Non-Isolated Bus Converters with Voltage Divider Topology
First Claim
1. A voltage converter comprisinga plurality of selective conduction devices connected to each other in series at respective nodes, at least two of said plurality of selective conduction devices being controllable switches,at least one capacitor connected between two of said respective nodes,a voltage source connected to two of said respective nodes, andmeans for controlling said controllable switches to conduct in a mutually exclusive manner to define two different conduction paths, each of said two different conduction paths including a conduction path through said at least one capacitor, whereby said combination of said at least one capacitor and said plurality of said selective conduction devices functions substantially as a capacitive voltage divider to reduce a voltage provided by said voltage source or as a voltage multiplier to increase a voltage supplied by said voltage source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A voltage converter having four switches Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, connected in series and operated in pairs in a complementary fashion. An input voltage is provided across the four switches. A middle capacitor is connected in parallel with two middle switches Q2, Q3. Voltage output is provided across switches Q3 and Q4 (i.e. at a midpoint of the four switches). Series-connected output capacitors can be connected in parallel with the set of four switches. The middle capacitor alone or in combination with parallel connected capacitors, when connected to the input voltage or output terminals functions as a capacitive voltage divider for voltage conversion and/or regulation with extremely high efficiency and which can provide either step-down or step-up function. Also, an output inductor can be provided as a perfecting feature to further increase efficiency. Alternatively, two of the four switches can be replaced with rectifying diodes. Alternatively, the voltage converter has two or more sets of four switches connected in parallel. The two sets can be connected by resistor-capacitor ladder, or an inductor-capacitor ladder for charge/voltage sharing to reduce voltage ripple.
127 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A voltage converter comprising
a plurality of selective conduction devices connected to each other in series at respective nodes, at least two of said plurality of selective conduction devices being controllable switches, at least one capacitor connected between two of said respective nodes, a voltage source connected to two of said respective nodes, and means for controlling said controllable switches to conduct in a mutually exclusive manner to define two different conduction paths, each of said two different conduction paths including a conduction path through said at least one capacitor, whereby said combination of said at least one capacitor and said plurality of said selective conduction devices functions substantially as a capacitive voltage divider to reduce a voltage provided by said voltage source or as a voltage multiplier to increase a voltage supplied by said voltage source.
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14. A voltage converter, comprising:
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a) a set of four switches Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, connected in series, and connected, in order, across a voltage input; b) a capacitor connected in parallel with a middle pair Q2, Q3, of the four switches; c) a gate driver for operating switches Q1, Q3, in a manner complementary to switches Q2 Q4;
whereby an output voltage is provided across switches Q3 and Q4. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A voltage converter, comprising:
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a) a first set of four switches Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, connected in series; b) a middle capacitor connected in parallel with a middle pair Q2, Q3, of the first set of four switches; c) a second set of four switches Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8, connected in series, wherein the first set and second set are connected in parallel, and connected across a voltage input or output; d) a second capacitor connected in parallel with a middle pair Q6, Q7, of the second set of four switches; e) a gate driver for operating switches Q1, Q3, in a complementary manner compared to switches Q2, Q4, and for operating switches Q5, Q7, in a complementary manner compared to switches Q6, Q8;
wherein an output voltage, or input voltage, is provided across switches Q3 and Q4, and across switches Q7 and Q8. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification