Snubber circuit

• US 7,319,579 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2005
• Issued: 01/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Tomoki, Sugiyama, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Benenson; Boris
• Application Number:
  US11/185,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20060018074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 361/91.7, 361/56, 361/111
• US Class Current: 361/118
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/041 using a short-circuiting device

Abstract

A snubber circuit has a voltage detection circuit which detects that a voltage between first and second terminals exceeds a predetermined voltage, a protection circuit which performs control to prevent an overvoltage between the first and second terminals when the voltage detection circuit detects that the voltage between the first and second terminals exceeds the predetermined voltage, and a voltage control circuit which bypasses a portion of a main current flowing between the first and second terminals to the protection circuit when the voltage detection circuit detects that the voltage between the first and second terminals exceeds the predetermined voltage.

Claims

1. A snubber circuit including a protection circuit connected to a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control input terminal, comprising:

a voltage detecting circuit including a capacitor and a diode connected in series between the first and second terminals, or between the first terminal and the control input terminal;

the protection circuit connected between the first and second terminals, configured to prevent an overvoltage between the first and second terminals in accordance with a voltage of the control input terminal; and

a voltage control circuit configured to bypass a portion of a main current flowing between the first and second terminals to the protection circuit when a voltage at both ends of the capacitor exceeds a predetermined voltage,

wherein a cathode electrode of the diode is connected to a side of the first terminal, and an anode electrode of the diode is connected to a side of the second terminal or the control input terminal having a voltage lower than a voltage of the first terminal.

2. A snubber circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the voltage detecting circuit includes a comparison circuit configured to output a signal indicating whether a voltage in a connection path between the diode and the capacitor exceeds the predetermined voltage, and

wherein the voltage control circuit is configured to control operation of the protection circuit based on the output signal of the comparison circuit.

3. A snubber circuit according to claim 2,

wherein the voltage control circuit includes:

a semiconductor switch circuit switched to ON or OFF in accordance with the output signal of the comparison circuit;

a first impedance element connected in series to the semiconductor switch circuit; and

a direct power supply connected in series to the semiconductor switch circuit and the first impedance element,

wherein the control input terminal is connected to a connection path between the semiconductor switch circuit and the first impedance element.

4. A snubber circuit according to claim 3 further comprising:

a first substrate on which the semiconductor switch circuit and the diode are formed; and

a second substrate on which the protection circuit and the voltage control circuit are formed.

5. A snubber circuit according to claim 2,

wherein the voltage control circuit includes:

a semiconductor switch circuit switched ON or OFF in accordance with the output signal of the comparison circuit;

a first impedance element connected in series to the semiconductor switch circuit;

a second impedance element connected in series to the first impedance element; and

at least one direct power supply connected in series to the semiconductor switch circuit, the first impedance element and the second impedance element,

the control input terminal being connected to a connection path between the first and second impedance elements.

6. A snubber circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the protection circuit includes a transistor of which a collector or a drain is connected to one of the first and second terminals, and an emitter or a source is connected to the other of the first and second terminals;

and

the capacitor and the diode are connected in series between the first terminal and a base or a gate of the transistor being the control input terminal so that a junction capacitance of the diode becomes small as a voltage between the collector and the emitter, or between the drain and the source, of the transistor increases.

7. A snubber circuit according to claim 6,

wherein the cathode electrode of the diode is connected to the first terminal, the anode electrode of the diode is connected to one end of the capacitor, and the other end of the capacitor is connected to a base or gate of the transistor.

8. A snubber circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the protection circuit includes a transistor of which a collector or a drain is connected to one of the first and second terminals, and an emitter or a source is connected to the other of the first and second terminals;

and

a cathode electrode of the diode is connected to the first terminal, and an anode electrode of the diode is connected to one end of the capacitor and the other end of the capacitor is connected to the second terminal.

9. A snubber circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the voltage detecting circuit includes:

the diode connected in series to the capacitor; and

a first impedance element connected in series to the capacitor,

wherein the voltage control circuit is configured to control operation of the protection circuit based on a voltage of a connection path between the capacitor and the first impedance element.

10. A snubber circuit according to claim 9,

wherein the protection circuit includes a semiconductor switch circuit of which a collector or a drain is connected to one of the first and second terminals, and an emitter or a source is connected to the other of the first and second terminals, the semiconductor switch circuit having the control input terminal;

and

the diode, the capacitor and the first impedance element are connected in series between the first terminal and the control input terminal of the semiconductor circuit, or between the collector and the emitter or between the drain and the source of the semiconductor switch circuit.

11. A snubber circuit according to claim 10,

wherein the voltage detecting circuit, the protection circuit and the voltage control circuit are formed on the same substrate.

12. A snubber circuit according to claim 9 further comprising,

a second impedance element connected in parallel at both ends of the capacitor;

and

a third impedance element connected in parallel at both ends of the diode.

13. A snubber circuit according to claim 9,

wherein the voltage control circuit includes:

a semiconductor switch circuit switched to ON or OFF in accordance with a voltage of a connection path between the capacitor and the first impedance element;

a second impedance element connected in series to the semiconductor switch circuit; and

a direct power supply connected in series to the semiconductor switch circuit and the second impedance element,

wherein the control input terminal is connected to a connection path between the semiconductor switch circuit and the second impedance element.

14. A snubber circuit according to claim 13,

wherein the voltage control circuit includes a third impedance element of which one end is connected to the semiconductor switch circuit, and the other end is connected to the first terminal;

and

the third impedance element, the semiconductor switch circuit and the second impedance element are connected in series between the first and second terminals in the aforementional order.

15. A snubber circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the protection circuit includes a plurality of transistors of which all collectors or drains are connected to one of the first and second terminals, all emitters or sources are connected to the other of the first and second terminals, and all bases or gates are connected to each other;

and

the voltage detecting circuit is configured to detect that a voltage between the first and second terminals exceeds the predetermined voltage based on a voltage between the collectors and the bases or the gates, or between the drains and the gates of the plurality of transistors.

16. A snubber circuit according to claim 1,

wherein the protection circuit includes a plurality of transistors of which all collectors or drains are connected to one of the first and second terminals, and all emitters or sources are connected to the other of the first and second terminals;

and

the voltage control circuit independently controls ON and OFF of the plurality of transistors based on a result detected by the voltage detecting circuit.