JPS639231Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] This invention relates to electric circuit components including active elements such as resistors, capacitors, coils, and transistors used in various electric circuits, and is particularly applicable to highly reliable electric circuits with self-repair functions. The idea is to make it possible to configure circuits.

Conventionally, important devices are equipped with backup devices, and when the current device becomes defective, the backup device is activated. However, when backing up each device in this way, it is necessary to provide a duplicate device equivalent to the device to be backed up. This has the disadvantage of high cost.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an electric circuit component having a self-repair function that does not require a separate backup device and can therefore provide a backup function at low cost.

This idea provides important electrical circuit elements with a self-repair function. That is, even if an important electric circuit element becomes defective, a backup electric circuit element having the same function as the electric circuit element can be backed up and the operation of the apparatus can be maintained.

Therefore, according to this invention, it is possible to back up each circuit element, and it is possible to obtain a backup function at low cost.

An embodiment of this invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of this invention. In the figure, numeral 1 indicates an electrical circuit element to be backed up. This example shows the case of a resistor, and illustrates a voltage divider circuit in which an electrical circuit element 1 to be backed up is connected in series with another resistive element 2, and a voltage is applied between both terminals 3 and 4. I will explain.

In this invention, a backup electrical circuit element 6 having an equivalent function is connected in parallel to the electrical circuit element 1 to be backed up through a switch element 5. As the switch element 5, for example, a diode having a low reverse withstand voltage can be used. Such a diode may be, for example, a cuprous oxide or cuprous oxide based rectifier, a selenium rectifier or other semiconductor diode. It is also possible to use a zener diode with a particularly small current capacity, and take advantage of the fact that when the zener voltage exceeds the zener voltage, the dielectric breakdown of the junction occurs due to the reverse current that flows, and the junction is fused and conductive.

That is, in the above-described configuration, if the electric circuit element 1 is disconnected, the voltage applied between the terminals 3 and 4 is applied to the switch element 5 as is. Since the switch element 5 uses a diode with a small reverse withstand voltage, a voltage higher than the reverse withstand voltage is applied to the switch element 5, and the junction is dielectrically broken down and the junction is fused to become conductive. Therefore, due to this conduction, the backup circuit element 6 is connected in series with the resistor 2, and the voltage dividing circuit is restored to its original state.

In this way, according to this invention, it is only necessary to connect the circuit element 6 equivalent to the electric circuit element 1 to be backed up in parallel via the switch element 5 to the electric circuit element 1 to be backed up, so that a voltage dividing circuit can be used. It can be backed up cheaply. Particularly, when the electric circuit element 1 is highly important in terms of the entire device, the entire device can be backed up with only the switch element 5 and the backup circuit element 6, and the backup function can be provided at low cost.

Figures 2 to 4 show other embodiments of the present invention. In the example of Figure 2, the electric circuit element 1 to be backed up is a capacitor. Most capacitors become defective due to short circuit between electrodes. For this reason, in this example, a fuse 7 is connected in series to the electric circuit element 1 to be backed up, and a circuit element 6 having the same function as the electric circuit element 1 is connected in parallel to the series circuit of the fuse 7 and the electric circuit element 1 to be backed up through a switch element 5. Since this deals with AC signals, the switch element 5 is made of diode elements with low reverse withstand voltages connected in series in opposite directions, so that while the electric circuit element 1 is normal, the switch element 5 has high resistance to AC voltages, so that the electric circuit element 6 does not affect the circuit. Note that the figure shows a case in which the AC voltage of an AC power source 8 and the DC voltage of a DC power source 9 are superimposed on each other and applied to the electric circuit element 1, but the DC power source 9 is not necessarily required here.

