Variable impedance switching regulator

Claim 2

A DC voltage regulator comprising: DC voltage source means; load means comprising the series arrangement of diode means and capacitive impedance means; inductive coupling means connecting said DC voltage source means to said load means in substantially series arrangement; switching means connected in parallel with said load means and constructed when activated to provide a low impedance path thereacross; control means responsive to the voltage across said capacitive impedance means to provide periodic activation of said switching means of time intervals of sufficient length to cause energy storage in said inductive coupling in an amount equal to the energy dissipation in said load means; and said control means further constructed to provide periodic inactivations of said switching means of constant time intervals between each period of activation while the voltage across said capacitive impedance means is varying.

Claim 3

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 1 in which said switching means comprises: electron valve means having a variable saturation current level and comprising an electron emitting electrode, an electron collecting electrode, and an electron control electrode; and said electron emitting electrode-electron collecting electrode forming said low impedance path, and said electron control electrode responsive to variations in the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance means to control the saturation current level of said electron valve means.

Claim 4

A DC voltage regulator in accordaNce with claim 1 in which said control means comprises: voltage comparing means for comparing the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance means with a predetermined voltage level and for producing an output control signal whose magnitude and polarity are in accordance with the magnitude and polarity of the voltage difference between said output voltage and said predetermined voltage level; gating means for supplying said output control signal to said switching means to activate said switching means; and constant width pulse generating means responsive to a voltage of predetermined magnitude across said switching means to supply one of said constant width pulses to said gating means to cut off said gating means.

Claim 5

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 3 in which said inductive coupling means comprises transformer means having a primary winding and a secondary winding; said primary winding being connected between and in series with said DC voltage source means and said switching means; and said secondary winding being connected across said series arrangement of said diode means and said capacitive impedance means.

Claim 6

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 3 in which said switching means comprises: electron valve means having a variable saturation current level and comprising an electron emitting electrode, an electron collecting electrode, and an electron control electrode; and said electron emitting electrode-electron collecting electrode forming said low impedance path and said electron control electrode responsive to said output control signal to control the saturation current level of said electron valve means.

Claim 7

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 1 in which said inductive coupling means comprises transformer means having a primary winding and a secondary winding: said primary winding being connected between and in series with said DC voltage source means and said switching means; and said secondary winding being connected across said series arrangement of said diode means and said capacitive impedance means.

Claim 8

A DC voltage regulator means comprising: the series arrangement of a DC voltage source, inductive means, diode means, and capacitive impedance load means; variable low impedance means periodically connectable across said diode means and said capacitive impedance load means in response to first control signals supplied thereto and constructed to produce first output signals in response to current flow therethrough whose magnitudes are determined in accordance with characteristics of said first control signals; and control means for periodically supplying to said variable low impedance means first control signals whose magnitudes vary in accordance with the magnitude of the output voltage across said capacitive impedance load means; and said control means further constructed to substantially open-circuit said variable low impedance for constant time intervals, in spite of voltage variations across said capacitive impedance load means, between said first control signals sufficient for discharge of the energy stored in said inductive means into said capacitive impedance load means.

Claim 9

A DC voltage regulator means comprising: the series arrangement of a DC voltage source, inductive means, diode means, and capacitive impedance load means; variable low impedance means periodically connectable across said diode means and said capacitive impedance load means in response to first control signals supplied thereto and constructed to produce first output signals in response to current flow therethrough whose magnitudes are determined in accordance with characteristics of said first control signals; and control means for periodically supplying to said variable low impedance means first control signals whose magnitudes vary in accordance with the magnitude of the output voltage across said capacitive impedance load means; and said control means further constructed to substantially open-circuit said variable low impedance for constant time intervals, in spite of voltage variations across said capacitive impedance load means, between said first control signals sufficient for discharge of the energy stored in said inductive means into said capacitive impedance load means.

Claim 10

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 7 in which said low impedance means comprises: electron valve means having a variable saturation current level and comprising an electron emitting electrode, an electron collecting electrode, and an electron control electrode; and said electron emitting electrode-electron collecting electrode forming said low impedance path, and said electron control electrode responsive to variations in the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means to control the saturation current level of said electron valve means.

Claim 11

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 7 in which said control means comprises: voltage comparing means for comparing the output voltage appearing acroSs said capacitive impedance load means with a predetermined voltage level for producing said first control signals whose magnitude and polarity are in accordance with the magnitude and polarity of the voltage difference between said output voltage and said predetermined voltage level; gating means for supplying said first control signals to said low impedance means; and constant width pulse generating means responsive to a voltage of predetermined magnitude across said low impedance means to supply one of said constant width pulses to said gating means to cut off said gating means.

Claim 12

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 9 in which said inductive means comprises transformer means having a primary winding and a secondary winding; said primary winding being connected between and in series with said DC voltage source and said low impedance means; and said secondary winding being connected across said series arrangement of said diode means and said capacitive impedance load means.

Claim 13

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 9 in which said controllable low impedance means comprises: electron valve means having a variable saturation current level and comprising an electron emitting electrode, an electron collecting electrode, and an electron control electrode; and said electron emitting electrode-electron collecting electrode forming said low impedance path, and said electron control electrode responsive to variations in the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means to control the saturation current level of said electron valve means.

