Relay drive circuit and energy storage power supply

Abstract

The present application relates to a relay driving circuit and an energy storage power supply. The relay driving circuit includes a relay control module, a driving module and a boost module connected in sequence, and the relay control module and the driving module are respectively connected to the relay. Among them, the boost module is used to boost the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module itself to obtain the driving voltage when receiving the first signal, so as to provide the driving voltage to the driving module; when receiving the second signal, stop boosting the maintenance voltage to stop providing the driving voltage to the driving module. The relay control module is used to connect the path between the driving module and the relay when receiving the second signal, and then control the driving module to drive the relay to close based on the driving voltage, and after the relay is closed, maintain the relay closed based on the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module itself. The use of this circuit can reduce the power consumption of the relay and extend the service life of the relay.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of circuit technology, and in particular to a relay drive circuit and an energy storage power supply. Background Art

[0002] Relays are common switching components in electronic product design. Usually, a magnetic field is established by energizing the coil winding of the relay, thereby generating suction to attract the spring of the relay to control the relay to a closed state.

[0003] At present, in order to make the relay close reliably, a large amount of energy needs to be provided at the moment when the control coil winding attracts the spring, but after the spring is attracted, only a small amount of energy is needed to maintain the closed state of the relay.

[0004] However, the energy at the moment of closing is generally several to ten times the maintenance energy. If the circuit is designed only according to the maximum energy that the relay needs to provide at the moment of closing the spring, it will lead to a large waste of energy after the relay enters a stable closed state, and the power consumption is large. At the same time, the power consumption generated by the relay causes its own temperature to be high, which will also affect the service life of the relay. Therefore, how to reduce the power consumption of the relay and extend the service life of the relay is the focus of research for those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a relay driving circuit and energy storage power supply that can reduce the power consumption of the relay and extend the service life of the relay in order to solve the above technical problems.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a relay driving circuit, comprising a relay control module, a driving module and a boost module connected in sequence, wherein the relay control module and the driving module are respectively connected to a relay;

[0007] A boost module, configured to boost the sustaining voltage generated by the driving module itself to obtain a driving voltage when receiving a first signal, so as to provide the driving voltage to the driving module; and stop boosting the sustaining voltage when receiving a second signal, so as to stop providing the driving voltage to the driving module;

[0008] The relay control module is used to connect the path between the driving module and the relay when receiving the second signal, thereby controlling the driving module to drive the relay to close based on the driving voltage, and after the relay is closed, maintaining the relay closed based on the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module itself.

[0009] In one embodiment, the driving module is further configured to store the driving voltage after receiving the driving voltage.

[0010] In one embodiment, the driving module includes a maintaining unit and an energy storage unit; the maintaining unit is connected to the relay, the boost module and the energy storage unit respectively, and the energy storage unit is connected to the boost module;

[0011] A sustaining unit, used for generating a sustaining voltage;

[0012] The energy storage unit is used to store the driving voltage and release the driving voltage to the relay when the relay control module receives the second signal, so as to drive the relay to close.

[0013] In one of the embodiments, the boost module includes an energy storage capacitor and a boost control unit;

[0014] The first end of the energy storage capacitor is connected to the driving module so that the driving module provides a maintenance voltage for the first end of the energy storage capacitor;

[0015] The boost control unit is connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor and the first auxiliary power supply respectively; the boost control unit is also used to boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor through the first auxiliary power supply when receiving the first signal, so as to provide a driving voltage to the driving module.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, the boost control unit includes a first switch subunit and a second switch subunit; the first switch subunit is disposed between the first auxiliary power supply and the second end of the energy storage capacitor, and the second switch subunit is connected to the first switch subunit;

[0017] a second switch subunit, configured to close upon receiving the first signal, and to close upon receiving the second signal;

[0018] The first switch subunit is used to conduct the path between the first auxiliary power supply and the second end of the energy storage capacitor when the second switch subunit is closed, so as to boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor through the first auxiliary power supply, and to disconnect the path between the first auxiliary power supply and the second end of the energy storage capacitor when the second switch subunit is turned off.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first switch subunit includes a first transistor; the base of the first transistor is connected to the second switch subunit, the collector of the first transistor is connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor, and the emitter of the first transistor is connected to the first auxiliary power supply.

[0020] In one embodiment, the second switch subunit includes a second transistor, a third transistor and a Zener diode; the collector of the second transistor is connected to the first switch subunit, the emitter of the second transistor is grounded, the base of the second transistor is connected to the first end of the Zener diode, the first end of the Zener diode is also grounded, the second end of the Zener diode is respectively connected to the collector of the third transistor and the second auxiliary power supply, the emitter of the third transistor is grounded, and the base of the third transistor is used to receive the first signal or the second signal.

[0021] In one embodiment, the boost control unit further includes a delay circuit; the delay circuit is connected to the second auxiliary power supply and the second switch subunit respectively;

[0022] A delay circuit, used for charging based on a second auxiliary power source;

[0023] The second switch subunit is used to boost the voltage of the second end of the energy storage capacitor through the first auxiliary power supply when the first signal is received and the charging amount of the delay circuit reaches a preset condition.

