Motor Temperature Patents (Class 361/25)
  • Patent number: 11736025
    Abstract: An electrical power conversion apparatus is obtained in which its devices constituting a DC/DC converter are not required to be large-sized, and a DC capacitor connected between an AC/DC converter and the DC/DC converter can be small-sized. The electrical power conversion apparatus includes a DC capacitor connected between an AC/DC converter and a DC/DC converter, and a control circuit for controlling the AC/DC converter and the DC/DC converter, wherein the control circuit generates an output current instruction of the DC/DC converter by performing superposition of an alternating current instruction on a direct current instruction, and determines an amplitude of the alternating current instruction in accordance with temperature information obtained from a DC-capacitor's temperature acquisition means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Kei Hayase
  • Patent number: 11680569
    Abstract: This disclosure describes electrically powered fluid (liquid) pumps having an electric motor or actuator attached to a power source with a power sensor configured to measure the power draw of the motor while the pump is operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Inventor: Dean Richard Howard
  • Patent number: 11594847
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a male electrical plug, a female socket, a housing, and a control system. The male electrical plug, which is supplied with power, is electrically connected to the female socket. The housing contains the male electrical plug, the female socket, and a control system. The control system includes a temperature sensor and a transceiver with the temperature sensor sensing a temperature at a location within the housing and the transceiver transmitting a signal representative of the temperature to an alarm device remotely located from the electrical connector. The electrical connector can include one or more switches that are remotely controllable by the alarm device to interrupt the electrical connection between the male plug and the female socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Inventor: Kevin O'Rourke
  • Patent number: 11539349
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a signal output circuit configured to output a timing signal indicating first and second timings of respectively switching first and second switching devices, first and second hold circuits respectively configured to receive first and second voltages corresponding to temperatures of the first and second switching devices, hold the first and second voltages for first and second time periods, and output the received first and second voltages in response to the first and second time periods having elapsed, and first and second control circuits respectively configured to control switching of the first and second switching devices with first and second driving capabilities corresponding to the temperatures of the first and second switching devices, based on the first and second voltages outputted from the first and second hold circuits and first and second driving signals for driving the first and second switching device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Isao Kakebe
  • Patent number: 11530663
    Abstract: A method for determining information (Info) about a state (Z) of a drive motor system (2) and/or of a drive battery pack (11) of a gardening, forestry and/or construction device (1), includes the steps of: acquiring at least one sensor temperature (TS) of at least one temperature component (3) of the drive motor system (2) and/or of the drive battery pack (11) by way of at least one component temperature sensor (4) at the same time as and/or at a time after operation of the drive motor system (2) and/or of the drive battery pack (11) and/or of a heater (300) and/or of a cooler (310) and/or of a fan (320) for heating and/or for cooling the drive battery pack (11), wherein the temperature component (3) heats up or cools down due to the operation; ascertaining operating data (BD) of the operation, wherein the operating data (BD) are of a different kind than the sensor temperature (TS); comparing the acquired sensor temperature (TS) or a variable based on the sensor temperature and the ascertained operating data
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christian Sigle, Simon Trinkle, Claus Naegele, Nils Conrad
  • Patent number: 11482910
    Abstract: A stator for an AC motor, includes windings of a first layer, which extend over a first region of the stator and are connectable to a first phase, and windings of a second layer, which extend over a second region of the stator and are connectable to a second phase, wherein the first region is offset relative to the second region and at least one overlap region is formed which is smaller than the individual regions, and wherein a temperature detection unit is arranged in the overlap region and is designed to measure the temperature of the windings in the overlap region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: VALEO SIEMENS EAUTOMOTIVE GERMANY GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Finger-Albert, Stefan Oetzel, Michael Menz
  • Patent number: 11469064
