Patent · US Expired

Protective circuit for a power field-effect transistor

US6426857B1 · kind B1 · utility

27Cited by

6References

13Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

Michael L. Doster · Spring, US
Juergen Motz · Steinheim an der Murr, DE
Horst Singer · Tamm, DE
Rolf Falliano · Welzheim, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Oct 4, 1999
Grant date	Jul 30, 2002
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 4, 2019

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH03K2017/0806
WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a protective circuit for a field-effect transistor which has at least drain-, source- and gate-terminals and is operated as a power switch, overloading of the FET is prevented in case of a power supply voltage of inverted polarity in that the switching voltage is able to be supplied to the gate terminal as a driving voltage via a charge pump. The charge pump is powered via a suitable circuit (e.g., a Graetz bridge rectifier) independently of the polarity of the applied power supply voltage. In case of incorrect polarity of the power supply voltage, the charge pump is driven to output a driving voltage via a suitable circuit (e.g., a diode connected to the base terminal).

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