[0024] In one of the embodiments, the charging time required to fully charge the energy storage capacitor is less than or equal to the charging time required to fully charge the delay circuit.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present application also provides an energy storage power supply, which includes any of the relay drive circuits described above.

[0026] The above-mentioned relay drive circuit and energy storage power supply, the relay drive circuit includes a relay control module, a drive module and a boost module connected in sequence, and the relay control module and the drive module are connected to the relay respectively. Since the boost module can boost the maintenance voltage generated by the drive module itself to obtain the driving voltage when receiving the first signal, so as to provide the driving voltage to the drive module, and stop boosting the maintenance voltage when receiving the second signal, so as to stop providing the driving voltage to the drive module. In this way, when the boost module has provided the driving voltage to the drive module when receiving the first signal, the relay control module can conduct the path between the drive module and the relay when receiving the second signal, and control the drive module to drive the relay to close based on the driving voltage. Further, since the boost module will stop providing the driving voltage to the drive module when receiving the second signal, after the relay is closed instantly based on the driving voltage, the relay can also be kept closed based on the maintenance voltage generated by the drive module itself. During this process, there is no need to maintain the driving voltage all the time. Moreover, since the driving voltage is obtained by boosting the maintaining voltage, the driving voltage is greater than the maintaining voltage. After the relay is closed, a smaller maintaining voltage can be used to maintain the relay closed. On the one hand, there is no waste of energy and power consumption is reduced. On the other hand, the temperature of the relay can be reduced and the service life of the relay can be extended. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application or related technical descriptions will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a relay driving circuit in an embodiment;

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a driving module in an embodiment;

[0030] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a boost module in an embodiment;

[0031] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a boost control unit in one embodiment;

[0032] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of yet another relay driving circuit in an embodiment;

[0033] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of an energy storage power supply in one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0035] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a relay driving circuit in an embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the relay driving circuit 100 includes a relay control module 101, a driving module 102 and a boost module 103 connected in sequence. That is, the driving module 102 is respectively connected to the relay control module 101 and the boost module 103. The relay control module 101 and the driving module 102 are also respectively connected to the relay 104.

[0036] Among them, the boost module 103 is used to boost the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself to obtain a driving voltage when receiving a first signal, so as to provide the driving voltage to the driving module 102; when receiving a second signal, stop boosting the maintenance voltage to stop providing the driving voltage to the driving module 102.

[0037] In this embodiment, the driving module 102 itself can generate a holding voltage. Optionally, the driving module 102 can generate a holding voltage through a preset current source or a voltage source. The holding voltage refers to the voltage required to maintain the relay 104 closed. The holding voltage is usually less than the rated voltage of the relay 104. For example, the holding voltage corresponding to a relay with a rated voltage of 12V may be 7V.

[0038] The boost module 103 is used to receive a driving signal RLY_PWM, wherein the driving signal RLY_PWM may be a signal sent by a microcontroller unit (MCU) or a signal input by a user, but the present embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0039] The driving signal RLY_PWM includes a first signal or a second signal. The first signal is used to indicate that the relay 104 is disconnected, and the second signal is used to indicate that the relay 104 is closed. For example, the first signal may be a low level, and the second signal may be a high level.

[0040] Optionally, the boost module 103 may include but is not limited to an oscillating circuit, a transformer or a boost chip. Further, when the boost module 103 receives the first signal, it can boost the sustaining voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself to obtain the driving voltage, so as to provide the driving voltage to the driving module 102, and when the boost module 103 receives the second signal, it stops boosting the sustaining voltage, so as to stop providing the driving voltage to the driving module 102.

[0041] Exemplarily, when the boost module 103 receives the first signal, the boost module 103 can conduct the path between the boost module 103 and the driving module 102 through the switch element, so that the boost module 103 boosts the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself to obtain the driving voltage, and provides the driving voltage to the driving module 102. When the boost module 103 receives the second signal, the boost module 103 can disconnect the path between the boost module 103 and the driving module 102 through the switch element, so that the boost module 103 stops boosting the maintenance voltage and stops providing the driving voltage to the driving module 102. The switch element may include, but is not limited to, an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).

[0042] The driving voltage is the voltage required to drive the relay 104 to close instantly. The driving voltage is usually greater than the rated voltage of the relay 104. For example, the driving voltage corresponding to a relay with a rated voltage of 12V may be 14V. It is understandable that since the driving voltage is obtained by boosting the holding voltage, the driving voltage is greater than the holding voltage.

[0043] Furthermore, the relay control module 101 is used to open the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104 when receiving the second signal, thereby controlling the driving module 102 to drive the relay 104 to close based on the driving voltage, and after the relay 104 is closed, maintain the relay 104 closed based on the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself.

