SWITCHING CIRCUIT

• US 20130038140A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Seki, Shinsei, Shinohara, Sadao
• Application Number:
  US13/643,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/113
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/53873 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/08142 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/145 in field-effect transistor switches
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/74 by the use, as active elements, of diodes by the use of more than one type of semiconductor device H03K17/567; by the use of tunnel diodes H03K17/58; by the use of negative resistance diodes H03K17/70
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2017/0806 against excessive temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/0036 Means reducing energy consumption
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/10 Technologies improving the efficiency by using switched-mode power supplies [SMPS], i.e. efficient power electronics conversion e.g. power factor correction or reduction of losses in power supplies or efficient standby modes

Abstract

Provided is a switching circuit including an arm having two switching elements connected. The switching elements are SiC semiconductors, and when a commutation current flows to the reverse conducting element, the switching element having the reverse conducting element connected in parallel thereto is turned on.

Claims

1. A switching circuit comprising an arm having two switching elements connected in series and reverse conducting elements connected in parallel to the switching elements,

wherein the switching elements are SiC semiconductors, and

when a commutation current flows to the reverse conducting element, the switching element having the reverse conducting element connected in parallel thereto is turned on.

2. The switching circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a commutation current-detecting unit that detects the current value of the commutation current,

wherein when a commutation current flows to the reverse conducting element, the time for which the switching element is turned on is changed on the basis of the detection result of the commutation current-detecting unit.

3. The switching circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature-detecting unit that detects the temperature of the switching element,

wherein when a commutation current flows to the reverse conducting element, the time for which the switching element is turned on is changed on the basis of the detection result of the temperature-detecting unit.