JP2008147060A - Relay control device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem where it is difficult to balance reduction of power consumption with suppression of noise when the switching of an electromagnetic relay electrically connecting and disconnecting a load exchanging power with a battery to/from the battery is controlled. <P>SOLUTION: A high-voltage battery 10 is electrically connected and disconnected to/from an inverter 12 by the electromagnetic relay 20. A low-voltage battery 40 is connected to one-side terminal of a coil 28 of the relay 20, and the other-side terminal thereof is grounded through a switching element 34, and a parallel circuit of a resistor 36 and a capacitor 38. When the switching element 34 is closed to close the relay 20, a current is carried to the coil 28, and the relay 20 is switched over to a closed state. The current flowing to the coil 28 is once increased, thereafter reduced and brought into a steady state at a predetermined value. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay control device that controls opening and closing of a load that transfers power to and from a battery and an electromagnetic relay that conducts and cuts off between the batteries.

As this type of control device, for example, as can be seen in Patent Document 1 below, a control device that controls the energization amount of a relay coil by duty control has been proposed. In this control device, in view of the fact that the power required for the relay is maximized when the relay is shifted from the open state to the closed state, when the relay is closed, the duty is once maximized and then reduced. The energization amount to the coil is once maximized and then decreased. Thereby, the power consumption at the time of hold | maintaining a relay in a closed state can be reduced.
JP 2000-90797 A

  By the way, when duty control is performed to adjust the energization amount to the coil of the relay, this may become a noise generation source. In particular, the inventors have found that the problem of noise becomes serious in a relay that conducts and cuts off between an on-vehicle high-voltage battery and a high-voltage load.

  The switching element used for duty control must be able to be switched on / off in the frequency band of duty control. For this reason, in the said control apparatus, development of a new switching element may be needed for duty control.

  Further, in the above control device, even if energization of the relay is stopped, it may be difficult to open the relay at a high speed (cut-off state). On the other hand, it is conceivable to increase the elastic force of the elastic member, which is a means for mechanically opening the relay, but in this case, the magnetic force required to close the relay at high speed is large. There is a problem of becoming.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and its object is to more appropriately open and close a load for transferring power to and from a battery and an electromagnetic relay for connecting and disconnecting between the batteries. An object of the present invention is to provide a relay control device that can be controlled.

  Hereinafter, means for solving the above-described problems and the operation and effects thereof will be described.

  In order to energize the coil of the relay, the power supply for supplying power to the coil of the relay and the opening and closing means provided in the loop circuit including the coil and opening and closing the loop circuit, It is characterized by comprising operating means for closing the opening / closing means and a variable circuit provided in the loop circuit and capable of varying an energization amount to the coil.

  In the above invention, the opening / closing means is closed by the operating means, whereby the relay coil is energized. For this reason, generation | occurrence | production of the noise which arises when operating the opening / closing means by duty control can be avoided. In addition, by providing the loop circuit with a variable circuit that makes the energization amount of the coil variable, the energization amount of the coil can be reduced after being increased during the control of the relay to the one state. For this reason, the power consumption of a relay can be reduced.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the variable circuit is configured to increase an energization amount to the coil by a circuit characteristic of a closed loop circuit realized by closing the opening / closing means. It is a circuit to reduce.

  In the above-described invention, the energization amount to the coil can be increased and decreased by the circuit characteristics of the closed-loop circuit. Therefore, the energization amount of the coil can be made variable only by closing the opening / closing means, and as a result Generation | occurrence | production can be suppressed suitably.

  The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 2, wherein the variable circuit includes a parallel circuit of a capacitor and a resistor.

  In the above invention, the coil and the parallel circuit constitute an RCL circuit. For this reason, the increase and decrease modes of the amount of current flowing through the coil after the closing operation of the opening / closing means can be adjusted by the inductance of the coil, the capacitance of the capacitor, and the resistance value of the resistor.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the coil is connected between the parallel circuit and the ground, and the opening / closing means connects the parallel circuit to either the power source or the ground. It is characterized by being.