[0044] In this embodiment, the relay control module 101 can also receive the drive signal RLY_PWM. When the drive signal RLY_PWM is the second signal, the relay control module 101 receives the second signal, indicating that the relay 104 needs to be closed. At this time, the relay control module 101 will conduct the path between the drive module 102 and the relay 104. After the path between the drive module 102 and the relay 104 is conducted, since the boost module 103 has provided the drive voltage to the drive module 102 when it received the first signal before, the drive module 102 can drive the relay 104 to close based on the drive voltage at the moment of conducting the path between the drive module 102 and the relay 104.

[0045] Furthermore, since the driving signal RLY_PWM has been switched to the second signal at this time, the boost module 103 stops providing the driving voltage to the driving module 102. Therefore, the driving module 102 only has the maintenance voltage generated by itself. Therefore, after the relay 104 is closed, the relay 104 will continue to remain closed based on the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself.

[0046] In one embodiment, the relay control module 101 is also used to disconnect the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104 when receiving the first signal, thereby controlling the relay 104 to disconnect. That is, when the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal, the relay control module 101 receives the first signal, indicating that the relay 104 needs to be disconnected. At this time, the relay control module 101 will disconnect the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104, so that the driving module 102 can no longer provide the maintenance voltage to the relay 104, thereby controlling the relay 104 to disconnect. Furthermore, when the boost module 103 receives the first signal, it continues to provide the driving voltage to the driving module 102, so as to prepare for the instantaneous pull-in when the first signal is received next time.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the relay driving circuit 100 includes a relay control module 101, a driving module 102 and a boost module 103 connected in sequence, and the relay control module 101 and the driving module 102 are respectively connected to the relay 104. Since the boost module 103 can, when receiving the first signal, boost the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself to obtain the driving voltage, so as to provide the driving voltage to the driving module 102, and when receiving the second signal, stop boosting the maintenance voltage, so as to stop providing the driving voltage to the driving module 102. In this way, when the boost module 103 receives the first signal, the driving voltage has been provided to the driving module 102, and the relay control module 101 can, when receiving the second signal, conduct the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104, and control the driving module 102 to drive the relay 104 to close based on the driving voltage. Furthermore, since the boost module 103 stops providing the driving voltage to the driving module 102 upon receiving the second signal, after the relay 104 is instantaneously closed based on the driving voltage, the relay 104 can also be kept closed based on the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself. In this process, it is not necessary to maintain the driving voltage all the time, and since the driving voltage is obtained by boosting the maintenance voltage, the driving voltage is greater than the maintenance voltage, and after the relay 104 is closed, the relay 104 can be kept closed by a smaller maintenance voltage. On the one hand, there is no waste of energy, which reduces power consumption, and on the other hand, it can also reduce the temperature of the relay and extend the service life of the relay.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment, optionally, the driving module 102 is further configured to store the driving voltage after receiving the driving voltage.

[0049] In this embodiment, the driving module 102 may include an energy storage element, which includes but is not limited to a capacitor. In this way, the driving module 102 stores the driving voltage after receiving the driving voltage provided by the boost module 103 .

[0050] In the above embodiment, since the driving module 102 is also used to store the driving voltage after receiving the driving voltage, when the relay control module 101 receives the second signal, the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104 is connected, and the driving module 102 can drive the relay 104 to close based on the stored driving voltage, thereby improving the closing reliability and efficiency of the relay 104.

[0051] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a driving module in an embodiment, such as Figure 2As shown, the driving module 102 includes a maintaining unit 1021 and an energy storage unit 1022. The maintaining unit 1021 is connected to the relay 104, the boost module 103 and the energy storage unit 1022 respectively, and the energy storage unit 1022 is connected to the boost module 103.

[0052] The sustaining unit 1021 is used to generate a sustaining voltage. Optionally, the sustaining unit 1021 can generate the sustaining voltage through a preset voltage source or current source.

[0053] The energy storage unit 1022 may include an energy storage element, including but not limited to a capacitor. Furthermore, the energy storage unit 1022 is used to store a driving voltage, and when the relay control module 101 receives the second signal, releases the driving voltage to the relay 104 to drive the relay 104 to close.

[0054] In other words, when the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal, the energy storage unit 1022 needs to store the driving voltage after receiving the driving voltage provided by the boost module 103. When the driving signal RLY_PWM is the second signal, the relay control module 101 receives the second signal, the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104 is turned on by the relay control module 101, and the energy storage unit 1022 in the driving module 102 releases the driving voltage to the relay 104, so that at the moment when the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104 is turned on, the driving voltage can drive the relay 104 to close.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the driving module 102 includes a maintaining unit 1021 and an energy storage unit 1022; the maintaining unit 1021 is respectively connected to the relay 104, the boost module 103 and the energy storage unit 1022, and the energy storage unit 1022 is connected to the boost module 103. Since the maintaining unit 1021 can generate a maintaining voltage, and the energy storage unit 1022 can store a driving voltage, when the relay control module 101 receives the second signal, the path between the driving module 102 and the relay 104 is turned on, and the energy storage unit 1022 can release the driving voltage to the relay 104, so as to drive the relay 104 to close based on the driving voltage, thereby improving the pull-in efficiency of the relay 104.

