Patents by Inventor Junpei Uruno

Junpei Uruno has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8614568
    Abstract: A power converting apparatus having a gate drive circuit including a push-pull circuit consisting of two transistors at its output stage; a diode connected in series with the push-pull circuit; a gate power source connected in parallel with the series circuit of the push-pull circuit and the diode; a negative voltage generating circuit connected in parallel with the push-pull circuit; a transistor connected between the output terminal of the negative voltage generating circuit and the negative terminal of the gate power source, wherein the output voltage of the push-pull circuit is switched from positive polarity to negative polarity and vice versa depending on the signal applied to the base terminals of the transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Hiroyuki Shoji, Masayuki Isogai
  • Patent number: 8207717
    Abstract: A unidirectional DC-DC converter and method of control thereof. The converter includes a DC power-supply, a buck converter circuit having a first main switching element, a boost converter circuit having a second main switching element, a first snubber capacitor, a first inversely-parallel diode, a control device, and an output diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Hiroyuki Shoji, Yasuo Kaminaga, Akihiko Kanouda
  • Patent number: 8203322
    Abstract: A small and efficient DC-DC converter is provided. In this DC-DC converter, passive elements such as an inductor and a capacitor can be reduced in size by reducing switching loss by a soft switching technology and increasing the drive frequency of a switching element. The DC-DC converter has a main switching element, a main diode and an auxiliary circuit that discharges the electric charges of the capacitance between the ends of the main switching element. The DC-DC converter includes an auxiliary inductor magnetically coupled with the main inductor, an auxiliary switching element that stores energy in the auxiliary inductor, and an auxiliary diode that discharges energy stored in the auxiliary inductor to the direct-current power source or the output side. The auxiliary inductor is coupled with the main inductor in the direction in which backward voltage is applied to the auxiliary diode when the main inductor discharges energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Okubo, Takae Shimada, Hiroyuki Shoji, Junpei Uruno
  • Publication number: 20110228564
    Abstract: A power converting apparatus having a gate drive circuit including a push-pull circuit consisting of two transistors at its output stage; a diode connected in series with the push-pull circuit; a gate power source connected in parallel with the series circuit of the push-pull circuit and the diode; a negative voltage generating circuit connected in parallel with the push-pull circuit; a transistor connected between the output terminal of the negative voltage generating circuit and the negative terminal of the gate power source, wherein the output voltage of the push-pull circuit is switched from positive polarity to negative polarity and vice versa depending on the signal applied to the base terminals of the transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Inventors: Junpei URUNO, Hiroyuki Shoji, Masayuki Isogai
  • Publication number: 20110013437
    Abstract: A unidirectional DC-DC converter and method of control thereof. The converter includes a DC power-supply, a buck converter circuit having a first main switching element, a boost converter circuit having a second main switching element, a first snubber capacitor, a first inversely-parallel diode, a control device, and an output diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Inventors: Junpei URUNO, Hiroyuki Shoji, Yasuo Kaminaga, Akihiko Kanouda
  • Publication number: 20100061122
    Abstract: A small and efficient DC-DC converter is provided. In this DC-DC converter, passive elements such as an inductor and a capacitor can be reduced in size by reducing switching loss by a soft switching technology and increasing the drive frequency of a switching element. The DC-DC converter has a main switching element, a main diode and an auxiliary circuit that discharges the electric charges of the capacitance between the ends of the main switching element. The DC-DC converter includes an auxiliary inductor magnetically coupled with the main inductor, an auxiliary switching element that stores energy in the auxiliary inductor, and an auxiliary diode that discharges energy stored in the auxiliary inductor to the direct-current power source or the output side. The auxiliary inductor is coupled with the main inductor in the direction in which backward voltage is applied to the auxiliary diode when the main inductor discharges energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventors: Toshikazu OKUBO, Takae Shimada, Hiroyuki Shoji, Junpei Uruno
  • Patent number: 7557546
    Abstract: A unidirectional DC-DC converter which has a simple control circuit without using multiple insulated power supplies or a transformer, uses an auxiliary inductor of a comparatively small capacitance, reduces the size and weight of the converter, and has a very great capacitance without switching of supply current. For example, a unidirectional DC-DC converter equipped with main IGBT101 which supplies and shuts off current for first inductor 108a and diode 107 which discharges energy from main inductor 108a to an the output. The DC-DC converter is further equipped with auxiliary IGBT104 which applies current to back-to-back-connected diode 102 by using energy stored in auxiliary inductor 108b which is magnetically coupled with main inductor 108a. This applies current to the back-to-back-connected diode in a short period including a time period in which the first switching element is turned on and accomplishes ZVZCS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Appliances, Inc.
