US4377144A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Injector driving circuit
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1981-09-03
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Granted: 1983-03-22
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Expires: 2001-09-03
Abstract
Abstract An injector driving circuit includes a first diode forwardly coupled between one end of a solenoid coil and a positive power supply terminal, a capacitor with one end grounded, a second diode forwardly coupled between the other end of the coil and the capacitor with respect to the positive power supply terminal, a switching transistor coupled between the other end of the coil and the ground and connected to be turned on in response to a driving input signal, a current detecting circuit for detecting current flowing through the coil and producing an output signal when detecting that the coil current has reached a predetermined value, and a switching circuit coupled between the one end of the coil and the other end of the capacitor and connected to be closed and opened in response to the driving input signal and the output signal of the current detecting circuit, respectively.
Inventors
- 👤 Yukiharu Takahashi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:44
CPC Classifications
F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/20; H; H03; H03K; H03K17/00; H03K17/51; H03K17/56; H03K17/60; H03K17/64; F02D2041/2003; F02D2041/2006; F02D2041/2017; F02D2041/202; F02D2041/2058
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
210 words
An injector driving circuit comprising: a power supply voltage terminal and a reference voltage terminal; a first diode circuit coupled between one end of a solenoid coil of an injector to be driven and said power supply voltage terminal to supply said one end of said solenoid coil with a power supply voltage applied to said power supply voltage terminal; first switching means coupled between the other end of said solenoid coil and said reference voltage terminal to control the current conducting state of said solenoid coil in accordance with a driving input signal; current detecting means producing an output signal when detecting that current flowing through said solenoid coil has reached a predetermined value; charge storing means with one end coupled to said reference voltage terminal; second switching means coupled between said one end of said solenoid coil and the other end of said charge storing means and connected to be turned on and off in resonse to the driving input signal and the output signal from said current detecting means, respectively; and a second diode circuit coupled between said other end of said solenoid coil and said other end of said charge storing means to allow current to flow from said solenoid coil to said charge storing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
210 words
An injector driving circuit comprising: a power supply voltage terminal and a reference voltage terminal; a first diode circuit coupled between one end of a solenoid coil of an injector to be driven and said power supply voltage terminal to supply said one end of said solenoid coil with a power supply voltage applied to said power supply voltage terminal; first switching means coupled between the other end of said solenoid coil and said reference voltage terminal to control the current conducting state of said solenoid coil in accordance with a driving input signal; current detecting means producing an output signal when detecting that current flowing through said solenoid coil has reached a predetermined value; charge storing means with one end coupled to said reference voltage terminal; second switching means coupled between said one end of said solenoid coil and the other end of said charge storing means and connected to be turned on and off in resonse to the driving input signal and the output signal from said current detecting means, respectively; and a second diode circuit coupled between said other end of said solenoid coil and said other end of said charge storing means to allow current to flow from said solenoid coil to said charge storing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a Zener diode whose cathode is coupled to said other end of said charge storing means and whose anode is coupled to said reference voltage terminal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a third diode circuit coupled between said power supply voltage terminal and said other end of said charge storing means to supply said other end of said charge storing means with the power supply voltage applied to said power supply voltage terminal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said current detecting means includes a resistor coupled in series with said solenoid coil and a comparing circuit producing an output signal when a voltage drop at said resistor reaches a predetermined voltage level.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
67 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 4, wherein said second switching means includes a flip-flop circuit producing a first output signal in response to the driving input signal and producing a second output signal in response to the output signal from said comparing circuit, and a switching circuit turned on and off in response to said first and second output signals from said flip-flop circuit, respectively.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
235 words
An injector driving circuit comprising: a power supply voltage terminal and a reference voltage terminal; a plurality of first diode circuits coupled between respective one ends of solenoid coils of a plurality of injectors to be driven and said power supply voltage terminal to supply said one ends of said solenoid coils with a power supply voltage applied to said power supply voltage terminal; a plurality of first switching means coupled between the respective other ends of said solenoid coils and said reference voltage terminal to control the current conducting state of said solenoid coils in accordance with a driving input signal; a plurality of current detecting means each producing an output signal when detecting that current flowing through its corresponding one of said plurality of solenoid coils has reached a predetermined value; charge storing means with one end coupled to said reference voltage terminal; a plurality of second switching means respectively coupled between said one ends of said solenoid coils and the other end of said charge storing means and connected to be turned on and off in response to the driving input signal and the output signals from said current detecting means, respectively; and a plurality of second diode circuits respectively coupled between said other ends of said solenoid coils and said other end of said charge storing means to allow current to flow from said solenoid coil to said charge storing means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
235 words
An injector driving circuit comprising: a power supply voltage terminal and a reference voltage terminal; a plurality of first diode circuits coupled between respective one ends of solenoid coils of a plurality of injectors to be driven and said power supply voltage terminal to supply said one ends of said solenoid coils with a power supply voltage applied to said power supply voltage terminal; a plurality of first switching means coupled between the respective other ends of said solenoid coils and said reference voltage terminal to control the current conducting state of said solenoid coils in accordance with a driving input signal; a plurality of current detecting means each producing an output signal when detecting that current flowing through its corresponding one of said plurality of solenoid coils has reached a predetermined value; charge storing means with one end coupled to said reference voltage terminal; a plurality of second switching means respectively coupled between said one ends of said solenoid coils and the other end of said charge storing means and connected to be turned on and off in response to the driving input signal and the output signals from said current detecting means, respectively; and a plurality of second diode circuits respectively coupled between said other ends of said solenoid coils and said other end of said charge storing means to allow current to flow from said solenoid coil to said charge storing means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 6, further comprising a Zener diode whose cathode is coupled to said other end of said charge storing means and whose anode is coupled to said reference voltage terminal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising a third diode circuit coupled between said power supply voltage terminal and said other end of said charge storing means to supply said other end of said charge storing means with the power supply voltage applied to said power supply voltage terminal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 6 or 7, wherein each of said current detecting means includes a resistor coupled in series with said solenoid coil and a comparing circuit producing an output signal when a voltage drop at said resistor reaches a predetermined voltage level.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
An injector driving circuit according to claim 9, wherein each of said second switching means includes a flip-flop circuit producing a first output signal in response to the driving input signal and producing a second output signal in response to the output signal from said comparing circuit, and a switching circuit turned on and off in response to said first and second output signals from said flip-flop circuit, respectively.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-03-21 | 1986-09-20 | 1987-03-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-03-21 | 1990-09-20 | 1991-03-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-03-21 | 1994-09-20 | 1995-03-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |