Driver circuit for intrinsically safe circuits

US10530241B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• VEGA Grieshaber KG · DE

Inventors

• Ralf Schaetzle · Fischerbach, DE
• Albert Woehrle · Oettingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 14, 2017
• Grant date: Jan 7, 2020
• Expiry date: Apr 1, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02B70/10
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A driver circuit for an electric device of an intrinsically safe circuit is provided, including a coupling capacitor configured to be open to AC voltage signals and to decouple DC voltage signals, the coupling capacitor includes first and second terminals, and is electrically connected to a first output line of the driver circuit by the first terminal; a first circuit configured to detect an output current of the coupling capacitor, which flows from the first terminal to the first output line; a switchable element electrically connected to the second terminal; a switching behaviour of the element being controllable by switching the element from an electrically blocking state to an electrically conductive state when the output current at the first terminal exceeds a predefined threshold, so that the element in the conductive state causes discharge of the coupling capacitor via the second terminal.