  In the above invention, a closed loop circuit that does not include a power source is configured by connecting the parallel circuit to the ground. Here, when the parallel circuit shifts from the energized state of the coil connected to the power source to the non-energized state of the coil where the parallel circuit is grounded, the direction opposite to that when the coil is energized due to the discharge of the current charged in the capacitor Current flows through For this reason, when switching from the control to one state to the control to the other state, the current in the reverse direction flows through the coil, so that a force for setting the relay to the other state can be generated. For this reason, it is possible to avoid providing an elastic member or the like having a large elastic force in order to place the relay in the other state.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the loop circuit includes a plurality of loop circuits including a plurality of energization paths for the coil, and the opening / closing means is provided in each of the energization paths. The variable circuit includes the plurality of energization paths and the plurality of opening / closing means corresponding to the plurality of energization paths.

  In the above invention, since the plurality of energization paths are provided, the energization amount of the coil can be variably set by selecting the energization path by operating the opening / closing means. For this reason, in the relay closing control, the energization amount flowing through the coil can be increased stepwise and then decreased stepwise.

  According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in the fifth aspect of the invention, the power source includes a plurality of power sources having different voltages, and the plurality of energization paths are provided corresponding to the plurality of power sources, respectively. It is characterized by that.

  In the above invention, since the plurality of energization paths having different voltages are provided, the energization amount of the coil can be variably set by selecting the energization path by operating the opening / closing means. That is, for example, by changing the energization path corresponding to the power supply having a high voltage from the energization path corresponding to the power supply having a low voltage to the energization path corresponding to the power supply having a low voltage, Can be reduced.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising reverse direction energizing means for energizing in the direction opposite to the direction of current flow when entering the one state. It is characterized by that.

  In the above invention, since the reverse direction energization means is provided, a current in the reverse direction can be passed through the coil when switching from the control to one state to the control to the other state. For this reason, when controlling to the other state, an electromagnetic force for setting the relay to the other state can be generated. For this reason, it is possible to avoid providing an elastic member or the like having a large elastic force in order to place the relay in the other state.

  The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that it includes reverse direction energizing means for energizing current in a direction opposite to the direction of current flow during the control to the one state.

  In the above invention, since the reverse direction energization means is provided, a current in the reverse direction can be passed through the coil when switching from the control to one state to the control to the other state. For this reason, when controlling to the other state, an electromagnetic force for setting the relay to the other state can be generated. For this reason, it is possible to avoid providing an elastic member or the like having a large elastic force in order to place the relay in the other state.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to claim 8, wherein the reverse direction energization means connects the terminals of the coil of the relay with one terminal of the coil when connecting the power source and the ground. Is realized by adopting a circuit configuration that can be either the power source or the ground.

  In the above invention, the current flowing through the coil during the closing control and the opening control of the relay is made different between the connection target of the coil and one of the other terminals during the closing control and the opening control of the relay. Can be in opposite directions.

  The invention according to claim 10 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the relay conducts and cuts off between the on-vehicle high voltage battery and the load.

  When closing the on-board high-voltage battery and the electromagnetic relay that conducts and cuts off the load, a relatively large current needs to flow through the coil. For this reason, when controlling the energization amount of a coil by duty control, there exists a possibility that the noise which arises by duty control may become large. In this regard, in the inventions according to claims 1 to 7, such a problem can be suitably suppressed or avoided by including the variable circuit. Moreover, although the said relay tends to enlarge because the electric current for maintaining in one state becomes comparatively large, it is miniaturized as much as possible by providing the reverse direction electricity supply means of the said Claims 7-9. be able to.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment in which a relay control device according to the present invention is applied to a relay control device provided in a high-voltage system of a hybrid vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a partial configuration of a hybrid system according to the present embodiment.

  Both electrodes of the high voltage battery 10 having a predetermined high voltage (for example, several hundred V) are connected to the connection points C1 and C2. These connection points C1 and C2 are in an electrical path connected to both electrodes of the high-voltage battery 10, and are places where the high-voltage battery 10 and a plurality of loads are connected. Here, the load is used to exchange power with the high-voltage battery 10, and includes a DC-DC converter and the like in addition to the illustrated inverter 12 and motor generator 14. Incidentally, the motor generator 14 functions as an electric motor that generates output torque using electric power of the high-voltage battery 10 and functions as a generator that generates electric power using torque applied to the rotating shaft and supplies the electric power to the high-voltage battery 10. It is a rotating machine that combines.

  The high voltage battery 10 and the connection point C1 are electrically connected and disconnected by the electromagnetic relay 20. The relay 20 is closed when the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24 and the movable contact 26 come into contact with each other by the electromagnetic force of the coil 28 generated by energization, and returns to the open state when the energization is stopped. It is a marie open relay.

