are
independent of each other, starting from the last-mentioned
circuit, there exist two possibilities of distinguishing the
control which are predetermined by the respective installation
which is to be hydraulically controlled by the magnetic valves.
One possibility: When a new magnetic valve is to be made effective,
another magnetic valve has to be made ineffective (switching over
from one magnetic coil to another magnetic coil). Second
possibility: When a new magnetic valve is made effective, no other
magnetic valve is made ineffective (mere throwing in of a magnetic
coil). In case of an electrohydraulic control of a planetary gear
transmission for vehicles, for instance when changing the velocity,
ordinarily a transmission brake or clutch is disengaged and instead
thereof another brake or clutch is engaged, which means that in
hydraulic control one valve has to open and another valve has to
close. When the transmission is shifted to rearward drive, for
instance a transmission clutch or brake which normally in rest
position is closed has to be opened hydraulically to which end a
magnetic valve has to be made effective.
When a multivalve control is involved with a corresponding
shift-over operation, the coils of the magnetic valves and a
respective pertaining actuating switch are all arranged in parallel
to each other. The barrier switch, the electronic switch
(transistor) bridging the barrier resistor, and the delay control
(R-C-member) are common to all parallely arranged coils. For
switching over from one magnetic valve to another, also when a
timewise overlapping of the velocity ranges is required, according
to a further development of the invention first the current supply
to one coil is interrupted before the current supply to the other
coil is established. Due to the preceding elimination of one
current consumer, a small short time potential increase within the
circuit is produced which is taken advantage of for starting the
current control. If no timewise overlapping is required, it is, in
conformity with a further development of the invention, suggested
to throw-in a smaller resistor parallel to the switch contacts of
that magnetic valve which is to remain effective for a longer
period of time while the time constant of the R-C-member is
designed for the required overlapping time.
If merely a valve is added to the circuit, a short time potential
drop occurs within the circuit where during the switching off a
small voltage increase occurred. This signal is not suitable for
putting through the current control. For magnetic coils which are
merely to be added to the circuit, it is therefore according to a
still further development of the invention suggested that the
increase in the potential at the coil which has been added itself
taken advantage of for putting through the current control. To this
end, between the contact at the coil side and the conductor between
the condenser and the resistor of the R-C-member, there is inserted
a small condenser. This condenser places the increase in potential
when the throwing in the coil to the entrance of input side of the
current amplifier circuit which in its turn closes the circuit.
Referring now to the drawing in detail, the general character of
the circuits of both figures is now being described since basically
they are the same. In these figures, the coils of the magnetic
valves to be actuated are represented by the black rectangular
symbol of an inductivity. Thus they symbolize the magnetic valves
and the latter if they are thrown in represent a certain condition
of the installation which is being controlled by the
electrohydraulic control system of which only its electric part and
the latter only partly is illustrated. In order to distinguish the
individual magnetic valves in the drawings, the magnetic valves
have been designated with the reference numerals 1 to 7. The
circuit is shown for direct current, and all coils have one
terminal connected to the minus pole of the direct current voltage
supply furnished by the battery B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 respectively,
which means to the mass M. Through the plus pole P the coils are
supplied with current via the bridgeable resistor R.sub.v1 and
R.sub.v2 respectively. As is customary, spark-extinguishing diodes
8 to 14 are arranged in parallel to the coils.
In conformity with the present invention, the barrier resistor
R.sub.v1, R.sub.v2 which is bridged only during the attraction
period of the magnetic valve is so designed that the voltage drop
along said barrier resistor amounts preferably to about from 78 to
93 percent of the full voltage of the direct current network. The
voltage which is available in thrown-in condition at both ends will
then amount only to from 7 to 22 percent of the full network
voltage. This means that in the thrown-in condition only
approximately from 0.5 to 5 percent of that electric output is
consumed in the magnetic valve which is consumed during the
attraction (full voltage) because in the calculation of the power
the voltage enters with the power two (N=U.sup.2 /R). A safe
operation is also obtained when the arrangement is subjected to
considerable shocks--danger of tearing off of the
electromagnetically lifted magnetic core--when the magnetic core is
held fast by 2 percent of the attraction force, in other words the
barrier resistor is designed for a voltage drop of approximately 86
percent. Only one such barrier resistor is required in the control
circuit even if a plurality of magnetic valves are to be controlled
with regard to the attraction current, because even when additional
magnetic valves are thrown in, a short current surge will not do
any damage in view of the already thrown-in magnetic valves.
That terminal of the barrier resistor R.sub.v1 or R.sub.v2 which
faces away from the plus pole is connected to a point S.sub.1,
S.sub.2 respectively where during normal operation prevails the
reduced voltage, or the full network voltage when a magnet is just
attracting. By means of this conductor, through the intervention of
switches 15-18, the coils of the respective required magnetic
valves are connected to the current supply or disconnected
therefrom. The entire circuit can be connected and disconnected
through the main switch 19, 20 respectively.
