SWITCHING REGULATOR WITH RANDOM NOISE GENERATOR

• US 3,579,091 A
• Filed: 05/16/1969
• Issued: 05/18/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Patrick W. Clarke, Rudolph Scuderi
• Original Assignee: Patrick W. Clarke, Rudolph Scuderi
• Inventors: Clarke, Patrick W., Scuderi, Rudolph
• Application Number:
  US04/825,368
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/137 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators

Abstract

A switching regulator-converter wherein the error detector reference voltage is varied with a random noise signal to permit operation of the switching devices at frequencies in the audible range without the unacceptable acoustical noise normally accompanying these switching frequencies.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting energy from an input source to a load comprising switching means connected between said source and said load, control means connected to said switching means to control the transmission of energy through said switching means, and a random noise generator connected to said control means to randomly and continuously vary the transmission of energy through said switching means in accordance with the said random noise signals, thereby permitting said switching means to be switched at frequencies in the audible range without unacceptable acoustical noise.

2. A switching regulator comprising switching means connected with a source of input potential and a load to permit the intermittent transmission of energy from said input source to said load, an error detector circuit comprising means responsive to load voltage variations connected across said load, and a source of reference voltage and noise which generates a continuous random noise signal connected to said error detector to provide the reference voltage for said error detector and randomly vary the error signal output from said error detector with said continuous random noise signal, whereby said switching means may be switched at frequencies within the audible range without unacceptable acoustical noise.

3. A switching regulator in accordance with claim 2 wherein said source of reference voltage and noise which generates random noise and provides a reference voltage includes a Zener diode which is biased so as to be constrained to operation at the knee portion of its reverse breakdown characteristic.

4. A switching regulator in accordance with claim 2 wherein said source of reference voltage and noise includes a separate source of reference potential and a separate noise generator the output of which is capacitor coupled to the source of reference voltage.

5. A switching regulator in accordance with claim 4 wherein said separate source of reference voltage comprises a first Zener diode reversed biased beyond the knee portion of its reverse breakdown characteristic and said separate noise generator comprises a second Zener diode reversed biased so as to be constrained to operation at the knee portion of its rEverse breakdown characteristic.

6. A switching regulator comprising switching means serially connected with a source of input potential and a load to intermittently permit the transfer of energy from said input source to said load, switching control means connected to said switching means to control conduction through said switching means, and an error detector circuit connected to said load and to said switching control means to provide a first output signal for load voltages greater than the voltage of a reference voltage and noise generator source and a second output signal for load voltages less than the voltage of said reference voltage and noise generator source, said reference voltage and noise generator source including at least a Zener diode reversed biased so as to be constrained to operation at the knee portion of its reverse breakdown characteristic to provide both a reference voltage and random noise generation, whereby said switching means may be switched at frequencies in the audible range without unacceptable acoustical noise.

7. A switching regulator in accordance with claim 6 wherein said reference voltage and noise generator source includes a second Zener diode biased well past the knee portion of its reverse breakdown characteristic, a voltage divider connected across said second Zener diode having its voltage dividing point connected to the input of said error detector, and a capacitor for coupling said first Zener diode to the input of said error detector, whereby said first Zener diode provides a reference voltage and said second zener diode provides random noise generation.