Claim 14

A DC voltage regulator in accordance with claim 7 in which said inductive means comprises transformer means having a primary winding and a secondary winding: said primary winding being connected between and in series with said DC voltage source and said low impedance means; and said secondary winding being connected across said series arrangement of said diode means and said capacitive impedance load means.

Claim 15

A DC voltage level switching regulator comprising: a DC voltage source means; the series arrangement of a current responsive-variable impedance switching means and an inductive means, connected in series with said DC voltage source means; said variable impedance switching means constructed to be variably conductive or substantially nonconductive in response to first control signals supplied thereto and to further vary its impedance when in a conductive condition in accordance with the current flow therethrough; diode means; capacitive impedance load means constructed to be in series with said diode means and said inductive means when said switching means is in a nonconductive condition; control means responsive to the potential drop across said capacitive impedance load means with respect to a predetermined potential to produce said first control signals and to supply said first control signals to said switching means to cause said switching means to become conductive; and said control means further responsive to a predetermined potential change across said switching means to open-circuit said switching means for a predetermined time interval even when the potential drop across said capacitive impedance load means varies.

Claim 16

A DC voltage level switching regulator comprising: a DC voltage source means; the series arrangement of a current responsive-variable impedance switching means and an inductive means, connected in series with said DC voltage source means; said variable impedance switching means constructed to be variably conductive or substantially nonconductive in response to first control signals supplied thereto and to further vary its impedance when in a conductive condition in accordance with the current flow therethrough; diode means; capacitive impedance load means constructed to be in series with said diode means and said inductive means when said switching means is in a nonconductive condition; control means responsive to the potential drop across said capacitive impedance load means with respect to a predetermined potential to produce said first control signals and to supply said first control signals to said switching means to cause said switching means to become conductive; and said control means further responsive to a predetermined potential change across said switching means to open-circuit said switching means for a predetermined time interval even when the potential drop across said capacitive impedance load means varies.

Claim 17

A DC voltage level switching regulator in accordance with claim 13 in which said variable impedance switching means comprises: electron valve means having a variable saturation current level and comprising an electron emitting electrode, an electron collecting electrode, and an electron control electrode; and said electron emitting electrode-electron collecting electrode forming said variable impedance switching means path, and said electron control electrode responsive to variations in the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means to control the saturation current level of said electron valve means.

Claim 18

A DC voltage level switching rEgulator in accordance with claim 14 in which: said capacitive impedance load means is connected in series with said DC voltage source means, said variable impedance switching means, and said inductive means; and in which said diode means is connected across the series combination of said inductive means and said capacitive impedance load means with respect to the current from said voltage source means.

Claim 19

A DC voltage level switching regulator in accordance with claim 15 in which said control means comprises: voltage comprising means for comparing the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means with a predetermined voltage level and for producing said first control signals whose magnitude and polarity are in accordance with the magnitude and polarity of the voltage difference between said output voltage and said predetermined voltage level; gating means for supplying said first control signals to said variable impedance switching means; and constant width pulse generating means responsive to a voltage of predetermined magnitude across said variable impedance switching means to supply one of said constant width pulses to said gating means to cut off said gating means for said predetermined time interval.

Claim 20

A DC voltage level switching regulator in accordance with claim 13 in which said control means comprises: voltage comparing means for comparing the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means with a predetermined voltage level and for producing said first control signals whose magnitude and polarity are in accordance with the magnitude and polarity of the voltage difference between said output voltage and said predetermined voltage level; gating means for supplying said first control signals to said variable impedance switching means; and constant width pulse generating means responsive to a voltage of predetermined magnitude across said controllable low impedance means to supply one of said constant width pulses to said gating means to cut off said gating means for said predetermined time interval.

Claim 21

A DC voltage level switching regulator in accordance with claim 13 in which: said capacitive impedance load means is connected in series arrangement with said DC voltage source means, said variable impedance switching means and said diode means; and in which said inductive means is connected across the series combination of said diode means and said capacitive impedance load means with respect to the current from said DC voltage source means.

Claim 22

A DC voltage level switching regulator in accordance with claim 18 in which said variable impedance switching means comprises: electron valve means having a variable saturation current level and comprising an electron emitting electrode, an electron collecting electrode, and an electron control electrode; and said electron emitting electrode-electron collecting electrode forming said variable impedance switching path, and said electron control electrode responsive to variations in the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means to control the saturation current level of said electron valve means.

Claim 23

A DC voltage level regulator in accordance with claim 18 in which said control means comprises: voltage comparing means for comparing the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means with a predetermined voltage level and for producing said control signals whose magnitude and polarity are in accordance with the magnitude and polarity of the voltage different between said output voltage and said predetermined voltage level; gating means for supplying said control signals to said variable impedance switching means; and constant width pulse generating means responsive to a voltage of predetermined magnitude across variable impedance switching means to supply one of said constant width pulses to said gating means to cut off said gating means for said predetermined time interval.

Claim 24

A DC voltage level switching regulator in accordance with claim 20 in which said variable impedance switching means comprises: electron valve means having a variable saturation current level and comprising an electron emitting electrode, an electron collecting electrode, and an electron control electrode; and said electron emitting electrode-electron collecting electrode forming said variable impedance switching means path, and said electron control electrode responsive to variations in the output voltage appearing across said capacitive impedance load means to control the saturation current level of said electron valve means.