  The electronic control unit (ECU 30) includes a microcomputer (microcomputer 32). The ECU 30 is driven by electric power supplied from the low voltage battery 40 having a lower voltage (for example, “12 V”) than the high voltage battery 10, and exchanges signals with a high voltage system load via the interface 42. For example, the output of the motor generator 14 is controlled by operating the inverter 12 via the interface 42. Furthermore, the ECU 30 has a function of controlling the opening and closing of the relay 20.

  That is, one terminal of the coil 28 of the relay 20 is connected to the low voltage battery 40, and the other terminal not connected to the low voltage battery 40 is connected to the ECU 30. In the ECU 30, the other terminal of the coil 28 of the relay 20 is grounded via a switching element 34 made of, for example, a MOS transistor and a parallel circuit made up of a resistor 36 and a capacitor 38.

  According to such a configuration, a loop circuit is configured by the low voltage battery 40, the switching element 34, and the parallel circuit. And by making the switching element 34 into a closed state (on state), the said loop circuit can be made into a closed loop circuit, and the coil 28 can be energized by extension. Due to the electromagnetic force generated thereby, the movable contact 26 of the relay 20 is displaced toward the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24 by being displaced toward the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24. And the relay 20 will be in a closed state because the movable contact 26 contacts a pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24.

  FIG. 2 shows a mode of opening / closing control of the relay 20. Specifically, FIG. 2A shows the transition of the operation signal of the switching element 34, and FIG. 2B shows the transition of the energization current of the coil 28 of the relay 20.

  As illustrated, when the switching element 34 is turned on, a current flows through the coil 28. At this time, the amount of current flowing through the coil 28 is the sum of the current flowing through the capacitor 38 and the current flowing through the resistor 36 until the voltage of the capacitor 38 reaches a steady state. At this time, the amount of current flowing through the coil 28 once increases and then decreases. The degree of increase and decrease is determined by the inductance of the coil 28, the capacitance of the capacitor 38, and the resistance value of the resistor 36.

  When the voltage of the capacitor 38 reaches a steady state, the current flowing through the coil 28 matches the amount of current flowing through the resistor 36. Thereafter, the current flowing through the coil 28 is constant. The amount of current at this time is determined by the voltage of the low voltage battery 40, the resistance value of the resistor 36, and the inductance of the coil 28.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by increasing and decreasing the amount of current flowing through the coil 28, both the transition of the relay 20 to the closed state at a high speed and the reduction of power consumption are achieved. be able to. That is, the minimum value of the energization amount required for the coil 28 is the maximum energization amount Vth1 during the period until the movable contact 26 is brought into contact between the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24. In other words, the energization amount Vth1 is the maximum during the period until the relay 20 is shifted from the open state to the closed state. The energization amount Vth2 that is the minimum value of the energization amount required to hold the relay 20 in the closed state is smaller than the energization amount Vth1 when the relay 20 is shifted from the open state to the closed state. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, when the relay 20 is held in the closed state while the relay 20 is reliably shifted to the closed state by increasing the energization amount when the relay 20 is shifted to the closed state. The power consumption is reduced by reducing the energization amount.

  Moreover, it becomes possible to reduce the size of the relay 20 by reducing the energization amount when the relay 20 is held in the closed state. This is because the heat generation amount of the relay 20 increases as the energization amount when the relay 20 is held in the closed state is increased. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3, when the parallel circuit is not provided, the energization amount becomes constant, so that the heat generation amount of the relay 20 increases. And since the temperature of the relay 20 rises by this, the magnetic force in the relay 20 falls. In order to hold the relay 20 regardless of this decrease, it is necessary to take measures such as increasing the magnetic force of the electromagnet including the coil 28 by increasing the number of turns of the coil 28. This results in an increase in size.

