Energy efficient regulated power supply system

• US 4,307,332 A
• Filed: 04/17/1980
• Issued: 12/22/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Lorenzo, John L., Coppola, Vincent G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Application Number:
  US06/141,238
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• Field of Search: 323/235, 323/237, 323/239, 323/241, 323/244, 323/246, 323/901, 363/85, 363/86, 363/128, 307/252 T, 307/252 UA
• US Class Current: 323/246
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/455 with phase control
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/563 including two stages of regulation at least one of which is output level responsive, e.g. coarse and fine regulation

Abstract

A regulated power supply circuit includes a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding electromagnetically coupled by an iron core. A source of AC operating voltage is coupled to the primary winding of the transformer via an actuable switch means. A load circuit coupled to the secondary winding circuit is adapted to be energized by a voltage developed in the secondary winding circuit. Means are provided for sensing the polarity of each half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage. Memory means are coupled to the transformer for providing information representative of the polarity of each half cycle of the source of operating voltage applied to the primary winding of the transformer. The memory means are operable to maintain the information for a period of time when the switch is actuated to be opened. Means are also provided for sensing a parameter in the secondary winding circuit related to the energy available in the secondary winding circuit. Means couple the memory means, the AC operating voltage sensing means and the parameter sensing means to the actuable switch means.

Claims

1. A regulated power supply system comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding electromagnetically coupled by an iron core;

a source of AC operating voltages;

actuable switch means coupling said AC operating voltage to the primary winding of said transformer;

a circuit coupled to the secondary winding of said transformer;

means for sensing the polarity of each half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage;

memory means coupled to said transformer for providing information representative of the polarity of each half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage applied to the primary winding of said transformer, said memory means operable to maintain said polarity information for a period of time after said actuable switch means is actuated to electrically disconnect said AC operating voltage from the primary winding of said transformer;

means for sensing a parameter in said circuit coupled to the secondary winding of said transformer, said parameter related to the energy available in said circuit; and

means coupling said memory means, said AC operating voltage sensing means and said parameter sensing means to said actuable switch means.

2. A power supply system as defined in claim 1 wherein said actuable switch is a solid state switch having a characteristic wherein said switch can be biased into and out of conduction at defined points in a half cycle of said AC operating voltage.

3. A power supply system as defined in claim 2 wherein said circuit coupled to the secondary winding of said transformer includes a DC regulator.

4. A regulated power supply system, comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding electromagnetically coupled by an iron core;

a source of AC operating voltage;

an actuable switch operatively coupled to the primary winding of said transformer and said source of AC operating voltage such that said source of AC operating voltage is electrically connected to said primary winding when said switch is actuated to be in a first condition and said source of AC operating voltage is electrically disconnected from said primary winding when said switch is actuated to be in a second condition;

switch actuation means for actuating said switch to be in one of said first and said second conditions;

a circuit coupled to the secondary winding of said transformer;

detecting means coupled to said switch actuation means for detecting voltage levels in said circuit coupled to said secondary winding of said transformer for enabling said switch actuation means to be operable to actuate said switch to be in said first condition when a predetermined voltage level exists in said circuit;

memory means coupled to said transformer and to said switch actuation means for providing memory information representative of the polarity of each half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage applied to the primary winding of said transformer, said memory means operable to maintain said information when said switch actuation means is caused to actuate said switch in said second condition;

sensing means coupled to said switch actuation means for sensing the polarity of each half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage; and

said switch actuation means operative to actuate said switch to be in said first condition only at a time when the polarity of the half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage is opposite to the polarity of the last half cycle of voltage of said source of AC operating voltage applied to the primary winding of said transformer.

5. A power supply system as defined in claim 4 including a starting circuit and an ON/OFF system switch coupled to said starting circuit, said starting circuit operable to effectuate start up of said power supply system when said ON/OFF switch is actuated to be in its ON state.

6. A power supply system as defined in claim 4 wherein said electrical parameter is a voltage level in said transformer secondary winding circuit.