    Abstract: A flash double-temperature linkage temperature controller has an arrangement that enables contacts of two movable contact sheet sets and two static contact sheet sets to sequentially operate at different temperatures, and a desired fixed temperature difference is obtained. The two movable contact sheet sets are respectively connected to the two static contact sheet sets to control two electric heating tubes, so that the effect whereby two electric heating tubes (high power) work during water heating and a single electric heating tube (low power) works during heat preservation heating is achieved, and the working frequency of the high-power contact sets is greatly reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventor: Yuebin Gan
  • Patent number: 10811870
    Abstract: An electric wire protection device includes a voltage adjusting unit that adjusts voltage of a power source side and supplies the resulting voltage to a load, and a controller that includes a calculation unit configured to compute temperature information of an electric wire connecting the power source and the load from a value of an electric current flowing through the voltage adjusting unit, and that is configured to make the voltage adjusting unit into a shutoff state of shutting off the power source and the load on the basis of the temperature information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignees: YAZAKI CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kikuchi, Takahiro Miyakawa, Syunsuke Nagakura, Keisuke Ueta, Tomoya Nishino, Noboru Ujigawa, Seiju Kawamata, Masataka Tsukioka, Rikuya Ezoe
  • Patent number: 10759411
    Abstract: A system and method of controlling regenerative braking of an eco-friendly vehicle are provided. The system eliminates a motor over-temperature state during regenerative braking, effectively prevents a chattering phenomenon in which regenerative braking torque is repeatedly increased and reduced after the motor over-temperature state, and consequently, improves the braking safety and operability of the vehicle. A torque output rate for motor regenerative braking torque limitation is determined from a current motor load and motor temperature using setting information when a motor over-temperature state is detected. Then, a final regenerative braking torque is determined by multiplying a motor regenerative braking torque, calculated from information including battery chargeable power and a driver braking operation value, by the determined torque output rate. Thereafter, regenerative braking of a motor is adjusted based on the determined final regenerative braking torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jin Kyeom Cho, Sung Deok Kim
  • Patent number: 10700511
    Abstract: A protector for an electricity supply circuit includes: a power switch for switching between connection and disconnection of the electricity supply circuit; a controller configured to output a switching command signal to the power switch in accordance with an input signal; and a current detector for detecting current flowing to the electricity supply circuit. The controller includes: a lower limit threshold determination unit configured to determine whether or not an estimated temperature of a power line has dropped below a lower limit threshold; a timer for counting the time that passes after a load has been turned off, when the load is turned off by the power switch; and a mode switching unit configured to switch the controller to a sleep mode when a predetermined time is counted by the timer and the lower limit threshold determination unit determines that the estimated temperature has dropped below the lower limit threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihide Nakamura, Akinori Maruyama, Keisuke Ueta
  • Patent number: 10644640
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for heating a device driven with a brushless direct current motor, in which method a voltage is applied to stator coils of the brushless direct current motor during a heating phase. The invention further relates to a device for carrying out said method. According to the invention, the stator coils are series-connected during the heating phase. The series connection of the stator coils increases the resistance by a factor of 4.5 compared to a parallel connection of a stator coil with a series connection of two stator coils, as occurs in a brushless direct current motor wired according to the prior art. The heating power is therefore also higher by a factor of 4.5 with the same operating current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Horst Kleinknecht
  • Patent number: 9705309
    Abstract: A terminal protection method that is applied to a terminal is provided. In the method, an air pressure change value collected by an air pressure sensor is obtained; the air pressure change value is compared with a preset air pressure change threshold; and when the air pressure change value exceeds the preset air pressure change threshold, a break instruction is generated, where the break instruction is used to break a power supply circuit of a mainboard circuit of the terminal. According to the terminal protection method provided in the present invention, the power supply circuit of the mainboard circuit of the terminal can be timely broken when the terminal falls into water, thereby solving a problem of a short circuit that occurs on the mainboard circuit of the terminal after the terminal falls into water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Huawei Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xu Peng, Jianglin Gu, Feikuo Chiang, Tian Liu
