Fault detector for an alternator
First Claim
1. In a system for charging a battery from an alternator capable of developing a static voltage due to leakage current in the alternator, a circuit for sensing a non-operating alternator, comprising:
- first means for establishing a threshold selected to be outside the range of the alternator'"'"'s static voltage, and being coupled to the alternator for sensing the unrectified output thereof and for generating a control signal whenever the alternator'"'"'s sensed output does not exceed said threshold; and
second means responsive to the control signal for generating an indication of a non-operating condition in the alternator.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic circuit is disclosed for detecting a non-operating or fault condition in an alternator. The disclosed embodiment senses the alternator'"'"'s unrectified output voltage and generates a control signal when the alternator'"'"'s output voltage fails to exceed a threshold. That threshold is selected to be outside the range of any static voltage the alternator might generate as a result of leakage currents therein. Further circuitry preferably responds to the control signal by generating an indication of a non-operating condition in the alternator.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. In a system for charging a battery from an alternator capable of developing a static voltage due to leakage current in the alternator, a circuit for sensing a non-operating alternator, comprising:
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first means for establishing a threshold selected to be outside the range of the alternator'"'"'s static voltage, and being coupled to the alternator for sensing the unrectified output thereof and for generating a control signal whenever the alternator'"'"'s sensed output does not exceed said threshold; and second means responsive to the control signal for generating an indication of a non-operating condition in the alternator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a system for charging a battery from an alternator capable of developing a static voltage due to leakage current in the alternator, a circuit for sensing a non-operating alternator, comprising:
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means providing a threshold voltage whose value is more negative than the static voltage of the alternator; a comparator receiving as one input thereto the unrectified signal developed by the alternator, and receiving as another input thereto said threshold voltage, the comparator being selected to develop a control signal when the threshold voltage is more negative than the alternator input to the comparator; and means responsive to the continuance of the control signal for indicating that the alternator is in a non-operating condition. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. In a system for charging a battery from an alternator which includes a plurality of phase taps and a plurality of diodes capable of developing leakage currents which result in static voltages at the phase taps, a circuit for sensing a non-operating alternator, comprising:
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means providing a threshold voltage whose value is more negative than the static voltage at a selected phase tap; means coupled to the alternator for sensing the unrectified output thereof at the selected phase tap, for comparing said output to the threshold voltage, and for generating a control signal whenever the threshold voltage is more negative than the sensed alternator output; and means responsive to the control signal for generating an indication of a non-operating alternator.
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Specification