Overload protected switching regulator-converter

Claim 2

An overload protected regulator-converter comprising switching means connected between a source of input energy and a load, control means responsive to load voltage variations connected to said load and said switching means to control the switching intervals of said switching means, an energy storage network connected with said input source, said switching means, and said load to store energy from said input source and discharge said stored energy to said load during alternate intervals determined by said switching means under the control of said control means, said energy storage network including at least an inductor connected across said load, and inductor voltage responsive disabling means connected to said inductor and said control means to disable said control means whenever the energy stored in said inductor is discharging and thereby prevent said switching means from initiating a new cycle of energy transfer.

Claim 3

A regulator-converter in accordance with claim 1 wherein said control means includes an astable oscillator and said disabling means is connected to at least one active element of said astable oscillator.

Claim 4

A regulator-converter comprising a first switching device serially connected with an input DC source, a capacitor, and a load, an inductor connected across said load, an error detector connected to said load to provide an error signal corresponding to load voltage variations, a control circuit comprising an astable oscillator connected to said first switching device and said error detector to control conduction through said first switching device in accordance with variations in load voltage, a second switching device serially connected with said inductor and said capacitor and to said control circuit, said second switching device also being conductive at intervals determined by the error signal from said error detector to discharge said capacitor through said inductor, said second switching device also being conductive at intervals alternate to the conductive intervals of said first switching device to charge said capacitor, and voltage responsive disabling means connected across said inductor and to said astable oscillator to inhibit oscillation in said oscillator whenever the energy stored in said inductor is discharging and thereby prevent said control circuit from initiating conduction through said first and second switching devices during this energy discharging condition.

Claim 5

A regulator-converter comprising a first switching device serially connected with an input DC source, a capacitor, and a load, an inductor connected across said load, an error detector connected to said load to provide an error signal corresponding to load voltage variations, a control circuit comprising an astable oscillator connected to said first switching device and said error detector to control conduction through said first switching device in accordance with variations in load voltage, a second switching device serially connected with said inductor and said capacitor and to said control circuit, said second switching device also being conductive at intervals determined by the error signal from said error detector to discharge said capacitor through said inductor, said second switching device also being conductive at intervals alternate to the conductive intervals of said first switching device to charge said capacitor, and voltage responsive disabling means connected across said inductor and to said astable oscillator to inhibit oscillation in said oscillator whenever the energy stored in said inductor is discharging and thereby prevent said control circuit from initiating conduction through said first and second switching devices during this energy discharging condition.

Claim 6

A regulator-coNverter in accordance with claim 3 wherein said error detector provides a first output signal for load voltages less than a predetermined magnitude and a second output voltage for load voltages greater than said predetermined magnitude.

Claim 7

A regulator-converter in accordance with claim 3 wherein said astable oscillator is a transistor astable blocking oscillator.

Claim 8

A regulator-converter in accordance with claim 5 wherein said disabling means includes a third switching device serially connected with the collector-emitter path of the said astable blocking oscillator transistor.

Claim 9

A regulator-converter comprising a first controlled rectifier serially connected with a source of DC input potential, a first inductor, a capacitor, a diode, and a load, said diode being poled for forward conduction in the same direction as said first controlled rectifier, an error detector connected to said load to provide a first output signal for load voltages less than a predetermined magnitude and a second output signal for load voltages greater than a predetermined magnitude, a transistor astable blocking oscillator connected to the output of said error detector and to the gate electrode of a second controlled rectifier, a delay network having its input connected to a second output of said astable blocking oscillator, a monostable multivibrator having its input connected to the output of said delay network and its output connected to the gate electrode of said first controlled rectifier, a second inductor connected across said diode and said load, said second controlled rectifier being connected across said capacitor and said second inductor to discharge said capacitor through said inductor at intervals determined by said error detector, said delay network providing sufficient delay so that said first controlled rectifier is conductive at intervals alternate to the conductive intervals of said second controlled rectifier to charge said capacitor, and a inhibiting network comprising a third controlled rectifier and a transistor, said third controlled rectifier being serially connected with the collector-emitter electrodes of the transistor of said astable blocking oscillator, said inhibit network transistor having its input electrodes connected across said second inductor and its output electrodes connected across the gate and cathode electrodes of said third controlled rectifier and to a source of biasing potential to prevent conduction through said third controlled rectifier whenever the energy stored in said inductor is discharging.

Claim 10

A regulator-converter comprising a first controlled rectifier serially connected with a source of DC input potential, a first inductor, a capacitor, a diode, and a load, said diode being poled for forward conduction in the same direction as said first controlled rectifier, an error detector connected to said load to provide a first output signal for load voltages less than a predetermined magnitude and a second output signal for load voltages greater than a predetermined magnitude, a transistor astable blocking oscillator connected to the output of said error detector and to the gate electrode of a second controlled rectifier, a delay network having its input connected to a second output of said astable blocking oscillator, a monostable multivibrator having its input connected to the output of said delay network and its output connected to the gate electrode of said first controlled rectifier, a second inductor connected across said diode and said load, said second controlled rectifier being connected across said capacitor and said second inductor to discharge said capacitor through said inductor at intervals determined by said error detector, said delay network providing sufficient delay so that said first controlled rectifier is conductive at intervals alternate to the conductive intervals of said second controlled rectifier to charge said capacitor, and a inhibiting network comprising a third controlled rectifier and a transistor, said third controlled rectifier being serially connected with the collector-emitter electrodes of the transistor of said astable blocking oscillator, said inhibit network transistor having its input electrodes connected across said second inductor and its output electrodes connected across the gate and cathode electrodes of said third controlled rectifier and to a source of biasing potential to prevent conduction through said third controlled rectifier whenever the energy stored in said inductor is discharging.

Claim 11

A regulator-converter in accordance with claim 7 wherein a second capacitor having a capacitance greater than said first capacitor is connected across said load to function essentially as a constant output voltage source.