ELECTRICAL GENERATING SYSTEM FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 3,622,858 A
• Filed: 10/29/1970
• Issued: 11/23/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clair Emerson Mitchell
• Original Assignee: Clair Emerson Mitchell
• Inventors: Mitchell, Clair Emerson
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, J. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gunther, John M.
• Application Number:
  US05/085,185
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 322/18,28,32,73 320/31,61,64,68
• US Class Current: 320/123
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/163 with special means for initiating or limiting the excitation current

Abstract

An electrical generating system for use on an automotive vehicle in which the output of an electrical generator, preferably in the form of an alternator, is controlled by a voltage regulator or limiter, preferably of the solid state type. The control or field winding of the alternator is energized through the voltage regulator, which includes a normally open switch, preferably of the solid state type, connected to be energized from the storage battery of the vehicle and the output windings of the alternator through a rectifier. Means are employed responsive to the drop in the terminal voltage of the storage battery when the starter motor of the vehicle is energized to switch the normally open switch into a conducting or closed state thereby permitting the field winding or control winding of the alternator to be energized from the storage battery and the rectifier.

Claims

1. In a generating system for an automotive vehicle the combination comprising an electrical generator having output windings an a control winding, an electrical storage battery coupled to said output windings, a voltage regulating means including a solid state switching device having an output circuit and a control electrode, circuit means coupling said field winding to said electrical storage battery and said output windings through said output circuit of said solid state switching device, an electrical starter motor, manually movable means coupled to said starter motor and said electrical storage battery for energizing said starter motor from said source of electrical energy, and means coupled to said electrical storage battery and said control electrode for switching said solid state switching device to a state where said field winding is energized from said electrical storage battery through said output circuit of said solid state switching device in response to the reduction of the voltage of said electrical storage battery when said manually movable means is moved to couple said electrical storage battery to said electrical starter motor.

2. The combination of claim 1 and further comprising means coupled to said output windings of said electrical generator and to control electrode of said solid state switching device for maintaining said solid state switching device in said state where said field winding is energized when the voltage developed in said output windings is above a predetermined level.

3. The combination of claim 2 and further comprising time delay means coupled to control electrode of said solid state switching device for switching said solid state switching device to a state where said field winding is not energized a predetermined time period after said manually movable means is moved to deenergize said starter if the voltage developed in said output windings is below said predetermined level.

4. In an automotive vehicle, an electrical generating system comprising a generator having an output winding and a field winding, an electrical storage battery, and electrical starter motor, a voltage regulator coupled to said electrical storage battery and having an output means coupled to field winding, said output means including normally open switch means connected in series with said field winding, manually movable means coupled to said electrical storage battery and to said starter motor for energizing said starter motor from said electrical storage battery when said manually movable means is moved from a first to a second position, and means coupled to said electrical storage battery and said output means of said voltage regulator and responsive to the reduction in the terminal voltage of said electrical storage battery when said starter motor is energized from said electrical storage battery by movement of said movable means from the first to the second position, for closing said normally open switch means.

5. The combination of claim 4 in which said output means of said voltage regulator comprises a solid state switching means having output electrodes connected in series with said field winding and a control electrode coupled to said last mentioned means.

6. The combination of claim 5 and further comprising means coupled to said output winding of said electrical generator and to said control electrode of said solid state switching means for maintaining said solid state switching means in a closed condition when the voltage developed in said output winding is above a predetermined level.

7. The combinatiOn of claim 6 and further comprising time delay means coupled to said control electrode of said solid state switching means for returning said solid state switching means to an open condition a predetermined time period after said manually operable means is moved to deenergize said starter motor if the voltage developed in said output winding is below said predetermined level.

8. The combination of claim 4 and further comprising means coupled to said output winding of said electrical generator and to said normally open switch means for maintaining said normally open switch means in a closed condition when the voltage developed in said output windings is above a predetermined level.