The further structure of the circuit is no longer the same for both
illustrated circuits, and for this reason the circuit according to
FIG. 1 and its operation will now be explained.
The current control circuit according to FIG. 1 comprises primarily
the bridging circuit including the transistor T.sub.1 and the relay
R.sub.1, and the delaying R-C-member composed of the condenser
C.sub.1 ; C.sub.2 and the resistor R.sub.C1 . Each coil 1 and 2 has
respectively associated therewith a condenser C.sub.1, C.sub.2.
The bridging switch 21 of the relay is open when in rest position.
If by means of the switch 15 the positive connection of one of the
coils 1 and 2 receives the potential of the switch point S.sub.1,
first a relatively high charging current passes through the
pertaining condenser and also through the base emitter section of
the transistor which immediately turns on, i.e. becomes conductive
in its collector-emitter section. In this way a delay of
microseconds only occurs after the actuation of the switch 15
before the full network voltage prevails at the coil of the relay
R.sub.1, and after a delay of a few milliseconds until the relay
has exerted its attracting force, the full network voltage also
prevails at the magnetic valve coil which has been turned on
together with the switch 15. The magnetic core of the turned on
valve is attracted. Simultaneously, the pertaining condenser is
charged. The charging voltage equals the network voltage minus the
voltage reduced by the resistor R.sub.C1. The magnitude of the
resistance and of the capacity determine the charging period. With
increasing saturation of the condenser, its charging current
decreases. If this charging current drops below the threshold value
of the transistor necessary for switching through, the base emitter
section of the transistor does not again become conductive, and the
relay R.sub.1 drops off. The time constant of the R-C-member is
designed for the attraction period of the magnetic valves (in the
magnitude of 50 ms.), which means that the charging time of the
condenser is somewhat larger than its attraction period. Only when
the magnetic valve has definitely attracted, is the relay allowed
to drop and the energization output is permitted to drop to the
fraction still necessary for holding when the iron yoke is
closed.
When switching over, the current supply to the magnetic coil
energized up to this point is interrupted and its magnetic core
drops off. The operation of the coil energized instead of the coil
energized before or for an additionally energized coil and the
control of the current therefor will take place precisely in the
manner described above.
The current control according to the circuit of FIG. 2 is initiated
in a manner which is fundamentally different from that described in
connection with FIG. 1. When designing the circuit of FIG. 2, the
designer started with the knowledge that with installations to be
controlled electrohydraulically, an oil flow is made effective or
ineffective while another oil flow is made ineffective or effective
respectively. Such an arrangement is normally the rule for control
installations for planetary gear transmissions of passenger cars.
Such transmissions are controlled by hydraulically operable
friction clutches or brakes and, more specifically, in such a way
that when effecting a velocity change, one clutch or brake is
opened while the other is closed, or one is closed while the other
one is opened. It may be assumed, for instance, that when the
magnetic valves pertaining to the coils 3 and 6 have attracted
(illustrated position), the first velocity range of a transmission
is made effective. When shifting the switch 17 from the right
toward the left, the oil flow controlled by the magnetic valve 6 is
turned off and instead the oil flow controlled by the valve 5 is
released. Due to this change, a shift-over from the first to the
second velocity range is effected. When the switch 16 is fully
shifted from the left toward the right, a switchover is effected
from the second to the third velocity range. Starting from the
switch position shown in FIG. 1 for the assumed first velocity
range, for instance, by an additional energization of coil 7 the
rearward velocity range of the transmission may be made
effective.
The special feature in connection with the circuit of FIG. 2 is
seen in the way in which the current control is initiated when
shifting the valves. Even when a timewise overlapping of the
working periods of the magnetic valves is necessary for a
switch-over operation, first the coil of one magnetic valve is made
currentless before the other will be connected. This operation is
effected by switch-over means in a normal manner.