  • Patent number: 9045132
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling engine idle stop in a hybrid vehicle that uses predictive information to schedule engine stops with relatively longer stop duration time to gain more fuel savings and extend life of starter motor. More specifically, predictive information may be used to determine potential vehicle stop events, along with corresponding stop duration times, within a time window. An engine stop scheduler and/or controller may be configured to schedule stops of longer duration for optimal total engine stop time. Similarly, taking into account constraints imposed by the thermal limits of the motor, engine stop may be inhibited for predicted short events to allow engine stop at later longer stop events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yanan Zhao, Sangeetha Sangameswaran, Mathew Alan Boesch
  • Patent number: 9013122
    Abstract: Provided is an electric power steering control device which can realize a more appropriate countermeasure against heat in accordance with a thermal characteristic of a component used to supply a motor current. The electric power steering control device for assisting a steering force of a steering wheel of a vehicle including a control unit (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Iwami, Takashi Goto, Susumu Zeniya, Daisuke Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20150077885
    Abstract: Temperature protection device for use in an electrical power circuit for protecting said electrical power circuit against heating, comprising a first contact element and a second contact element, which are connected to one another by the ends thereof, and are designed in such a way that the ends of said first and said second contact elements that are connected to one another separate from one another when a limit temperature is exceeded because of a mechanical pretension between the two ends, thereby interrupting the electrical circuit, wherein at least the ends of the contact elements have a material with a higher recrystallization temperature than pure copper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Inventor: Uwe Hartmann
  • Patent number: 8975852
    Abstract: An electric motor (100) having a motor control system (400) including: —a current measuring means (402) for directly or indirectly measuring the electric current in the rotor windings (7) providing a rotor current value/s, —an ambient temperature measuring/estimation means (404) for measuring or estimating the ambient air temperature providing an air temperature value/s, —a rotor temperature estimation means (406, 407, 408, 409, 410, 411) for estimating a rotor temperature at least based on the rotor current value/s and the air temperature value/s, and—a current limiting means (405) for preventing overheating/burning of the rotor assembly (3) by limiting the electric current to the rotor windings (7) when the estimated rotor temperature exceeds a predetermined overheating threshold (412).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Husqvarna AB
    Inventors: Ulf Petersson, Anders Erestam
  • Patent number: 8964338
    Abstract: A system includes a refrigerant compressor including an electric motor, a current sensor that measures current flow to the electric motor, a switching device configured to close and open to allow and prevent current flow to the electric motor, respectively, a maximum continuous current (MCC) device that includes a resistance corresponding to a maximum continuous current for the electric motor, and a motor protection module. The motor protection module communicates with the MCC device, the current sensor, and the switching device and determines a first MCC value for the electric motor as a function of the resistance of the MCC device. The motor protection module also selectively sets a predetermined MCC to the first MCC and controls the switching device based on a comparison of the current flow to the electric motor and the predetermined MCC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Frank S. Wallis, Joseph James Rozsnaki
  • Patent number: 8853986
    Abstract: Method for diagnosing a fan, in particular in a cooling circuit of an internal combustion engine, a current driving the fan being ascertained. The fan is triggered by a defined trigger signal, and depending on the ascertained current, a diagnosis of whether the fan is defective is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Wiltsch
  • Patent number: 8788223
    Abstract: A method and system are provided to eliminate the risk of over temperature concerns associated with electrical heating devices, which if undetected may result in an electrical over temperature condition. The electrical heating system may be applied to the detection and control structure of other automotive electrical loads where thermal concerns may exist. The electrical heating system combines several layers of fault detection strategies, to form a unique comprehensive approach to prevent and detect potential electrical fault conditions, which if undetected and/or controlled may result in an electrical over temperature condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Mark R. Willey, Charles J. Bongiorno, David A. Bodenmiller, Craig Atiyeh, Aaron C. Osmun
