POWER CONVERTING APPARATUS AND HOME APPLIANCE INCLUDING THE SAME

• US 20190312523A1
• Filed: 04/04/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HONG, Youngho
• Granted Patent: US 10,658,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/165 Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 5/00 Circuit arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks and dc networks H02J3/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0003 Details of control, feedback or regulation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/44 Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/219 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence

Abstract

A power converting apparatus and a home appliance having the same according to the present invention includes: an input unit including an AC connection unit which receives an alternating current (AC) power from an external and a DC connection unit which receives a direct current (DC) power; a DC terminal voltage detection unit which detects a voltage of a DC terminal; a heater which is driven based on a voltage of the DC terminal; and a heater power supply unit supplies a voltage having a different magnitude to the heater according to a voltage detected by the DC terminal voltage detection unit, so that the home appliance and the heater can be commonly used for both the DC power and the AC power.

Claims

1. A power converting apparatus comprising:

an input unit including an AC connection unit to receive an alternating current (AC) power and a DC connection unit to receive a direct current (DC) power;

a bridge diode unit including a plurality of diodes and coupled to the input unit;

a capacitor which is coupled to a DC terminal which is an output terminal of the bridge diode unit;

a DC terminal voltage detection unit to detect a voltage of the DC terminal;

a heater; and

a heater power supply unit which is disposed between the capacitor and the heater to selectively supply a voltage having a different magnitude to the voltage of the DC terminal to the heater according to the voltage detected by the DC terminal voltage detection unit.

2. The power converting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heater power supply unit comprises:

a DC/DC converter to convert the voltage of the DC terminal and output the converted voltage to the heater; and

a relay unit to selectively supply the DC terminal voltage to the heater or the DC/DC converter, according to the voltage detected by the DC terminal voltage detection unit.

3. The power converting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the DC/DC converter reduces and outputs an input voltage.

4. The power converting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the relay unit operates to supply a first voltage to the heater when the voltage detected by the DC terminal voltage detection unit is the first voltage, and

supply a second voltage to the DC/DC converter when the voltage detected by the DC terminal voltage detection unit is the second voltage higher than the first voltage.

5. The power converting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the heater has a maximum efficiency with the first voltage.

6. The power converting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the relay unit comprises:

an input terminal coupled to the DC terminal;

a first output terminal which is coupled to the DC/DC converter;

a second output terminal which is coupled to the heater; and

a relay to switch between the first output terminal and the second output terminal.

7. The power converting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bridge diode unit operates such that diodes of the plurality of diodes form a circuit path on according to a polarity of the DC power received in the input unit.

8. The power converting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bridge diode unit converts the AC power received through the AC connection unit to DC power, and outputs the DC power to the DC terminal.

9. The power converting apparatus of claim 1, comprising a noise filter disposed between the input unit and the bridge diode unit.

10. The power converting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the AC connection unit is coupled to an AC plug and the DC connection unit is coupled to a DC plug, and

the DC plug comprises an arc extinction device.

11. The power converting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises:

an AC input detection unit to sense an input of the AC power; and

a DC input detection unit to sense an input of the DC power.

12. The power converting apparatus of claim 11, comprising a relay to interrupt a connection between the AC connection unit and the bridge diode unit when the DC input detection unit detects the input of the DC power.

17. The home appliance of claim 1, wherein the input unit comprises:

an AC input detection unit to sense an input of the AC power; and

a DC input detection unit to sense an input of the DC power.

18. The home appliance of claim 17, comprising a relay, wherein the controller controls the relay to interrupt a connection between the AC connection unit and the bridge diode unit when the DC input detection unit detects the input of the DC power.

13. A home appliance comprising:

an input unit including an AC connection unit to receive an alternating current (AC) power and a DC connection unit to receive a direct current (DC) power;

a bridge diode unit including a plurality of diodes and coupled to the input unit;

a capacitor which is coupled to a DC terminal which is an output terminal of the bridge diode unit;

a DC terminal voltage detection unit to detect a voltage of the DC terminal;

a controller;

a heater; and

a heater power supply unit which is disposed between the capacitor and the heater, and the controller controls the heater power supply to selectively supply a voltage having a different magnitude to the voltage of the DC terminal to the heater according to the voltage detected by the DC terminal voltage detection unit.

14. The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the heater power supply unit comprises:

a DC/DC converter to convert the voltage of the DC terminal and output the converted voltage to the heater; and

a relay unit,

wherein the controller controls the relay unit to selectively supply the DC terminal voltage to the heater or the DC/DC converter, according to the voltage detected by the DC terminal voltage detection unit.

15. The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the bridge diode unit operates such that diodes of the plurality of diodes form a circuit path according to a polarity of the DC power received in the input unit.

16. The home appliance of claim 13, wherein the bridge diode unit converts the AC power received through the AC connection unit to DC power, which outputs the DC power to the DC terminal.

19. The home appliance of claim 13, comprising:

an inverter unit coupled to the DC terminal; and

a motor coupled to the inverter unit.

20. The home appliance of claim 13, comprising:

a voltage conversion unit coupled to the DC terminal, wherein the voltage conversion unit supplies DC power to a load.