Power converter
US5461556A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 22, 1992 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 22, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K2217/0081
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A power converter including a snubber circuit which is smaller and regenerates more energy than a conventional snubber circuit. A plurality of self-quenching semiconductor switching elements are connected in series across a power supply. A capacitive element is connected to the switching elements, and is charged to more than the voltage of the power supply by a snubber action due to operation of any of the switching elements. The charge stored in the capacitive element is then regenerated to the power supply. The capacitance of the capacitive element can be almost as small as a minimum required capacitance, and can be as small as one-tenth of the capacitance required in a conventional snubber circuit, thereby providing a power converter which is smaller and has a smaller snubber loss than a conventional power converter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.