7. A power supply system as defined in claim 6 wherein said transformer secondary winding circuit includes rectifier means for providing a DC voltage.

8. A power supply system as defined in claim 7 wherein said transformer secondary winding circuit further includes a DC regulator coupled to said rectifier circuit for providing a regulated DC voltage output.

9. A power supply system as defined in claim 8 wherein said electrical parameter voltage level is a voltage level at the input to said DC regulator.

10. A power supply system as defined in claim 8 wherein said electrical parameter is a voltage differential between the input voltage to said DC regulator and the output voltage from said DC regulator.

11. A regulated power supply system, comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding electromagnetically coupled by an iron core;

a set of terminals adapted to be coupled to a source of AC operating voltage;

a solid state switch electrically coupled between said pair of terminals and the primary winding of said transformer;

a rectifier circuit means coupled to the secondary circuit of said transformer for rectifying the alternating voltage developed in the secondary winding when said primary winding is energized by said AC operating voltage;

regulator circuit means having an input coupled to said rectifier circuit and an output adapted to provide a constant DC voltage for a load circuit;

switch actuation means for actuating said AC switch to electrically connect and electrically disconnect the primary winding of said transformer from said source of AC operating voltage;

memory means including a flip flop circuit coupled to said transformer to provide an output signal representative of the polarity of each half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage, said flip flop operable to maintain said output signal when said AC switch is actuated to electrically disconnect the primary winding of said transformer from said source of AC operating voltage;

means coupled to said pair of terminals to provide signal information representing the polarity of the half cycle of said source of operating voltage;

detecting means coupled to said regulator circuit means for detecting a first predetermined voltage level and a second predetermined lower voltage level related to the energy available to energize said regulator circuit means; and

means coupling said memory means, said detecting means, said AC operating voltage polarity sensing means to said switch actuation means such that said switch actuation means is controlled to actuate said switch to electrically connect the primary winding of said transformer to the source of AC operating voltage only at a time when the polarity of the half cycle of said operating voltage is opposite to the polarity of the last half cycle of the source of operating voltage when said switch was actuated to electrically disconnect the primary winding of said transformer from the source of AC operating voltage.

12. A power supply system comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding electromagnetically coupled by an iron core;

a source of AC operating voltage, said operating voltage having alternate half cycles of positive and negative polarity whose amplitude and duration are such that a series of half cycles of the same polarity provides sufficient magnetic field intensity when said AC voltage is applied to the primary winding of said transformer to cause said iron core to magnetically saturate;

a solid state switch electrically coupled between the primary winding of said transformer and said source of AC operating voltage;

a diode rectifier circuit coupled to the secondary winding of said transformer;

a capacitor coupled to the diode rectifier;

a DC regulator having an input terminal coupled to said capacitor and an output terminal coupled to a variable type DC load circuit;

a memory circuit coupled to the secondary winding of said transformer;

a detector circuit for detecting the voltage level at the said capacitor;

means coupled to the source of AC operating voltage for sensing the polarity of each half cycle of said source of AC operating voltage;

a first three input terminal AND gate, means connecting the first terminal of said first AND gate to said detector means, means connecting the second terminal of said first AND gate to said memory circuit, means connecting the third terminal of said first AND gate to said AC operating voltage polarity detecting means;

a second three input terminal AND gate, means connecting said second AND gate first terminal to said detecting means, means connecting said second AND gate second terminal to said memory means, means connecting said AND gate third terminal to said AC operating voltage polarity detecting means;

a two input terminal OR gate, means connecting the output of said first and said second AND gates to the input terminals of said OR gate; and

a switch actuation means operatively connected to the output of said OR gate to actuate said AC switch, to be biased into and out of conduction.

13. A power supply system as defined in claim 12 wherein the first terminal of said first and second AND gate are connected to be energized by the same signal information, and the second terminal of said first and said second AND gate are connected to be energized by complementary signal information, and the third input terminal of said first and said second AND gate are connected to be energized by complementary signal information.