By switching off a current consumer, the potential at the switching
point S.sub.2 will increase. This minor increase in the voltage
will cause a charging current for the condenser C.sub.3, the
resistor R.sub.2, the base emitter section of the transistor
T.sub.2 and the resistor R.sub.3. In view of this flow of electrons
via the base emitter section of the transistor T.sub.2, the
transistor is switched through which means that its
collector-emitter section becomes conductive. In this way the base
emitter section of the transistor T.sub.3 will through resistor
R.sub.4 be connected to the network. A relatively strong current
will flow whereby the collector-emitter section of this transistor
will become conductive. Thus, through the resistor R.sub.4 the base
emitter section of the transistor T.sub.4 is connected to the
network whereby its collector-emitter section will become
conductive and short circuit the resistor R.sub.v2. This three-step
transistor circuit is necessary in order to be able by means of
such low currents (fractions of a milliampere) as represented for
instance by the charging current due to a potential increase in the
switching point S.sub.2, to switch the high-attraction currents
(about 20 amperes) which are required for attracting the magnetic
cores. The right-hand portion of FIG. 2 designated with the
reference numeral 25 illustrates so to speak a current-amplifying
circuit with a high amplifying factor. The successive switching
through of the individual transistors takes place with an
unbelievable speed. As soon as one of the contacts of switches 16
and 17 opens, also the resistor R.sub.v2 is bridged by the
transistor T.sub.4 designed as output transistor. At this moment,
the full network voltage prevails at switching point 2 and at one
side of the condenser C.sub.3. Due to this renewed increase in the
potential, all of the transistors will become fully effective in
case they should not have switched through by the first small
increase in the potential. Thus, a circuit arrangement is involved
in which a minute small increase in the potential on the strip
S.sub.2 initiates an avalanchelike and very fast increase in the
switching through action on the transistor T.sub.4. This bridging
lasts as long as in view of the initiated increase in the potential
a sufficiently high charging current flows via the condenser
C.sub.3. In the meantime, the oppositely located contact of the
reversing switch 16 or 17 must have been reached. The charging time
for the condenser C.sub.3 is by correspondingly dimensioning its
capacity and the magnitude of the resistors R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 so
designed that a charging current flows at least as long as the
newly energized magnetic valve has attracted. The charging current
decreases with increasing charge in an exponential way. Somewhere
the charging current drops below the minimum valve which is
necessary for switching through the transistor T.sub.2 which means
that the charging current near the end of the charging period drops
below the threshold value of the transistor responsive current.
This moment or the time limited thereby is of interest for the
invention, and this certain time is in this connection to indicate
the charging time for the condenser. When the charging current
drops below this threshold value, each of the transistors will
become nonconductive in a manner analogous to the manner described
above in connection with the successive switching through of the
three transistors T.sub.2, T.sub.3 and T.sub.4. The bridging of the
resistor R.sub.v2 is thus eliminated at the end of the charging
time for the condenser C.sub.3. A drop in the potential occurs at
the strip S.sub.2 which drop similar to the response of the
transistor row initiates a self-amplifying switching off of the
electronic switch. A slight drop of the responsive threshold of the
first transistor T.sub.2 initiates a spontaneous switching off of
the resistor bridging. In order to be sure that the condenser
C.sub.3 and the condenser C.sub.u (referred to further below) will
in the intervals quickly discharge, there is provided a rectifier
diode 23.
In the discussions so far the resistor R.sub.u and the condenser
C.sub.u have not been mentioned. These circuit elements do not
affect the function of the bridging circuit 25 of the three
transistors but merely serve for a timewise overlapping of the
turning-on periods when shifting from coil 3 to coil 4. For
purposes of explaining such an intended overlapping of the velocity
ranges, it may be mentioned that the response of the bridging
circuit with the three transistors is considerably faster than the
dropping off of the magnetic core in the magnetic valve.
Before, following the opening of the left contact of the switch 16,
the movable core of the magnetic valve 3 moves away from the
remaining fixed iron mantle to any material extent so that a larger
airgap forms, the resistor R.sub.v2 has already been bridged, and
at the strip 2 there prevails the full network voltage. This means
that when the resistor R.sub.u has been so dimensioned as to its
magnitude as the resistor R.sub.v2, the coil 3 will be passed
through by a current corresponding to the holding energization in
spite of the turning off by means of switch 16, and the magnetic
valve will remain in its previous working position as long as the
resistor R.sub.v2 is bridged. When this bridging is interrupted,
two resistors will be in the current-feeding line to the coil 3. In
this way the voltage drop to the coil 3 becomes so high that the
remaining voltage will permit only such small energizing current to
pass through the coil 3 that the magnetic filed created thereby
will not be able any longer to hold the magnetic valve so that the
latter will return to its rest position. The time up to the point
when the bridging of the resistor R.sub.v2 is again interrupted
when the switch 16 is switched from the left to the right, i.e.
