Control circuits for electronic switches

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT FOR CONTROLLING AN ELECTRONIC SWITCH, SAID SWITCH BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES BETWEEN AN INPUT AND AN OUTPUT TERMINAL AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONTROL TERMINALS, SAID SWITCH BEING CLOSED WHEN CURRENT IS SUPPLIED TO SAID CONTROL TERMINALS IN A GIVEN DIRECTION, SAID CONTROL CIRCUIT INCLUDING A VOLTAGE SOURCE HAVING A PAIR OF TERMINALS FOR SUPPLYING A VOLTAGE OF A FIRST POLARITY ACROSS SAID TERRMINALS DURING PERIODS WHEN SAID SWITCH IS TO BE OPEN, AND VOLTAGE OF OPPOSITE POLARITY ACROSS SAID TERMINALS WHEN SAID SWITCH IS TO BE CLOSED, AN ELECTRICAL ENERGY STORAGE ELEMENT, MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST DIODE INTERCONNECTING A FIRST TERMINAL OF SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE AND A FIRST ELECTRODE OF SAID STORAGE ELEMENT, SAID FIRST DIODE BEING POLED TO CHARGE SAID STORAGE ELEMENT IN A FIRST DIRECTION WHEN SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE IS SUPPLYING A VOLTAGE OF SAID FIRST POLARITY, A SECOND DIODE, MEANS INTERCONNECTING A FIRST TERMINAL OF SAID SECOND DIODE AND A SECOND ELECTRODE OF SAID ENERGY STORAGE ELEMENT, MEANS INTERCONNECTING A SECOND TERMINAL OF SAID SECOND DIODE AND A SECOND TERMINAL OF SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE, SAID SECOND DIODE BEING CONDUCTIVE WHEN SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE HAS SAID FIRST POLARITY AND SUBSTANTIALLY NON-CONDUCTIVE WHEN SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE HAS SAID OPPOSITE POLARITY, MEANS CONNECTING THE FIRST ELECTRODE OF SAID ENERGY STORAGE ELEMENT TO SAID SECOND TERMINAL OF SAID SECOND DIODE, MEANS CONNECTING THE SECOND ELECTRODE OF SAID ENERGY STORAGE ELEMENT TO A FIRST CONTROL TERMINAL OF SAID SWITCH, AND MEANS CONNECTING THE SECOND TERMINAL OF SAID SECOND DIODE TO A SECOND CONTROL TERMINAL OF SAID SWITCH, THE DISCHARGE PATH OF SAID ENERGY STORAGE ELEMENT DURING SAID PERIOD OF OPPOSITE POLARITY BEING THROUGH SAID SWITCH, WHEREBY THE DISCHARGE OF SAID STORAGE ELEMENT MAINTAINS SAID SWITCH IN A CLOSED CONDITION.