Inverted circuit overcurrent protection device and hybrid integrated circuit device with the same incorporated

• US 7,609,498 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Okawa, Katsumi, Koike, Yasuhiro, Iimura, Junichi, Izutani, Soichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Stephen W
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, ANN THI
• Application Number:
  US11/533,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20070014065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: 361/93.1, 361/93.7
• US Class Current: 361/93.7
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/006 Calibration or setting of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/1222 responsive to abnormalities in the input circuit, e.g. transients in the DC input

Abstract

An inverter circuit overcurrent protection device in which an overcurrent detection resistor (Rs) is incorporated in a hybrid integrated circuit, in which a detection voltage from the overcurrent detection resistor (Rs) is divided by voltage dividing resistors (R₁ and R₂) and is compared with a reference voltage in an overcurrent detection circuit, for carrying out an overcurrent protection, and an external resistor is connected in series or in parallel with one of the voltage dividing resistors (R₁ and R₂) to change a division ratio so that the level of overcurrent protection can be adjusted; and an embodiment wherein, in the vicinity of a current detection terminal, a first pad (P1) is connected to a detection voltage from the overcurrent detection resistance, a second pad (P2) is connected to a detection voltage from the amplifier, and a third pad (P3) is connected to the voltage dividing resistors, and a bonding wire (10) is connected between the current detection terminal one of said pads, to select one of a plurality of overcurrent protection devices.

Claims

1. An inverter circuit overcurrent protection device comprising:

a plurality of switching elements,

a drive circuit for driving the switching elements,

a control circuit to generate a control signal to be input into the drive circuit to control a load,

an overcurrent detection resistor connected to said switching elements,

an overcurrent detection circuit,

an external resistor;

two voltage dividing resistors connected in series; and

two external terminals,

wherein said drive circuit, said switching elements, said voltage dividing resistors, said overcurrent detection resistor and said overcurrent detection circuit are incorporated in a single hybrid integrated circuit,

wherein the voltage dividing resistors are connected in parallel to the overcurrent detection resistor and in series to one of the external terminals,

wherein the overcurrent detection circuit is arranged to compare a voltage at a node between the two voltage dividing resistors with a reference voltage, the voltage at the node being input to the overcurrent detection circuit,

wherein the voltage at the node between the two voltage dividing resistors is a portion of a detection voltage across the overcurrent detection resistor,

wherein the external terminals are integrated as part of the single hybrid integrated circuit and connect the external resistor in series to the voltage dividing resistors,

wherein the external resistor is arranged to change a voltage dividing ratio associated with the voltage dividing resistors and reduce an overcurrent protection level without changing a value of the overcurrent detection resistor and the reference voltage;

and

wherein the external resistor is external to the hybrid integrated circuit.

2. The inverter circuit overcurrent protection device of claim 1 wherein the external resistor is arranged to reduce the overcurrent protection level by increasing the voltage at the node between the two voltage dividing resistors.

3. An inverter circuit overcurrent protection device comprising:

a plurality of switching elements,

a drive circuit for driving the switching elements,

a control circuit to generate a control signal to be input into the drive circuit to control a load,

an overcurrent detection resistor,

a detection voltage amplifier,

voltage dividing resistors,

an external resistor, two external terminals, and

an overcurrent detection circuit;

wherein said switching elements, said drive circuit, said voltage dividing resistors, and said overcurrent detection resistor are incorporated in a single hybrid integrated circuit, wherein the voltage dividing resistors are connected in parallel to the overcurrent detection resistor and in series to one of the external terminals,

wherein said amplifier is arranged to amplify a detection voltage from said overcurrent detection resistor the voltage dividing resistors are arranged to divide the detection voltage from the overcurrent detection resistor, and the overcurrent detection circuit is arranged to compare the detection voltage with a reference voltage in the overcurrent detection circuit to carry out overcurrent protection at a level without said external resistor;

wherein the overcurrent protection level without said external resistor can be fine-adjusted by connecting said external resistor in series or in parallel with one or more of the voltage dividing resistors to change a voltage dividing ratio associated with the voltage dividing resistors and thereby increase or decrease the overcurrent protection level; and

wherein the external resistor is external to the hybrid integrated circuit.

