Regulating transformer with non-saturating input and output regions

Claim 2

A regulating transformer, comprising: a magnetic core having first, second and third regions, means interconnecting said first, second and third regions to provide closed magnetic paths, means including an input winding providing a first alternating flux in said first region, means including an output winding and a capacitor connected in parallel to provide a resonant tank circuit, providing a second alternating flux in said third region, magnetic means disposed relative to said output winding such that it influences the magnitude of the voltage across said output winding, means for adjusting the position of said magnetic means relative to said output winding, to change the effect of said magnetic means on the voltage across said output winding, and means including output terminals, connected to provide an output voltage responsive to the voltage across said output winding, said magnetic core being constructed and dimensioned to cause said first and second alternating fluxes to add in said second region, and to saturate said second region during a portion of each half cycle of said second alternating flux, said first and third regions being substantially non-saturating, said second region shunting the major portion of said first alternating flux away from said output winding when said second region is unsaturated, the saturation of said second region forcing the major portion of a further increase in said first alternating flux to link said output winding, transferring energy into said tank circuit to sustain the oscillation thereof.

Claim 3

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the third region includes a linearizing non-magnetic gap therein.

Claim 4

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the magnetic means is disposed at least partially within the output winding.

Claim 5

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the magnetic means includes a plurality of metallic, magnetic laminations superposed to provide a stack of laminations.

Claim 6

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the magnetic core is constructed of stacked metallic laminations.

Claim 7

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the magnetic core is constructed of a plurality of nested, metallic magnetic lamination turns.

Claim 8

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the first and third regions extend perpendicularly outward from opposite sides of the second region.

Claim 9

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the magnetic core is of shell-form construction, including a first member which forms the second region, and second and third members which extend perpendicularly outward from opposite sides of said first member to form the first and third regions, respectively.

Claim 10

The regulating transformer of claim 1 wherein the magnetic core is of core-form construction, including first, second and third spaced, parallel leg members which form the first, second and third regions of the magnetic core.

Claim 11

A regulating transformer, comprising: a magnetic core including only first, second and third magnetic paths, said first and second magnetic paths having a single leg portion common to both, said first and second magnetic paths being substantially non-saturating except for their common leg portion, said third path including the non-saturating portions of said first and second magnetic paths, means including an input winding providing an alternating flux in the first magnetic path, means including an output winding and a capacitor providing an alternating flux in the second magnetic path which adds to the alternating flux of the first magnEtic path in said common leg portion, driving said common leg portion into saturation during each half cycle of the alternating flux in the first magnetic path, to efficiently couple the input and output windings through the third magnetic path only during this time, said output winding and capacitor being connected in parallel to provide a tank circuit which oscillates at a predetermined frequency and provides a stable voltage across said output winding, with the energy for sustaining the oscillation of the tank circuit being transferred from the input winding when the common leg portion saturates, magnetic means disposed relative to said output winding such that it influences the magnitude of the voltage across said output winding, means for adjusting the position of said magnetic means relative to said output winding, to change the effect of said magnetic means and the voltage across said output winding, and means including output terminals connected to provide an output voltage responsive to the stable voltage across said output winding.

Claim 12

A regulating transformer, comprising: a magnetic core including only first, second and third magnetic paths, said first and second magnetic paths having a single leg portion common to both, said first and second magnetic paths being substantially non-saturating except for their common leg portion, said third path including the non-saturating portions of said first and second magnetic paths, means including an input winding providing an alternating flux in the first magnetic path, means including an output winding and a capacitor providing an alternating flux in the second magnetic path which adds to the alternating flux of the first magnEtic path in said common leg portion, driving said common leg portion into saturation during each half cycle of the alternating flux in the first magnetic path, to efficiently couple the input and output windings through the third magnetic path only during this time, said output winding and capacitor being connected in parallel to provide a tank circuit which oscillates at a predetermined frequency and provides a stable voltage across said output winding, with the energy for sustaining the oscillation of the tank circuit being transferred from the input winding when the common leg portion saturates, magnetic means disposed relative to said output winding such that it influences the magnitude of the voltage across said output winding, means for adjusting the position of said magnetic means relative to said output winding, to change the effect of said magnetic means and the voltage across said output winding, and means including output terminals connected to provide an output voltage responsive to the stable voltage across said output winding.

Claim 13

A regulating transformer, comprising: a magnetic core having first, second and third regions, means interconnecting said first, second and third regions to provide closed magnetic paths, said third region including first and second spaced magnetic members, means including an input winding providing a first alternating flux in said first region, said second region shunting the major portion of said first alternating flux away from said output winding when said second region is unsaturated, means including an output winding and a capacitor connected to provide a tank circuit, said tank circuit providing alternating flux in said third region which adds to the first alternating flux in the second region, driving said second region into saturation during each half cycle of the first alternating flux, to efficiently couple the input and output windings only during this portion of each half cycle, means including output terminals connected to provide an output voltage responsive to the voltage across said output winding, first and second coils disposed about the first and second magnetic members, respectively, of said third region, said first and second coils being serially connected in opposition to provide substantially no alternating voltage across the two serially connected coils, and unidirectional voltage means connected across the first and second serially connected coils, providing a controllable magnitude of direct current through the coils which controls the magnitude of the alternating voltage produced across said output winding.

Claim 14

A regulating transformer, comprising: a magnetic core having first, second and third regions, means interconnecting said first, second and third regions to provide closed magnetic paths, said third region including first and second spaced magnetic members, means including an input winding providing a first alternating flux in said first region, said second region shunting the major portion of said first alternating flux away from said output winding when said second region is unsaturated, means including an output winding and a capacitor connected to provide a tank circuit, said tank circuit providing alternating flux in said third region which adds to the first alternating flux in the second region, driving said second region into saturation during each half cycle of the first alternating flux, to efficiently couple the input and output windings only during this portion of each half cycle, means including output terminals connected to provide an output voltage responsive to the voltage across said output winding, first and second coils disposed about the first and second magnetic members, respectively, of said third region, said first and second coils being serially connected in opposition to provide substantially no alternating voltage across the two serially connected coils, and unidirectional voltage means connected across the first and second serially connected coils, providing a controllable magnitude of direct current through the coils which controls the magnitude of the alternating voltage produced across said output winding.

Claim 15

The regulating transformer of claim 11 including means providing an error signal responsive to the deviation of a predetermined electrical quantity of the regulating transformer from a desired magnitude, with the unidirectional voltage means being responsive to said error signal, controlling the magnitude of the direct current flowing through the first and second coils in response to the magnitude of said error signal.

Claim 16

The regulating transformer of claim 11 wherein the magnetic core includes first, second, third and fourth spaced, parallel leg members, with the first and second leg members functioning as the first and second regions, respectively, and the third and fourth leg members functioning as the first and second spaced magnetic members of the third region.

Claim 17

The regulating transformer of claim 13 wherein the third region has linearizing non-magnetic gaps in the first and second spaced magnetic members.

Claim 18

The regulating transformer of claim 11 wherein the first and third regions of the magnetic core extend perpendicularly outward from the second region.

Claim 19

The regulating transformer of claim 14 wherein the third region has linearizing non-magnetic gaps in the first and second spaced magnetic members.