Patent ID: 6900973

Claim:
An electromagnetic load drive apparatus for a plurality of electromagnetic loads each having an inductive element, the apparatus comprising: a DC low voltage power source; a capacitive element as a power source for feeding electric power to the inductive element of one of the electromagnetic loads at the time of operating said one of the electromagnetic loads, and recovering energy accumulated in the inductive element due to supply of electric power, the energy being recovered by the capacitive element at the time when the operation of said one of the electromagnetic loads is stopped; a first switching device for switching between a first state where a terminal of the capacitive element on a reference potential side is connected to a terminal of the low voltage power source on a side opposite to the terminal of the reference potential side and a second state where the terminal of the capacitive element on the reference potential side is connected to a terminal of the low voltage power source on the reference potential side; and a control unit for controlling the first switching device to select the first state when said one of the electromagnetic loads is in operation so that the electric power is fed to the inductive element from the capacitive element and the low voltage power source that are connected in series, and to select the second state when the operation of said one of the electromagnetic loads is stopped; wherein the capacitive element is connected to the plurality of electromagnetic loads in common.