[0056] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a boost module in an embodiment, Figure 3 As shown, the boost module 103 includes an energy storage capacitor 1031 and a boost control unit 1032 .

[0057] The first end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is connected to the driving module 102, so that the driving module 102 provides a maintenance voltage for the first end of the energy storage capacitor 1031. That is, no matter the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal or the second signal, the driving module 102 will provide the maintenance voltage generated by itself to the first end of the energy storage capacitor 1031.

[0058] Furthermore, the boost control unit 1032 is respectively connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 and the first auxiliary power supply 301. The first auxiliary power supply 301 is a power supply capable of providing voltage, which can be set according to requirements, for example, the first auxiliary power supply can be a 7 volt (V) power supply.

[0059] The boost control unit 1032 is further configured to, upon receiving the first signal, boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 via the first auxiliary power supply 301 to provide a driving voltage to the driving module 102 .

[0060] When the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal, the boost control unit 1032 receives the first signal. Since there is still a maintenance voltage at the first end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, the boost control unit 1032 can boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301. That is, the boost control unit 1032 boosts the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module 102 itself to obtain the driving voltage, thereby providing the driving voltage to the driving module 102.

[0061] Exemplarily, the boost control unit 1032 may, upon receiving the first signal, conduct the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, thereby boosting the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301 to provide a driving voltage to the driving module 102. Similarly, upon receiving the second signal, the boost control unit 1032 may disconnect the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the boost module 103 includes an energy storage capacitor 1031 and a boost control unit 1032; the first end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is connected to the driving module 102, and the boost control unit 1032 is respectively connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 and the first auxiliary power supply 301. Since the driving module 102 can provide a maintenance voltage for the first end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, the boost control unit 1032 can boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301 when receiving the first signal, so as to provide a driving voltage to the driving module 102, so that the relay control module 101 controls the driving module 102 to drive the relay 104 to close based on the driving voltage when receiving the second signal.

[0063] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a boost control unit in an embodiment, Figure 4 As shown, the boost control unit 1032 includes a first switch subunit 1032a and a second switch subunit 1032b. The first switch subunit 1032a is disposed between the first auxiliary power source 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, and the first switch subunit 1032a is connected to the second switch subunit 1032b.

[0064] The second switch subunit 1032b can receive the drive signal RLY_PWM. The second switch subunit 1032b is used to close when receiving the first signal and to close when receiving the second signal. For example, the second switch subunit 1032b may include a switch element, which is in a conducting state when receiving the first signal and in a cut-off state when receiving the second signal.

[0065] The first switch subunit 1032a is used to connect the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 when the second switch subunit 1032b is closed, so as to boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301, and to disconnect the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 when the second switch subunit 1032b is turned off.

[0066] In this way, when the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal, the second switch subunit 1032b is closed, and then the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is turned on, so that the first auxiliary power supply 301 can boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the path to provide a driving voltage to the driving module 102.

[0067] When the driving signal RLY_PWM is the second signal, the second switch subunit 1032b is disconnected, and then the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is disconnected, and the first auxiliary power supply 301 stops boosting the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, and the driving module 102 still provides a maintenance voltage for the first end of the energy storage capacitor 1031.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the boost control unit 1032 includes a first switch subunit 1032a and a second switch subunit 1032b; the first switch subunit 1032a is arranged between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, and the first switch subunit 1032a is connected to the second switch subunit 1032b. Since the second switch subunit 1032b can be closed when the first signal is received and turned off when the second signal is received, the first switch subunit 1032a can, when the second switch subunit 1032b is closed, conduct the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 to boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301, and disconnect the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 when the second switch subunit 1032b is turned off, thereby efficiently enabling the boost module 103 to provide a driving voltage to the driving module 102 when the first signal is received and stop providing a driving voltage to the driving module 102 when the second signal is received.

[0069] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of yet another relay driving circuit in an embodiment, Figure 5 As shown, in an exemplary embodiment, optionally, the first switch subunit 1032a includes a first transistor Q2. The first transistor Q2 may be a PNP transistor.

[0070] The base of the first transistor Q2, i.e. Figure 5 The first end of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the second switch subunit 1032b, and the collector of the first transistor Q2, that is, Figure 5 The third end of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, and the emitter of the first transistor Q2, that is, Figure 5 The second end of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the first auxiliary power source 301 .

[0071] In the above embodiment, the first switch subunit 1032a includes a first transistor Q2. Since the base of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the second switch subunit 1032b, the collector of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031, and the emitter of the first transistor Q2 is connected to the first auxiliary power supply 301, the first switch subunit 1032a can timely turn on or off the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 according to the drive signal RLY_PWM.

[0072] Please continue to refer to Figure 5 In an exemplary embodiment, optionally, the second switch subunit 1032b includes a second transistor Q3, a third transistor Q4 and a voltage regulator ZD1. The second transistor Q3 may be an NPN transistor, and the third transistor Q4 may be an NPN transistor.