  In the present embodiment, in particular, a parallel circuit including a capacitor 38 and a resistor 36 is provided to variably set the energization amount to the coil 28. For this reason, once the switching element 34 is turned on by the microcomputer 32, the energization amount when the relay 20 is held in the closed state is once increased due to the circuit characteristics of the parallel circuit and then automatically decreased. Therefore, it is not necessary to turn on / off the switching element 34 by duty control. In particular, since the relay 20 is relatively large, the amount of current flowing through the coil 28 can be about several hundred milliamperes. For this reason, when the duty control is performed so as to ensure the energization amount by the low-voltage battery 40, there is a possibility that significant noise may occur. In addition, when duty control is performed, the switching element 34 is continuously turned on / off while the relay 20 is in the closed state, and thus noise may be continuously generated. In this embodiment, such a problem is avoided by providing a parallel circuit.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the energization amount of the coil 28 gradually increases and then gradually decreases to converge to a predetermined amount. At this time, if the amount of energization is gradually increased, the operating noise of the relay 20 when the movable contact 26 is brought into contact with the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24 can be reduced. Hereinafter, this will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the force acting on the movable contact 26 of the relay 20. As shown, the movable contact 26 is separated from the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24 with respect to the movable contact 26 and the contact spring Sc that exerts a force on the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24 with respect to the movable contact 26. An elastic force is applied to the return spring Sr that exerts a force. Here, the balance position between the elastic force of the contact spring Sc and the elastic force of the return spring Sr is such that the movable contact 26 is separated from the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24. In such a configuration, when the coil 28 is energized, an electromagnetic force F (i) corresponding to the energization amount is applied to the movable contact 26. The electromagnetic force F (i) is a direction toward the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24. For this reason, the movable contact 26 is displaced toward the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24.

  The acceleration of the movable contact 26 at this time is determined by the elastic force of the contact spring Sc, the elastic force of the return spring Sr, and the electromagnetic force F (i). Here, since the electromagnetic force F (i) becomes smaller as the energization amount i is smaller, the acceleration of the movable contact 26 can be reduced by gradually increasing the energization amount. The speed of the movable contact 26 when contacting the input / output terminals 22 and 24 can be reduced. For this reason, by gradually increasing the energization amount, the impact when the movable contact 26 comes into contact with the input / output terminals 22 and 24 can be reduced, and the sound generated at this time can be reduced.

  According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) The coil 28 of the relay 20 is connected to the parallel circuit of the capacitor 38 and the resistor 36 through the switching element 34. Thereby, the amount of current flowing through the coil 28 after the closing operation of the switching element 34 can be once increased and then decreased.

  (2) The above configuration is applied to the relay 20 that conducts and cuts off between the high voltage battery 10 and the load. In the relay 20, when the energization amount of the coil 28 is controlled by duty control, noise generated by the duty control may be particularly large. However, in the above configuration, such a problem is caused while the energization amount to the coil 28 is variable. Can be avoided.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings with a focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 5 shows a partial configuration of the control device for the relay 20 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 5, the same members as those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals for the sake of convenience. As shown in the drawing, in the present embodiment, as a power source for supplying power to the relay 20, in addition to the low voltage battery 40, a reference voltage generation unit 44 having a predetermined pressure Vr lower than the voltage VB of the low voltage battery 40 is provided. . The reference voltage generator 44 may be a stable power source that is generated in the ECU 30 and based on the low voltage battery 40, for example.

  The electric power from the low voltage battery 40 and the reference voltage generator 44 is supplied to the relay 20 via the energization paths 50 and 52, respectively. The energizing path 50 includes a switching element 50a made of, for example, a MOS transistor and a diode 50b, and connects between the low voltage battery 40 and the coil 28. On the other hand, the energization path 52 includes a switching element 52a made of, for example, a MOS transistor and a diode 52b, and connects between the reference voltage generator 44 and the coil 28.

  Here, the diode 52b is for avoiding inflow of the current from the low voltage battery 40 to the reference voltage generating unit 44 side. On the other hand, the diode 50b is provided in view of the fact that the voltage of the low voltage battery 40 is likely to fluctuate, and the reference voltage generation unit 44 is obtained when the voltage of the low voltage battery 40 becomes lower than the voltage of the reference voltage generation unit 44. This is to cope with an emergency situation in which a current flows into the low-voltage battery 40 side. The diode 50b need not be provided.

  FIG. 6 shows an energization mode of the relay 20 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 6A shows the transition of the operation mode of the switching element 50a, FIG. 6B shows the transition of the operation mode of the switching element 52a, and FIG. 6C shows the energization of the relay 20. It shows the transition of current.

