Patent · US Expired

DC-to-DC converter capable of preventing overvoltage

US6046896A · kind A · utility

23Cited by
14References
52Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 9, 1996
Grant dateApr 4, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 9, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B70/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

To avoid burning out a capacitor in a synchronous rectification type DC-to-DC converter due to overvoltages, the synchronous rectification type DC-to-DC converter includes a storage unit storing therein power derived from a power supply, switching elements connecting and disconnecting respective signal paths from power and ground, and a control unit controlling the connecting/disconnecting operations of the switching elements to maintain a voltage output from the storage unit at a predetermined value. The DC/DC converter also includes an overvoltage detecting unit monitoring a voltage derived from the power supply to thereby output an alarm signal when the voltage derived from the power supply exceeds a preselected voltage value, a shortcircuiting unit influencing the connecting conditions of the switching elements when the alarm signal from the overvoltage detecting unit is input therein, whereby the voltage derived from the power supply is shortcircuited, and an interrupting unit interrupting one of the signal paths by the power shortcircuited by the shortcircuiting unit.

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