Voltage clamping circuit for a bicycle dynamo
AssigneeShimano Inc.
InventorKouji Uno
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A voltage clamping circuit comprises a first high current gain circuit adapted to receive current from the first line; and a first switching circuit that turns on the first high current gain circuit to flow current away from the first line when the first switching circuit senses a first voltage from the first line above a clamping voltage, and turns off the first high current gain circuit when the first switching circuit senses the first voltage below the clamping voltage.
Claims38
A voltage clamping circuit for receiving a voltage from a bicycle dynamo and for applying a clamped voltage to a load, wherein the voltage clamping circuit comprises:
- a power transistor circuit adapted to be connected in parallel to the load;
- and
- a switching element that switches on the power transistor circuit when voltage applied to the load exceeds a predetermined voltage, and that switches off the transistor circuit when voltage applied to the load is below the predetermined voltage.
A voltage clamping circuit for receiving a voltage from a bicycle dynamo and for applying a clamped voltage to a load, wherein the voltage clamping circuit comprises:
- a first power transistor circuit having a first power transistor circuit input and a first power transistor circuit output, wherein the first power transistor circuit is adapted to be connected in parallel to the load so that current is allowed to flow when a positive terminal of the dynamo is outputting a positive voltage;
- a first switching element that switches on the first power transistor circuit when voltage applied to the load exceeds a predetermined voltage, and that switches off the first power transistor circuit when voltage applied to the load is below the predetermined voltage;
- a first rectifier element connected to the first transistor circuit such that current is allowed to flow from the first power transistor circuit output to the first power transistor circuit input and current is preventing from flowing from the first power transistor circuit input to the first power transistor circuit output;
- a second power transistor circuit having a second power transistor circuit input and a second power transistor circuit output, wherein the second power transistor circuit is adapted to be connected in parallel to the load so that current is allowed to flow when a negative terminal of the dynamo is outputting a positive voltage;
- a second switching element that switches on the second power transistor circuit when voltage applied to the load exceeds a predetermined voltage, and that switches off the second power transistor circuit when voltage applied to the load is below the predetermined voltage;
- and
- a second rectifier element connected to the second power transistor circuit such that current is allowed to flow from the second power transistor circuit output to the second power transistor circuit input and current is preventing from flowing from the second power transistor circuit input to the second power transistor output.
A voltage clamping circuit adapted to receive a voltage from a bicycle dynamo over a first line and for applying a clamped voltage from the first line to a load, wherein the voltage clamping circuit comprises:
- a first high current gain circuit adapted to receive current from the first line;
- and
- a first switching circuit that turns on the first high current gain circuit to flow current away from the first line when the first switching circuit senses a first voltage from the first line above a clamping voltage, and turns off the first high current gain circuit when the first switching circuit senses the first voltage below the clamping voltage.
The circuit according to claim 37 wherein the first switching circuit comprises a first Zener diode coupled for controlling the base of at least one of the plurality of first transistors, and wherein the second switching circuit comprises a second Zener diode coupled for controlling the base of at least one of the plurality of second transistors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.