Switching control for maintaining the current within predetermined levels

Claim 1

A SWITCHING CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR MAINTAINING THE CURRENT SUPPLIED TO A LOAD WITHIN PREDETERMINED LEVELS BY ALTERNATELY CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING A POWER SOURCE FROM THE LOAD, SAID SWITCHING CONTROL CIRCUIT COMPRISING A TRANSISTOR SWITCH HAVING AN EMITTER ELECTRODE, A BASE ELECTRODE AND A COLLECTOR ELECTRODE, SAID EMITTER AND COLLECTOR ELECTRODES BEING CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH THE LOAD, A BISTABLE FLIP FLOP CIRCUIT INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE CONTROL TRANSISTOR SWITCHABLE FROM A HIGH TO A LOW IMPEDANCE STATE, A TUNNEL DIODE HAVING AN ANODE AND A CATHODE, SAID TUNNEL DIODE BEING SWITCHABLE TO A HIGH VOLTAGE AND TO A LOW VOLTAGE STATE, A BIAS SUPPLY MEANS TO DRIVE SAID TRANSISTORS, CIRCUIT MEANS COUPLING THE CONTROL TRANSISTOR OF SAID BISTABLE FLIP FLOP CIRCUIT WITH THE BASE ELECTRODE OF THE TRANSISTOR SWITCH AND IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID BIAS SUPPLY TO APPLY BASE DRIVE TO SAID TRANSISTOR SWITCH WHEN SAID CONTROL TRANSISTOR IS IN ONE OF SAID STATES AND TO REMOVE THE BASE DRIVE FROM SAID TRANSISTOR SWITCH WHEN THE CONTROL TRANSISTOR IS SWITCHED TO THE OTHER OF SAID STATES, SAID CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING ELECTRICAL LEADS CONNECTING THE CATHODE OF SAID TUNNEL DIODE IN CIRCUIT WITH THE EMITTER OF SAID CONTROL TRANSISTOR AND CONNECTING THE ANODE OF SAID TUNNEL DIODE WITH THE BASE ELECTRODE OF SAID CONTROL TRANSISTOR, AND A FEEDBACK MEANS SUPPLYING A FEEDBACK SIGNAL TO SAID TUNNEL DIODE, SAID FEEDBACK SIGNAL AT ONE PREDETERMINED LEVEL SWITCHING SAID TUNNEL DIODE TO A LOW VOLTAGE STATE AND AT ANOTHER PREDETERMINED LEVEL SWITCHING SAID TUNNEL DIODE TO A HIGH VOLTAGE STATE TO CAUSE SAID CONTROL TRANSISTOR TO BE SWITCHED ON AND OFF, AND SAID FEEDBACK SIGNAL PROVIDED BY SAID FEEDBACK MEANS CONTROLLING THE SWITCHING ACTION OF SAID TRANSISTOR SWITCH.