Battery charging systems for road vehicles
First Claim
1. A battery charging system for a road vehicle, comprising an alternator having an armature and a field winding, first, second and third supply lines, a further supply line, a full wave rectifier connecting the armature to first and second supply lines for connection to the battery to be charged, an auxiliary rectifier connecting the armature to a third supply line which is at substantially the same voltage as the first supply line when the alternator is running, a voltage regulator circuit by means of which the field winding is connected between the second and third supply lines, a switch connecting the first line to a further supply line, a resistor and a diode connected in series between the further and third supply lines, said diode conducting when the voltage on the third supply line is lower than that on the further line, a current path of high impedance relative to the impedance of said resistor interconnecting the second and third supply lines, a first warning lamp, means sensitive to the voltage between the further and third supply lines for illuminating the first warning lamp, means sensitive to the voltage drop across said first warning lamp for illuminating the second warning lamp when said voltage drop across the first warning lamp exceeds a predetermined value, and an over-voltage sensing means for illuminating said second lamp when the voltage between the further and second supply lines exceed a threshold value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery charging system includes an alternator, a main rectifier for charging the battery, and an auxiliary rectifier for supplying current to the alternator field winding under control of its voltage regulator 20. A first transistor switch is sensitive to under voltage to illuminate a first warning light and a second transistor switch is sensitive to over voltage to illuminate a second warning light. The two transistor switches are cross-connected so that failure of either light causes illumination of the other.
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Citations
7 Claims
- 1. A battery charging system for a road vehicle, comprising an alternator having an armature and a field winding, first, second and third supply lines, a further supply line, a full wave rectifier connecting the armature to first and second supply lines for connection to the battery to be charged, an auxiliary rectifier connecting the armature to a third supply line which is at substantially the same voltage as the first supply line when the alternator is running, a voltage regulator circuit by means of which the field winding is connected between the second and third supply lines, a switch connecting the first line to a further supply line, a resistor and a diode connected in series between the further and third supply lines, said diode conducting when the voltage on the third supply line is lower than that on the further line, a current path of high impedance relative to the impedance of said resistor interconnecting the second and third supply lines, a first warning lamp, means sensitive to the voltage between the further and third supply lines for illuminating the first warning lamp, means sensitive to the voltage drop across said first warning lamp for illuminating the second warning lamp when said voltage drop across the first warning lamp exceeds a predetermined value, and an over-voltage sensing means for illuminating said second lamp when the voltage between the further and second supply lines exceed a threshold value.
Specification