Starter driving semiconductor switch apparatus

• Main Authors: HATA TOSHIAKI, TANAKA TAKAAKI, TAKAHASHI YASUHIRO, KUBO TORU, UMEMOTO HIDEKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.09.2014
• Subjects: BLASTING; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TOTRANSPORTATION; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERATION; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FORINTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINEDOPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; WEAPONS

A starter driving semiconductor switch apparatus energizes and de-energizes a starter according to a command from an outside. A series circuit to which semiconductor switches are connected in series is provided between a battery serving as a power supply and the starter. The starter is energized by bringing all the semiconductor switches into conduction. A voltage or a current at a predetermined point in the series circuit is monitored to make a self-diagnosis on whether the starter is allowed to start and whether there is a failure in the semiconductor switches according to a monitor output. The starter driving semiconductor switch apparatus is thus expected to have a longer useful life by energizing the starter not by using mechanical contacts but by using semiconductor switches.