[0073] Among them, the collector of the second transistor Q3 is connected to the first switch sub-unit 1032a, the emitter of the second transistor Q3 is grounded, the base of the second transistor Q3 is connected to the first end of the Zener diode ZD1, the first end of the Zener diode ZD1 is also grounded, the second end of the Zener diode ZD1 is respectively connected to the collector of the third transistor Q4 and the second auxiliary power supply 501, the emitter of the third transistor Q4 is grounded, and the base of the third transistor Q4 is used to receive the first signal or the second signal, that is, the base of the third transistor Q4 is used to receive the drive signal RLY_PWM.

[0074] The second auxiliary power supply 501 is also a power supply that can provide voltage, which can be set according to requirements. The second auxiliary power supply 501 and the first auxiliary power supply 301 can be the same power supply or different power supplies. Exemplarily, the second auxiliary power supply can also be 7V.

[0075] If the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal, the third transistor Q4 is in the cut-off state, and the second auxiliary power supply 701 breaks down the voltage regulator ZD1 through C_V0, so that the voltage regulator ZD1 is in the on state. When the voltage regulator ZD1 is in the on state, the second transistor Q3 is also in the on state, thereby turning on the first switch subunit 1032a, for example, making the first transistor Q2 in the on state. In this way, when the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal, the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 can be boosted by the first auxiliary power supply 301 to provide a driving voltage to the driving module 102.

[0076] If the driving signal RLY_PWM is the second signal, the third transistor Q4 is in the on state, C_V0 is pulled low, the voltage regulator ZD1 exits the breakdown state and is in the off state. When the voltage regulator ZD1 is in the on state, the second transistor Q3 is also in the off state, thereby turning off the first switch subunit 1032a, for example, making the first transistor Q2 in the off state. In this way, when the driving signal RLY_PWM is the second signal, the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 can be disconnected.

[0077] In the above embodiment, the second switch subunit 1032b includes a second transistor Q3, a third transistor Q4 and a voltage regulator ZD1. Since the collector of the second transistor Q3 is connected to the first switch subunit 1032a, the emitter of the second transistor Q3 is grounded, the base of the second transistor Q3 is connected to the first end of the voltage regulator ZD1, the first end of the voltage regulator ZD1 is also grounded, the second end of the voltage regulator ZD1 is connected to the collector of the third transistor Q4, the emitter of the third transistor Q4 is grounded, and the base of the third transistor Q4 is used to receive the first signal or the second signal, the second switch subunit 1032b can be controlled to be closed or turned off by the driving signal RLY_PWM, so as to accurately control the conduction or disconnection of the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031.

[0078] In one embodiment, optionally, please continue to refer to Figure 5 , the second switch subunit 1032b may also include at least one resistor among a filter resistor R6, a current limiting resistor R7 and a filter resistor R8. Among them, the first end of the filter resistor R6 is grounded, and the second end of the filter resistor R6 is respectively connected to the base of the second transistor Q3 and the voltage regulator ZD1. The first end of the current limiting resistor R7 is used to receive the drive signal RLY_PWM, and the second end of the current limiting resistor R7 is connected to the base of the third transistor Q4. The first end of the filter resistor R8 is grounded, and the second end of the filter resistor R8 is connected to the base of the third transistor Q4.

[0079] In one embodiment, optionally, please continue to refer to Figure 5 , the maintenance unit 1021 may include a second auxiliary power supply 501 and a diode D1. The first end of the diode D1 is connected to the second auxiliary power supply 501, and the second end of the diode D1 is respectively connected to the first end of the energy storage unit 1022 and the energy storage capacitor 1031. In this way, after the second auxiliary power supply 501 is powered on, the energy storage unit 1022 and the energy storage capacitor 1031 can be charged through the diode D1 to provide a maintenance voltage.

[0080] Furthermore, when the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is boosted by the first auxiliary power supply 301, the energy storage unit 1022 will be raised, the voltage at VCC_RLY is greater than the second auxiliary power supply 501, and the diode D1 operates in a reverse cutoff state, thereby preventing the voltage at VCC_RLY from being fed back to the second auxiliary power supply 501.

[0081] In one embodiment, optionally, please continue to refer to Figure 5 The energy storage unit 1022 may include a capacitor CE1. When the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is boosted by the first auxiliary power supply 301, the capacitor CE1 is used to store energy transferred by the energy storage capacitor 1031.

[0082] In one embodiment, optionally, please continue to refer to Figure 5 , the relay control module 101 may include a transient voltage suppression diode (TVS tube) TVS1, a resistor R1, a resistor R2 and a fourth transistor Q1. Among them, the fourth transistor Q1 may be an NPN-type triode. The first end of the resistor R1 is respectively connected to the base of the fourth transistor Q1 and the second end of the resistor R2, the second end of the resistor R1 is used to receive the drive signal RLY_PWM, the first end of the resistor R2 and the emitter of the fourth transistor Q1 are both grounded, the collector of the fourth transistor Q1 is connected to the first end of the coil winding in the relay 104, and the second end of the coil winding in the relay 104 is respectively connected to the drive module 102.

