Control device of switching device and control device of driving circuit of motor

• US 7,206,179 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyamoto, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): Deberadinis; Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas; Lucy
• Application Number:
  US10/834,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20050128671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 361/118
• US Class Current: 361/118
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/538 in a push-pull configuration H02M7/5375 takes precedence ; with oscillating arrangements H02M7/53832, H02M7/53846
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/0828 in composite switches

Abstract

A control device includes a capacitor disposed between P–N lines and constituting a snubber circuit, and a voltage detection resistor for detecting a voltage between the P–N lines by dividing resistances to detect surge voltages of transistors, in which gate control signals are provided from drivers to the transistors through gate resistance variable devices, respectively. The gate resistance variable devices include variable resistors, respectively, and the resistance values of the variable resistors are controlled based on variable resistor control signals provided from a detected voltage monitoring device, respectively.

Claims

1. A control device of switching devices, comprising:

driving devices configured to performing drive and control of said switching devices;

a snubber circuit configured to suppress a surge voltage generated during a switching operation of said switching devices;

a voltage detection device configured to detect a voltage between main electrodes of said switching devices;

a detected voltage monitoring device configured to monitor the voltage detected by said voltage detection device to detect said surge voltage; and

control state changing devices configured to change a control state of said switching devices based on instructions provided from said detected voltage monitoring device, wherein

said detected voltage monitoring device has first and second predetermined values to be compared with said surge voltage, and suppresses said surge voltage by;

a provision of instructions to said control state changing devices so that a transition of the control state of said switching devices takes place from a normal control state to a first control state when said surge voltage exceeds said first predetermined value, and

a provision of instructions to said control state changing devices so that a transition of the control state of said switching devices takes place from said first control state to a second control state when said surge voltage exceeds said second predetermined value while said switching devices are in said first control state.

2. The control device of the switching devices according to claim 1, wherein

said detected voltage monitoring device is configured to provide instructions to said control state changing devices so that the control state of said switching devices recovers said normal control state from said first control state when said surge voltage maintains a value no more than said second predetermined value while said switching devices are in said first control state.

3. The control device of the switching devices according to claim 2, wherein

said detected voltage monitoring device is configured to provide instructions to said control state changing devices so that a transition of the control state of said switching devices takes place from said first control state to said second control state only when said surge voltage keeps exceeding said second predetermined value while said switching devices are in said first control state.

4. The control device of the switching devices according to claim 3, wherein

said detected voltage monitoring device is configurd to repeat comparison judgments between said surge voltage and said second predetermined value when said switching devices are in said first control state, and to judge that said surge voltage keeps exceeding said second predetermined value when the number of instances where said surge voltage is judged as exceeding said second predetermined value exceeds a predetermined number of judgments.

5. The control device of the switching devices according to claim 2, wherein

said detected voltage monitoring device has functions of:

providing information to a higher system of said control device about said transition of the control state of said switching devices to said first control state when said transition takes place, and

providing information to said higher system of said control device about said transition of the control state of said switching devices to said second control state when said transition takes place.

6. The control device of the switching devices according to claim 2, wherein

said detected voltage monitoring device has a function of providing information to a higher system of said control device about said transition of the control state of said switching devices to said second control state when said transition takes place.

7. The control device of the switching devices according to claim 5, wherein

said higher system is configurd to receive information about said transition to said first control state and information about said transition to said second control state to perform operation control of said switching devices in accordance with said transitions, respectively, and to withdraw said operation control of said switching devices in accordance with said transition to said first control state when the control state of said switching devices recovers said normal control state from said first control state and information about said transition to said second control state is not provided.

8. The control device of the switching devices according to claim 1, wherein

said control state changing devices include gate resistance variable devices changing gate resistances of said switching devices,

said gate resistance variable devices have a function of changing said gate resistances of said switching devices in stages,

said first control state includes a control state where said gate resistances of said switching devices are increased from a resistance value in said normal control state to a first resistance value, thereby decreasing a turn-off speed of said switching devices, and

said second control state includes a control state where said gate resistances of said switching devices are increased from said first resistance value to a second resistance value, thereby reducing said turn-off speed of said switching devices.

9. A control device of a driving circuit of a motor, said motor being included as a driving source of a car, wherein

said control device comprises said control device of said switching devices recited in claim 1.