Switching power supply with surge current and surge voltage prevention

• US 5,774,345 A
• Filed: 10/03/1996
• Issued: 06/30/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Takuya, Yoshida, Koji, Handa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US08/725,366
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 363/17, 363/98, 363/132, 363/56, 327/309, 327/318
• US Class Current: 363/17
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0058 by employing soft switching techniques, i.e. commutation of transistors when applied voltage is zero or when current flow is zero using an auxiliary actively switched resonant commutation circuit connected to an intermediate DC voltage or between two push-pull branches of an inverter bridge H02M7/4811; in resonant inverters H02M7/4815; in inverters operating from a resonant DC source H02M7/4826
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/1552 Boost converters exploiting the leakage inductance of a transformer or of an alternator as boost inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33569 having several active switching elements H02M3/3353 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33571 Half-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• 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

A direct current output voltage is switched by two switching units and a current alternately changing directions is supplied to a primary winding of a transformer. An alternating voltage induced in a secondary winding of the transformer is rectified and smoothed, and is applied to a control circuit. A bidirectional switching unit is connected in parallel with the primary winding, and is controlled by the control circuit so that the primary winding is short-circuited by the bidirectional switching unit and an exciting energy of the transformer is held continuously.

Claims

1. A switching power supply apparatus comprising:

at least two capacitors for dividing an input voltage to produce a divided voltage,

a transformer having a primary winding,

two switching means for switching a direction of application of said divided voltage to generate an alternating current output voltage to said primary winding, and

bidirectional switching means for short-circuiting said primary winding during nonconductive periods of said two switching means.

2. A switching power supply apparatus comprising:

a serially-coupled pair of first switching means and second switching means connected across terminals of a direct current source, said first switching means and said second switching means alternately turning-ON and turning-OFF, respectively,

a capacitor connected at one end to one of said terminals of said direct current source,

a transformer comprising a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, one end of said primary winding being connected to another end of said capacitor and the other end of said primary winding being connected to the junction between said first switching means and said second switching means,

bidirectional switching means connected in parallel with said primary winding,

rectifying and smoothing means operably connected to said at least one secondary winding so as to rectify and smooth output AC current from said at least one secondary winding, and

control means for producing and applying control signals to said first and second switching means and said bidirectional switching means by receiving an output of said rectifying and smoothing means so that said bidirectional switching means becomes conductive during nonconductive periods of said first switching means and said second switching means, thereby passing a current substantially in continuity through said primary winding.

3. A switching power supply apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein a serially-coupled pair of a first capacitor and a second capacitor are connected across said terminals of said direct current source, and said one end of said primary winding is connected to the junction between said first capacitor and said second capacitor.

4. A switching power supply apparatus comprising:

a serially-coupled pair of first switching means and second switching means connected across terminals of a direct current source, said first switching means and said second switching means alternately turning-ON and turning-OFF, respectively,

a capacitor connected at one end to one of said output terminals of said direct current source,

a transformer comprising a primary winding, an auxiliary winding and at least one secondary winding, one end of said primary winding being connected to another end of said capacitor and the other end of said primary winding being connected to the junction between said first switching means and said second switching means,

bidirectional switching means connected in parallel with said auxiliary winding,

rectifying and smoothing means operably connected to said at least one secondary winding so as to rectify and smooth output AC current from said at least one secondary winding, and

control means for producing and applying control signals to said first and second switching means and said bidirectional switching means by receiving an output of said rectifying and smoothing means so that said bidirectional switching means becomes conductive during nonconductive periods of said first switching means and said second switching means, thereby passing a current substantially in continuity through said primary winding.

5. A switching power supply apparatus in accordance with claim 4, wherein a serially-coupled pair of a first capacitor and a second capacitor are connected across said output terminal of said direct current source, and said one end of said primary winding is connected to the junction between said first capacitor and said second capacitor.

6. A switching power supply apparatus comprising:

a transformer having at least two windings,

at least two switching means for alternately applying an input voltage to said at least two windings, and

bidirectional switching means for short-circuiting said winding of said transformer during OFF-states of said at least two switching means.

7. A switching power supply apparatus comprising:

a transformer having a first primary winding and a second primary winding connected at each of one end thereof to one terminal of a direct current source, and at least one secondary winding,

first switching means connected at one end thereof in series with said first primary winding and connected at another end thereof to the other terminal of said direct current source, and alternately turning-ON and turning-OFF,

second switching means connected at one end thereof in series with said second primary winding and connected at another end thereof to said other terminal of said direct current source, and alternately turning-ON and turning-OFF with said first switching means,

bidirectional switching means connected between the junction of said first primary winding and said first switching means and the other junction of said second primary winding and said second switching means,

rectifying and smoothing means operably connected to said secondary winding for rectifying and smoothing a current of said secondary winding, and

a control circuit receiving an output of said rectifying and smoothing means, the control circuit controlling said first switching means, said second switching means and said bidirectional switching means so that said bidirectional switching means becomes conductive during OFF-states of both said first and second switching means, and thereby continuously holds energy stored in said transformer.

8. A switching power supply apparatus comprising:

a transformer having a first primary winding and a second primary winding connected at each one end thereof to one terminal of a direct current source, at least one secondary winding and an auxiliary winding,

first switching means connected at one end thereof in series with said first primary winding and connected at another end thereof to the other terminal of said direct current source, and alternately turning-ON and turning-OFF,

second switching means connected at one end thereof in series with said second primary winding and connected at another end thereof to said other terminal of said direct current source, for alternately turning-ON and turning-OFF with said first switching means,

bidirectional switching means connected in parallel with said auxiliary winding,

rectifying and smoothing means operably connected to said secondary winding for rectifying and smoothing a current of said secondary winding, and

a control circuit receiving an output of said rectifying and smoothing means, the control circuit controlling said first switching means, said second switching means and said bidirectional switching means so that said bidirectional switching means becomes conductive during OFF-states of both said first and second switching means, and thereby continuously holds energy stored in said transformer.