[0083] If the driving signal RLY_PWM is the second signal, the relay control module 101 receives the second signal, the fourth transistor Q1 is in the on state, and the voltage at VCC_RLY is loaded to both ends of the winding of the relay 104. The coil winding of the relay 104 is energized to establish a magnetic field, generating suction force, attracting the spring of the relay 104, and short-circuiting DC+1 and DC+2, that is, controlling the relay 104 to be closed.

[0084] If the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal, the relay control module 101 receives the first signal, the fourth transistor Q1 is in the cut-off state, and the voltage at VCC_RLY will no longer be loaded to the two ends of the winding of the relay 104. The magnetic field established by the coil winding of the relay 104 disappears, the suction force disappears, the spring of the relay 104 jumps open, DC+1 and DC+2 are disconnected, that is, the control relay 104 is disconnected.

[0085] The TVS tube TVS1 is used to accelerate the disconnection time of the relay 104 when the relay 104 is turned off. The resistor R1 is a current limiting resistor, which is used to limit the current of the drive signal RLY_PWM flowing through the base of the fourth transistor Q1. The resistor R2 is the base resistor of the fourth transistor Q1, which is used for filtering to prevent the fourth transistor Q1 from being turned on by mistake due to voltage glitches in the circuit.

[0086] Please continue to refer to Figure 5 In an exemplary embodiment, optionally, the boost control unit 1032 further includes a delay circuit 1032c, wherein the delay circuit 1032c is connected to the second auxiliary power source 501 and the second switch subunit 1032b respectively.

[0087] The delay circuit 1032c is used for charging based on the second auxiliary power supply 501. That is, after the second auxiliary power supply 501 is powered on, the delay circuit 1032c will be charged under the action of the second auxiliary power supply 501. Exemplarily, the delay circuit 1032c may include but is not limited to a resistor-capacitor (RC) circuit or an inductor-capacitor (RL) circuit.

[0088] The second switch subunit 1032b is used to boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301 when the first signal is received and the charge amount of the delay circuit 1032c reaches the preset condition. That is to say, if the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal and the charge amount of the delay circuit 1032c reaches the preset condition, the second switch subunit 1032b is closed, and then the path between the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is connected, so that the first auxiliary power supply 301 can boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the path to provide the driving voltage to the driving module 102.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the boost control unit 1032 further includes a delay circuit 1032c. Since the delay circuit 1032c is connected to the second auxiliary power supply 501 and the second switch subunit 1032b respectively, the delay circuit 1032c can be charged based on the second auxiliary power supply 501, and then the second switch subunit 1032b can boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301 without receiving the first signal and the charging amount of the delay circuit 1032c reaches the preset condition, thereby ensuring that the boost module 103 boosts the maintenance voltage generated by the drive module 102 itself to obtain an accurate drive voltage, thereby improving the reliability of the closure of the relay 104.

[0090] In one embodiment, optionally, refer to Figure 5The delay circuit 1032c may include a current limiting resistor R9 and a delay capacitor C1, the second end of the current limiting resistor R9 is connected to the second auxiliary power supply 501, the first end of the current limiting resistor R9 is respectively connected to the first end of the delay capacitor C1 and the second switch subunit 1032b, and the second end of the delay capacitor C1 is grounded.

[0091] Exemplarily, the first end of the current limiting resistor R9 is respectively connected to the first end of the delay capacitor C1 and the second end of the Zener diode ZD1, so that after the second auxiliary power supply 501 is powered on, the second auxiliary power supply 501 continuously charges the delay capacitor C1 through the current limiting resistor R9, and when the voltage across the delay capacitor C1 is greater than the breakdown voltage of the Zener diode ZD1, the Zener diode ZD1 is broken down and is in a conducting state, thereby achieving voltage boosting for the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the first auxiliary power supply 301.

[0092] In an exemplary embodiment, optionally, the charging time of the energy storage capacitor 1031 to be fully charged is less than or equal to the charging time of the delay circuit 1032c to be fully charged. In order to enable the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 to be normally boosted to obtain the driving voltage, it is necessary to ensure that the energy storage capacitor 1031 is fully charged before the boost, therefore, the charging time of the energy storage capacitor 1031 to be fully charged needs to be less than or equal to the charging time of the delay circuit 1032c to be fully charged, that is, the second end of the energy storage capacitor 1031 can be boosted only after the energy storage capacitor 1031 is fully charged.

[0093] Since the charging time for the energy storage capacitor 1031 to be fully charged is less than or equal to the charging time for the delay circuit 1032c to be fully charged, the delay time of the delay circuit 1032c will be greater than the charging time of the energy storage capacitor 1031, ensuring that the amount of electricity charged to the energy storage capacitor 1031 is sufficient. The boost capacitor CE2 will enter the bootstrap boost to obtain the driving voltage only after it is fully charged, thereby improving the reliability of the closure of the relay 104.

