SWITCHING ARRANGEMENT RESPONSIVE TO ELECTRICAL CHARGE

• US 3,727,074 A
• Filed: 08/13/1971
• Issued: 04/10/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helmut Keller, Horst Gschwendtner
• Original Assignee: Helmut Keller, Horst Gschwendtner
• Inventors: Keller, Helmut, Gschwendtner, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaefer, Robert K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, William J.
• Application Number:
  US05/171,591
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 307/125,131 324/48,29.5,76R,76A 320/40,39,43
• US Class Current: 307/125
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G06G 7/1865 with initial condition setting
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/00 Analogue/digital conversion; Digital/analogue conversion conversion of analogue values to or from differential modulation H03M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/1009 Calibration

Abstract

An arrangement for generating an electrical switching process when a predetermined quantity of electrical charge has passed through an electrical conductor. A resistor used as a measuring element is connected in series with the electrical conductor, and the voltage appearing across the resistor is applied to an integrator. The switching device in the form of a trigger circuit provides a trigger signal when the output voltage from the integrator has attained a predetermined threshold magnitude. This threshold magnitude is selectable in correspondence to a predetermined and selected quantity of electrical charge to be passed through the electrical conductor. The trigger signal is also used to clear the integrator circuit.

Claims

1. An arrangement for monitoring the flow of charge through an electrical conductor, comprising, in combination, resistor means connected in series with said electrical conductor;

resettable integration means having an input connected across said resistor means and having an output, and being operative for furnishing at said output an electrical signal having a magnitude proportional to the time integral of the voltage across said resistor means, and being resettable upon receipt of a reset signal;

Schmitt trigger means connected to said output of said integration means and operative for generating a monitoring signal when the magnitude of said electrical signal reaches a predetermined value; and

monostable multivibrator means having an input connected to the output of said Schmitt trigger means and having an output connected to Said integration means, and operative for furnishing to said integration means a reset signal in response to generation of said monitoring signal.

2. The arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said integration means comprises an operational amplifier having two inputs a feedback capacitor connected to the output of said operational amplifier and to one input of said amplifier, and at least one resistor connected in series with one input of said amplifier and being also connected to said resistor means in series with said electrical conductor.

3. The arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said reset signal is a control pulse.

4. The arrangement as defined in claim 1, including fuel cell means connected in series with said resistor means;

and fuel metering means for metering fuel to said fuel cell means, said fuel metering means being controlled in dependence on said monitoring signal.

5. The arrangement as defined in claim 4, including load circuit means connected in series with said resistor means;

fuel reservoir means connected to said fuel metering means for supplying fuel to said fuel cell as metered by said metering means; and

means connecting said Schmitt trigger means to said fuel metering means so that said fuel metering means is controlled in dependence upon said metering signal.

6. The arrangement as defined in claim 1, including counter means connected to said Schmitt trigger means and actuated in response to generation of said monitoring signal.

7. The arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein said counter means comprises a digital counter.

8. The arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein said counting means comprises a forward and reverse counter, the direction of counting by said counter being determined by the direction of current through said resistor means.

9. The arrangement as defined in claim 6, including an auxiliary switching means connected to said counting means and having an output when said counting means has advanced a predetermined number of counting steps.

10. The arrangement as defined in claim 6, wherein said counting means is a counter for indicating the measured quantity of electrical charge.

11. The arrangement as defined in claim 1, including storage battery means furnishing current to said resistor means for monitoring charging and discharging of said storage battery means.

12. The arrangement as defined in claim 11, including a selector switch connected to the terminals of said storage battery means;

a load circuit connected to said selector switch and selectively connectable to said storage battery means in one state of said selector switch; and

a charging circuit connected to said selector switch and selectively connectable to said storage battery means in the other state of said selector switch.

13. The arrangement as defined in claim 12, including counter means actuated by said signal from said switching means;

and auxiliary switching means actuated by said counter means, said auxiliary switching means actuating said selector switch means when said counter means has advanced a predetermined quantity in a predetermined counting direction.

14. The arrangement as defined in claim 12, including means for varying said predetermined value when said auxiliary switching means has been actuated by said counting means.

15. The arrangement as defined in claim 12, including means actuated by said auxiliary switching means for increasing the variation of said integration means when said auxiliary switching means is actuated by said counter means.