  • Publication number: 20140118866
    Abstract: Provided is an electric power steering control device which can realize a more appropriate countermeasure against heat in accordance with a thermal characteristic of a component used to supply a motor current. The electric power steering control device for assisting a steering force of a steering wheel of a vehicle including a control unit (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Inventors: Eiji IWAMI, Takashi Goto, Susumu Zeniya, Daisuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8674651
    Abstract: There is provided an electronic device that includes a heatsink and a set of IGBTs coupled to the heatsink and configured to deliver power to a field exciter and a battery. The electronic device also includes a temperature sensor disposed in the heatsink and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a temperature reading from the temperature sensor and, based on the temperature reading, determine a junction temperature for at least one of the IGBTs of the set of IGBTs. The controller is also configured to de-rate an output power provided by each of the IGBTs based, at least in part, on the junction temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Dimitrios Ioannidis
  • Patent number: 8581533
    Abstract: A controller controls switching of IGBT devices of an inverter according to the desired output of the permanent magnet motor. The controller includes: a magnet temperature detection device that detects the magnet temperature of the permanent magnet motor based on the output of a temperature sensor; a setting device that sets a threshold value of the magnet temperature corresponding to the desired output of the permanent magnet motor, based on a predetermined relation between the output from the permanent magnet motor and a critical temperature, up to which demagnetization in the permanent magnet motor is not caused; and a carrier frequency control device that, when the magnet temperature detected by the magnet temperature detection device exceeds the threshold value, changes the carrier frequency, at which the IGBT devices are switched, such that a ripple current superimposed on a motor current that flows through the permanent magnet motor is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhito Hayashi, Masayoshi Suhama
  • Patent number: 8502491
    Abstract: A rotation direction control method of a cooling fan is disclosed. The rotation direction control method includes a detection step, a determination step and a driving step. The detection step receives a temperature control signal from a temperature detection unit by a rotation direction control unit when a predetermined dust-expelling time period begins. The determination step determines whether a detected temperature is higher than a predetermined value based on the temperature control signal by the rotation direction control unit. The driving step controls the rotation direction control unit to keep outputting a cooling signal so as to drive a motor of the cooling fan for a cooling operation when the determination of the determination step is positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alex Horng, Ching-Sheng Hung
  • Publication number: 20130088799
    Abstract: The motor monitoring system of the present disclosure uses several calculated monitoring values to determine a status of a motor and take a predetermined action when a threshold corresponding with the monitoring value is exceeded. The threshold may be calculated by an intelligent electronic device (IED) monitoring the motor. The predetermined action may include further monitoring of the motor. The predetermined action may include monitoring equipment not directly monitored by the IED.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2012
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: SCHWEITZER ENGINEERING LABORATORIES, INC.
    Inventor: Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8379358
    Abstract: A motor control circuit 1 for controlling driving of a plurality of motors is provided with a plurality of motor driver circuits 7 and 8 for controlling driving of the plurality of motors 3 and 4, a plurality of excess current detection circuits 39 and 40 each for detecting an excess current flowing through corresponding one of the plurality of motors 3 and 4 to determine which motor driver circuit among the plurality of motor driver circuits 7 and 7 caused the excess current. The motor control circuit further includes a nonvolatile memory 46 configured to receive detection results from the plurality of excess current detection circuits 39 and 40 and store information on which motor driver circuit among the plurality of motor driver circuits 7 and 8 caused the excess current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Takahashi, Hiroshi Inoue, Masatoshi Komada
  • Patent number: 8339142
    Abstract: In an abnormality diagnosing system for first and second current sensors for measuring a current, an obtaining unit obtains at least one pair of measured values of the first and second current sensors. The at least one pair of measured values is measured by the first and second current sensors at a substantially same timing. A diagnosing unit diagnoses whether there is an abnormality in at least one of the first and second current sensors based on a function defining a relationship between the at least one pair of measured values of the first and second current sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takahumi Oowada
