IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,483,859
Granted Patent B2
US 10,483,859 · App. 15/345,723 · Granted Nov 19, 2019

AC/DC converter including a bidirectional switch

Inventor: Hiroyuki Hatano (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
H02M3/33546H02M1/4241H02M3/33507H02M3/33523H02M3/33538H02M3/33553Y02B70/126Y02B70/1433
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,483,859
App. No.
15/345,723
Granted
Nov 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An AC/DC converter includes a transformer including a primary winding connected to an AC power source and a secondary winding electromagnetically coupled to the primary winding, a bidirectional switch connected in series to the primary winding, a resonant capacitor connected in parallel or series to the bidirectional switch, a full-wave rectification circuit arranged to perform full-wave rectification of an induced voltage generated in the secondary winding, a smoothing capacitor arranged to smooth an output of the full-wave rectification circuit, and a control circuit arranged to turn on and off the bidirectional switch. The transformer is a leakage transformer or a resonant transformer having leakage inductance. The AC converter takes out both forward voltage and flyback voltage from the secondary winding, so as to directly convert an AC input voltage supplied from the AC power source into a DC output voltage.

Claims (15)

1. An AC/DC converter comprising:

a transformer including a primary winding connected to an AC power source and a secondary winding electromagnetically coupled to the primary winding;

a bidirectional switch connected in series to the primary winding;

a resonant capacitor connected in parallel or series to the bidirectional switch;

a capacitor voltage divider circuit arranged to divide a voltage across both ends of the bidirectional switch so as to generate a divided voltage; and

a control circuit arranged to turn on the bidirectional switch at a timing when the divided voltage becomes zero.

2. The AC/DC converter according to claim 1 , wherein the capacitor voltage divider circuit includes a first capacitor connected in series to the resonant capacitor, so that the divided voltage is output from a connection node between the resonant capacitor and the first capacitor.

3. The AC/DC converter according to claim 1 , wherein the capacitor voltage divider circuit a first capacitor and a second capacitor connected in series to each other between both ends of the bidirectional switch, so that the divided voltage is output from a connection node between the first capacitor and the second capacitor.

4. The AC/DC converter according to claim 2 , wherein the first capacitor has an end connected to a reference potential terminal of the control circuit.

5. The AC/DC converter according to claim 4 , wherein the capacitor voltage divider circuit further includes a discharge switch connected in parallel to the first capacitor.

6. The AC/DC converter according to claim 5 , wherein the control circuit turns on and off the discharge switch in synchronization with the bidirectional switch.

7. The AC/DC converter according to claim 1 , wherein the transformer is a leakage transformer or a resonant transformer having leakage inductance, and the AC/DC converter takes out both forward voltage and flyback voltage from the secondary winding, so as to directly convert an AC input voltage supplied from the AC power source into a DC output voltage.

8. The AC/DC converter according to claim 1 , further comprising a coil connected to at least one of the primary winding and the secondary winding, wherein the AC/DC converter takes out both forward voltage and flyback voltage from the secondary winding, so as to directly convert an AC input voltage supplied from the AC power source into a DC output voltage.

9. The AC/DC converter according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit drives the bidirectional switch so that power factor becomes close to one.

10. The AC/DC converter according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuit drives the bidirectional switch via a pulse transformer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 8, 2016
From: HATANO, HIROYUKI
To: ROHM CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 040254/0341 →
Priority Claims (4)
JP 2015-222256 · Nov 12, 2015 · national
JP 2015-222260 · Nov 12, 2015 · national
JP 2015-222263 · Nov 12, 2015 · national
JP 2016-197984 · Oct 6, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170141689A1 · May 18, 2017