REGULATOR WITH OPTICAL FEEDBACK ARRANGEMENT WHEREIN BOTH INPUT AND OUTPUT VOLTAGE ARE SENSED

• US 3,646,439 A
• Filed: 07/21/1970
• Issued: 02/29/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas J. Broski
• Original Assignee: Thomas J. Broski
• Inventors: Broski, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US05/056,779
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 323/21,22SC,24,37 307/311
• US Class Current: 323/242
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/445 being transistors in series with the load
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/081 by measuring the incident light H05B39/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/902 Optical coupling to semiconductor

Abstract

An alternating current phase control regulator circuit for controlling the energization of a load from an alternating current supply. A feedback arrangement is provided which senses in each half-cycle of the supply voltage, both the output voltage of the regulator, as supplied to the load, and the input voltage of the regulator, as supplied by alternating current supply, to provide feedback signal indicative of both the input and output voltages. The regulator which is energized by the alternating current supply includes a ramp and pedestal amplifier which amplifies the feedback signal to provide a firing signal to a bilateral semiconductor switch which phase controls the energization of the load.

Claims

1. An alternating current phase control regulating circuit for supplying a regulated alternating current output to a load from an alternating current supply, said circuit comprising:

a. a bidirectional semiconductor switching means having two main current-carrying terminals and at least one additional gate terminal, said bidirectional semiconductor switching means being switchable from a high-impedance state to a low-impedance state upon the application of a gating signal to said at least one additional gate terminal, said main current-carrying terminals of said bidirectional semiconductor switching Means being connected in series with the load and the alternating current supply, b. a feedback circuit connected to sense an electrical parameter of the alternating current supply during one portion of each half-cycle, and an electrical parameter of the load during another portion of each half-cycle, so as to provide a feedback signal indictive of both the electrical parameter of the alternating current supply and the electrical parameter of the load, c. an amplifying circuit means energized by the alternating current supply, said amplifying circuit means amplifying said feedback signal to provide a gate signal to said at least one additional gate terminal of said bidirectional semiconductor switching means to phase control the firing of said bidirectional semiconductor switching means, thereby to provide phase-controlled regulated energization of the load from the alternating current supply.

2. The alternating current phase control regulating circuit of claim 1 wherein said feedback circuit includes a sensing circuit connected in parallel with the load, said sensing circuit including a sensing device which senses a current proportional to the alternating current supply voltage when the bidirectional semiconductor switching means is in a high-impedance state, and a current proportional to the load voltage when the bidirectional semiconductor switching means is in a low-impedance state, so as to provide a feedback signal in each half-cycle which is indicative of both the alternating current supply voltage and the load voltage.

3. The alternating current phase control regulating circuit of claim 1 wherein said feedback circuit includes as a sensing device a photomodule comprising a light-emitting member and a photosensitive resistor positioned to receive light from said light-emitting member.

4. The alternating current phase control regulating circuit of claim 2 wherein said sensing circuit comprises a first resistor and a second resistor connected in series with said sensing device, said sensing device having two terminals, one of said terminals being connected to said first resistor and the other of said terminals being connected to said second resistor, a circuit means including at least a third resistor being connected to said one of said terminals of said sensing device such that said first resistor and said circuit means are connected in parallel with said bidirectional semiconductor switching means, such that said circuit means provides a path for the flow of current through said sensing device proportional to said alternating current supply voltage when said bidirectional semiconductor switching means is in a high-impedance state.

5. The alternating current phase control regulating circuit of claim 1 wherein said bidirectional semiconductor switching means is a bidirectional triode thyristor.

6. The alternating current phase control regulating circuit of claim 1 wherein said amplifying circuit means includes capacitance means for supplying a gate signal to said at least one additional gate terminal of said bidirectional semiconductor switching means and switch means selectively operable to prevent the accumulation of a charge on said capacitance means sufficient to effectively gate said bidirectional semiconductor switching means.

7. The alternating current phase control regulating circuit of claim 2 wherein said sensing circuit comprises a first resistance and a second resistance connected in series with said sensing device;

and a circuit means, including at least a third resistance, is connected to said sensing circuit such that said first resistance and said circuit means are connected in parallel with said bidirectional semiconductor switching means so that said circuit means provides a path for the flow of current through said sensing device proportional to said alternating current supply voltage when said bidirectional semiconductor switching means is in a high-impedance state.

8. The alternating current phase control regulating ciRcuit of claim 7 wherein said first resistance and said third resistance are connected in series and said series connection is connected in parallel with said bidirectional semiconductor switching means independent of said amplifying circuit means.

9. The alternating current phase control regulating circuit of claim 7 wherein said third resistance is connected in series between said amplifying circuit means and said sensing circuit and switch means is connected in parallel with said amplifying circuit means for selectively bypassing said amplifying circuit means while providing a path of flow of current through said sensing device.