  • Patent number: 8248739
    Abstract: An electrical switching apparatus is for another apparatus including a number of insulators, a number of temperature sensors operatively associated with the number of insulators, and a number of conductors operatively associated with the number of insulators. The electrical switching apparatus includes a number of separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts, a number of sensors structured to sense a number of currents flowing through the separable contacts and through the conductors, a processor structured to input the sensed currents from the sensors, and an output. The processor calculates at least one of: (a) a thermal age of the other apparatus from a number of sensed temperatures from the temperature sensors, and (b) the thermal age of the other apparatus from the sensed currents. The output includes the thermal age of the other apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Lawrence B. Farr
  • Patent number: 8213137
    Abstract: A solid state relay has independent charge pumps isolating each gate of a full bridge to achieve faster and proper gate turn on. The low side MOSFETs of the bridge are the current sensing device reducing loss and allowing a device controlled by the relay to achieve peak performance. Dynamic braking is achieved by the two low side MOSFETs being fully conducted and applying a load across the DC motor. Addition of a microprocessor to the device provides undervoltage sensing, current vs time readings, motor stall sensing, and motor temperature sensing. Motor temperature is detected by checking impedance of the motor at microsecond pulses to see if the motor is getting hot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Inventor: Gilbert Fregoso
  • Patent number: 8169174
    Abstract: In a steering control unit, a U-phase feed line branches into paired branch feed lines, phase-open MOSFETs are provided in middle portions of the branch feed lines, phase-open MOSFETs are provided in middle portions of a V-phase feed line and a W-phase feed line, and the phase-open MOSFETs are arranged in such a manner that parasitic diodes are in the same orientation with respect to a motor. When an abnormality occurs, all the phase-open MOSFETs are turned off. Then, a closed circuit, which includes phase coils and through which electric currents flow, is no longer present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Shibata
  • Publication number: 20120075754
    Abstract: A system for protecting a three-phase electric motor of a compressor, the motor receiving first, second, and third phases from a three-phase power supply, the system including a single-phase line break protector, a first current sensor, and a control module. The single-phase line break protector disconnects the motor from the first phase in response to a temperature being greater than a predetermined temperature threshold. The first current sensor measures a current through the single-phase line break protector. The control module determines a current value based on the measured current, and disconnects the motor from the second and third phases in response to the current value being less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: EMERSON CLIMATE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Nagaraj B. Jayanth, Wayne R. Warner
  • Patent number: 8129873
    Abstract: A coolant flow reduction monitoring system for a rotary electric machine having stator coils within a plurality of slots of a stator thereof is provided. The stator coils are cooled by a coolant flowing in a plurality of passages provided in the stator coils. The system includes an outlet temperature sensor for measuring a coolant outlet temperature of the coolant in an outlet of at least one of the plurality of passages, a slot temperature sensor for measuring a temperature in at least one slot at a location along a length of each slot and outside of the stator coils, and an inlet temperature sensor for measuring a coolant inlet temperature of the coolant. A coolant flow reduction monitor generates an alarm indicating a coolant flow reduction based on the at least one coolant outlet temperature, the at least one slot temperature and the coolant inlet temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: General Electronic Company
    Inventors: Sudhanshu Rai, Nicola Piccirillo, Subrat Kumar Sahoo, Ravikumar Sandrana
  • Patent number: 8129928
    Abstract: Provided is a power branching system for driving a plurality of motors by use of a single servo driver, the power branching system capable of protecting each of the motors. The power branching system of the present invention has power lines 15 branched at some midpoint to connect the plural motors 5 and the servo driver 12; a plurality of current sensors 21 provided at branched power lines 15b for detecting currents supplied to the respective motors 5; and controlling means 22 for receiving current data detected by the plural current sensors 21, determining whether or not the detected currents are balanced and generating an alarm signal when the currents are unbalanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Shoda, Yuki Nomura, Toshiyuki Aso
  • Patent number: 8125747
