Control circuit using bistable semiconductor diodes

Claim 1

A VOLTAGE-RESPONSIVE CURRENT CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR SUPPLYING CURRENT TO A LOAD AND FOR TERMINATING SUCH CURRENT WHEN THE LOAD VOLTAGE REACHES A SELECTED VALUE, SAID CIRCUIT COMPRISING: A PAIR OF BISTABLE SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES RESPECTIVELY ADAPTED TO REMAIN SUBSTANTIALLY NONCONDUCTIVE UNTIL THE VOLTAGE THERE-ACROSS REACHES A CHARACTERISTIC SWITCHING VOLTAGE LEVEL AT WHICH EACH DIODE CONDUCTS AT A SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER CONSTANT VOLTAGE, THE SWITCHING VOLTAGE LEVEL OF ONE OF SAID DIODES BEING GREATER THAN THAT OF THE SECOND DIODE AND EACH BEING ADAPTED TO RETURN TO THE NONCONDUCTIVE STATE WHEN THE CURRENT CONDUCTED THEREBY FALLS BELOW A CHARACTERISTIC HOLDING CURRENT LEVEL; AN INPUT TERMINAL AND A COMMON TERMINAL FOR SAID CONTROL CIRCUIT; RESISTIVE MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID ONE DIODE ACROSS SAID INPUT AND COMMON TERMINALS AND FOR FURTHER CONNECTING SAID SECOND DIODE AND SAID LOAD THERE-ACROSS IN SERIES; AND MEANS FOR ESTABLISHING A DIRECT VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID INPUT AND COMMON TERMINALS WHICH RENDERS SAID SECOND DIODE CONDUCTIVE SO AS TO SUPPLY CURRENT TO SAID LOAD, SAID RESISTIVE MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO SUCH CURRENT TO CAUSE THE VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID ONE DIODE TO REACH THE SWITCHING VOLTAGE LEVEL THEREOF WHEN THE LOAD VOLTAGE REACHES SAID SELECTED VALUE; WHEREBY SAID ONE DIODE THEN CONDUCTS AND REDUCES THE CURRENT THROUGH SAID SECOND DIODE BELOW ITS HOLDING CURRENT LEVEL SO AS TO RENDER IT NONCONDUCTIVE AND EFFECTIVELY TERMINATE THE CURRENT THROUGH SAID LOAD.