Resonant switching power source apparatus

• US 7,375,987 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2007
• Issued: 05/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sanken Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Kyono, Yoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Laxton; Gary L.
• Application Number:
  US11/621,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20070165426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• Field of Search: 363/21.02, 363/21.03, 363/21.09, 363/21.17, 363/97, 363/98
• US Class Current: 363/21.02
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33571 Half-bridge at primary side of an isolation transformer
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/3376 with automatic control of output voltage or current
• 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 resonant switching power source apparatus has a first switching element and second switching element being connected in series between output terminals of a DC power source and are alternately turned on and off; a series resonant circuit having a primary winding of a transformer and a current resonance capacitor and connected in parallel with the second switching element; a controller to control the first and second switching elements; a rectifying/smoothing circuit to rectify and smooth a voltage, which is generated on a secondary winding of the transformer during an ON period of the second switching element, and output the rectified-smoothed voltage; a current detector to detect a current passing through the series resonant circuit; and an overcurrent protector to turn off the first and second switching elements for a predetermined period so that excitation energy of the transformer is reset, if the current detector detects a predetermined current value.

Claims

1. A resonant switching power source apparatus comprising:

a first switching element and a second switching element that are connected in series between output terminals of a DC power source and are alternately turned on and off;

a series resonant circuit having a primary winding of a transformer and a current resonance capacitor and connected in parallel with the second switching element;

a controller configured to control ON/OFF operation of the first and second switching elements;

a rectifying/smoothing circuit configured to rectify and smooth a voltage, which is generated on a secondary winding of the transformer during an ON period of the second switching element controlled by the controller, and output the rectified-smoothed voltage; and

a current detector configured to detect a current passing through the series resonant circuit; and

an over current protector of the controller configured to turn off the first and second switching elements for a predetermined period to reset excitation energy of the transformer as the current detector detects a predetermined current value.

2. The resonant switching power source apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a first overcurrent detector configured to detect whether or not a current passing through the series resonant circuit is equal to or larger than a first current value;

a second overcurrent detector configured to detect whether or not the current passing through the series resonant circuit is equal to or larger than a second current value that is larger than the first current value;

a first overcurrent protector configured to turn off the first switching element as the first overcurrent detector detects the first current value; and

a second overcurrent protector configured to turn off the first and second switching elements for a predetermined period so that excitation energy of the transformer is reset, as the second overcurrent detector detects the second current value.

3. The resonant switching power source apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a first overcurrent detector configured to detect whether or not a current passing through the series resonant circuit has a first current value;

a second overcurrent detector configured to detect whether or not the current passing through the series resonant circuit has a second current value that is larger than the first current value;

a first overcurrent protector configured to turn off the first switching element as the first overcurrent detector detects the first current value; and

a second overcurrent protector configured to turn off the first and second switching elements for a predetermined period so that excitation energy of the transformer is reset, as the second overcurrent detector detects the second current value.

4. The resonant switching power source apparatus of claim 2, wherein:

as the second overcurrent detector detects the second current value, the controller gradually increases the first current value to be detected by the first overcurrent detector from an initial value.

5. The resonant switching power source apparatus of claim 2, wherein

as the second overcurrent detector detects the second current value, the controller gradually increases the ON period of the first switching element from an initial value.

6. A method of controlling a resonant switching power source apparatus having a first switching element and second switching element that are connected in series between output terminals of a DC power source and are alternately turned on and off, a series resonant circuit containing a primary winding of a transformer and a current resonance capacitor and connected in parallel with the second switching element, and a controller configured to control ON/OFF operation of the first and second switching elements, the method comprising:

detecting a current passing through the series resonant circuit;

detecting whether or not the detected current is equal to or larger than a first current value;

detecting whether or not the detected current is equal to or larger than a second current value that is larger than the first current value;

as the first current value is detected, turning off the first switching element; and

as the second current value is detected, turning off the first and second switching elements for a predetermined period so that excitation energy of the transformer is reset.

7. A method of controlling a resonant switching power source apparatus having a first switching element and second switching element that are connected in series between output terminals of a DC power source and are alternately turned on and off, a series resonant circuit containing a primary winding of a transformer and a current resonance capacitor and connected in parallel with the second switching element, and a controller configured to control ON/OFF operation of the first and second switching elements, the method comprising:

detecting a current passing through the series resonant circuit;

detecting whether or not the detected current of the series resonant circuit is equal to or larger than a first current value;

detecting a current passing through the second switching element;

detecting whether or not the detected current of the second switching element is equal to or larger than a second current value that is larger than the first current value;

as the first current value is detected, turning off the first switching element; and

as the second current value is detected, turning off the first and second switching elements for a predetermined period so that excitation energy of the transformer is reset.