Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for checking operation of solenoid

US5243296A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
2References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 18, 1991
Grant dateSep 7, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 18, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/72
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

When a solenoid has been turned on by supplying current to a coil thereof, the solenoid operation is checked by temporarily ceasing the supply of current to the coil to temporarily deenergize the solenoid. The current flowing in the coil is detected while the solenoid is temporarily deenergized, and the characteristics of the thus detected current are used to discriminate the position of a movable iron core of the solenoid. On the other hand, when the solenoid has been turned off by ceasing the supply of current to the coil, the solenoid operation is checked by temporarily supplying current to the coil to thereby temporarily energize the solenoid. The current flowing in the coil while the solenoid is temporarily energized is detected, and the characteristics of the thus detected coil current are used to determine the position of the movable iron core of the solenoid.

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