Two terminals quasi resonant tank circuit

• US 7,924,577 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2009
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MyPAQ Holdings Ltd. (Transpacific IP Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Jansen, Arian, Sharifipour, Bahman, Telefus, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Laxton; Gary L
• Application Number:
  US12/620,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 363/15, 363/16, 363/21.02, 363/21.03, 363/21.12, 363/97, 363/131
• US Class Current: 363/21.02
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/01 Resonant DC/DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33523 with galvanic isolation between input and output of both the power stage and the feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33571 Half-bridge at primary 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 includes a transformer, a primary switch, an auxiliary switch, first and second resonance capacitors, and a secondary side rectification means. A switch mode power supply is formed to use reflected voltage and parasitic capacitance as an energy source for a transformer resonance. The auxiliary switch effectively exchanges energy between the primary inductance of the transformer and the first and second resonant capacitors. The auxiliary switch effectively switches the transformer resonance between two distinct frequencies. In one embodiment of the invention, the power converter can be, but is not limited to, a flyback converter and further includes a comparator and a driver. The comparator is for detecting the voltage across the second resonance capacitor and the driver is configured to drive the auxiliary switch based on the output state of the comparator. The resonant nature of the converter provides zero voltage (ZVS) for the primary switch as well as for the auxiliary switch.

Claims

1. A quasi resonant type circuit comprising:

a. an inductor;

b. a capacitor coupled to the inductor in a parallel inductor-capacitor (LC) type arrangement;

c. a transistor coupled to the inductor-capacitor type arrangement, the transistor for providing a switching cycle, wherein the switching cycle is determined with respect to a charge on the capacitor;

d. a quasi resonant storage tank for storing an electromagnetic energy by using a resonant current;

wherein the circuit is configured to receive the resonant current in a first cycle of operation, wherein the circuit is configured to release the stored energy in a second cycle of operation.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit has an associated signal curve that is sinusoidal.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured for operation by using the first and second cycles without the need for an external driver.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured for operation by using the first and second cycles without the need for external control.

5. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a set of parasitic components; and

a set of non parasitic components,

wherein the parasitic and the non parasitic components store the energy,

wherein the energy is retrieved from the parasitic components.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistor comprises a MOSFET.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein an input power across the primary turns of the transformer provides power to the circuit.

8. The circuit of claim 1, the circuit consisting of no more than two terminal nodes within the circuit, wherein the two terminal nodes are coupled to no more than two pins.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit is coupled to a transformer for a power converter, wherein the circuit provides the switching cycle for the power converter.

10. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the power converter comprises a flyback type power converter.

11. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the power converter comprises a forward type power converter.

12. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistor is coupled in a parallel arrangement to the LC type arrangement.

13. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first and second cycles of operation correspond to the switching cycle.