Patent ID: 7683561

Claim:
A device ( 10 ) for the incremental control of at least a first direct-current motor ( 12 ) for a cooling fan of a motor vehicle with a first current-limiting component ( 14 ) and a second current-limiting component ( 16 ), and a first ( 22 ), second ( 24 ) and third switching element ( 28 ), wherein the switching elements ( 22 , 24 , 28 ) connect the first ( 14 ) and second current- limiting components ( 16 ) in a manner such that the cooling capacity of the cooling fan can be varied in at least four non-zero levels, wherein the first current-limiting component ( 14 ) can be connected to a supply voltage (V cc ) using the first switching element ( 22 ), and to a first contact ( 26 ) of the direct-current motor ( 12 ) using the second switching element ( 24 ), the second current-limiting component ( 16 ) can be connected to the supply voltage (V cc ) using the third switching element ( 28 ), and to the first contact ( 26 ) of the direct-current motor ( 12 ) using the second switching element ( 24 ), the first current-limiting component ( 14 ) and second current-limiting component ( 16 ) can be connected in parallel to the supply voltage (V cc ) using the first switching element ( 22 ) and the third switching element ( 28 ), and they can be connected to the first contact ( 26 ) of the direct-current motor ( 12 ) using the second switching element ( 24 ), and the first current-limiting component ( 14 ) and second current-limiting component ( 16 ) can be connected in series to the supply voltage (V cc ) and to the first contact ( 26 ) of the direct-current motor ( 12 ) using the first switching element ( 22 ) and the second switching element ( 24 ).