Patent EP0049188A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0049188A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Driver circuit for a fuel injector
Assignee: Bendix Corp
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Filing: 1981-09-16
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-09-16
Abstract
Abstract Driver circuit, having boost and hold modes of operation, for a fuel injector having a solenoid (21) including a high impedance coil (22) and a low impedance coil (24) wherein the coils (22, 24) are so situated that their respective magnetic fields are additive and wherein said driver circuit is responsive to input metering pulse width signals and includes: adaptive means (40) for modifying the duration of each pulse width signal to generate a boost pulse signal to excite the low impedance coil (22) in correspondence with the variations in the supply voltage source (30); driver means (44, 46) for permitting the current flowing through the low impedance coil (22) to flow into the high impedance coil (24); means (70) for regulating the level of current flowing through the high impedance coil (24) at a determinable value; and means for reducing the current droop occuring upon the transition from the boost mode of operation to the hold mode of operation.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert S. Henrich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 15:16
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01F; H01F7/00; H01F7/06; H01F7/08; H01F7/18; H01F7/1805; H01F7/1827
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
Driver circuit for a fuel injector, said driver circuit being adapted to receive input metering signals from an electronic control unit (32) for controlling the operation of a solenoid (21) of the type having at least two coils (22,24) situated so as to produce, when activated, aiding magnetic fields, characterized in that it comprises: a voltage source (30;90); voltage regulator means (42) connected to said voltage source (30;90) for generating a regulated voltage; adaptive means (40) responsive to the metering signals for generating a pulse width boost signal that is variable in correspondence with fluctuations of the voltage level of said voltage source (30;90);first driver means (44) responsive to said boost signal and connected to a first (22) of said coils (22,24) for causing current to flow therethrough; second driver means (46) responsive to said boost signal and connected to a second (24) of said coils (22,24) for activating said second coil (24) and for causing the current flowing through said first coil (22) to flow through said second coil (24); and first means (232;232,290) connected to said first (44) or said second (46) driver means for reducing current droop upon activation of said second coil (24).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
197 words
Driver circuit for a fuel injector, said driver circuit being adapted to receive input metering signals from an electronic control unit (32) for controlling the operation of a solenoid (21) of the type having at least two coils (22,24) situated so as to produce, when activated, aiding magnetic fields, characterized in that it comprises: a voltage source (30;90); voltage regulator means (42) connected to said voltage source (30;90) for generating a regulated voltage; adaptive means (40) responsive to the metering signals for generating a pulse width boost signal that is variable in correspondence with fluctuations of the voltage level of said voltage source (30;90);first driver means (44) responsive to said boost signal and connected to a first (22) of said coils (22,24) for causing current to flow therethrough; second driver means (46) responsive to said boost signal and connected to a second (24) of said coils (22,24) for activating said second coil (24) and for causing the current flowing through said first coil (22) to flow through said second coil (24); and first means (232;232,290) connected to said first (44) or said second (46) driver means for reducing current droop upon activation of said second coil (24).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that there is provided means (64,70) for regulating the level of current flowing through said second coil (24).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said first means (232;232,290) is adapted to feed back a portion of the voltage generated by either of said coils (22,24) to said voltage regulator means (42).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 3, characterized in that said first means (232,290) comprises a resistor-capacitor combination (232,290) connected between one terminal (62) of said second coil (24) and said voltage regulator means (42).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said second coil (24) has an inductance greater than that of said first coil (22).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 5, characterized in that said first and second coils (22,24) are activated substantially at the same time.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said adaptive means (40) comprises: a comparator (114) having a determinative threshold voltage output level; and variable voltage generating means (108,110,112) connected to said voltage source (90) and said comparator (114) for generating a voltage indicative of the voltage level of said voltage source (90).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 7, characterized in that said last named means (108,110, 112) comprises a resistor-capacitor network.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
168 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that said voltage regulator means (42) comprises: first and second NPN transistors (240, 242) connected to ground potential via a first resistor (244); a first diode (250) having its anode terminal connected to the collector terminal of said second transistor (242) and having its cathode terminal connected to the collector terminal of said first transistor (240) via a second resistor (248); a Zener diode (254) having its anode terminal connected to the collector terminal of said first transistor (240) and its cathode terminal connected to ground potential; a third resistor (262) connected between the base terminal of said first transistor (240) and ground potential; a fourth resistor (264) connected between the base terminal of said second transistor (242) and ground potential; a second diode (256) having its cathode terminal connected to the base terminal of said first transistor (240); and a third diode (266) having its cathode terminal connected to the base terminal of said second transistor (242) .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
164 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 9, characterized in that there are provided: a third NPN transistor (124) having its emitter terminal connected to the anode terminal of said first diode (250) and its base terminal connected to the collector terminal of said first transistor (240), said emitter terminal being further connected to one terminal of a second capacitor (172) the other terminal of which is grounded; a fifth resistor (252) connecting the collector terminal to the base terminal of said third transistor (124), the collector terminal of said third transistor (124) being further connected to said voltage source (90); a sixth resistor (174) having one terminal connected to the emitter terminal of said third transistor (124) and to the anode terminal of said second diode (256) and having its other terminal connected via capacitor (170) to ground potential and to the anode of said third diode (266); and a-Zener diode (122) connected between the anode of said third diode (266) and ground potential.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
71 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 10, characterized in that said one terminal of said sixth resistor (174) is connected to the anode terminal of said second diode (256) by a voltage divider circuit comprising a first dividing resistor (260) interposing said one terminal and the anode terminal of said second diode (256) and a second dividing resistor (258) connecting the anode terminal of said second diode (256) to ground potential.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
197 words
Driver circuit as claimed in Claim 9, characterized in that there are provided: a first PNP transistor (270) having its collector terminal connected to the anode terminal of said first diode (250) and having its emitter terminal connected via a fifth resistor (274) to the collector terminal of said first transistor (240) and connected to said voltage source (90) and further having its collector terminal connected to the anode terminal of said second diode (256); a sixth resistor (278) interconnecting the base and emitter terminals of said first PNP transistor (270); a third NPN transistor (280) having its collector terminal connected to the base terminal of said first PNP transistor (270), having its base terminal connected to the collector terminal of said first transistor (240) and further having its emitter terminal connected via a seventh resistor (282) to the anode terminal of said third diode (266); an eighth resistor (174) having one terminal connected to the anode terminal of said third diode (266) and having its other terminal connected to the collector terminal of said first PNP transistor (270); and a Zener diode (162) connected between the anode terminal of said third diode (266) and ground potential.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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