[0094] For a clearer introduction to the relay drive circuit of this application, please continue to refer to Figure 6 The following will introduce the overall driving process of a relay driving circuit 100. When the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second auxiliary power supply 501 are powered on, the second auxiliary power supply 501 charges the capacitor CE1 through the diode D1, and charges the energy storage capacitor 1031 through the diode D1 and the pull-down resistor R3, and finally the voltage across the capacitor CE1 and the energy storage capacitor 1031 is equal to the second auxiliary power supply 501 minus the PN junction voltage drop of the diode D1.

[0095] At this time, the driving signal RLY_PWM is the first signal. At this time, the third transistor Q4 is in the off state, and then the second transistor Q3 and the first transistor Q2 are also in the off state.

[0096] Furthermore, after the second auxiliary power supply 501 is powered on, it will also continue to charge the delay capacitor C1 through the current limiting resistor R9. After the delay time, when the voltage across the delay capacitor C1 is greater than the breakdown voltage of the voltage regulator ZD1, the second transistor Q3 is in the on state. By configuring the parameters of the current limiting resistor R5, when the second transistor Q3 is turned on, the first transistor Q2 can enter the saturated on state. Furthermore, when the first transistor Q2 is in the on state, the first transistor Q2 connects the 2nd pin of the energy storage capacitor 1031 to the first auxiliary power supply 301, and the voltage of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is raised, realizing the self-bootstrap voltage boost. At the moment when the energy storage capacitor 1031 is self-boosted, the voltage of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is the sum of the voltage provided by the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the voltage provided by the second auxiliary power supply 501, and the voltage across capacitor CE1 is still the voltage provided by the second auxiliary power supply 501. Therefore, during the self-boosting process of the energy storage capacitor 1031, the capacitor CE1 can be charged to increase the voltage of the capacitor CE1, so as to prepare for the voltage to meet the conditions for driving the relay 104 to be attracted at the next moment.

[0097] At this time, the driving signal RLY_PWM is the second signal, and the second signal flows to the base of the third transistor Q4 through the current limiting resistor R7. The third transistor Q4 is in the on state, C_V0 is pulled down to the ground terminal GND, and the voltage regulator ZD1 exits the breakdown state and enters the cut-off state, and then the second transistor Q3 is in the cut-off state, so that the first transistor Q2 is also in the cut-off state. When the first transistor Q2 is in the cut-off state, the 2nd foot of the energy storage capacitor 1031 is gradually pulled down to GND by the pull-down resistor R3, that is, the energy storage capacitor 1031 is fully charged and is ready for the next bootstrap boost.

[0098] In this way, as long as the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second auxiliary power supply 501 continue to have power, and the driving signal RLY_PWM of the relay 104 is the first signal, the third transistor Q4 will still be in the off state, and the second auxiliary power supply 501 will continue to charge the delay capacitor C1 through the current limiting resistor R9 again. When the voltage across the delay capacitor C1 is greater than the breakdown voltage of the voltage regulator tube ZD1, the energy storage capacitor 1031 realizes self-bootstrap voltage boosting, and the capacitor CE1 is charged to raise the voltage across the capacitor CE1, so as to prepare for driving the relay 104 to be attracted at the next moment, so as to quickly attract the relay when the driving signal RLY_PWM is the second signal at the next moment, especially for the switching relay that realizes the UPS function, the UPS function can be realized more reliably.

[0099] In order to make the relay 104 reliably energized, the voltage at VCC_RLY at the moment the relay 104 is energized must be large enough. For example, the voltage for maintaining the energization of a normal 12V relay is 7V. For example, the voltages provided by the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second auxiliary power supply 501 are both 7V. In order for the capacitor CE1 to finally obtain a 14V voltage that is close to twice the 7V, the capacity of the energy storage capacitor 1031 can be greater than the capacity of the capacitor CE1. For example, the capacity of the energy storage capacitor 1031 can be a preset multiple of the capacity of the capacitor CE1, and the preset multiple is a number greater than 1. In this way, after the energy storage capacitor 1031 charges the capacitor CE1, the voltage at VCC_RLY can be close to 14V, which is higher than the driving voltage required for the 12V relay to be attracted, and meets the requirement of reliable conduction of the relay 104. In this way, after charging, the voltage at VCC_RLY is close to 14V, which increases the attraction time of the relay 104 and accelerates the attraction of the relay. The same is true for the 24V relay, and the voltage value provided by the first auxiliary power supply 301 and the second auxiliary power supply 501 can be increased.

[0100] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an energy storage power supply in one embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, an energy storage power supply 600 is provided, and the energy storage power supply 600 includes any of the above relay drive circuits 100. The principle of the energy storage power supply 600 can refer to the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0101] A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the processes in the above-mentioned embodiment method can be completed by instructing the relevant hardware through a computer program, and the computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. When the computer program is executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the above-mentioned methods. Among them, any reference to the memory, database or other medium used in the embodiments provided in the present application can include at least one of non-volatile memory and volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, floppy disk, flash memory, optical memory, high-density embedded non-volatile memory, resistive random access memory (ReRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase change memory (PCM), graphene memory, etc. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory, etc. As an illustration and not limitation, RAM can be in various forms, such as static random access memory (SRAM) or dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The database involved in each embodiment provided in this application may include at least one of a relational database and a non-relational database. Non-relational databases may include distributed databases based on blockchains, etc., but are not limited to this. The processor involved in each embodiment provided in this application may be a general-purpose processor, a central processing unit, a graphics processor, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device, a data processing logic device based on quantum computing, an artificial intelligence (AI) processor, etc., but are not limited to this.

