Patent ID: 8638003

Claim:
An inverter generator adapted to generate AC output from first, second and third windings wound around an alternator driven by an engine, comprising: first, second and third inverters each connected to the first, second and third windings respectively and each having switching elements for direct current and alternating current conversion, the first, second and third inverters converting alternating current outputted from the first, second and third windings into direct current when the switching element for direct current conversion is turned ON/OFF, while inverting the converted direct current into alternating current in a desired frequency when the switching element for alternating current conversion is turned ON/OFF based on a PWM signal generated in accordance with a reference sine wave of a desired output voltage waveform and a carrier; first, second and third controllers adapted to control turning ON/OFF of the switching elements of the first, second and third inverters and connected to communicate with each other, the first controller operating the first inverter as a master inverter and the second and third controller operating the second and third inverters as slave inverters; a three-phase output terminal connected to terminal groups which are connected to the first, second and third inverters to output the inverted alternating current as one of U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase outputs and connected to a neutral terminal of the terminal groups in series; a single-phase output terminal connected to the terminal groups in parallel and connected to the neutral terminal in series; a switching mechanism adapted to switch the three-phase output terminal and single-phase output terminal; three-phase/single-phase selector switch adapted to be manipulated by a user; and an engine controller adapted to control an operation of the engine and operate the switching mechanism to output a three-phase alternating current or single-phase alternating current in response to an output of the selector switch, wherein the first, second and third controllers control turning ON/OFF of the switching elements so that the outputs from the first, second and third inverters become three-phase alternating current or single-phase alternating current making the output from the first inverter as a reference in response to the output of the selector switch sent through the engine controller.