Battery voltage regulator for vehicles
First Claim
1. In a vehicle battery charging system having a battery for outputting a battery voltage, a series combination of a key switch and a charge lamp, a current generator having stator windings for outputting a stator output voltage, a field winding and a full-wave rectifier, and a voltage regulator, the above mentioned components being arranged to control the field current through the field winding in accordance with a predetermined voltage, said voltage regulator comprising:
- (1) voltage control circuit means for switching ON and OFF said field current flow and for maintaining said battery voltage to said predetermined voltage;
(2) a terminal connected to said battery through said series combination of said key switch and said charge lamp;
(3) a first NPN transistor connected between said terminal and ground whereby said first NPN transistor drives said charge lamp in response to said stator output voltage;
(4) power supply circuit means for supplying operational power to said voltage control circuit means by completing a power supply path in response to a potential being generated at said terminal when said key switch is closed, and(5) a series combination including a semiconductor switch means and a resistor connected between said terminal and ground, said semiconductor switch means being activated at least when said key switch is opened in order to bypass leakage current therethrough.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery voltage regulator for a vehicle charging system includes a voltage control circuit for controlling a battery terminal voltage and an external terminal connected to the positive terminal of a battery through the series combination of a charge lamp and an ignition switch. The regulator is at least composed of a charge lamp drive circuit responsive to a generation output of an alternator in order to energize the charge lamp, a power supply circuit responsive to the potential at the above mentioned external terminal to supply operational power to the voltage control circuit, and a malfunction-preventing circuit connected between the above mentioned external terminal and ground. The malfunction-preventing circuit prevents the power supply circuit from operating by disturbances such as leakage current flowing into the regulator through the external terminal. The regulator may further include a backup circuit responsive to the generation output of the alternator to separately supply operational power to the regulator circuit irrespective of the operation of the power supply circuit when the generation output reaches a voltage value which is higher than the above mentioned potential value at the external terminal by which the power supply circuit is energized, whereby the battery terminal voltage may be continuously maintained constant to a desired level even when a break in the charge lamp conductor has occurred.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. In a vehicle battery charging system having a battery for outputting a battery voltage, a series combination of a key switch and a charge lamp, a current generator having stator windings for outputting a stator output voltage, a field winding and a full-wave rectifier, and a voltage regulator, the above mentioned components being arranged to control the field current through the field winding in accordance with a predetermined voltage, said voltage regulator comprising:
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(1) voltage control circuit means for switching ON and OFF said field current flow and for maintaining said battery voltage to said predetermined voltage; (2) a terminal connected to said battery through said series combination of said key switch and said charge lamp; (3) a first NPN transistor connected between said terminal and ground whereby said first NPN transistor drives said charge lamp in response to said stator output voltage; (4) power supply circuit means for supplying operational power to said voltage control circuit means by completing a power supply path in response to a potential being generated at said terminal when said key switch is closed, and (5) a series combination including a semiconductor switch means and a resistor connected between said terminal and ground, said semiconductor switch means being activated at least when said key switch is opened in order to bypass leakage current therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification