The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 13, 1995
Filed:
Jun. 09, 1993
Ryuji Iyotani, Hitachiota, JP;
Akiteru Ueda, Ibaraki, JP;
Hiroshi Narita, Katsuta, JP;
Mitsuyuki Hombu, Katsuta, JP;
Hidetoshi Aizawa, Ibaraki, JP;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electric power converter comprising a plurality of reactors, a plurality of self quenching type switching elements, the reactors and switching elements being series-connected per one arm, and surge-absorbing snubber circuits connected in parallel to the switching elements respectively, the switching circuits being driven by gate drive circuits connected to respective gates of the switching elements to thereby convert a DC voltage into an AC voltage or convert an AC voltage into a DC voltage. The electric power converter further comprises: an apparatus for recovering energy accumulated on at least one side of the reactors and the snubber circuits and an apparatus for generating a DC source for supplying electric power to each of the gate drive circuits, on the basis of the recovered energy. In the electric power converter constituted by a plurality of self quenching type semiconductor switching elements connected in series, high efficiency is attained through reduction in size of the gate driver and electric power saving.