    Abstract: A drive system for a multi-phase electric machine with a permanent magnet rotor, the drive system may comprise conduction paths for each phase. Detectors on each of the conduction paths may determine electrical condition of the conduction path. At least one selectable interconnection path may be present between all of the conduction paths and at least one selectable interconnection path may be operable to connect all of the conduction paths together responsively to at least one of the detectors determining that the electrical condition of its respective electrical path is representative of a predetermined electrical fault condition so that heating of the rotor during continued rotation of the rotor is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Evgeni Ganev, Leroy Allen Fizer, Cuong Nguyen, Thay Chau
  • Patent number: 8085514
    Abstract: A modular control assembly is provided for on-machine control of a desired machine. One embodiment has a machine mountable base and a replaceable control unit, wherein the machine mountable base has a machine protection device. In various embodiments of the machine mountable base, the machine protection device may have a short-circuit protective device and a disconnect device. In addition, various embodiments of the replaceable control unit may have a variable frequency drive, a soft start device, or an adjustable overload protection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian J. Taylor
  • Patent number: 8084967
    Abstract: A motor controller is provided. The motor controller includes a motor drive unit that drives a plurality of motors; a thermal shutdown unit that is provided in the motor drive unit and that stops the plurality of motors in the case of an overload; a lock signal generation unit that generates a lock signal corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of motors when a rotational speed of the respective motor reaches a threshold speed set for the respective motor; and an operation determination unit which, when the lock signal generation unit interrupts lock signals for all of the plurality of motors, determines that thermal shutdown unit has operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8050006
    Abstract: A method of providing overload and short-circuit protection for a Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS). The method may rely upon sensing a temperature change rate for a component of the SMPS and implementing a protection scheme when the temperature change rate exceeds a desired temperature change rate. The implementation scheme may include permanently or temporarily shutting-off the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Lear Corporation GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Doppel, Gunther Grabner
  • Patent number: 8018695
    Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a fuel pump includes: an electronic switch provided in a circuit for connecting a power supply to a motor for driving the fuel pump; a current detector which detects a current which flows through the motor; and a controller which controls the electronic switch in a first PWM mode of a first frequency and a first duty ratio in a normal operation; and change a PWM mode to control the electronic switch in a second PWM mode of a second frequency lower than the first frequency and a second duty ratio lower than the first duty ratio when the current flowing through the motor exceeds a threshold current value in the normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Serizawa, Hiroo Yabe, Sadafumi Ikeda, Kouji Manabe, Akira Teranishi, Hironobu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7992626
    Abstract: A combination spray and cold plate thermal management system for effectively thermally managing a heat producing device during startup. The combination spray and cold plate thermal management system includes a spray unit thermally managing a heat producing device and a coolant reservoir thermally connected to the heat producing device. The coolant reservoir includes a porous media with coolant channels for storing a volume of the waste coolant after spraying of coolant has terminated. The coolant reservoir is fluidly connected to the spray chamber within the spray unit to receive the waste coolant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Parker-Hannifin Corporation
    Inventors: Charles L. Tilton, Donald E. Tilton, Thomas D. Weir, John D. Schwarzkopf
  • Publication number: 20110164340
    Abstract: A first terminal of a protection element of a control unit is connected to a wire between a motor and a switching element, and a second terminal is directly connected to a ground-side wire shared by a controller and the switching element. The protection element has a normal-condition-OFF-type switch including a movable contact and a fixed contact. When an overheating caused by the switching element attains a predetermined temperature or higher, the movable contact and the fixed contact are closed to short-circuit the first terminal and the second terminal, and an electric current is branched to the protection element side to reduce an electric current flowing into the switching element, and the control unit is shifted to a temperature range safe from the overheating caused by the switching element without stopping a cooling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2009
