System for the generation of electrical power having a spring powered prime mover responsive to output voltage

Claim 2

An electrical generating system comprising in combination a source of mechanical energy, generator means operatively connected to said source for converting said mechanical energy to electrical energy, storage means coupled to said generator means for storing said electrical energy, sensing means coupled respectively to said generator means and to said storage means for sensing predetermined upper and lower voltage limits of said generated electrical energy, electrical latching means coupled to said sensing means and operatively connected to said source of mechanical energy for metering out said mechanical energy in accordance with the level of energy present in said storage means.

Claim 3

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 1 wherein said electrical latching means includes a pair of latch windings inductively coupled to a core of magnetic material, means coupling said windings respectively to said sensing means, a pivotal latch having a magnetically polarized extremity positioned in proximity to said core of magnetic material and being operatively connected to control the transfer of mechanical energy from said source to said generator means, the energizing of one of said latch windings by said sensing means in response to the attainment of said predetermined upper voltage limit causing a magnetic field to be induced in said core of such polarity that said polarized extremity of said latch is pivoted in a first direction to cause said latch to prevent said transfer of mechanical energy, tHereby halting the generation of electrical energy by said generator means, the energizing of the other of said latch windings by said sensing means in response to the attainment of said predetermined lower voltage limit causing a magnetic field to be induced in said core of such polarity that said polarized extremity of said latch is pivoted in a second direction to cause said latch to allow said transfer of mechanical energy, thereby permitting the generation of electrical energy by said generator means.

Claim 4

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 2 wherein said generator means comprises a permanent magnet rotor and a stator having a winding disposed thereon, said stator winding having a pair of terminals.

Claim 5

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 3 wherein said generator means is an alternator.

Claim 6

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 3 wherein said storage means is a capacitor having a pair of terminals, across which said stored electrical energy is available for utilization.

Claim 7

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 5 further including rectifier means having input terminals coupled to said stator winding terminals and output terminals coupled to said capacitor terminals.

Claim 8

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 6 further characterized in that said rectifier means include four diodes arranged in a full-wave briedge configuration.

Claim 9

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 6 wherein said means for sensing said predetermined upper voltage limit comprises a Zener diode and a first resistor connected in series across said stator winding terminals, and a silicon controlled rectifier connected in series with one of said pair of latch windings across said stator winding terminals, said silicon controlled rectifier having a gate electrode connected to the junction of said Zener diode and said first resistor, said means for sensing said predetermined lower voltage limit comprising a transistor having input, output, and control electrodes, a first diode coupling said transistor control electrode to a terminal of said capacitor, a secondary capacitor having first and second terminals, a series connected second diode and a second resistor coupling said secondary capacitor terminals to an output terminal of said rectifier means, said secondary capacitor second terminal being connected to a reference potential, a silicon controlled rectifier connected in series with the other of said pair of latch windings across said secondary capacitor terminals, said silicon controlled rectifier having a gate electrode connected to said transistor output electrode, a third resistor coupling said last-mentioned gate electrode and said transistor output electrode in common to said reference potential, said transistor input electrode being connected to said secondary capacitor first terminal, and a fourth resistor coupling said transistor input and control electrodes to each other.

Claim 10

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 8 wherein said source of mechanical energy is a coiled spring, said generator means being operatively connected to said spring through a torque reducing gear train.

Claim 11

An electrical generating system as defined in claim 9 further characterized in that the opposite extremity of said pivotal latch is in the form of a tang, the pivoting of the polarized extremity of said latch in said first direction causing said tang to engage a tooth of a selected gear in said train, thereby preventing the movement of said gear train, the pivoting of the polarized extremity of said latch in said second direction causing said tang to be withdrawn from contact with said gear tooth, thereby permitting the movement of said train.