Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for smoothing pulsating voltages derived from more than two mutually independent alternating voltage components having generally equal peak-to-peak values and having a difference in phase less than 180* between adjacent phase components, comprising the steps of: limiting the peak value of each of said independent alternating voltage components and producing limited values of said independent alternating voltage components; combining the phase adjacent components of said independent alternating voltage components in pairs and producing alternating summation values; and rectifying and summing said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and said alternating summation values whereby twice as many alternating voltage components are summed during said summing step as come from said source so that the amount of ripple in a total rectified summation voltage component is minimized.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for smoothing pulsating voltages derived from more than two mutually independent alternating voltage components having generally equal peak-to-peak values and having a difference in phase less than 180* between adjacent phase components, comprising the steps of: limiting the peak value of each of said independent alternating voltage components and producing limited values of said independent alternating voltage components; combining the phase adjacent components of said independent alternating voltage components in pairs and producing alternating summation values; and rectifying and summing said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and said alternating summation values whereby twice as many alternating voltage components are summed during said summing step as come from said source so that the amount of ripple in a total rectified summation voltage component is minimized.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
83 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein there are four alternating voltage components derived from a common generating source and at 90* phase difference between phase adjacent alternating voltage components, the summation voltage components being obtained by means of ohmic resistance circuits which combine phase adjacent voltage components in said pairs, the peak values of the alternating voltage components being limited to the peak values of the summation voltage components by voltage divider circuits and by a factor of substantially Square Root 2/2.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein a load is dimensioned to have a value which is determined in accordance with the circuit values of said voltage divider circuits, whereby the peak values of the alternating voltages and the summation voltage components are made to approximate to one another, and which is such that the voltage drop across the said load remains substantially the same at all times.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the said alternating voltage components are voltages induced in the stator windings of a brushless motor when in the current-free condition, by the rotation of a permanent magnet rotor forming part of said motor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein the smoothed pulsating voltage is compared with a reference voltage to produce a control voltage which is employed to control a source producing said alTernating voltage components.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
143 words
An apparatus for smoothing pulsating voltages, comprising: means defining a source of more than two independent and phase shifted alternating voltage components having generally equal peak-to-peak values and having a difference in phase less than 180* between adjacent phase components; means for limiting the peak value of each of said independent alternating voltage components and producing limited values of said independent alternating voltage components; means for combining the phase adjacent components of said independent alternating voltage components in pairs and producing alternating summation values; and means for rectifying and summing said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and said alternating summation values, whereby twice as many alternating voltage components are summed at said summing means as come from said source means so that the amount of ripple in a total rectified voltage component from said summing means is minimized.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
143 words
An apparatus for smoothing pulsating voltages, comprising: means defining a source of more than two independent and phase shifted alternating voltage components having generally equal peak-to-peak values and having a difference in phase less than 180* between adjacent phase components; means for limiting the peak value of each of said independent alternating voltage components and producing limited values of said independent alternating voltage components; means for combining the phase adjacent components of said independent alternating voltage components in pairs and producing alternating summation values; and means for rectifying and summing said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and said alternating summation values, whereby twice as many alternating voltage components are summed at said summing means as come from said source means so that the amount of ripple in a total rectified voltage component from said summing means is minimized.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said limiting means includes a resistance network.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said source means produces four alternating voltage components with the mutually adjacent components being phase shifted 90* from each other.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said source means includes stator windings on a brushless direct current motor having a permanent magnet rotor and interrogator means for producing a signal responsive to the position of said rotor relative to said stator windings.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus according to claim 9, including a comparator circuit responsive to said total rectified voltage component and a reference voltage and means for connecting said comparator circuit to said interrogator means to control the time at which the magnetic flux of said permanent magnet rotor is interrogated.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
101 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said interrogator means comprises two pair of transistors, one of the collector and emitter electrodes of each transistor being connected to one end of a stator winding so that each of said four stator windings has one of said transistors connected in circuit therewith and generator means connected to the base electrode of each of said transistors, said generator means being positioned adjacent said stator windings to detect the position of said permanent magnet relative thereto and producing a signal indicative of the position of said permanent magnet rotor relative to said stator windings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said generator means are Hall generators.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
214 words
An apparatus for smoothing pulsating voltages, comprising: means defining a source of more than two independent phase shifted alternating voltage components having generally equal peak-to-peak values and having a difference in phase less than 180* between adjacent phase components; means for limiting the peak value of each of said independent alternating voltage components and producing limited values of said independent alternating voltage components, said limiting means including a resistance network having a plurality of equal ohmic resistances; means for combining the phase adjacent components of said independent alternating voltage components in pairs and producing alternating summation values; means for rectifying and summing said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and said alternating summation values, whereby twice as many alternating voltage components are summed at said summing means as come from said source means so that the amount of ripple in a total rectified voltage component from said summing means is minimized, said rectifying and summing means including a plurality of first diodes for rectifying said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and a plurality of second diodes for rectifying said alternating summation values, the output terminals of all of said diodes being connected together; and load means responsive to said total rectified and smoothed voltage component.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
214 words
An apparatus for smoothing pulsating voltages, comprising: means defining a source of more than two independent phase shifted alternating voltage components having generally equal peak-to-peak values and having a difference in phase less than 180* between adjacent phase components; means for limiting the peak value of each of said independent alternating voltage components and producing limited values of said independent alternating voltage components, said limiting means including a resistance network having a plurality of equal ohmic resistances; means for combining the phase adjacent components of said independent alternating voltage components in pairs and producing alternating summation values; means for rectifying and summing said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and said alternating summation values, whereby twice as many alternating voltage components are summed at said summing means as come from said source means so that the amount of ripple in a total rectified voltage component from said summing means is minimized, said rectifying and summing means including a plurality of first diodes for rectifying said limited values of said phase adjacent independent alternating voltage components and a plurality of second diodes for rectifying said alternating summation values, the output terminals of all of said diodes being connected together; and load means responsive to said total rectified and smoothed voltage component.