until the magnetic valve of coil 3 returns to its rest position, is
controlled by the magnitude of the condenser C.sub.u. This time
corresponds to the switching on overlapping time of the magnetic
valves when changing from coil 3 to coil 4. At the time at which
the right-hand contact of the switch closes, the condenser C.sub.u
will be electrically parallel to the condenser C.sub.3. As a result
thereof, the time constant of the R-C-member is increased. By
correspondingly dimensioning the condenser C.sub.u, it is possible
so to extend the common charging time of the two condensers of the
new R-C-member that the overlapping time is obtained. Principally,
the condenser C.sub.u could be eliminated and the condenser C.sub.3
could from the very start be made so large that its charging time
corresponds to the overlapping time. This, however, has the slight
drawback that with each change from one magnetic valve to another
magnetic valve, the transistor T.sub.4 and naturally also the
transistors T.sub.2 and T.sub.3 are under load for an unduly long
time. If the switching operations are carried out particularly
frequently, the relative switching on period of the transistors may
become so high that in the switching intervals of the transistors,
the latter will not be able any longer to cool off to the ambient
temperature and might heat up to a nonpermissible extent. The
intermediate switching on period is in view of the condenser
C.sub.u reduced to the extent which is necessary under all
circumstances because only during the changeover when an
overlapping is required, namely when changing over from coil 3 to
coil 4, does the switching non period of the transistor become
relatively long, for instance 0.3 seconds, and otherwise is short,
for instance 20 milliseconds.
The circuit according to FIG. 2 also shows a coil 7 pertaining to a
magnetic valve which coil is energized without a previous turning
off of another current consumer. In order nevertheless to be able
to cause a slight current to flow through the bases emitter section
of the entrance transistor T.sub.2, which slight current will
initiate the bridging circuit, there is provided a condenser
C.sub.4 which, when the switch 18 is closed, is electrically
parallel to the condenser C.sub.3. The condenser C.sub.4 has a
capacity which is by a plurality of orders of magnitude smaller
than the capacity of the condenser C.sub.3. In order to make sure
that the charging current will actually flow through the base
emitter section of the entrance transistor and not through the
condenser C.sub.3, a rectifier diode 26 is provided which blocks
toward the condenser C.sub.3 and is arranged between the terminal
24 of the condenser C.sub.4 and the condenser C.sub.3. Following
the closure of switch 18, a low-charging current flows which in a
manner known per se initiates the action of the bridging circuit
25. When the coil 7 is by means of the switch 18 again separated
from the current supply, an increase in the potential occurs which
will initiate the bridging circuit 25 and thus will briefly
overenergize the remaining energized coils. This, however, will do
no harm.
As will be evident from the above, the present invention solves an
energy problem which is closely related to space and weight. It is
well known that magnetic valves are to be dimensioned more or less
strong depending on the required relative duration during which
they have to be effective so as to meet the heating up which
increases with the length of time during which such magnetic valves
are in action. A lifting magnet for a 15 percent relative duration
of action is considerably smaller, lighter and less expensive than
a lifting magnet of the same strength for a 100 percent relative
duration of action. These differences in magnitude are purely
thermally required. Decisive is not the duration of its active
period but the electric energy introduced into the lifting magnet
per time unit. The present invention has drawn the conclusion of
this finding and accordingly the coil is actuated only during the
brief moment during which a strong excitation of the magnetic flux
is necessary in a shocklike manner with a high power. In the
remaining time, the energizing current or the power is reduced to
the extent which, with the now closed iron yoke of the lifting
magnet, is necessary for holding the core. If magnetic valves are
employed, 2 percent of the attraction force will suffice. This
means that a magnetic valve controlled as to the exciter current in
conformity with the present invention with a 100-percent active
duration as seen from a time standpoint has to be only as large as
a magnetic valve actuated according to standard methods and need be
designed only for a 2-percent effective duration because the power
input and the heating up will in both instances be the same. In
this way, with the higher necessary active periods, reductions in
the overall volume and in the price and weight are possible to from
one-tenth to one-twentieth with respect to magnetic valves of
heretofore known control circuits.
The advantages realized by the present invention are seen in that
the magnetic coils provided for high-medium time periods of active
duty can be designed as small, light and inexpensive as magnetic
coils for extremely low-medium active duty while the number of
elements is relatively low and while such elements can be
inexpensive and mass produced. The expenses for the circuits are
less than the price difference of a magnetic valve for a
100-percent relative active duty of standard operation (100-percent
relative active duty means when in one cycle the inertia
temperature is reached) in contrast to an operation for only
5-percent active duty which means that the expenses for the circuit
pay for themselves even if only one single magnetic valve is
provided, aside from space and weight advantages. The saving is
considerable in connection with electrohydraulic control
installations or with other installations employing lifting magnets
in which a plurality of lifting magnets are provided. A saving can
also be realized when the relative duration during which the
magnetic valves are effective is only short, for instance when it
amounts only to 10 percent, because the input of power with the
operation according to the invention is still less, and the coils
may when taking advantage of the present invention also thermally
be designed smaller than with the customary way of operation even
if the valves are made effective only for an effective duration of
10 percent. It is, of course, to be understood that the present
invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the
drawing but also comprises many modifications within the scope of
the appended claims.
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