JPH11299123A - Control circuit of vehicle generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To keep a vehicle running without the special operation of a driver, even if the unexpected failure of an adjustment circuit (regulator) which controls a DC current supplied to the field winding of a multiphase AC generator occurs. SOLUTION: A control circuit has a regulator 1 in use and a spare regulator 2. While the revolution of a multiphase AC generator 3 is higher than a predetermined value, if it is detected that an output voltage does not reach a predetermined value, a switching relay 5 is driven to switch the regulator in use to the spare regulator automatically. By this switching, an emergency lamp is lit and can be recognized by a driver. With this constitution, the possibility of a failure on a street can be substantially reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention is applied to automobiles.
The present invention relates to an improvement in a control circuit of a vehicle alternator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In order to supply a necessary power supply current to a vehicle and charge a battery, a polyphase AC generator driven by an internal combustion engine for driving and an output of the AC generator are converted into DC. Rectifier. The drive speed of this alternator changes rapidly according to the running conditions of the vehicle.However, the output of the alternator is rectified and the DC voltage is maintained at a substantially constant level while connected to the battery. Is desirable. Therefore, an adjustment circuit (regulator) for controlling the field voltage (or current) of the AC generator is provided so that the DC voltage becomes substantially constant.

Conventionally, there has been known a control device which, when an abnormality occurs in the control circuit, issues an alarm to the driver's seat, stops the operation of the AC generator, or reduces the output current (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-157556). JP-A-5-34479
No. 7).

[0004]

Semiconductor elements such as transistors and diodes or integrated circuits have come into widespread use in regulation circuits for controlling the field voltage of an alternator. Semiconductor devices are mechanically static, can be expected to operate stably with little fluctuation over a long period of time, and their lifespan generally exceeds the lifespan of a vehicle, and seldom needs to be replaced. Not be.
However, the failure is not absent, and when a failure occurs, it is almost impossible to foresee the failure. Even if a failure occurs in the scale, since the appearance of the element does not change in principle, it is almost impossible to visually identify the failure from outside and repair or replace it. For this reason, the failure of the semiconductor element provided in the adjustment circuit of the alternator, even if it is extremely rare, causes a road failure in which the vehicle cannot move on the road for a long time.

[0005] In recent years, the reliability of many components of an automobile has become extremely high. Since the situation in which a car would fail on the road hardly occurred, the cause of the failure on the road was caused by the semiconductor components of the adjustment circuit of the alternator.

[0006] Further, in addition to the above-mentioned failure of the semiconductor element, failure of the adjustment circuit for controlling the field voltage of the AC generator is caused by loosening of the terminal or disconnection of the wiring. Sometimes. Such causes are:
Once it occurs, it may be repaired spontaneously with no known cause. In such a state, there is a high possibility that a failure will occur again. In addition, such a failure to be repaired naturally may cause the driver to be unaware of the failure even if it occurs, or the driver may forget the fact that the failure has occurred. For a failure that has been repaired naturally, it is necessary for the driver to reliably recognize the occurrence of the failure and perform appropriate inspection and repair at a well-equipped depot or repair shop. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device in which even if a failure of a control circuit of an alternator occurs unexpectedly, it does not directly cause a road failure. With the goal. It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that allows a driver to continue driving without any special operation even if a failure occurs in a control circuit of an AC generator. Moreover, the present invention provides an apparatus that enables a driver to reliably recognize the history of occurrence of a failure when an adjustment circuit of the alternator has a failure and to offer inspection and repair without forgetting. Aim.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention automatically switches to a spare regulating circuit when a failure occurs in a regulating circuit for supplying a field current to a vehicular polyphase AC generator. The present invention is characterized in that the driving of the vehicle can be continued.

That is, the present invention relates to a control circuit for a vehicle generator provided with a first regulating circuit for controlling a DC current supplied to a field winding of a polyphase AC generator. A second adjusting circuit for controlling a DC current supplied to a field winding of the machine, provided separately from the first adjusting circuit; separating the first adjusting circuit from the field winding and setting the second adjusting circuit; A switching relay for connecting a circuit to the field winding, a first detection circuit for detecting that the output voltage does not reach a predetermined value when the generator has a rotation speed exceeding a predetermined value, And a drive circuit for driving the switching relay when a detection output is generated in the detection circuit.

A second detection circuit for detecting that an overvoltage has occurred in the output voltage of the generator for more than a predetermined time, wherein the drive circuit has a function of detecting a detection output of the second detection circuit; It is possible to adopt a structure including a means for driving the switching relay even if no detection output is generated in the first detection circuit.

An alarm display lamp which lights up when the second adjusting circuit is connected to the field winding is provided, and the driving circuit causes a problem once the switching relay is driven. It is desirable to have a holding circuit for holding the drive state of the switching relay until the engine key switch is turned off even if the output of the detection circuit disappears.

