Vehicle windshield heater utilizing regulator output current control with a voltage divider
First Claim
1. An ice melting system in a motor vehicle having an engine, a generator drivable by the engine, a voltage regulator for controlling the generator, a windshield having a heater, and a battery, said ice melting system comprising:
- a first switch disposed in a circuit interconnecting the generator and the heater so that AC electric energy generated by the generator is supplied to the heater when said first switch is closed;
a rectifier for rectifying AC electric energy generated by the generator into DC electric energy;
a second switch disposed in a circuit interconnecting the rectifier and the battery;
voltage dividing means for dividing a voltage produced by said rectifier at a predetermined ratio;
a third switch shiftable between a first condition in which the voltage regulator is connected to said circuit interconnecting the rectifier and the battery, and a second condition in which said voltage dividing means is connected to the voltage regulator when the heater operates;
operation command means for giving an operation command to command operation of the heater; and
a control circuit for closing said first switch, opening said second switch, and shifting said third switch to said second condition when said operation command means commands operation of the heater.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An ice melting system for a motor vehicle supplies a heater incorporated in a windshield with electric energy which is generated by a generator that is drivable by an engine on the motor vehicle. A voltage which is obtained by dividing an output voltage from the generator is applied as a control input voltage to a voltage regulator which controls the output voltage of the generator. When the voltage regulator is supplied with a control input voltage which is lower than when a battery on the motor vehicle is charged, the voltage regulator increases a current supplied to a field coil of the generator, thus enabling the generator to increase the output voltage thereof. Therefore, the heater is supplied with a larger amount of electric energy to melt ice on the windshield efficiently.
-
Citations
4 Claims
-
1. An ice melting system in a motor vehicle having an engine, a generator drivable by the engine, a voltage regulator for controlling the generator, a windshield having a heater, and a battery, said ice melting system comprising:
-
a first switch disposed in a circuit interconnecting the generator and the heater so that AC electric energy generated by the generator is supplied to the heater when said first switch is closed; a rectifier for rectifying AC electric energy generated by the generator into DC electric energy; a second switch disposed in a circuit interconnecting the rectifier and the battery; voltage dividing means for dividing a voltage produced by said rectifier at a predetermined ratio; a third switch shiftable between a first condition in which the voltage regulator is connected to said circuit interconnecting the rectifier and the battery, and a second condition in which said voltage dividing means is connected to the voltage regulator when the heater operates; operation command means for giving an operation command to command operation of the heater; and a control circuit for closing said first switch, opening said second switch, and shifting said third switch to said second condition when said operation command means commands operation of the heater. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. An ice melting system in a motor vehicle having an engine, a generator drivable by the engine, a voltage regulator for controlling the generator, a windshield having a heater, and a battery, said ice melting system comprising:
-
a first switch disposed in a circuit interconnecting the generator and the heater; a rectifier for rectifying AC electric energy generated by the generator into DC electric energy; a second switch disposed in a circuit interconnecting the rectifier and the battery; voltage dividing means for dividing a voltage produced by said rectifier at a predetermined ratio so as to provide a divided voltage at a terminal of said voltage dividing means; a third switch shiftable between a first condition in which the voltage regulator is connected to said circuit interconnecting the rectifier and the battery, and a second condition in which said terminal of said voltage dividing means is connected to the voltage regulator when the heater operates; operation command means for giving an operation command to command operation of the heater; and a control circuit for closing said first switch, opening said second switch, and shifting said third switch to said second condition when said operation command means commands operation of the heater.
-
Specification