9. The combination of claim 8 and further comprising time delay means coupled to said normally open switch means for returning said normally open switch means to an open condition a predetermined time period after said manually operable means is moved to deenergize said starter motor if the voltage developed in said output winding is below said predetermined level.

10. In an automotive vehicle, an electrical generating system comprising a generator having an output winding and a field winding, an electrical storage battery, an electrical starter motor, manually movable means coupled to said electrical storage battery and to said electrical starter motor and movable from a first position to a second position for energizing said starter motor from said electrical storage battery when in said second position, switch means connected in circuit with said electrical storage battery and said field winding for blocking current from said electrical storage battery through said field winding when in one state and for permitting current flow from said electrical storage battery through said field winding when in said other state, and means coupled to said electrical storage battery and to said switch means and responsive to the reduction in the terminal voltage of said electrical storage battery when said starter motor is energized from said electrical storage battery by movement of said movable means from said first position to said second position, for switching said switching means from said one state to said other state.

11. The combination of claim 10 in which said last mentioned means comprises a voltage level detector changeable between a first state and a second state upon said reduction of the terminal voltage of said electrical storage battery, an output circuit means coupled to said voltage level detector and to said switch means and responsive to the changing of said voltage level detector from said first state to said second state for applying a signal to said switch means for switching said switching means to said other state.

12. The combination of claim 11 and further comprising means coupled to said output winding of said electrical generator, said voltage level detector and said output circuit means for maintaining said output circuit means in a condition to maintain said signal when the voltage of said output winding is above a predetermined level.

13. The combination of claim 12 and further comprising time delay means coupled to said voltage level detector and said output circuit means for changing said voltage level detector back to said first state a predetermined time period after said manually movable means is moved from said second position back to said first position, and for terminating the signal applied to said switch means from said output circuit means after said given time period if the voltage of said output winding is below said predetermined level.

14. The combination of claim 10 in which said switch means is a solid state switching device having output electrodes connected in series with said electrical storage battery and said field winding and a control electrode coupled to said last mentioned means.

15. The combination of claim 14 in which said last mentioned means comprises a solid state switching means having an output circuit couPled to said control electrode of said solid state switching device and a control electrode, a voltage level detector means switchable from a first state to a second state when the reduction of the terminal voltage of said electrical storage battery is sensed, means coupled to said voltage level detector and said control electrode of said solid state switching means for switching said solid state switching means to a conducting state when said voltage level detector is switched to said second state, and means coupled to said solid state switching means, and to said output windings of said electrical generator for maintaining said solid state switching means in a conducting state when the output voltage of said generator appearing in said output winding reaches a predetermined level.

16. In an automotive vehicle, an electrical generating system comprising an alternator having output windings and a field winding, a solid state full wave rectifier coupled to said output windings, an electrical storage battery coupled to said rectifier, an electrical starter motor, manually operable means coupled to said electrical storage battery and to said starter motor for energizing said starter motor from said electrical storage battery, a voltage limiting means coupled to said electrical storage battery and said field winding for limiting the voltage generated in said output winding, said voltage limiting means having a first state in which said field winding is effectively out of circuit with said electrical storage battery and a second state in which said voltage limiting means controls the energization of said field winding from said electrical storage battery, and means coupled to said voltage limiting means and said electrical storage battery for switching said voltage limiting means from said first state to said second state in response to the reduction in the terminal voltage of said electrical storage battery when said starter motor is energized from said electrical storage battery by operation of said manually operable means.

17. The combination of claim 16 and further comprising means coupled to said output windings of said alternator and to said voltage limiting means for maintaining said voltage limiting means in said second state, after said manually movable means is moved to deenergize said starter motor, when the voltage developed in said output windings is above a predetermined level.

18. The combination of claim 17 and further comprising time delay means coupled to said voltage limiting means for returning said voltage limiting means to said first state a predetermined time period after said manually movable means is moved to deenergize said starter motor if the voltage developed in said output windings is below said predetermined level.