While the polyphase alternator is rotating at a normal rotation speed exceeding a predetermined value, the first detection circuit detects that the output voltage of the polyphase alternator has not reached the predetermined value. The main cause is that the control of the supply of DC current to the field winding of the polyphase AC generator by the current first adjustment circuit is not performed normally, and the first detection circuit is driven. The circuit is activated and the switching relay is operated to switch and connect the field winding of the polyphase alternator to the spare second adjusting circuit provided separately from the first adjusting circuit.

Similarly, when the second detection circuit detects an overvoltage in which the output voltage of the polyphase AC generator exceeds a predetermined time, the first control circuit similarly supplies a DC current to the field winding. Since the control may not be performed normally, the second detection circuit activates the drive circuit, operates the switching relay, and switches and connects the field winding to the second adjustment circuit.

When the switching from the first control circuit to the second control circuit is performed, an alarm display lamp is turned on to make the driver recognize that there is an abnormal condition.

Once the drive circuit has driven the switching relay by the detection output of the first detection circuit or the second detection circuit, the output voltage of the multi-phase AC generator is not detected in a reduced or overvoltage state thereafter. However, since the cause of the recurrence is likely to be re-established with the cause unknown and there is a possibility of reoccurrence, the holding circuit is activated to maintain the drive state of the switching relay as it is.
This holding circuit is maintained until the engine key switch is turned off.

As described above, when an abnormality occurs in the adjustment circuit, the switching operation is automatically performed, so that even if a failure of the adjustment circuit occurs unexpectedly, the driver performs a special operation. The driving and running of the vehicle can be continued without any change. As a result, it is possible to prevent a failure on the road due to a failure in the adjustment circuit. Furthermore, since the warning indicator lamp is automatically turned on,
The driver can surely recognize the history of the occurrence of the failure, and can perform the inspection or the repair report at the vehicle depot or the repair shop without forgetting.

[0017]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiment of the present invention is directed to a first adjusting circuit 1 for controlling a DC current supplied to a field winding 4 of a polyphase AC generator 3.
And a second adjustment circuit 2 for controlling a DC current supplied to the field winding 4 of the polyphase AC generator 3 is provided separately from the first adjustment circuit 1. A switching relay 5 that disconnects the first adjustment circuit 1 from the field winding 4 and connects the second adjustment circuit 2 to the field winding 4, and a rotation that exceeds a predetermined value for the polyphase AC generator 3. A first detection circuit 11 for detecting that the output voltage does not reach a predetermined value when there is a speed, and a driving circuit 6 for driving the switching relay 5 when a detection output is generated in the first detection circuit 11. Is provided. Furthermore, a second detection circuit 12 is provided for detecting that an overvoltage has occurred in the output voltage of the polyphase AC generator 3 for more than a predetermined time. In addition, the second adjustment circuit 2 includes a field winding 4
An alarm indicator lamp 7 that lights up when connected to
A rotation speed detecting means 8 for detecting a rotation speed of the polyphase AC generator 3 and a power generation detecting means 9 for detecting a power generation state of the polyphase AC generator 3 are provided.

The drive circuit 6 includes a means for driving the switching relay 5 when a detection output of the second detection circuit 12 is generated, and a method for driving the switching relay 5 once. And a holding circuit for holding the driving state of the switching relay 5 until the engine key switch 10 is turned off even if the output of the circuit 11 or the second detection circuit 12 disappears.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention thus configured will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

Normally, the relay switch 5a of the switching relay 5 is in the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, and the field winding 4 of the polyphase AC generator 3 is connected to the first regulating circuit 1. The DC current supplied from the battery 13 to the field winding 4 of the polyphase AC generator 3 is controlled by the first adjustment circuit 1.

When the engine is stopped, the engine key switch 10 is off, the hydraulic switch 14 is off, and the N (neutral) terminal voltage detected by the power generation detecting means 9 is zero. And B
If the (battery) terminal voltage indicates zero, the first adjusting circuit 1 is in a normal stopped state. At this time, the engine
When the key switch 10 is operated to be turned on, the oil pressure switch 14 is in the off state, so that the oil pressure indication lamp relay 15 is in the normally on state and the oil pressure indication lamp 16 is turned on.

When the engine key switch 10 is operated for starting, the engine is started by a connection (not shown) and the hydraulic switch 14 is turned on. Accordingly, when the oil pressure rises to a normal value, the oil pressure indicating lamp relay 15 is turned off and the oil pressure indicating lamp 16 is extinguished. When the engine is started, the rotational speed of the polyphase AC generator 3 is detected by the rotational speed detecting means 8, and when the detected output indicates a rotational speed exceeding a predetermined value, the polyphase alternating current is detected by the power generation detecting means 9. The N terminal voltage indicating the output of the generator 3 must be detected to be equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and the second detection circuit 12 must not detect an overvoltage such that the voltage exceeding 32 V continues for more than 2 seconds at the B terminal. In this case, the first adjustment circuit 1 is determined to be normal, and the switching relay 5
, The current supply control by the first adjustment circuit 1 is performed as it is.

