High voltage regulator device

Claim 2

A high-voltage device responsive to a source of high voltage and comprising: a film of semiconductive material the opposite ends of which are arranged to be coupled across said source; means for creating along said film an effective series of infinitesimal field-effect gates exhibiting progressively higher potentials throughout the length of said film; and control means responsive to a variation in high-voltage level for generating transverse electric fields between said gates and corresponding portions of said film to alter the conductance of said film in a selected manner, said film being associated with a strip of piezoelectric material wherein stress created within said strip changes said electric fields, said control means including a piezoelectric actuator responsive to said variation for effecting a change in said stress within the piezoelectric strip.

Claim 3

A high-voltage device as defined in claim 1 in which said actuator exhibits a change in elongation in response to said variation and the stress in said piezoelectric strip is a function of the degree of said elongation.

Claim 4

A high-voltage device as defined in claim 1 in which said actuator exhibits a bending action in response to said variation, and the stress in said piezoelectric strip changes in response to change in the degree of such bending.

Claim 5

A high-voltage device as defined in claim 1 in which said actuator exhibits motion in response to said variation, and said stress is developed in said piezoelectric strip only in response to an amount of said motion exceeding a predetermined minimum movement.

Claim 6

A high-voltage device responsive to a source of high voltage and comprising: a film of semiconductive material the opposite ends of which are arranged to be coupled across said source; means for creating along said film an effective series of infinitesimal field-effect gates exhibiting progressively higher potentials throughout the length of said film, said creating means including a strip of resistive material the opposite ends of which also are arranged to be coupled across said source with said strip and said film being dielectrically coupled throughout their lengths; and control means responsive to a variation in high-voltage level for generating transverse electric fields between said gates and corresponding portions of said film to alter the conductance of said film in a selected manner, said control means including a source of low voltage proportional to said variation and coupled across the ends of said strip and film nearest to a plane of reference potential, said source of low voltage including a resistor connected in series between said end of said film of semiconductive material and said plane of reference potential.

Claim 7

A high-voltage device responsive to a source of high voltage and comprising: a film of semiconductive material the opposite ends of which are arranged to be coupled across said source; means for creating along said film an effective series of infinitesimal field-effect gates exhibiting progressively higher potentials throughout the length of said film, said creating means including a strip of resistive material the opposite ends of which also are arranged to be coupled across said source with said strip and said film being dielectrically coupled throughout their lengths; and control means responsive to a variation in high-voltage level for generating transverse electric fields between said gates and corresponding portions of said film to alter the conductance of said film in a selected manner, said control means including a source of low voltage proportional to said variation and coupled across the ends of said strip and film nearest to a plane of reference potential, said source of low voltage including a resistor connected in series between said end of said film of semiconductive material and said plane of reference potential.

Claim 8

A high-voltage device responsive to a source of high voltage and comprising: a film of semiconductive material the opposite ends of which are arranged to be coupled across said source; means for creating along said film and effective series of infinitesimal field-effect gates exhibiting progressively higher potentials throughout the length of said film, said creating means including a strip of resistive material the opposite ends of which also are arranged to be coupled across said source with said strip and said film being dielectrically coupled throughout their lengths; and control means responsive to a variation in high-voltage level for generating transverse electric fields between said gates and corresponding portions of said film to alter the conductance of said film in a selected manner, said control means including a source of low voltage proportional to said variation and coupled across the ends of said strip and film nearest to a plane of reference potential, said source of low voltage including a separate voltage divider to be connected across said source of high voltage.

Claim 9

A high-voltage device responsive to a source of high voltage and comprising: a film of semiconductive material the opposite ends of which are arranged to be coupled across said source; means for creating along said film and effective series of infinitesimal field-effect gates exhibiting progressively higher potentials throughout the length of said film, said creating means including a strip of resistive material the opposite ends of which also are arranged to be coupled across said source with said strip and said film being dielectrically coupled throughout their lengths; and control means responsive to a variation in high-voltage level for generating transverse electric fields between said gates and corresponding portions of said film to alter the conductance of said film in a selected manner, said control means including a source of low voltage proportional to said variation and coupled across the ends of said strip and film nearest to a plane of reference potential, said source of low voltage including a separate voltage divider to be connected across said source of high voltage.

Claim 10

A high-voltage device responsive To a source of high voltage and comprising: a film of semiconductive material the opposite ends of which are arranged to be coupled across said source; means for creating along said film an effective series of infinitesimal field-effect gates exhibiting progressively higher potentials throughout the length of said film, said creating means including a strip of resistive material the opposite ends of which also are arranged to be coupled across said source with said strip and film being dielectrically coupled throughout their lengths; and control means responsive to a variation in high-voltage level for generating transverse electric fields between said gates and corresponding portions of said film to alter the conductance of said film in a selected manner, said control means including a source of low voltage proportional to said variation and coupled across the ends of said strip and film nearest to a plane of reference potential, said source of low voltage further including a transistor the output circuit of which is connected between said ends of said strip and said film and the input circuit of which includes means for establishing a reference voltage.

Claim 11

A high-voltage device responsive To a source of high voltage and comprising: a film of semiconductive material the opposite ends of which are arranged to be coupled across said source; means for creating along said film an effective series of infinitesimal field-effect gates exhibiting progressively higher potentials throughout the length of said film, said creating means including a strip of resistive material the opposite ends of which also are arranged to be coupled across said source with said strip and film being dielectrically coupled throughout their lengths; and control means responsive to a variation in high-voltage level for generating transverse electric fields between said gates and corresponding portions of said film to alter the conductance of said film in a selected manner, said control means including a source of low voltage proportional to said variation and coupled across the ends of said strip and film nearest to a plane of reference potential, said source of low voltage further including a transistor the output circuit of which is connected between said ends of said strip and said film and the input circuit of which includes means for establishing a reference voltage.

Claim 12

A high DC voltage regulator comprising: coupling means adapted for coupling to a source of high voltage subject to variation in voltage; a body of semiconductive material and electrode means connected to spaced portions of said body and coupled to said coupling means for coupling said body in shunt across said source; means coupled to said coupling means and responsive to any variation in voltage of said source for creating along said body an electric field distribution which increases progressively as a function of distance along the length of said body to establish in said body a distributed field effect, the overall magnitude of which effect varies in correspondence with variation in the voltage of said source, but in a compensatory manner so as to effect regulation of said source.

Claim 13

A high DC voltage regulator comprising: coupling means adapted for coupling to a source of high voltage subject to variation in voltage; a body of semiconductive material and electrode means connected to spaced portions of said body and coupled to said coupling means for coupling said body in shunt across said source; means coupled to said coupling means and responsive to any variation in voltage of said source for creating along said body an electric field distribution which increases progressively as a function of distance along the length of said body to establish in said body a distributed field effect, the overall magnitude of which effect varies in correspondence with variation in the voltage of said source, but in a compensatory manner so as to effect regulation of said source.