Device for protecting semiconductor circuits against transients on the supply line
US5105324A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 2, 1990 |
| Grant date | Apr 14, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 2, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02H9/04
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A series of Zener diodes (25) and an electronic power switch, such as an IGBT (18), are connected across a power supply. A circuit including a resistor (20) in series on the electronic switch, a threshold device (36, 38) connected to the resistor and a ramp generator with multiplier (40, 42, 44, 46, FIG. 2) or a thermal sensor (50, 44, 46 FIG. 3) detect the energy level dissipated in the electronic power switch when a transient occurs when the level exceeds a present value, the circuit supplies an output signal to a monostable circuit (26, 28, 48) to drive the electronic power switch with low resistance conditions for a preset time starting from the occurrence of the output signal. Another threshold device, connected to a resistor (30, 32), preferably senses the instantaneous power dissipated in the electronic switch to control the monostable circuit when the instantaneous power is higher than a preset threshold.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.