Switching system for selectively enabling electrical power to be applied to plural loads
US5289043A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 27, 1990 |
| Grant date | Feb 22, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K2017/0806
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
There is described a semiconductor switch device having two semiconductor components, the first component receiving drive signals from the second. The first component contains either a single power bipolar switch element for single ended control of the energisation of a load or a bridge of such elements enabling energisation of a load with different polarities. The switch elements, which may be transistors or darlington multiple transistors, have voltage dropping elements connected in the leads to their control bases, so that the drive signals from the second component can be produced by low impedance connection to one or the other supply conductor, thereby keeping the power dissipation of the second component to a low value. The voltage dropping elements may be a series resistor or a constant current circuit. The first component may have a temperature sensitive member, such as a diode, for diverting current from the control base of the or each switching element to terminate its conduction if the temperature of the component becomes too high. The switch device is used in a switching system for a motor vehicle, for example, where central control is required of a plurality of loads a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.