Electronic Circuit Breaker with Hold Element for Quiescent Current Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic circuit breakers in motor vehicle on-board electrical systems face issues such as reactivation of monitored lines once safeguarding conditions are met, inability to reset, and high quiescent current consumption, which are not effectively addressed by conventional solutions.
Innovation Solution
An electronic circuit breaker design incorporating a shunt resistor, a controllable switching element, a voltage detector, and a hold element, utilizing a p-channel MOSFET and semiconductor transistors to detect overcurrents and maintain a switched-off state with reduced current consumption, allowing for quick and cost-effective overcurrent detection and integration of reset and diagnostic functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional shunt-current measurement methods are used for accurate current measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but cost and current consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the current measurement function from complex integrated circuits and implements it using a simple voltage divider circuit with resistors. This extraction allows accurate current measurement through voltage proportionality while eliminating the high current consumption and cost associated with conventional shunt monitor ICs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the current measurement function using basic electrical components (resistors and voltage detector) rather than relying on expensive specialized ICs. The voltage divider circuit copies the current information in voltage form, enabling measurement without the drawbacks of conventional methods.
2Ease of operation
If electronic circuit breakers are designed to reactivate when safeguarding conditions are met, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential reactivation during fault conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through the hold element that maintains the switched-off state after tripping. The feedback mechanism ensures that once the circuit breaker trips, it remains tripped until manually reset, preventing premature reactivation and ensuring reliable protection while maintaining operational control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a manual reset button that requires deliberate user action to restore power. This preliminary action ensures that operators consciously verify fault clearance before reactivating the circuit, combining reliability with controlled ease of operation.
3Reliability
If circuit breakers are designed to remain switched off after triggering, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to manual reset requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit breaker automatically maintains its tripped state without requiring external intervention or complex control circuits. The hold element provides self-service by automatically latching the switched-off state, ensuring reliability while minimizing the need for complex operational procedures.
4Device complexity
If conventional melting fuses are used for overload protection, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates due to replacement requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a resettable circuit breaker that can be restored to service after tripping through a manual reset button. This allows the protection device to be reused indefinitely rather than discarded like a fuse, dramatically improving system availability while maintaining simplicity through the hold element latch mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the circuit breaker to remain in an activated state upon triggering, reduces quiescent current consumption, and allows for efficient overcurrent detection and reset capabilities, enhancing protection and operational efficiency in on-board electrical systems.
Implementation Method 1
a shunt resistor (3)... configured to detect a voltage drop across the shunt resistor
Implementation Method 2
a controllable switching element (7), in particular a p-channel MOSFET... switching element (7) into an ON state
Implementation Method 3
a hold element (6)... configured to hold a control signal in an OFF state when the switching element (7) is switched to no passage
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure includes an electronic circuit breaker for an electrical load in and on-board electrical system of a motor vehicle. The electronic circuit breaker includes a shunt resistor connected at its input side to an input (E) of the electronic circuit breaker, a controllable switching element coupled at its input side to an output of the shunt resistor and at its output side to an output (A) of the electronic circuit breaker, the output being connectable to the electrical load, and a control input (gate). The electronic circuit breaker also includes a voltage detector and a hold element coupled to the voltage detector and configured to hold the control signal in a switched off (out) state when the controllable switching element has switched off the electrical load.