  As shown in the figure, when the switching element 50a is turned on, the amount of current flowing through the coil 28 of the relay 20 rapidly increases, and the closed loop circuit configured by the low voltage battery 40, the diode 50b, the switching element 50a, and the relay 20 is illustrated. The amount of current determined by the internal resistance of the battery and the voltage VB of the low-voltage battery 40 is stabilized. The energization amount at this time is set to be equal to or greater than the minimum energization amount Vth1 required to shift the relay 20 from the open state to the closed state. After that, by turning on the switching element 52a and turning off the switching element 50a, the amount of current flowing through the coil 28 is configured by the reference voltage generating unit 44, the diode 52b, the switching element 52a, and the relay 20. It decreases to the energization amount determined by the internal resistance of the closed loop circuit, the predetermined voltage Vr of the reference voltage generator 44, and the like. The energization amount at this time is set to be equal to or greater than the minimum energization amount Vth2 required to hold the relay 20 in the closed state. The timing for turning on the switching element 50a may be before the timing for turning on the switching element 52a.

  According to such a configuration, when the relay 20 is controlled to be closed, the energization amount to the coil 28 can be increased stepwise and then decreased stepwise.

  According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effect (2) of the first embodiment.

  (3) A plurality of energization paths 50 and 52 for the coil 28 are provided. Thereby, the energization amount of the coil 28 can be variably set by selecting the energization paths 50 and 52 used for energization.

  (4) A plurality of energization paths 50 and 52 are provided corresponding to each of a plurality of power sources (low voltage battery 40 and reference voltage generator 44). Thus, after the energization path used for the reference voltage generating unit 44 is shifted from the energization path 50 corresponding to the low voltage battery 40 to the energization path flowing through the coil 28 in a stepwise manner, It can be reduced in stages. In particular, if the reference voltage generating unit 44 is a stable power source provided in the ECU 30 or the like, it is not necessary to consider a margin in anticipation of voltage fluctuation of the reference voltage generating unit 44 when designing the relay 20.

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings with a focus on differences from the second embodiment.

  FIG. 7 shows a partial configuration of the control device for the relay 20 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 7, the same members as those shown in FIG. 5 are given the same reference numerals for the sake of convenience. As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, the energization paths 50 and 52 are both energization paths for supplying the electric power of the low-voltage battery 40 to the coil 28 of the relay 20. The energization paths 50 and 52 are provided with a constant current source 50c and a constant current source 52c, respectively. These constant current sources 50 c and 52 c are circuits or elements that allow a constant current to flow regardless of the voltage of the low voltage battery 40. In addition, what is necessary is just to comprise the constant current sources 50c and 52c by a constant current diode (CRD), for example.

  Here, if the output currents of the constant current sources 50c and 52c are set to be different from each other, the path to be used among the energization paths 50 and 52 is switched from the direction in which the flowing current is increased to the direction in which the current is decreased, thereby After the energization amount of 28 is increased stepwise, it can be decreased stepwise. Further, even if the output currents of the constant current sources 50c and 52c are the same as each other, the energization amount of the coil 28 is stepped by switching from energization using both the energization paths 50 and 52 to energization using either one. It can be increased stepwise and then gradually decreased.

  According to the present embodiment described above, it is possible to obtain an effect according to the above-described effect of the second embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
Hereinafter, the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings with a focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 8 shows a partial configuration of the control device for the relay 20 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 8, the same members as those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals for the sake of convenience. As shown in the figure, in this embodiment, a parallel circuit is constituted by a series connection body of a diode 60 (rectifying means) and a resistor 36 and a capacitor 38. The parallel circuit is selectively connected to either the low voltage battery 40 or the ground via the connection device 62. Incidentally, the connection device 62 may include, for example, a MOS transistor that conducts and cuts off between the parallel circuit and the low-voltage battery 40 and a MOS transistor that conducts and cuts off between the parallel circuit and the ground. At this time, the parallel circuit may be selectively connected to either the low voltage battery 40 or the ground by separately operating the pair of MOS transistors by the microcomputer 32.

  FIG. 9 shows an energization mode of the relay 20 according to the present embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 6A shows the transition of the operation mode of the connection device 62, and FIG. 6B shows the transition of the energization current of the relay 20.

  As shown in the drawing, when the low voltage battery 40 and the parallel circuit are connected by operating the connecting device 62, the energization amount of the coil 28 is gradually increased for the same reason as in the first embodiment. Gradually decreases and stabilizes at a predetermined amount. Here, when the energization amount is stable, the capacitor 38 is in a steady state in which charges with the low voltage battery 40 side as the positive direction are stored.

