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US3644753A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Bias sensing gate driver circuitry

Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
•
Filing: 1970-06-22
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Granted: 1972-02-22
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Expires: 1990-06-22
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Abstract

Abstract Driver circuitry for sensing the direction of bias across controlled switching devices such as silicon controlled rectifiers and providing sufficient gate drive therethrough when the device is forward biased and removing the gate drive when reverse biased.

Inventors

  • 👤 Howard S Ginsberg

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 08:03
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02M; H02M7/00; H02M7/02; H02M7/04; H02M7/12; H02M7/145; H02M7/155; H02M7/162; H02M7/1623; H02M7/1626

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim 209 words
An apparatus including at least one controlled switching device which is alternately forward and reverse biased, a gate drive circuit comprising: means for sensing whether said controlled switching device is forward or reverse biased including a first unidirectional device which is reverse biased in response to said controlled switching device being forward biased and forward biased in response to said controlled switching device being reverse biased; means for supplying gate drive to said controlled switching device when said controlled switching device is sensed by said sensing means to be forward biased including amplifying means receiving an input from said sensing means when said first unidirectional device is reverse biased to supply said gate drive at an increased current gain to said controlled switching device and receiving no input when said controlled switching device is reverse biased; and means for terminating said gate drive when said controlled switching device is sensed by said sensing means to be reverse biased including a second unidirectional device operatively connected in circuit with said controlled switching device and said first unidirectional device with current being provided in the forward direction of said second unidirectional device in response to the reverse voltage across said controlled switching device to terminate said input from said sensing means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 209 words
An apparatus including at least one controlled switching device which is alternately forward and reverse biased, a gate drive circuit comprising: means for sensing whether said controlled switching device is forward or reverse biased including a first unidirectional device which is reverse biased in response to said controlled switching device being forward biased and forward biased in response to said controlled switching device being reverse biased; means for supplying gate drive to said controlled switching device when said controlled switching device is sensed by said sensing means to be forward biased including amplifying means receiving an input from said sensing means when said first unidirectional device is reverse biased to supply said gate drive at an increased current gain to said controlled switching device and receiving no input when said controlled switching device is reverse biased; and means for terminating said gate drive when said controlled switching device is sensed by said sensing means to be reverse biased including a second unidirectional device operatively connected in circuit with said controlled switching device and said first unidirectional device with current being provided in the forward direction of said second unidirectional device in response to the reverse voltage across said controlled switching device to terminate said input from said sensing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 135 words
In the apparatus of claim 1 including a polyphase rectifier bridge circuit with each leg thereof including one of said controlled switching devices, a polyphase input which supplies the input to said bridge circuit and a DC output being supplied by said bridge circuit wherein one of said gate drive circuits is operatively associated with the controlled switching device of each of said legs of said bridge circuit and includes: a DC supply for supplying operating voltage to said gate drive circuits, said means for sensing includes one of said first unidirectional devices operatively connected between said DC supply and each phase of said polyphase source, said first unidirectional device is reverse biased when the associated controlled switching device is forward biased and is forward biased when the associated controlled switching device is reverse biased.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1975-02-21 1975-08-23 1976-02-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1979-02-21 1979-08-23 1980-02-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1983-02-21 1983-08-23 1984-02-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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