Power level indicator for an electric generator

• US 4,775,828 A
• Filed: 05/02/1986
• Issued: 10/04/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coleman Company Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AG-Tronic, Inc.
• Inventors: Nichols, Douglas A., Watley, L. Dale, Frank, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce, Patrick R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ault, Anita M.
• Application Number:
  US06/858,755
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: 322/7, 322/25, 322/99, 320/48, 324/99 R, 324/76 A, 324/158 MG
• US Class Current: 322/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique

Abstract

A power level indicator is described for use with an electric generator for indicating to the operator the percentage of the total power available from the generator which is being consumed by a load.

Claims

1. In combination:

An engine-driven A.C. electric generator with a substantially fixed voltage output; and

a power output indicator for indicating remaining available output power, comprising,

(a) a sensing transformer with a primary winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding being connected in series with the generator and a load, said secondary winding being connected in series with a rectifier and low pass filter so as to produce a D.C. voltage output proportional in amplitude to the A.C. electrical current flow from the generator, said primary and secondary windings of the sensing transformer being coupled so as to cause the voltage output of the secondary winding to decrease at a rate in substantially direct proportion to a decrease in generator output voltage as a consequence of increased current output from the generator to thereby compensate for a drop in voltage output of said generator at high current levels; and

(b) a D.C. voltage sensitive meter means electrically connected to the low pass filter so as to provide a visual indication of the amount of power output being produced by the generator in comparison to its power output capacity.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the voltage sensitive meter means of said power output indicator is calibrated in terms of percentage of the maximum power output capacity of the generator.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein the voltage sensitive meter means includes multiple light emitting diodes and a dot bar display driver to selectively illuminate one or more of the light emitting diodes in response to the D.C. voltage output of the rectifier and low pass filter.

4. The combination of claim 3, further comprising means for electrically adjusting the sensitivity of said voltage sensitive meter means, whereby the percentage calibration of the voltage sensitive meter may be adjusted for generators of different power or voltage outputs.