Electronic converter and related method of operating an electronic converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10530263-B2
Application number	US-201615769775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

An electronic converter comprising an input comprising two terminals for receiving a first power signal, and an output comprising two terminals for providing a second power signal. On the primary side, the converter comprises a half-bridge, a transformer and a first capacitor. Specifically, the first capacitor and the primary winding of the transformer are connected in series between the intermediate point of the half-bridge and an input terminal. On the secondary side, the converter comprises a diode, a second capacitor and an inductor. The second capacitor and the secondary winding of the transformer are connected in series between the cathode and anode of the diode, and the inductor and the output are connected in series between the cathode and the anode of the diode. The electronic converter comprises a third capacitor and at least one electronic switch adapted to selectively connect the third capacitor in parallel with the second capacitor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic half-bridge converter, the electronic half-bridge converter comprising:
an input comprising two terminals for receiving a first power signal;
an output comprising two terminals for providing a second power signal;
a half-bridge comprising a first and a second electronic switch connected in series between the two input terminals;
a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding,
a first capacitor, wherein the first capacitor and the primary winding are connected in series between an intermediate point between the first and the second electronic switch and at least one of the two input terminals;
wherein there are at least three branches connected in parallel on a side of the secondary winding comprising:
a first branch comprising a diode,
a second branch comprising a second capacitor, wherein the second capacitor and the secondary winding are connected in series between the cathode and the anode of the diode; and
a third branch comprising an inductor, wherein the inductor and the output are connected in series between the cathode and the anode of the diode;
wherein the electronic half-bridge converter further comprises:
a third capacitor;
a second diode connected between the third capacitor and the second capacitor, wherein the electronic half-bridge converter is configured to close the second diode when the voltage at the third capacitor exceeds the voltage at the second capacitor;
a third diode connected between the third capacitor and the output, wherein the electronic half-bridge converter is configured to close the third diode when the voltage at the second capacitor exceeds the sum of the voltage at the third capacitor and the voltage at the output.

2. The electronic half-bridge converter according to claim 1 , comprising a fourth capacitor connected in parallel with the output.

3. The electronic half-bridge converter according to claim 1 , comprising a control unit configured for driving the first and the second electronic switch with the following time intervals which are repeated periodically:
a first time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is closed and the second electronic switch is opened;
a following second time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is opened and the second electronic switch is opened;
a following third time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is opened and the second electronic switch is closed; and
a following fourth time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is opened and the second electronic switch is opened.

4. The electronic half-bridge converter according to claim 1 , comprising a control unit configured for:
detecting the current provided through the output of the electronic half-bridge converter; and
driving the first and/or the second electronic switch as a function of the detected current.

5. The electronic half-bridge converter according to claim 4 , wherein at least one LED is connected to the output of the electronic half-bridge converter.

6. A method of operating an electronic converter according to claim 1 , comprising:
driving the first and the second electronic switch with the following time intervals which are repeated periodically:
a first time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is closed and the second electronic switch is opened;
a following second time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is opened and the second electronic switch is opened;
a following third time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is opened and the second electronic switch is closed; and
a following fourth time interval, wherein the first electronic switch is opened and the second electronic switch is opened.

Assignees

• Osram Gmbh

Inventors

• Luccato Daniele
• Raniero Enrico

Classifications

• H02M3/33576 Primary

  having at least one active switching element at the secondary side of an isolation transformer · CPC title

• H02M3/33538

  of the forward type (H02M3/3353, H02M3/33569 take precedence) · CPC title

• H02M3/33507

  with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters (H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y02B70/1433

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02B70/1491

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic