Power converter having primary and secondary side switches

• US 6,671,189 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minebea Electronics Motor Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Jansen, Arian, Zhang, Xiaoyang
• Primary Examiner(s): Riley, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US10/138,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20030090914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 363/21.13, 363/21.12, 363/21.14, 363/21.02, 363/21.03, 363/21.15
• US Class Current: 363/21.14
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33576 having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33592 having a synchronous rectifier circuit or a synchronous freewheeling circuit at the secondary 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 power converter having a transformer with a primary side winding and a secondary side winding, each having a switch. When the primary master switch is switched on, the transformer charges. When it is switched off, the intrinsic capacitance of the secondary slave switch discharges generating the zero voltage switching condition for the secondary slave switch. The secondary slave switch is switched on at a time determined in accordance with the waveform generated by the transformer. When the secondary slave switch is switched on, the transformer discharges and ultimately the charge from an output capacitor flows into the transformer as a backflow which charges the transformer. The secondary slave switch is switched off at a time determined in accordance with a current flowing through said secondary switch. The intrinsic capacitance of primary master switch discharges generating the zero voltage switching condition for primary master switch which is then switched on.

Claims

1. A power converter comprising:

an input terminal;

an output terminal;

a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side, said transformer further comprising a primary side winding connected to said input terminal and a secondary side winding connected to said output terminal;

a primary side switch;

a secondary side switch;

a slave control unit controlling switching of said secondary side switch;

a master control unit controlling switching of said primary side switch; and

a secondary current sense detecting said secondary current in said secondary side switch, said primary side switch and said secondary side switch being configured to be switched on and off alternately;

wherein said switching of said secondary side switch is accomplished depending on a secondary current detected in said secondary side switch, and wherein said primary side switch and said secondary side switch are switched on during a zero voltage switching condition;

wherein said slave control unit further comprises a comparator and a set/reset flip flop, wherein said secondary current sense conveys an output signal into said comparator when said secondary current becomes negative, wherein said comparator compares said output signal of said secondary current sense to a current reference level and outputs a switching signal to said set/reset flip flop when said output signal of said secondary current sense exceeds said current reference level, wherein said set/reset flip flop switches said secondary side switch when said switching signal is received and wherein said current reference level is given by the following equation;

2. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein said switching signal is a reset signal switching said secondary side switch off.

3. A power converter according to claim 1 further comprising a secondary waveform sensor detecting a waveform generated by said transformer, said secondary waveform sensor being a sense winding on said secondary side of the transformer.

4. A power converter according to claim 3 wherein said secondary side switch is switched on in accordance with said waveform of said transformer.

5. A power converter according to claim 1 further comprising an output capacitor.

6. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein said secondary side switch further comprises an intrinsic output capacitance and wherein said zero voltage switching condition is generated when said intrinsic output capacitance is discharged.

7. A power converter according to claim 1, wherein said primary side switch further comprises an intrinsic capacitance and wherein said zero voltage switching condition is generated when said intrinsic output capacitance is discharged.

8. A power converter according to claim 1 further comprising an output feedback circuitry connected between said output terminal and said master control unit, said output feed back circuitry generating an output feedback signal.

9. A power converter according to claim 8, wherein said master control unit further comprises an on-timer, a time-delay circuitry, a zero voltage detector and an error-amplifier, wherein said output feedback signal is fed into said error-amplifier, said error-amplifier producing an amplified error signal, and wherein said amplified error signal is fed into said on-timer, said on-timer controlling switching of said primary side switch.

10. A power converter according to claim 1 further comprising a primary current sense for detection of a primary current in said primary side switch.

11. A power converter comprising:

a transformer having a primary side and a secondary side;

a primary side switch;

a secondary side switch;

a slave control unit controlling switching of said secondary side switch;

a master control unit controlling switching of said primary side switch; and

a secondary current sense detecting a secondary current in said secondary side switch;

wherein said switching of said secondary side switch is accomplished depending on said secondary current detected in said secondary side switch, wherein said primary side switch and said secondary side switch are switched on during a zero voltage switching condition;

wherein said slave control unit further comprises a comparator and a set/reset flip flop, wherein said secondary current sense conveys an output signal into said comparator when said secondary current becomes negative, wherein said comparator compares said output signal of said secondary current sense to a current reference level and outputs a switching signal to said set/reset flip flop when said output signal of said secondary current sense exceeds said current reference level;

wherein said set/reset flip flop switches said secondary side switch when said switching signal is received;

wherein said current reference level is given by the following equation;

12. A power converter according to claim 11, wherein said switching signal is a reset signal switching said secondary side switch off.

13. A power converter according to claim 11, further comprising a secondary waveform sensor detecting a waveform generated by said transformer, said secondary waveform sensor being a sense winding on said secondary side of the transformer.

14. A power converter according to claim 13, wherein said secondary side switch is switched on in accordance with said waveform of said transformer.

15. A power converter according to claim 13, wherein said slave control unit is configured to switch said secondary side switch on within a predetermined time delay after said slave unit detects a zero level of said waveform.

16. A power converter according to claim 11 further comprising an output capacitor.

17. A power converter according to claim 11, wherein said secondary side switch further comprises an intrinsic output capacitance and wherein said zero voltage switching condition is generated when said intrinsic output capacitance is discharged.

18. A power converter according to claim 11, wherein said primary side switch further comprises an intrinsic capacitance and wherein said zero voltage switching condition is generated when said intrinsic output capacitance is discharged.

19. A power converter according to claim 11, further comprising an output terminal and an output feedback circuitry connected between said output terminal and said master control unit, said output feedback circuitry generating an output feedback signal.

20. A power converter according to claim 19, said master control unit further comprises an on-timer, a time-delay circuitry, a zero voltage detector and an error-amplifier, wherein said output feedback signal is fed into said error-amplifier, said error-amplifier producing an amplified error signal, and wherein said amplified error signal is fed into said on-timer, said on-timer controlling switching of said primary side switch.

21. A power converter according to claim 11 further comprising a primary current sense for detection of a primary current in said primary side switch.