Power supply that charges an electric storage by regenerative power generated by a generator and supplies power to a load

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9515554-B2
Application number	US-201514695738-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2015
Priority date	Apr 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A power supply includes: a first connection terminal connectable with a DC power supply to which a first load and a generator are connected in parallel; a second connection terminal connectable with an electric storage which stores regenerative power generated by the generator; a third connection terminal connectable with a second load; a DC-DC converter; and a controller which controls the DC-DC converter. The power supply further includes: a first power path including one end connected to the first connection terminal and the other end connected to a first input/output terminal of the DC-DC converter; a second power path including one end connected to the second connection terminal and the other end connected to a second input/output terminal of the DC-DC converter; and a third power path including one end connected to the third connection terminal and the other end connected to the second power path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power supply comprising:
a first connection terminal connectable with a DC power supply to which a first load and a generator are connected in parallel;
a second connection terminal connectable with an electric storage which stores regenerative power generated by the generator;
a third connection terminal connectable with a second load;
a DC-DC converter;
a controller which controls an operation of the DC-DC converter;
a first power path comprising: one end connected to the first connection terminal; and the other end connected to a first input/output terminal provided in the DC-DC converter;
a second power path comprising: one end connected to the second connection terminal; and the other end connected to a second input/output terminal provided in the DC-DC converter;
a third power path comprising: one end connected to the third connection terminal; and the other end connected to the second power path;
a fourth power path comprising: one end connected to the first power path; and the other end connected to the third power path;
a rectifier which is provided on the fourth power path and which makes a current flow from a first power path side to a third power path side;
a first switching element provided on the fourth power path;
a second switching element provided between a connection point to the third power path on the second power path and the second connection terminal; and
a third switching element provided between a connection point to the fourth power path on the third power path and the second power path,
wherein the controller controls an on/off operation of each of the switching elements.

2. The power supply according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first switching element comprises a field effect transistor,
wherein the rectifier comprises a diode connected in parallel to the first switching element, and
wherein the diode that connected in parallel to the first switching element comprises: an anode connected to the first power path; and a cathode connected to the third power path.

3. The power supply according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second switching element comprises a field effect transistor to which a diode is connected in parallel, and
wherein the diode connected in parallel to the second switching element comprises: an anode connected to the second connection terminal; and a cathode connected to the third power path and the second input/output terminal of the DC-DC converter.

4. The power supply according to claim 1 ,
wherein the third switching element comprises a pair of field effect transistors which are connected in series and which are connected in parallel to diodes, respectively, and
wherein a direction of the diode connected in parallel to one of the pair of field effect transistors is opposite to a direction of the diode connected in parallel to the other of the pair of field effect transistors.

5. The power supply according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first load comprises a large current load through which a large current flows when actuated,
wherein the second load comprises a protected load required to be protected so as not to lower a voltage to be supplied,
wherein the power supply further comprises a voltage detector which detects a voltage of the electric storage,
wherein when the large current load is actuated, the controller turns on only the second switching element and the third switching element and supplies a current from the electric storage to the protected load if the voltage of the electric storage detected by the voltage detector is equal to or larger than a predetermined value required to drive the protected load, and
wherein the controller turns on only the third switching element, controls driving of the DC-DC converter, and supplies power of the DC power supply to the protected load if the voltage of the electric storage detected by the voltage detector is less than the predetermined value.

6. The power supply according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the regenerative power is generated by the generator, the controller turns on only the first switching element and the second switching element, supplies the regenerative power to the second load, controls driving of the DC-DC converter, and charges the electric storage by the regenerative power, and
wherein when the large current load included in the first load is stopped and power is not generated by the generator, the controller turns on only the first switching element and the second switching element, supplies power of the DC power supply to the second load, controls the driving of the DC-DC converter, and discharges the electric storage.

Assignees

• Okaniwa Masakazu
• Ikushima Yoshihiro
• Omron Automotive Electronics

Inventors

• Okaniwa Masakazu
• Ikushima Yoshihiro

Classifications

• H02J7/0063

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B60L1/00

  Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00) · CPC title

• H02M3/158 Primary

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• H02J7/345 Primary

  using capacitors as storage or buffering devices · CPC title

• B60L50/40

  using propulsion power supplied by capacitors · CPC title