All-transistor regulated power supply having a protection circuit

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED, ALL-TRANSISTOR REGULATED VOLTAGE SUPPLY COMPRISING A FIRST AND A SECOND INPUT TERMINAL, A FIRST AND A SECOND OUTPUT TERMINAL, MEANS TO SUPPLY A DIRECT VOLTAGE TO SAID INPUT TERMINALS, A CONDUCTIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID SECOND INPUT AND OUTPUT TERMINALS, AN OUTPUT LEAD CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST OUTPUT TERMINALS, A POWER REGULATING TRANSISTOR HAVING TWO OUTPUT ELECTRODES AND A CONTROL ELECTRODE, LOW OHMIC CONNECTIONS JOINING SAID OUTPUT ELECTRODES TO SAID OUTPUT LEAD AND TO SAID FIRST INPUT TERMINAL, A DRIVER TRANSISTOR HAVING AN OUTPUT CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL ELECTRODE AND HAVING AN INPUT, A FIRST TRANSISTOR FEEDBACK AMPLIFIER WHOSE INPUT IS CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT LEADS AND WHOSE OUTPUT IS CONNECTED TO THE INPUT OF SAID DRIVER TRANSISTOR, A SECOND TRANSISTOR FEEDBACK AMPLIFIER CONNECTED TO SENSE THE VOLTAGE DROP ACROSS AND CURRENT THROUGH SAID REGULATING TRANSISTOR, SAID SECOND AMPLIFIER ABOVE PRE-DETERMINED VALUES OF SAID VOLTAGE DROP AND CURRENT BEING CONTINUOUSLY OPERABLE TO CONTROL SAID DRIVER TRANSISTOR TO LIMIT THE POWER DISSIPATED IN SAID REGULATING TRANSISTOR TO A SAFE VALUE FOR ANY COMBINATION OF SAID VOLTAGE DROP AND CURRENT.