[0102] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this application.

[0103] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the present application. It should be noted that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A relay drive circuit, characterized in that: The relay driving circuit comprises a relay control module, a driving module and a boost module connected in sequence, wherein the relay control module and the driving module are connected to the relay respectively; The boost module is used to boost the sustaining voltage generated by the driving module itself to obtain a driving voltage when receiving the first signal, so as to provide the driving voltage to the driving module; When receiving the second signal, stop boosting the sustain voltage to stop providing the driving voltage to the driving module; The relay control module is used to, when receiving the second signal, conduct the path between the driving module and the relay, thereby controlling the driving module to drive the relay to close based on the driving voltage, and after the relay is closed, maintain the relay closed based on the maintenance voltage generated by the driving module itself; Wherein, the boost module includes an energy storage capacitor and a boost control unit; the first end of the energy storage capacitor is connected to the driving module so that the driving module provides the maintenance voltage for the first end of the energy storage capacitor; the boost control unit is respectively connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor and the first auxiliary power supply; the boost control unit is further used to boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor through the first auxiliary power supply when receiving the first signal, so as to provide the driving voltage to the driving module; The boost control unit includes a first switch subunit and a second switch subunit; the first switch subunit is arranged between the first auxiliary power supply and the second end of the energy storage capacitor, and the second switch subunit is connected to the first switch subunit; The second switch subunit includes a second transistor, a third transistor and a Zener diode; the collector of the second transistor is connected to the first switch subunit, the emitter of the second transistor is grounded, the base of the second transistor is connected to the first end of the Zener diode, the first end of the Zener diode is also grounded, the second end of the Zener diode is respectively connected to the collector of the third transistor and a second auxiliary power supply, the emitter of the third transistor is grounded, and the base of the third transistor is used to receive the first signal or the second signal.

2. The relay drive circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving module is further used to store the driving voltage after receiving the driving voltage.

3. The relay drive circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving module includes a maintaining unit and an energy storage unit; the maintaining unit is connected to the relay, the boost module and the energy storage unit respectively, and the energy storage unit is connected to the boost module; The sustaining unit is used to generate the sustaining voltage; The energy storage unit is used to store the driving voltage, and when the relay control module receives the second signal, release the driving voltage to the relay to drive the relay to close.

4. The relay drive circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second switch subunit is configured to close when receiving the first signal, and to close when receiving the second signal; The first switch sub-unit is used to conduct the path between the first auxiliary power supply and the second end of the energy storage capacitor when the second switch sub-unit is closed, so as to boost the second end of the energy storage capacitor through the first auxiliary power supply, and to disconnect the path between the first auxiliary power supply and the second end of the energy storage capacitor when the second switch sub-unit is turned off.

5. The relay drive circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first switch subunit includes a first transistor; the base of the first transistor is connected to the second switch subunit, the collector of the first transistor is connected to the second end of the energy storage capacitor, and the emitter of the first transistor is connected to the first auxiliary power supply.

6. The relay drive circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The boost control unit further includes a delay circuit; the delay circuit is connected to the second auxiliary power supply and the second switch subunit respectively; The delay circuit is used for charging based on the second auxiliary power supply; The second switch subunit is used to boost the voltage of the second end of the energy storage capacitor through the first auxiliary power supply when the first signal is received and the charging amount of the delay circuit reaches a preset condition.

7. The relay drive circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The charging time for fully charging the energy storage capacitor is less than or equal to the charging time for fully charging the delay circuit.

8. The relay drive circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that: The delay circuit includes a first current limiting resistor and a delay capacitor, the second end of the first current limiting resistor is connected to the second auxiliary power supply, the first end of the first current limiting resistor is respectively connected to the first end of the delay capacitor and the second switch subunit, and the second end of the delay capacitor is grounded.

9. The relay drive circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second switch subunit further includes at least one resistor among a first filtering resistor, a second current limiting resistor and a second filtering resistor; Wherein, the first end of the first filter resistor is grounded, and the second end of the first filter resistor is connected to the base of the second transistor and the voltage regulator tube respectively; The first end of the second current limiting resistor is used to receive a driving signal, and the second end of the second current limiting resistor is connected to the base of the third transistor; the driving signal includes the first signal or the second signal; A first end of the second filter resistor is grounded, and a second end of the second filter resistor is connected to the base of the third transistor.

10. An energy storage power supply, characterized in that: The energy storage power supply includes the relay drive circuit as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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