Series direct-current voltage regulator

Claim 1

A circuit for producing an output voltage, V out , that is independent of variations of an input voltage and that varies predictably in response to changes in ambient temperature under constant load conditions, said circuit comprising: A. a common conductor, B. an input terminal for coupling, with said common conductor, the input voltage to said circuit, C. an output terminal for coupling, with said common conductor, the output voltage from said circuit, D. a series regulating, junction-type field effect transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode connected to said input terminal and a source electrode connected to said output terminal, E. control means connected only to said output terminal and said common conductor, said control means including: i. voltage divider means connected to said output terminal and said common conductor and including a tap connection, the voltage at said tap connection being AV out where A is a constant, ii. transistor means including a collector-emitter current path in circuit between said gate electrode and said common conductor and a base-emitter current path including a base-emitter diode junction connected to said tap connection, the temperature of said diode junction being the ambient temperature and said diode junction being forward biased by the voltage at said tap connection, the voltage across said diode junction being V be and the current through said diode junction controlling the conductivity of said collector-emitter current path, and iii. a constant-current source connected to said output terminal as the sole source of current to said collector-emitter current path, all the current from said constant-current source passing through said collector-emitter path and the output voltage from said circuit being V out = V be /A wherein the voltage across said forward biased diode junction, V be , and therefore the output voltage V out , vary predictably in accordance with the ambient temperature.