4. The inverter circuit overcurrent protection device of claim 3, wherein said external resistor is connected in series with one of said voltage dividing resistors and is arranged to lower the overcurrent protection level by increasing a divided voltage input into said overcurrent detection circuit.

5. An inverter circuit overcurrent protection device comprising:

upper arm switching elements Q₁, Q₂ and Q₃;

lower arm switching elements Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆;

a drive circuit to drive said switching elements Q₁, Q₂, Q₃, Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆ with a control signal having a modulated pulse width;

a load connected to a first connecting point U between said switching elements Q₁ and Q₄, a second connecting point between said switching elements Q₂ and Q₅, and a third connecting point W between said switching elements Q₃ and Q₆;

a control circuit to control the load and to generate the control signal to be input into said drive circuit;

an overcurrent detection resistor connected commonly in series with said lower arm switching elements Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆;

an overcurrent detection circuit;

an external resistor; and

two voltage dividing resistors connected in series;

two external terminals,

wherein said switching elements Q₁, Q₂, Q₃, Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆, said drive circuit, said overcurrent detection circuit, said overcurrent detection resistor connected with said switching elements Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆, and said voltage dividing resistors, which all generate heat, are incorporated in a single hybrid integrated circuit, so that the heat is discharged by said single hybrid integrated circuit

wherein the two voltage dividing resistors are connected in parallel to the overcurrent detection resistor and in series to one of the external terminals,

wherein the overcurrent detection circuit is arranged to compare a voltage at a node between the two voltage dividing resistors with a reference voltage, the voltage at the node being input to the overcurrent detection circuit,

wherein the voltage at the node between the two voltage dividing resistors is a portion of a detection voltage across the overcurrent detection resistor,

wherein the external terminals are integrated as part of the single hybrid integrated circuit and connect the external resistor in series to the voltage dividing resistors,

wherein the external resistor is arranged to change a voltage dividing ratio associated with the voltage dividing resistors and reduce an overcurrent protection level without changing a value of the overcurrent detection resistor and the reference voltage;

and

wherein the external resistor is external to the hybrid integrated circuit.

6. The inverter circuit overcurrent protection device of claim 5 wherein the external resistor is arranged to reduce the overcurrent protection level by increasing the voltage at the node between the two voltage dividing resistors.

7. An inverter circuit overcurrent protection device comprising:

upper arm switching elements Q₁, Q₂ and Q;

lower arm switching elements Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆;

a drive circuit for driving said switching elements Q₁, Q₂, Q₃, Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆ by use of a control signal with a modulated pulse width;

a load connected to a connecting point U between said switching elements Q₁ and Q₄, a connecting point V between said switching elements Q₂ and Q₅, and a connecting point W between said switching elements Q₃ and Q₆;

a control circuit to generate the control signal to be input into said drive circuit to control said load;

an overcurrent detection resistor connected commonly in series with said lower arm switching elements Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆;

an external resistor;

an amplifier;

voltage dividing resistors;

two external terminals; and

an overcurrent detection circuit,

wherein said switching elements Q₁, Q₂, Q₃, Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆, said drive circuit, and said overcurrent detection resistor connected with said switching elements Q₄, Q₅ and Q₆, and said voltage dividing resistors, which all generate heat, are incorporated in a single hybrid integrated circuit, so that the heat is discharged by said single hybrid integrated circuit;

wherein the voltage dividing resistors are connected in parallel to the overcurrent detection resistor and in series to one of the external terminals;

wherein the amplifier is arranged to amplify a detection voltage from said overcurrent detection resistor, the voltage dividing resistors are arranged to divide the detection voltage from the overcurrent detection resistor, and the overcurrent detection circuit is arranged to compare the detection voltage from the overcurrent detection resistor with a reference voltage in the overcurrent detection circuit, for carrying out overcurrent protection at a level without said external resistor,

wherein the overcurrent protection level without said external resistor can be fine-adjusted by connecting said external resistor in series or in parallel with one or more of the voltage dividing resistors to change a voltage dividing ratio associated with the voltage dividing resistors and thereby increase or decrease the overcurrent protection level; and

wherein the external resistor is external to the hybrid integrated circuit.

8. The inverter circuit overcurrent protection device of claim 7 wherein said external resistor is connected in series with one of said voltage dividing resistors and is arranged to lower the overcurrent protection level by increasing a divided voltage input into said overcurrent detection circuit.