The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 28, 1977
Filed:
May. 17, 1976
Tally Corporation, Kent, WA (US);
Abstract
A wide range current flow fault detector comprising a current sensor and a selective interrogator are disclosed. Current flow, or the lack thereof, between a power supply (e.g., capacitor bank) and a load (e.g, the hammer coils of a line printer) is sensed by a current sensor connected to detect the voltages at spaced points along a selected length of the supply conductor connecting the power supply to the load. A differential amplifier forming a part of the current sensor produces an output voltage related to the voltage difference between the selected points. The output voltage of the differential amplifier is compared, in a comparator, with a preset voltage. Any time the output voltage of the differential amplifier is above the preset voltage, the output of the comparator changes from a first state (e.g., low) to a second state (e.g., high). At all other times, the output of the comparator remains in the first state. Thus, the output state of the comparator denotes the presence or absence of current flow through the supply conductor adequate to cause the output of the differential amplifier to rise above the preset level. The interrogator selectively interrogates the output of the comparator to determine if: (1) a current adequate to raise the differential amplifier output above the preset level exists when such a current should be flowing through the supply conductor; and (2) zero current or a current inadequate to raise the differential amplifier output above the preset level exists when zero or very little current should be flowing through the supply conductor.