If a short circuit occurs in the electric circuit element 1, the fuse 7 will blow due to the overcurrent. By blowing the fuse 7, the alternating current voltage from the alternating current power source 8 and the direct current voltage from the direct current power source 9 are directly applied to the switch element 5.
As a result, the overvoltage causes the switch element 5 to fuse at its junction and become conductive. As a result, the electric circuit element 1 is backed up by the backup circuit element 6, and the circuit can continue to operate normally.

FIG. 3 shows a case where the electrical circuit element 1 to be backed up is a transistor. The collector of the transistor as the circuit element 1 to be backed up is connected to one end of the load resistor 2 through a fuse 7, and the emitter is connected to a common potential point.
The base is connected to input terminal 10. On the other hand, the transistor serving as the backup circuit element 6 has its collector connected to the connection point between the load resistor 2 and the fuse 7 through the switch element 5, and its emitter connected to a common potential point. The base is also connected to the input terminal 10.

With this configuration, the transistor as the circuit element 1 to be backed up becomes defective.
For example, if conduction occurs between the collector and emitter, an overcurrent will flow through the fuse 7 and cause it to melt. Therefore, the power supply voltage applied to the terminal 3 is directly applied to both ends of the switch element 5, and the switch element 5 becomes conductive due to the welding of the bonding surfaces.
Therefore, the backup electric circuit element 6 is connected to the circuit, and the operation of the circuit is maintained. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of backup electric circuit elements may be provided. In this case, a fuse 7 is connected in series to the collector of the transistor shown as each backup electric circuit element 6a to 6n- ₁ , and the other end of the fuse 7 is connected to the switch element 5a, 5b, 5c...5.
It is connected to the connection midpoint of each element 5a to 5n of a series circuit consisting of n. With this configuration, for example, the transistor as the electric circuit element 1 to be backed up will be damaged and the fuse 7 will blow. Here, since all of the backup transistors 6a to 6n try to turn on at the same time in response to the input signal, the voltage of the DC power supply 9 is directly applied to both ends of the switch element 5a. This switch element 5a
dielectric breakdown, fusion, and conduction. Therefore, the backup transistor 6a becomes operational. If the transistor 6a becomes defective while it is in operation, the fuse 7 connected in series with it will blow. Therefore, the voltage of the DC power supply 9 is now applied to the series circuit of the switch elements 5a and 5b. Since the switch element 5a is already fused and conductive, the voltage of the DC power supply 9 is directly applied to the switch element 5b. Therefore, switch element 5b becomes conductive, and transistor 6b becomes operational. If backup is performed sequentially using a plurality of backup circuit elements 6a to 6n in this manner, an even more reliable device can be obtained.

In the example of FIG. 5, when the switch element 5 becomes conductive and switches to the backup circuit element 6, the relay 11 is operated, and the electrical circuit element 1 to be backed up is disconnected from the circuit by the contacts 11a and 11b of the relay 11, and the electrical circuit element 1 is disconnected from the circuit. A case is shown in which the electric circuit element 1 is kept in an insulated state, and the electric circuit element 1 which has become defective in this way can be replaced while the electric circuit element 1 is energized.

As explained above, according to this invention, it is possible to provide a backup function in each component, and by applying this invention to important circuit elements, the reliability of the entire device can be improved, and the backup function can be provided at a low cost. be able to. It also has the advantage of requiring less space for multiplexing and making it possible to create a compact device with a backup function.

Although not specifically explained above, it is easy to understand that according to this invention, other electric circuit elements such as coils can also be backed up.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a connection diagram showing one embodiment of this invention, and FIGS. 2 to 5 are connection diagrams showing other embodiments of this invention. 1: Electric circuit elements to be backed up,
5: Switch element, 6: Backup circuit element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A backup electric circuit element having the same function as the electric circuit element is connected through a switch element in parallel with the current path containing the electric circuit element to be backed up, and the switch element is a diode with a low reverse breakdown voltage. An electrical circuit component that has a self-repairing function in which the joint part breaks down and fuses due to overvoltage caused by the opening of the current path that includes the electrical circuit element to be used.