A control device of an electromagnetic actuator for a restraint device, including an evaluation and control unit which generates a control signal which predefines a control sequence having control time periods, in which the actuator is activated, and pause time periods, in which the actuator is deactivated. A protective circuit including a counter is provided, the counter monitoring the control sequence and increments its counter content during the at least one control time period and decrements its counter content during the at least one pause time period, the protective circuit effectuating a deactivation of the actuator when the counter content reaches or exceeds a predefined first threshold value, and allows a reactivation of the actuator when the counter content reaches or falls below a predefined second threshold value after reaching or exceeding the first threshold value, the first counter content being greater than the second counter content.

A solenoid device includes two electromagnetic coils, two stationary cores, two plungers and a yoke that surrounds the two electromagnetic coils. When a first electromagnetic coil is energized, magnetic flux flows through a first magnetic circuit that includes the first stationary core. When the two electromagnetic coils are energized, magnetic flux of the first electromagnetic coil flows through the first magnetic circuit, and magnetic flux of the second electromagnetic coil flows through a second magnetic circuit that includes a second stationary core. When energization of the first electromagnetic coil is stopped while maintaining energization of the second electromagnetic coil, the magnetic flux of the second electromagnetic coil continues to flow through the second magnetic circuit and a third magnetic circuit that includes the two stationary cores. A magnetism limiting portion is disposed in a portion of the second magnetic circuit that does not overlap the third magnetic circuit.

An electromagnetic-valve controller includes a control switch, a control portion regulating a supply current supplied to the electromagnetic valve by controlling a drive of the control switch and controlling to open or close the electromagnetic valve, and a current detection portion detecting the supply current. The control portion controls the drive of the control switch based on a detection result of the current detection portion. The control portion controls the drive of the control switch by using a first pulse signal having a duty ratio that is variable, in a closed period. The control portion controls the drive of the control switch by using a second pulse signal maintaining the supply current to be constant so as to maintain the electromagnetic valve to be in the fully closed state, in a closed-state maintaining period.

A magnetic actuator having an actuator element, a coil for actuating the actuator element, and a circuit for energizing the coil, the circuit having a supply voltage input to which a supply voltage for energizing the coil is applicable, and the circuit being configured to provide a clocked energization of the coil in a holding current reduction phase and to adapt a duty cycle of the clocked energization as a function of the supply voltage.

Systems and methods of controlling a solenoid coil in a solenoid valve provide a controller that allows a supervisory or leakage current to be used in a peak-and-hold driver. The controller introduces a delay time after detection of a dropout voltage that prevents the solenoid coil from being immediately re-energized in order to ensure proper dropout of the solenoid coil. The delay time imposes a wait period during which the controller takes no action with respect to the current in the solenoid coil, allowing the solenoid coil to deenergize and return the valve to its normally-open or normally-closed position. Such use of a delay time may be limited to instances where the controller has already gone through a power-up cycle such that the response time needed by the controller to energize the solenoid coil is minimized, thus reducing the valve startup time.

The pole geometry of an electromagnetic switch valve includes a cylindrical well on the pole member, which is penetrated by a cylindrical pin on the magnetic armature. This obtains a magnetic force-stroke curve that first extends proportionally starting out from the initial position of the magnetic armature and then rises progressively until the magnetic armature reaches the end position. Continuously increasing the energizing of the magnetic drive upon shifting of the magnetic armature from its initial position into its end position enables the noise formation upon the closing process of the valve to be reduced. Accordingly, the noise formation upon the opening process of the valve can be reduced when the energizing of the magnetic coil is reduced not abruptly but continuously.

A system can include an inductance module configured to operatively connect to a solenoid. The inductance module can be configured to input an AC excitation signal to the solenoid, determine and/or compare a current-voltage (CV) phase shift between a solenoid current and solenoid voltage, and output an output signal indicative of solenoid inductance based on the CV phase shift.

A circuit interrupter includes a housing; line conductors; load conductors; an isolation switch assembly including isolation switches disposed within the housing, one solenoid actuator disposed external to the housing and between two line conductors, the one solenoid actuator structured to actuate the isolation switches to be open or closed based on a command signal, and an insulating connector connecting the isolation switches and the one solenoid actuator; and a power electronic module disposed within the housing and including a controller and electronic interrupters connected to the controller, the isolation switches and the load conductors, the controller structured to generate and transmit a control signal comprising the command signal to the electronic interrupters or the solenoid actuator, the electronic interrupters structured to allow the current to flow during normal operation and interrupt the current from flowing to the load in the event of a fault based on the control signal.

A method and system are provided for controlling actuation of a solenoid having an armature movable relative to a wire coil. A processor performs a method that includes a repeating loop of: for an actuation cycle of the solenoid, determining a control signal parameter (CSP) value corresponding to a set point armature motion parameter (AMP) value based on a relational parameter array; controlling a signal generator to generate a control signal based on the determined CSP value, in the wire coil to initiate an actuation cycle of the solenoid; receiving from a sensor a measured AMP value for the actuation cycle of the solenoid; determining an error value between the measured AMP value and the set point AMP value for the actuation cycle of the solenoid; and updating the parameter array for a subsequent actuation cycle by changing the determined CSP value based on the error value.