POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT AND LUMINAIRE

• US 20140159602A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: NAKAMURA, Hiroto, TAKAHASHI, Koji, OTAKE, Hirokazu, KITAMURA, Noriyuki, KATO, Go, KUDO, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US13/830,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20140159602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/200.R
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/217 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/31 Phase-control circuits

Abstract

There is provided a power supply circuit including a power converting unit configured to convert a conduction angle controlled alternating-current voltage supplied via a power supply path and supply a direct-current voltage to a load, a control unit configured to detect a conduction angle of the alternating-current voltage and control the conversion of the voltage according to the detected conduction angle, and a power supply unit including a first branch path electrically connected to the power supply path, a semiconductor element configured to adjust an electric current flowing to the first branch path, a thermosensor configured to limit, if the temperature of the semiconductor element is equal to or higher than an upper limit temperature, an electric current flowing to the semiconductor element. The power supply unit converts the alternating-current voltage input via the first branch path and supplies a direct-current voltage to the control unit.

Claims

1. A power supply circuit comprising:

a power converting unit configured to convert a conduction angle controlled alternating-current voltage supplied via a power supply path and supply a direct-current voltage to a load;

a control unit configured to detect a conduction angle of the alternating-current voltage and control the conversion of the voltage by the power converting unit according to the detected conduction angle; and

a power supply unit for control including a first branch path electrically connected to the power supply path, a semiconductor element configured to adjust an electric current flowing to the first branch path, a thermosensor configured to limit, if temperature of the semiconductor element is equal to or higher than an upper limit temperature, an electric current flowing to the semiconductor element, the power supply unit for control converting the alternating-current voltage input via the first branch path and supplying a direct-current voltage to the control unit.

2. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the semiconductor element includes:

a first main electrode;

a second main electrode set to potential higher than potential of the first main electrode; and

a control electrode for switching a first state in which an electric current flows between the first main electrode and the second main electrode and a second state in which the electric current flowing between the first main electrode and the second main electrode is smaller than the electric current in the first state, and

the thermosensor changes potential of the control electrode when the temperature is equal to or higher than the upper limit temperature to switch the semiconductor element from the first state to the second state.

3. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the semiconductor element includes:

a first main electrode;

a second main electrode set to potential higher than potential of the first main electrode; and

a control electrode for switching a first state in which an electric current flows between the first main electrode and the second main electrode and a second state in which the electric current flowing between the first main electrode and the second main electrode is smaller than the electric current in the first state, and

the thermosensor is electrically connected between the first main electrode and a ground and increases a resistance value between the first main electrode and the ground more if the temperature is equal to or higher than the upper limit temperature than if the temperature is lower than the upper limit temperature.

4. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the semiconductor element includes:

a first main electrode;

a second main electrode set to potential higher than potential of the first main electrode; and

a control electrode for switching a first state in which an electric current flows between the first main electrode and the second main electrode and a second state in which the electric current flowing between the first main electrode and the second main electrode is smaller than the electric current in the first state, and

the thermosensor is electrically connected between the first branch path and the second main electrode and increases a resistance value between the first branch path and the second main electrode more if the temperature is equal to or higher than the upper limit temperature than if the temperature is lower than the upper limit temperature.

5. The circuit according to claim 4, wherein

a plurality of the thermosensors are provided, and

the plurality of thermosensors are connected in parallel between the first branch path and the second main electrode.

6. The circuit according to claim 2, further comprising a current adjusting unit including a second branch path electrically connected to the first main electrode, the current adjusting unit being capable of switching a conduction state in which apart of an electric current flowing to the first branch path is fed to the second branch path and a non-conduction state in which the electric current is not fed to the second branch path.

7. The circuit according to claim 6, wherein

a detection voltage for detecting an absolute value of the alternating-current voltage is input to the control unit, and

the control unit determines whether conduction angle control for the alternating-current voltage is a phase control system and, if determining that the conduction angle control is the phase control system, controls the current adjusting unit on the basis of a first voltage and a second voltage larger than the first voltage, if an absolute value of the detection voltage is equal to or higher than the first voltage and smaller than the second voltage, sets the current adjusting unit in the conduction state, and, if the absolute value of the detection voltage is lower than the first voltage and if the absolute value of the detection voltage is equal to or higher than the second voltage, sets the current adjusting unit in the non-conduction state.

8. The circuit according to claim 6, wherein the control unit determines whether conduction angle control for the alternating-current voltage is an anti-phase control system and, if determining that the conduction angle control is the anti-phase control system, sets the current adjusting unit in the non-conduction state in a conduction section of the detected conduction angle and sets the current adjusting unit in the conduction state in an interruption section of the detected conduction angle.

9. The circuit according to claim 2, wherein

the power converting unit includes a rectifying circuit configured to rectify the alternating-current voltage, a smoothing capacitor configured to smooth a rectified voltage and converts the rectified voltage into a first direct-current voltage, and a direct-current voltage converting unit configured to convert the first direct-current voltage into a second direct-current voltage having a different voltage value,

a voltage not smoothed by the smoothing capacitor is applied to the second main electrode, and

a voltage smoothed by the smoothing capacitor is applied to the control electrode.

10. The circuit according to claim 9, wherein

a ground of the power supply unit for control is used in common with a ground on an input side of the direct-current voltage converting unit, and

a ground of the control unit is used in common with a ground on an output side of the direct-current voltage converting unit.

11. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the thermosensor is a PTC thermistor.

12. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the thermosensor is a temperature fuse.

13. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the thermosensor is a fuse resistor.

14. The circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the load is a lighting load including an illumination light source,

the alternating-current voltage is supplied from a dimmer, and

the control unit controls the power converting unit according to the detected conduction angle to thereby dim the illumination light source in synchronization with conduction angle control by the dimmer.

15. A luminaire comprising:

a lighting load including an illumination light source; and

a power supply circuit including;

a power converting unit configured to convert a conduction angle controlled alternating-current voltage supplied via a power supply path and supply a direct-current voltage to the lighting load;

a control unit configured to detect a conduction angle of the alternating-current voltage and control the conversion of the voltage by the power converting unit according to the detected conduction angle;

a power supply unit for control including a first branch path electrically connected to the power supply path, a semiconductor element configured to adjust an electric current flowing to the first branch path, and a thermosensor configured to limit, if temperature of the semiconductor element is equal to or higher than an upper limit temperature, an electric current flowing to the semiconductor element, the power supply unit for control converting the alternating-current voltage input via the first branch path and supplying a direct-current voltage to the control unit.