Circuit for starting power source apparatus

• US 6,980,446 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Tomoyasu, Simada, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US10/503,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20050088862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 363/21.08, 363/21.16, 363/49, 363/89
• US Class Current: 363/49
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/4208 Arrangements for improving power factor of AC input
• 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

When an AC power source (1) is turned on, energy is accumulated in a backup capacitor (63) by an energy supply circuit (64). An internal power source (65) supplies the energy accumulated in the capacitor (63) to a control unit (49). Thus, a power factor improvement circuit (40-2) operates. When the power factor improvement circuit (40-2) operates to output a predetermined voltage, an output voltage detection circuit (67) detects the voltage, and switches the internal power source (66) on. The turned on internal power source (66) supplies the energy in the capacitor (63) to a control unit (56) to operate a DC/DC conversion circuit (50). In this way, by operating the DC/DC conversion circuit (50) after operating the power factor improvement circuit (40-2), the capacity of the capacitor (63) can be reduced.

Claims

1. A method for starting a power source apparatus that comprises

an AC/DC conversion circuit (40) that converts an AC voltage provided by a power source (1) to a first DC voltage while operating, and a DC/DC conversion circuit (50) that converts the first DC voltage that said AC/DC conversion circuit outputs, to a second DC voltage, while operating,

by using an element to be charged (63) for backup and an energy supply circuit (64) that supplies the energy that the power source generates to the element to be charged (63), characterized by carrying out:

an initial charging processing that charges by supplying energy that said power source (1) generates to the element to be charged (63), using the energy supply circuit (64) from the time that said power source (1) is applied;

a first starting processing that starts said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) to operate by supplying the energy accumulated in the element to be charged (63) to the AC/DC conversion circuit (40), in a case where it is detected that a predetermined energy is charged to said element to be charged (63);

an output voltage detection processing that detects that said first DC voltage is output, by said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) operating, and

a second starting processing that starts said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) to operate by supplying the energy accumulated in said element to be charged (63) to the DC/DC conversion circuit (50), after it is detected that the AC/DC conversion circuit (40) output said first DC voltage.

2. The method for starting a power source apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further carrying out a stopping charge processing that stops said initial charging processing, after it is detected that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) output said first DC voltage.

3. The method for starting a power source apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by charging said element to be charged, by supplying a part of the energy that said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) generates to the element to be charged, after said stopping charge processing.

4. The method for starting a power source apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) comprises:

a rectifier circuit (40-1) that is connected to said power source (1);

a first coil (42) that is connected to said rectifier circuit (40-1);

a first switching element (43) that is connected to said first coil (42), which passes a current to said first coil (42) when it is turned on, and stops the current when it is turned off;

first DC conversion means (44, 46) that transform the energy accumulated in said first coil (42) to said first DC voltage, by said current passing through said first coil (42), and

a first control unit (49) that controls on/off of said first switching element (43), and

in said first starting processing, said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) is started by supplying the energy charged in said element to be charged (63) to the first control unit (49) and starting the first control unit (49).

5. The method for starting a power source apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that

said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) comprises:

a second coil (51a) that is connected to the output terminal of said AC/DC conversion circuit (40);

a second switching element (52) that is connected to said second coil (51a), which passes a current to the second coil (51a) when it is turned on, and stops the current when it is turned off;

second DC conversion means (51b, 53, 54) that transform the energy accumulated in said second coil (51a) to said second DC voltage, by said current passing through the second coil (51a), and

a second control unit (56) that controls on/off of said second switching element (52), and

in said second starting processing, said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) is started by supplying the energy charged in said element to be charged (63) to the second control unit (56) and starting the second control unit (56).

6. A starting circuit (60) of a power source apparatus characterized by including an AC/DC conversion circuit (40) that converts an AC voltage provided by a power source (1) to a first DC voltage while operating, and a DC/DC conversion circuit (50) that converts the first DC voltage that said AC/DC conversion circuit outputs, to a second DC voltage, while operating, and comprises:

an element to be charged (63) for backup;

an energy supply circuit (64) that charges said element to be charged (63) by supplying energy that the power source generates, after said power source (1) is applied;

a first internal power source (65) that detects whether a predetermined energy has been charged to said element to be charged, and operates said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) by supplying the energy accumulated in the element to be charged (63) to the AC/DC conversion circuit (40);

an output voltage detection circuit (67) that detects that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) is operating, and said first DC voltage is output, and

a second internal power source (66) that operates said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) by supplying energy accumulated in said element to be charged (63) to the DC/DC conversion circuit (50), after it is detected that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) is operating, and has output the first DC voltage.

7. The starting circuit (60) of the power source apparatus according to claim 6, characterized by further comprising stopping charge means (64b) for stopping charging to said element to be charged (63) by the energy supply circuit, after it is detected that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) has output said first DC voltage.

