Patent · US Expired

Contact status detector

US4977478A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
3References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 7, 1989
Grant dateDec 11, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 7, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01H47/002
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

By providing two comparators, each of which have a reference voltage level source connected to one input, and separate voltage level producing/enhancing circuits connected to the contacts of a relay, so that each alternate switch configuration produces a different voltage level at the two comparators, a unique relay switch detection circuit is attained. Preferably, three separate voltage level producing/enhancing circuits are employed, with one circuit connected between the relay output and the two comparators, while the other two circuits are connected to the primary or the secondary relay contacts. Futhermore, the voltage level resulting from each particular switch configuration is pre-set relative to the reference voltage level source imputs to assure that the two comparators produce different combined outputs for each alternate switched condition.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.