Patent · US Expired

Bridge converter circuit

US4270163A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
8References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 2, 1979
Grant dateMay 26, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 2, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH02M7/53871
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A converter includes a full-wave bridge network across which operating voltages of +E and -E volts are applied, diagonal legs of the bridge each including two semi-conductor switches connected in series between individual operating voltage and output terminals, two diodes polarized in one direction being connected for conducting current from a point of reference potential to the centralmost switches of the two upper legs, respectively, and another two diodes like polarized in another direction being connected for conducting current from the centralmost switches of the two lower legs, respectively, to the point of reference potential. Each diode and its associated switch form a unidirectional gated current path and the vertically opposing centralmost switch and diode pairs of the upper and lower legs form a bidirectional gated current path. The switches are operable for providing zero, +E, +2E, -E, and -2E volts across a load in some predetermined sequence for producing a desired AC voltage waveform across the load. The diodes also serve to clamp the common connections between their associated two semiconductor switches to within a diode drop of the reference potential, thereby prot…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.