Internal combustion engine and D-C floating battery self-contained electrical network combination, particularly for the on-board network of automotive vehicles

Claim 1

In an internal combustion engine and self-contained electrical network combination having a generator (16) having an excitation field winding (18) driven by the internal combustion engine (E): a battery (15) connected to the generator (16) and charged by current from the generator during operation of the engine; a voltage regulator (19) connected to the generator, sensing output voltage therefrom and connected to control current through the field winding; a starter motor system (11, 12, 13, 14) including a starter motor (11) and a driving connection (e2) to start the engine (E); a starter switch (22) having an ON and an OFF position; and a starter circuit including a series circuit of: the starter switch, the battery, the starter motor system, said series circuit, upon closing of the starter switch to ON position connecting the battery to the starter motor (11) to energize the starter motor and hence start the engine, and, after starting of the engine and upon opening of the starter switch to OFF position, to isolate the starter motor from the battery, means directly energizing the field winding (18) upon starting of the engine, and effective only upon closing of the starter switch, comprising direct connection means (28, 29) including a diode (29) connected to the series circuit at a junction (23, 24, 25) between the ON position of the starter switch (22) and the starter motor and to the field winding (18) of the generator, the diode (29) being poled in a direction to pass current from the battery (15) to the field winding (18) of the generator during starting of the engine (E) and only while the starter switch is in the ON position, said connection means being energized only upon closing of the starter switch to ON position (13, 14) for energization of the starter motor (11) thereby simultaneously, and only when said starter switch is closed, effecting a direct electrical connection from the battery (15) through the diode (29) to the field winding (18) of the generator (16) and applying power derived from the battery to the field winding during starting only and isolating said connection means from the battery upon release of the starter switch to OFF position, to provide for external excitation and hence rapid voltage build-up of the voltage of the generator while the engine is being driven by the energized starter.