Motor vehicle power supply system

Claim 2

A power supply system for an electrical load, including in combination; voltage generator means having three phase winding means, rectifying means connecting said three phase winding means to the load and switching means connected to said winding means operable to a first condition for connecting the three phases of said winding means electrically in series relation with respect to each other and to a second condition for connecting the phases of said winding means in a delta relation with respect to each other.

Claim 3

A power supply system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said voltage generator means include excitation winding means mounted for rotation adjacent said three phase winding means for inducing a current flow in the latter and wherein said switching means is operable to connect the phases of said winding means in series relation at relatively low rotational speeds of said excitation winding means and in delta relation at relatively high rotational speeds, greater than a predetermined rotational speed.

Claim 4

A power supply system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said switching means include first and second contact sets, each including armature means, each said contact set connected between a first end of one of two phases of said three phase winding means connected at the opposite ends to each other, and to an end of the third phase of the three phase winding means, respectively, whereby upon positioning each said armature means to a first setting, of the three phases of said winding means are connected in series relation and upon positioning each said armature means to a second setting, the three phases of said winding means are connected in delta relation.

Claim 5

A motor vehicle power supply system for providing power to a load including in combination; an alternator having a three phase stator winding and a rotating field winding for inducing a current flow in said stator winding to provide an output therefrom, said field winding being rotated in accordance with the speed of the engine of said vehicle, rectification means interposed between said stator winding and said load for rectifying the output of said stator winding to provide power to said load, means connected to said alternator for regulating the output of said stator winding and switching means connected to said stator winding and operable to connect the three phases of said stator winding electrically in series relation at rotational speeds of said field winding lower than a predetermined speed and to connect the three phases of said stator winding electrically in delta relation at rotational speeds higher than said predetermined speed, thereby to substantially maximize the output of said stator winding at both relatively low and high rotational speeds.

Claim 6

A motor vehicle power supply system for providing power to a load including in combination; an alternator having a three phase stator winding and a rotating field winding for inducing a current flow in said stator winding to provide an output therefrom, said field winding being rotated in accordance with the speed of the engine of said vehicle, rectification means interposed between said stator winding and said load for rectifying the output of said stator winding to provide power to said load, means connected to said alternator for regulating the output of said stator winding and switching means connected to said stator winding and operable to connect the three phases of said stator winding electrically in series relation at rotational speeds of said field winding lower than a predetermined speed and to connect the three phases of said stator winding electrically in delta relation at rotational speeds higher than said predetermined speed, thereby to substantially maximize the output of said stator winding at both relatively low and high rotational speeds.

Claim 7

A motor vehicle power supply system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said rectification means include three groups of diodes, two of said groups providing full wave rectification of the output of said stator winding when the phases of the latter are series conneCted and predetermined pairs of said groups providing full wave rectification of the output of individual ones of the phases of said stator winding when the latter is delta connected.