Patent · US Expired

Active overvoltage protection apparatus for a bidirectional power switch in common collector mode

US6407937B1 · kind B1 · utility

18Cited by

10References

10Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft · DE

Inventors

Manfred Bruckmann · Wendelstein, DE
Walter Springmann · Höchstadt an der Aisch, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Mar 23, 2001
Grant date	Jun 18, 2002
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Mar 23, 2021

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH03K17/0828
WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention relates to an active overvoltage protection apparatus for a bidirectional power switch which has two back-to-back in series connected semiconductor switches in the “common collector mode” topology. The overvoltage protection apparatus has a diode network which is linked to gate and emitter connections of the bidirectional power switch in the in such a manner as to provide a voltage clamping circuit for each of the semiconductor switches in the bidirectional power switch.

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