8. The starting circuit (60) of the power source apparatus according to claim 7, characterized by further comprising charging continuation means (61, 62) for charging by supplying a part of energy that said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) generates to the element to be charged (63), after said stopping charge means (64b) stops charging to the element to be charged.

9. The starting circuit (60) of the power source apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that

said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) comprises:

a rectifier circuit (40-1) that is connected to said power source (1);

a first coil (42) that is connected to said rectifier circuit (40-1);

a first switching element (43) that is connected to said first coil (42), which passes a current to the first coil (42) when it is turned on, and stops the current when it is turned off;

first DC conversion means (44, 46) that transform the energy accumulated in the first coil (42) to said first DC voltage, by said current passing through said first coil (42), and

a first control unit (49) that controls on/off of said first switching element (43), and

said first internal power source (65) starts the AC/DC conversion circuit (40) by supplying the energy accumulated in the element to be charged (63) to the first control unit (49) and starting the first control unit (49).

10. The power source apparatus starting method according to claim 6, characterized in that

said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) comprises:

a second coil (51a) that is connected to the output terminal of said AC/DC conversion circuit (40);

a second switching element (52) that is connected to said second coil (51a), which passes a current to the second coil (51a) when it is turned on, and stops the current when it is turned off;

second DC conversion means (51b, 53, 54) that transform the energy accumulated in the second coil (51a) to said second DC voltage, by said current passing through said second coil (51a), and

a second control unit (56) that controls on/off of said second switching element (52), and

in said second internal power source (66), said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) is started by supplying the energy charged in said element to be charged (63) to the second control unit (56) and starting the second control unit (56).

11. The starting circuit (60) of the power source apparatus according to claim 10, characterized by comprising an auxiliary coil (61) that electromagnetically couples with the second coil (51b), and a diode (62) that charges said element to be charged by rectifying the energy that the auxiliary coil (61) generates and supplying the energy to the element to be charged (63).

12. A power source apparatus characterized by comprising:

an AC/DC conversion circuit (40) that converts an AC voltage provided by a power source (1) to a first DC voltage while operating;

a DC/DC conversion circuit (50) that converts the first DC voltage that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) outputs, to a second DC voltage, while operating;

an element to be charged (63) for backup;

an energy supply circuit (64) that charges said element to be charged (63) by supplying energy that a power source generates, after said power source (1) is applied;

a first internal power source (65) that detects whether a predetermined energy has been charged to said element to be charged (63), and operates said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) by supplying the energy accumulated in the element to be charged (63) to the AC/DC conversion circuit (40);

an output voltage detection circuit (67) that detects that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) is operating, and said first DC voltage is output, and

a second internal power source (66) that operates said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) by supplying energy accumulated in said element to be charged (63) to the DC/DC conversion circuit (50), after it is detected that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) has output the first DC voltage.

13. The power source apparatus according to claim 12, characterized by further comprising stopping charge means (64b) for stopping charging to said element to be charged (63) by said energy supply circuit (64), after it is detected that said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) output the first DC voltage.

14. The power source apparatus according to claim 13, characterized by further comprising charging continuation means (61, 62) for charging by supplying a part of energy that said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) generates to said element to be charged (63), after the stopping charge means (64b) stops charging to the element to be charged (63).

15. The power source apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that

said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) comprises:

a rectifier circuit (40-1) that is connected to said power source;

a first coil (42) that is connected to said rectifier circuit (40-1);

a first switching element (43) that is connected to said first coil (42), which passes a current to the first coil (42) when it is turned on, and stops the current when it is turned off;

first DC conversion means (44, 46) that transform the energy accumulated in the first coil (42) to said first DC voltage, by said current passing through said first coil (42), and

a first control unit (49) that controls on/off of said first switching element (43), and

said first internal power source (65) starts said AC/DC conversion circuit (40) by supplying the energy accumulated in said element to be charged (63) to the first control unit (49) and starting the first control unit (49).

16. The power source apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that

said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) comprises:

a second coil (51a) that is connected to the output terminal of said AC/DC conversion circuit (40);

a second switching element (52) that is connected to said second coil (51a), which passes a current to the second coil (51a) when it is turned on, and stops the current when it is turned off;

second DC conversion means (51b, 53, 54) that transform the energy accumulated in the second coil (51a) to said second DC voltage, by said current passing through said second coil (51a), and

a second control unit (56) that controls on/off of said second switching element (52), and

in said second internal power source (66), said DC/DC conversion circuit (50) is started by supplying the energy charged in said element to be charged (63) to the second control unit (56) and starting the second control unit (56).

17. The power source apparatus according to claim 16, characterized by comprising an auxiliary coil (61) that electromagnetically couples with said second coil (51a), and a diode (62) that charges said element to be charged by rectifying the energy that the auxiliary coil (61) generates and supplying the energy to the element to be charged (63).