Voltage converter and converter switching arrangement

Claim 1

IN A SELECTIVELY ACTUATED VOLTAGE CONVERSION ARRANGEMENT FOR PROVIDING A SUPPLY VOLTAGE HAVING PREDETERMINED CHARACTERISTICS FROM A PRIMARY SUPPLY VOLTAGE HAVING DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF INPUT TERMINALS ADAPTED TO HAVE A UNIDIRECTIONAL PRIMARY SUPPLY VOLTAGE IMPRESSED THEREON, SAID PRIMARY VOLTAGE HAVING A GIVEN SET OF CHARACTERISTICS, (B) A PAIR OF OUTPUT TERMINALS ADAPTED TO HAVE LOADCIRCUIT SELECTIVELY CONNECTED THERETO, SAID LOAD CIRCUIT REQUIRING A UNIDIRECTIONAL SUPPLY VOLTAGE HAVING CHARACTERISTICS DIFFERING FROM THOSE OF THE PRIMARY VOLTAGE FOR PROPER OPERATION, (C) A VOLTAGE CONVERTER FOR CONVERTING THE PRIMARY VOLTAGE SO THAT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE FROM THE CONVERTER ARE THE SAME AS THOSE REQUIRED BY THE LOAD CIRCUIT, THE OUTPUT OF SAID CONVERTER BEING COUPLED TO SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS AND THE INPUT OF SAID CONVERTER BEING COUPLED TO SAID INPUT TERMINALS, (D) LOAD-CONTROLLED SWITCH MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY APPLYING THE PRIMARY VOLTAGE TO THE INPUT OF SAID CONVERTER ONLY WHEN THE LOAD CIRCUIT IS CONNECTED TO SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS INCLUDING, (1) A SOLID-STATE LOAD-RESPONSIVE CONVERTER CONTROL SWITCH COUPLED TO SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS AND SAID CONVERTER WHEREBY CONNECTION OF SAID OUTPUT TERMINALS ESTABLISHES A CURRENT PATH FOR ENERGIZING SAID CONTROL SWITCH, (2) A CONVERTER INPUT SWITCH COUPLED BETWEEN SAID INPUT TERMINALS AND SAID CONVERTER, AND (3) MEANS COUPLING THE CONVERTER CONTROL SWITCH IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID INPUT SWITCH WHEREBY ENERGIZATION OF SAID CONTROL SWITCH AND CURRENT FLOW THERETHROUGH ACTUATES SAID INPUT SWITCH TO APPLY THE PRIMARY VOLTAGE TO SAID CONVERTER ONLY IF THE LOAD CIRCUIT IS CONNECTED TO THE OUTPUT TERMINALS TO MINIMIZE THE CURRENT DRAIN ON THE SOURCE SUPPLYING SAID PRIMARY VOLTAGE.