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: Uchiya Termostat Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideaki Takeda
  • Patent number: 7954334
    Abstract: An inverter system having a semiconductor device, and a railway vehicle using this inverter, provide a more accurate determination of whether an abnormal heat generation from the inverter is associated with an error of the inverter system or is due to other causes, by use of a plurality of temperature detecting elements at a plurality of sites associated with the semiconductor device. An error detection section applies inputs from the temperature detecting elements, captures a trend of the differential value based on the plurality of temperature inputs using period sampling wherein an error associated with the semiconductor device, and not from some other condition such as outside environment temperature, is determined based on differences from, or a change in, the initial trend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Sasaki, Hideki Miyazaki, Katsumi Ishikawa, Keiji Maekawa
  • Patent number: 7930895
    Abstract: A brushless direct current motor, includes a rotor which comprises a permanent magnet, a stator which comprises coils associated with a plurality of phases which form an electrical field for generating a torque by interaction with a magnetic field which is generated by the permanent magnet, and a load prevention part which is disposed inside the stator to electrically connect and disconnect the coils of the plurality of phases according to a temperature variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong-goo Kim
  • Patent number: 7889462
    Abstract: At least one embodiment of the invention relates to a protective circuit for protection of an appliance, in particular of an electric motor, against thermal overloading. In at least one embodiment, the protective circuit includes a first and a second terminal for connecting a temperature detection element; a detection unit for detecting whether a resistance value of the temperature detector element which is connected between the first and the second terminals, is in a first or a second resistance range; a short-circuit detector for identifying whether there is a short circuit between the first and the second terminals; signaling outputs for emitting signal messages to an evaluation unit when the detected resistance value is in the second resistance range and/or when a short circuit has been identified by the short-circuit detector; and a third terminal, which is connected to the second terminal via a predetermined resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Konrad Spindler, Josef Koller, Markus Meier, Johann Seitz, Andreas Fritsch
  • Patent number: 7863786
    Abstract: A drive apparatus for a washing machine includes an electric motor, a drive shaft connected to the electric motor for rotary drive purposes and electronics for controlling operation of the electric motor. In order to achieve a compact construction, the electric motor and the electronics are integrated in a common unit. In order to increase operational reliability of the drive apparatus together with a simple construction, the common unit has a wall which is thermally coupled both to the electric motor and to the electronics and serves to dissipate heat. The electronics have a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the wall. Both the temperature of the electric motor and the temperature of the electronics can be monitored with this one temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Diehl AKO Stiftung & Co. KG
    Inventors: Martin Weinmann, Alexander Müller
  • Patent number: 7859213
    Abstract: A control device for controlling a recovery from a locking of a motor includes: a switching unit which supplies a motor current from a current supplying unit to the motor; and a driving control unit which supplies a PWM control signal to the switching unit to control a driving of the switching unit. The driving control unit supplies the PWM control signal with a low duty ratio lower than a regular duty ratio to the switching unit when the locking of the motor is detected depending on a variation in temperature of the switching unit. The driving control unit supplies the PWM control signal with the regular duty ratio to the switching unit when a cancel of the locking of the motor is detected depending on a variation in inter-terminal voltage of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Serizawa, Byungeok Seo, Hiroo Yabe
  • Patent number: 7839108
    Abstract: A temperature estimation controller and methods are provided for controlling a torque command to prevent overheating of one or more of a plurality of phases of a permanent magnet motor. The temperature estimation controller includes a low speed temperature estimation module, a transition module and a temperature dependent torque command derater block. The low speed temperature estimation module determines a stator temperature of each of a plurality of phases of the permanent magnet motor in response to first thermal impedances measured for each of the plurality of phases with respect to a thermal neutral. The transition module is coupled to the low speed temperature estimation module and outputs the stator temperature of each of a plurality of phases of the permanent magnet motor as determined by the low speed temperature estimation module when a detected speed of the permanent magnet motor is less than a first predetermined speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Nitinkumar R. Patel, Yo Chan Son, Silva Hiti, Steven E. Schulz