When the engine is rotating and the hydraulic switch 14 is turned on and the rotational speed detecting means 8 detects that the rotational speed of the polyphase AC generator 3 exceeds a predetermined value, The output voltage indicated at the terminal B of the polyphase alternator 3 by one detection circuit 11 is zero or 9V.
When an output voltage equal to or less than a predetermined value that is continuous for 2 seconds or more is detected, the first adjustment circuit 1 is in an abnormal state, and the drive circuit 6 drives the switching relay 5 to operate the relay switch 5a. 1 is switched to the position indicated by the broken line, and the connection with the field winding 4 of the polyphase AC generator 3 is switched to the second adjustment circuit 2. When such a state that the output voltage of the polyphase AC generator 3 does not reach the predetermined value occurs, the power generation detecting means 9
Illuminates the orange abnormality display lamp 17 to indicate that there is no power generation, and indicates in red that the abnormality has occurred in the first adjustment circuit 1 and the state has been switched to the second adjustment circuit 2. An alarm display lamp 7 is illuminated and displayed on the driver's seat.

The drive circuit 6 has a holding circuit inside, and once the switching relay 5 is driven, the first detection circuit 11 (or the second detection circuit 1
Even if the output of 2) is extinguished, there is a possibility that the output will be re-established with the cause repaired without an unknown cause. Therefore, the drive state of the switching relay 5 is maintained until the engine key switch 10 is turned off.

Further, the engine is started, the hydraulic switch 14 is turned on, and the rotation speed detecting means 8 detects that the rotation speed of the polyphase AC generator 3 exceeds a predetermined value and is in a normal rotation state. When the second detection circuit 12 detects an overvoltage such that the output voltage shown at the terminal B of the polyphase AC generator 3 exceeds, for example, 32 V and continues for 2 seconds or more, The drive circuit 6 drives the switching relay 5 to switch the relay switch 5a to the position shown by the broken line in FIG. The magnetic winding 4 is switched and connected to the second adjusting circuit 2. By this switching, the red alarm display lamp 7 is turned on to indicate that the state has been switched to the second adjustment circuit 2 due to the occurrence of overvoltage.

Also in this case, once the drive circuit 6 has driven the switching relay 5, even if the output of the second detection circuit 12 (or the first detection circuit 11) that caused the drive is extinguished, The drive state of the switching relay 5 is maintained until the engine key switch 10 is turned off.

[0029] Such a series of operations are all automatically performed irrespective of the driver's operation, so that the driver can continue driving without any special consciousness.
Further, when the control circuit is switched to the second control circuit, the driver can recognize by turning on the lamp, so that it is possible to appropriately report the repair and inspection, and the first control circuit is used. It is possible to avoid running for a long period of time with a failure.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if an unexpected failure occurs in the control circuit for controlling the DC current supplied to the field winding of the multi-phase AC generator, the driver can operate the vehicle. However, the operation of the vehicle can be continued as it is without performing a special operation, and it is possible to avoid a situation in which a road failure occurs due to the operation. Furthermore, the driver can be made to surely recognize the history of the occurrence of a failure in the adjustment circuit, and can perform an appropriate inspection or repair at a well-equipped vehicle depot or a repair shop according to the driver's declaration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st adjustment circuit 2 2nd adjustment circuit 3 polyphase alternating current generator 4 field winding 5 switching relay 5a relay switch 6 drive circuit 7 alarm display lamp 8 rotation speed detection means 9 power generation detection means 10 engine key Switch 11 First detection circuit 12 Second detection circuit 13 Battery 14 Oil pressure switch 15 Oil pressure indicator lamp relay 16 Oil pressure indicator lamp 17 Abnormality indicator lamp

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A control circuit for a vehicle generator comprising a first regulating circuit for controlling a DC current supplied to a field winding of a polyphase alternator, wherein the field winding of the polyphase alternator is A second adjustment circuit for controlling the DC current supplied to the line is provided separately from the first adjustment circuit, the first adjustment circuit is separated from the field winding, and the second adjustment circuit is connected to the field winding. A switching relay connected to the winding, a first detection circuit for detecting that the output voltage does not reach the predetermined value when the rotation speed of the generator exceeds a predetermined value, and a detection circuit for detecting the output voltage. A drive circuit for driving the switching relay when an output is generated. And a second detection circuit for detecting that an overvoltage has occurred in the output voltage of the generator for more than a predetermined time, wherein the drive circuit detects when an output of the second detection circuit has been generated. 2. The control circuit according to claim 1, further comprising means for driving said switching relay. 3. The control circuit for a vehicle generator according to claim 2, further comprising an alarm display lamp that is turned on when the second adjustment circuit is connected to the field winding. 4. The drive circuit holds the drive state of the switching relay until the engine key switch is turned off even after the output of the detection circuit causing the switching relay has disappeared once the switching relay is driven. The control circuit for a vehicle generator according to claim 1 or 3, further comprising a holding circuit.