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:
Apr. 19, 2005
Filed:
Feb. 24, 2003
Mark E. Jacobs, Dallas, TX (US);
Subarna Pal, Mesquite, TX (US);
John F. Steel, Plano, TX (US);
Tyco Electronics Power Systems, Inc., Mesquite, TX (US);
Abstract
The present invention is directed to an auxiliary active clamp circuit and a method of clamping a voltage of a rectifier switch associated with a power converter. The power converter includes a main active clamp circuit associated with a main power switch coupled to a primary winding of a transformer and a rectifier switch coupled to a secondary winding of the transformer. The main power switch conducts during a main conduction period of the power converter and the rectifier switch conducts during an auxiliary conduction period of the power converter. In one embodiment, the auxiliary active clamp circuit includes an auxiliary clamp capacitor, coupled across the rectifier switch, that stores a clamping voltage substantially equal to an off-state voltage of the rectifier switch. The auxiliary active clamp circuit also includes an auxiliary clamp switch, coupled in series with the auxiliary clamp capacitor, that receives a drive signal from a secondary winding and conducts during the main conduction period thereby clamping a voltage across the rectifier switch at about the clamping voltage.