  • Patent number: 7800872
    Abstract: Provision is made for a switch-state monitoring device that not only monitors the state of a switch but also prevents a motor burnout. A switch-state monitoring device for a switch that opens and closes a main circuit by use of a motor is provided with an operating time measuring unit for detecting an operating time for the motor when the switch is opened or closed; a first determination unit for comparing an operating time for the motor detected by the operating time measuring unit with an continuous-operating-capable setting time for the motor and determining whether or not the operating time for the motor has exceeded the continuous-operating-capable setting time; a protection device for halting energization of the motor in the case where, based on an output of the first determination unit, it is determined that the operating time for the motor has exceeded the continuous-operating-capable setting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Arioka, Yasushi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7777992
    Abstract: Motor start circuit for an induction motor, particularly a single-phase AC induction motor, with a main winding (4) and an auxiliary winding (5), which are supplied with current, particularly alternating current, via current supply connections (24, 25), and with a start switching device (15) serving the purpose of interrupting the current flow through the auxiliary winding (5) after the start of the motor, the start switching device (15) being connected to a control device (20) via a connector (18), the control device (20) being connected between the current supply connections (24, 25), and with a winding protection switch (28), which is normally closed and which opens on the occurrence of a fault. The invention is characterized in that the control device (20) is connected to the winding protection switch (28) via at least one further connector (22, 17), preferably via at least one further connector (22, 17) and the auxiliary winding (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Danfoss Compressors GmbH
    Inventors: Claus Schmidt, Hans Peter Kristensen
  • Patent number: 7759891
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for accurately detecting abnormal conditions of a motor. A ?Tc/Tj detector detects a difference (?Tc) between an environment temperature and a temperature of a field-effect transistor (FET) which turns on and off electric power supplied to a DC motor. A diagnosis control unit detects abnormal conditions such as a motor lock and a short circuit of the DC motor based upon the obtained difference. When the motor lock has been detected, the diagnosis control unit controls a pulse width modulation (PWM) control unit and a PWM oscillator (PWMOSC) and makes a frequency and duty cycle of a PWM signal lower. When the short circuit has been detected, the diagnosis control unit controls a gate driver and turns off the FET.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Serizawa, Byungeok Seo
  • Publication number: 20100156338
    Abstract: A system and method for measuring and controlling stator winding temperature in an AC motor while idling is disclosed. The system includes a circuit having an input connectable to an AC source and an output connectable to an input terminal of a multi-phase AC motor. The circuit further includes a plurality of switching devices to control current flow and terminal voltages in the multi-phase AC motor and a controller connected to the circuit. The controller is configured to activate the plurality of switching devices to create a DC signal in an output of the motor control device corresponding to an input to the multi-phase AC motor, determine or estimate a stator winding resistance of the multi-phase AC motor based on the DC signal, and estimate a stator temperature from the stator winding resistance. Temperature can then be controlled and regulated by DC injection into the stator windings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: Bin Lu, Charles John Luebke, Thomas G. Habetler, Pinjia Zhang, Scott K. Becker
  • Patent number: 7733615
    Abstract: A dynamic braking load analyzer that determines the proper resistance value for a dynamic braking load resistor to be used in combination with a variable frequency drive or servo-drive to accommodate the power dissipated from an induction motor when it is being reduced in speed. The analyzer includes a resistor bank having a plurality of resistors electrically coupled in parallel. Switches are provided between the resistors, and a resistor selector switch determines which resistors are switched into the resistor bank circuit. A heat sensing resistor in the resistor bank measures the heat generated by the resistors and provides a signal that is read by a heat meter. The combination of the temperature measurement and the resistance of the resistors in the circuit gives the proper braking resistance value for the deceleration of the induction motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Powerohm Resistors, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph S. Eschleman, Thomas Yingling, Michael Crowe