Automatic start-up circuit and uninterruptible power supply apparatus having such automatic start-up circuit

• US 7,932,636 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Chia-Hsiang, Yang, Ping-Long
• Primary Examiner(s): PALADINI, ALBERT WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US12/334,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20100096928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 307 64- 66, 307/87, 307/46, 363/37, 363/58, 361/64, 361/87
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/005 using a power saving mode for copiers G03G15/5004
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters

Abstract

An automatic start-up circuit for use in an uninterruptible power supply apparatus is provided. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus includes an energy storage unit and a switching circuit. The automatic start-up circuit includes an operating status detecting circuit and a secondary switch driving circuit. The operating status detecting circuit is connected to an energy storage unit connecting node for detecting an operating status of the energy storage unit through the energy storage unit connecting node, and generating an start-up control signal according to the operating status of the energy storage unit. The secondary switch driving circuit is connected to the operating status detecting circuit, a control terminal of the switching circuit and a common terminal for determining whether the switching circuit is automatically driven to be conducted to start up the uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to the start-up control signal.

Claims

1. An automatic start-up circuit for use in an uninterruptible power supply apparatus, said uninterruptible power supply apparatus comprising an energy storage unit and a switching circuit, said automatic start-up circuit comprising:

an operating status detecting circuit connected to an energy storage unit connecting node for detecting an operating status of said energy storage unit indicative of whether the energy storage unit is installed in the uninterruptible power supply apparatus or not through said energy storage unit connecting node, and generating an start-up control signal according to said operating status of said energy storage unit; and

a secondary switch driving circuit connected to said operating status detecting circuit, a control terminal of said switching circuit and a common terminal for determining whether said switching circuit is to be driven to be conducted when said start-up signal indicates that the energy storage unit is installed in the uninterruptible power supply apparatus, thereby automatically starting up said uninterruptible power supply apparatus.

2. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 1 wherein said operating status detecting circuit comprises a first capacitor, which has an terminal connected to said energy storage unit connecting node and the other terminal connected to a control terminal of said secondary switch driving circuit.

3. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 2 wherein said operating status detecting circuit further comprises a first resistor, and said first resistor and said first capacitor are connected in series with each other for increasing the duration of said start-up control signal.

4. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 3 wherein said secondary switch driving circuit comprises a first switching element, which has an anode connected to said control terminal of said switching circuit, a cathode connected to said common terminal and a control terminal connected to said control terminal of said secondary switch driving circuit.

5. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 4 wherein said secondary switch driving circuit further comprises a second resistor and a second capacitor, which are connected in parallel to said control terminal and said cathode of said first switching element, for eliminating noise and limiting the magnitude of a first current flowing into said automatic start-up circuit.

6. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 5 wherein the magnitude of said first current flowing into said automatic start-up circuit is substantially zero after said uninterruptible power supply apparatus is started up.

7. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 1 wherein said secondary switch driving circuit stops driving conduction of said switching circuit after said uninterruptible power supply apparatus is started up.

8. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 1 wherein said uninterruptible power supply apparatus further comprises:

a control circuit connected to said switching circuit for controlling operations of said uninterruptible power supply apparatus and generating a first control signal, wherein an electric energy is supplied to said control circuit through said switching circuit; and

a main switch driving circuit connected to said control terminal of said switching circuit and said common terminal for driving conduction of said switching circuit according to said first control signal.

9. The automatic start-up circuit according to claim 8 wherein said uninterruptible power supply apparatus further comprises a voltage regulating circuit interconnected between said switching circuit and said control circuit for adjusting an output voltage of said switching circuit into an adjusted voltage that is required for said control circuit.

10. An uninterruptible power supply apparatus comprising:

an AC-to-DC converting circuit for converting an input AC voltage into a first DC voltage;

an energy storage unit connected to an energy storage unit connecting node for storing electric energy;

a charging circuit interconnected between said AC-to-DC converting circuit and said energy storage unit for charging said energy storage unit;

a selection circuit connected to said AC-to-DC converting circuit, said energy storage unit connecting node and a load for selectively outputting said first DC voltage or an energy storage unit connecting node voltage to said load;

a switching circuit connected to said energy storage unit connecting node;

an automatic start-up circuit connected to said energy storage unit connecting node and a control terminal of said switching circuit for detecting an operating status of said energy storage unit indicative of whether the energy storage unit is installed in the uninterruptible power supply apparatus, wherein said switching circuit is driven to be conducted when said start-up signal indicates that the energy storage unit is installed in the uninterruptible power supply apparatus, thereby automatically starting up said uninterruptible power supply apparatus;

a control circuit connected to said switching circuit for controlling operations of said uninterruptible power supply apparatus and generating a first control signal; and

a main switch driving circuit connected to said control terminal of said switching circuit and said control circuit for driving conduction of said switching circuit according to said first control signal.

11. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said automatic start-up circuit further comprises:

an operating status detecting circuit connected to said energy storage unit connecting node for detecting said operating status of said energy storage unit through said energy storage unit connecting node, and generating an start-up control signal according to said operating status of said energy storage unit; and

a secondary switch driving circuit connected to said operating status detecting circuit, said control terminal of said switching circuit and a common terminal for determining whether said switching circuit is automatically driven to be conducted to start up said uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to said start-up control signal.

12. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said operating status detecting circuit comprises a first capacitor, which has an terminal connected to said energy storage unit connecting node and the other terminal connected to a control terminal of said secondary switch driving circuit.

13. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus to claim 12 wherein said operating status detecting circuit further comprises a first resistor, and said first resistor and said first capacitor are connected in series with each other for increasing the duration of said start-up control signal.

14. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said secondary switch driving circuit comprises a first switching element, which has an anode connected to said control terminal of said switching circuit, a cathode connected to said common terminal and a control terminal connected to said control terminal of said secondary switch driving circuit.

15. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said secondary switch driving circuit further comprises a second resistor and a second capacitor, which are connected in parallel to said control terminal and said cathode of said first switching element, for eliminating noise and limiting the magnitude of a first current flowing into said automatic start-up circuit.

16. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the magnitude of said first current flowing into said automatic start-up circuit is substantially zero after said uninterruptible power supply apparatus is started up.

17. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said secondary switch driving circuit stops driving conduction of said switching circuit after said uninterruptible power supply apparatus is started up, and an electric energy is supplied to said control circuit through said switching circuit.

18. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a voltage regulating circuit interconnected between said switching circuit and said control circuit for adjusting an output voltage of said switching circuit into an adjusted voltage that is required for said control circuit.

19. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a DC-to-DC converting circuit interconnected between said energy storage unit connecting node and said selection circuit for converting said energy storage unit connecting node voltage into a second DC voltage.

20. The uninterruptible power supply apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said second DC voltage is substantially equal to said first DC voltage.