  On the other hand, when the parallel circuit is grounded by operating the connection device 62, the charge of the capacitor 38 is discharged by the closed loop circuit constituted by the capacitor 38, the connection device 62, the ground, and the coil 28. As a result, a current in the direction opposite to that during the closing control of the relay 20 flows through the coil 28. For this reason, an electromagnetic force that separates the movable contact 26 from the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24 is generated. Therefore, the relay 20 can be switched to the open state at high speed without increasing the elastic force of the elastic member (return spring Sr) for separating the movable contact 26 from the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24. .

  Since the elastic force of the return spring Sr can be reduced, the force required to switch the relay 20 to the closed state can be reduced, and the coil 28 and the contact spring Sc can be downsized.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, by providing the diode 60, it is possible to avoid the electric charge charged in the capacitor 38 during discharging from being consumed by the resistor 36. For this reason, it is possible to increase the discharge current, which is a current that acts in the direction of shutting off the relay 20.

  According to this embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained in addition to the effects (1) and (2) of the first embodiment.

  (5) A connecting device 62 for connecting the parallel circuit to either the low voltage battery 40 or the ground is provided. As a result, when the relay 20 is switched from the closed control to the open control, a current in the direction opposite to that during the closed control flows through the coil 28, so that an electromagnetic force for opening the relay 20 can be generated. . For this reason, the elastic force of the return spring Sr can be reduced.

(Fifth embodiment)
Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings, focusing on differences from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 10 shows a partial configuration of the control device for the relay 20 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same members as those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals for the sake of convenience.

  As illustrated, in the present embodiment, a connection device 70 that selectively connects one of the pair of terminals T1 and T2 of the coil 28 of the relay 20 to the low voltage battery 40 is provided. Specifically, the connection device 70 can switch whether the low-voltage battery 40 is connected to either of the pair of terminals T1 and T2 of the coil 28 or not. Moreover, in this embodiment, the connection apparatus 72 which selectively earth | grounds either one of a pair of terminal T1, T2 of the coil 28 of the relay 20 is provided. Thus, when the pair of terminals T1 and T2 of the coil 28 are connected between the low voltage battery 40 and the ground, the connection can be set in two ways. As a result, the direction of the electromagnetic force generated by energizing the coil 28 is 2 It becomes possible to set the direction. The connection devices 70 and 72 may be configured to include a MOS transistor that connects the low-voltage battery 40 or the ground and the terminal T1, and a MOS transistor that connects the low-voltage battery 40 or the ground and the terminal T2.

  In FIG. 11, the energization aspect of the relay 20 concerning this embodiment is shown. Specifically, FIG. 11 (a) shows the transition of the state of the connection device 70, FIG. 11 (b) shows the transition of the state of the connection device 72, and FIG. 11 (c) shows the state of the coil 28 of the relay 20. Shows the transition of current flow.

  As shown in the figure, when the relay 20 is controlled to be closed, the connection device 70 selects the terminal T1 and the connection device 72 selects the terminal T2. As a result, a current flows in a direction that generates an electromagnetic force that pulls the movable contact 26 toward the input / output terminals 22 and 24. Therefore, the relay 20 can be closed.

  On the other hand, when the relay 20 is controlled to open, the terminal T2 is temporarily selected by the connecting device 70 and the terminal T1 is selected by the connecting device 72. As a result, a current flows in a direction that generates an electromagnetic force that separates the movable contact 26 from the input / output terminals 22 and 24. Thereby, the relay 20 can be switched to an open state at high speed. And after switching to an open state, the connection apparatus 70 is switched so that neither of a pair of terminal T1, T2 may be connected with the low voltage battery 40. FIG.

  According to such a configuration, the relay 20 is switched to the open state at high speed without increasing the elastic force of the elastic member (return spring Sr) for separating the movable contact 26 from the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24. be able to. Since the elastic force of the return spring Sr can be reduced, the force required to switch the relay 20 to the closed state can be reduced, and the coil 28 and the contact spring Sc can be downsized.

  According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  (6) Means for energizing in the direction opposite to the direction of current flow by energization during the closing control of the relay 20 is provided. Thereby, it can avoid providing the elastic member etc. with a large elastic force in order to make the relay 20 into an open state.

  (7) When connecting the pair of terminals T1, T2 of the coil 28 between the low voltage battery 40 and the ground, the connection can be set in two ways. This makes it possible to set the direction of electromagnetic force generated by energizing the coil 28 in two directions.

(Other embodiments)
Each of the above embodiments may be modified as follows.

  In the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment, a resistor may be further connected in series with the parallel circuit or the relay 20. Thereby, the resistance value can be used as a parameter for adjusting the rate of increase of current accompanying the start of energization of the coil 28 and the rate of decrease of current thereafter.

  -In the said 2nd Embodiment and 3rd Embodiment, it is good also as three or more electricity supply paths. Here, for example, when the energization amount is increased stepwise over a plurality of stages and then decreased stepwise in order to control the relay 20 to be closed, the movable contact is provided for the reason described in the first embodiment. The setting for reducing the impact when 26 is brought into contact with the pair of input / output terminals 22 and 24 is also facilitated.

  -As an embodiment of the reverse direction energization means for energizing in the direction opposite to the direction of current flow due to energization at the time of closing control of the relay 20, the embodiment exemplified in the fourth embodiment and the fifth embodiment is used. Not exclusively. For example, in the first to third embodiments, as illustrated in the fifth embodiment, means for applying a reverse voltage to the coil 28 may be provided.

  The electromagnetic relay is not limited to one that communicates and cuts off the high voltage battery and load of the hybrid vehicle, but may be one that conducts and cuts off the high voltage battery and load of the electric vehicle, for example.

The figure which shows the structure of the hybrid system concerning 1st Embodiment. The time chart which shows the electricity supply aspect of the relay concerning the embodiment. The time chart which shows the electricity supply aspect of the conventional relay. The figure explaining the dynamic operation | movement at the time of the closing control of a relay. A circuit diagram showing some circuit composition of a relay control device concerning a 2nd embodiment. The time chart which shows the electricity supply aspect of the relay concerning the embodiment. A circuit diagram showing some circuit composition of a relay control device concerning a 3rd embodiment. The circuit diagram which shows the circuit structure of a part of relay control apparatus concerning 4th Embodiment. The time chart which shows the electricity supply aspect of the relay concerning the embodiment. The circuit diagram which shows the circuit structure of a part of relay control apparatus concerning 5th Embodiment. The time chart which shows the electricity supply aspect of the relay concerning the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... High voltage battery, 12 ... Inverter (one Embodiment of load), 20 ... Relay, 30 ... ECU (One Embodiment of a relay control apparatus).

Claims (10)

A load that transfers power to and from a battery, and an electromagnetic relay that conducts and cuts off between the batteries, and the coil of the relay is energized to be in one of an open state and a closed state In the relay control device that controls the opening and closing of the relay that transitions and returns to one of the other states by stopping the energization,
A power supply for supplying power to the coil of the relay, and an opening / closing means provided in a loop circuit including the coil and opening and closing the loop circuit;
An operating means for closing the opening / closing means to energize the coil of the relay;
A relay control device comprising: a variable circuit provided in the loop circuit and configured to vary an energization amount to the coil.   2. The relay according to claim 1, wherein the variable circuit is a circuit that increases and decreases an energization amount to the coil according to a circuit characteristic of a closed loop circuit realized by closing the opening / closing means. Control device.   The relay control device according to claim 2, wherein the variable circuit includes a parallel circuit of a capacitor and a resistor. The coil is connected between the parallel circuit and ground;
4. The relay control device according to claim 3, wherein the opening / closing means connects the parallel circuit to either the power source or the ground. The loop circuit comprises a plurality of loop circuits having a plurality of energization paths for the coil,
The opening / closing means is provided in each of the energization paths,
The relay control device according to claim 1, wherein the variable circuit includes the plurality of energization paths and the plurality of opening / closing means corresponding thereto. The power source comprises a plurality of power sources having different voltages,
The relay control device according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of energization paths are provided corresponding to each of the plurality of power sources.   The relay control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising reverse direction energization means for energizing in a direction opposite to a current flow direction during the control to the one state. A load that transmits and receives power to and from a battery and an electromagnetic relay that conducts and cuts off between the batteries, and when the coil is energized, it is shifted to an open state or a closed state. In the relay control device that controls opening and closing of the relay that returns to one of the other states by stopping,
A relay control device comprising reverse-direction energizing means for energizing current in a direction opposite to the direction of current flow during control to the one state.   The reverse-direction energizing means can connect both the power supply and the ground to the one terminal of the coil when the both terminals of the coil of the relay are connected to the power supply and the ground. 9. The relay control device according to claim 8, wherein the relay control device is realized by a configuration.   The relay control device according to claim 1, wherein the relay conducts and cuts off between the on-vehicle high voltage battery and the load.

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