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Hiroyuki Shoji, Akihiko Kanouda, Yasuo Kaminaga
  • Patent number: 7551462
    Abstract: A soft switching DC-DC converter is provided which includes circuitry for both a buck converter and a boost converter. The buck converter circuitry and the boost converter circuitry share a common transformer including a primary coil and first and second secondary coils. A first switching element is coupled to a first capacitor to provide the buck converter operation while another switching element is provided to provide the boost converting operation. The primary coil of the transformer is commonly used as a choke coil by both the buck converter and the boost converter. In this way, size and cost reduction can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Hiroyuki Shoji, Akihiko Kanouda, Yasuo Kaminaga
  • Publication number: 20080100273
    Abstract: A buck converter circuit and a boost converter circuit, which co-use a main inductor, are connected in series with each other between a DC power-supply and a DC load between output terminals a-b of a rectifier circuit. Moreover, utilizing energy accumulated into first and second auxiliary inductors which are loosely coupled to the main inductor magnetically, a current is flown through diodes during a short time-period including a point-in-time at which main switching elements of the buck and boost converter circuits are to be turned ON. Here, the diodes are connected in inversely parallel to the main switching elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Hiroyuki Shoji, Yasuo Kaminaga, Akihiko Kanouda
  • Publication number: 20070236966
    Abstract: A unidirectional DC-DC converter which has a simple control circuit without using multiple insulated power supplies, uses an auxiliary inductor of a comparatively small capacitance, reduces the size and weight of the converter, and has a very great capacitance without switching of supply current. A unidirectional DC-DC converter equipped with main IGBT101 which supplies and shuts off current for first inductor 108a and diode 107 which discharges energy from main inductor 108a to an output, wherein the DC-DC converter is further equipped with auxiliary IGBT104 which applies current to back-to-back-connected diode 102 by using energy stored in auxiliary inductor 108b which is magnetically coupled with main inductor 108a. This applies current to the back-to-back-connected diode in a short period including a time period in which the first switching element is turned on and accomplishes ZVZCS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Publication date: October 11, 2007
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Hiroyuki Shoji, Akihiko Kanouda, Yasuo Kaminaga
  • Publication number: 20060176719
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a soft switching DC-DC converter. A soft switching DC-DC converter comprises a first switching element having a first terminal connected to an input side and having a control terminal for controlling a main electric current; a first diode having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of this first switching element; a primary coil of a transformer having primary and secondary coils, connected to the second terminal of the first switching element; a second diode having a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the first switching element; a second switching element having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of this second diode; and the secondary coil of the transformer, having a first terminal connected to a second terminal of this second switching element, and having a second terminal connected to the second terminal of the first switching element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2006
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Hiroyuki Shoji, Akihiko Kanouda, Yasuo Kaminaga
  • Patent number: 7051724
    Abstract: An igniter of the present invention has an insulated gate semiconductor device having a collector terminal, an emitter terminal and a gate terminal, a current control circuit which limits current by controlling voltage at the gate terminal when current for flowing through the insulated gate semiconductor device exceeds a fixed value, a voltage monitor circuit for detecting a potential of the collector, and a control current adjusting circuit for controlling current which flows through the gate terminal by receiving output from the voltage monitor circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Yasuhiko Kouno
  • Publication number: 20040216724
    Abstract: An igniter of the present invention has an insulated gate semiconductor device having a collector terminal, an emitter terminal and a gate terminal, a current control circuit which limits current by controlling voltage at the gate terminal when current for flowing through the insulated gate semiconductor device exceeds a fixed value, a voltage monitor circuit for detecting a potential of the collector, and a control current adjusting circuit for controlling current which flows through the gate terminal by receiving output from the voltage monitor circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2003
    Publication date: November 4, 2004
    Inventors: Junpei Uruno, Yasuhiko Kouno
  • Patent number: 6672295
    Abstract: A circuit for supplying an oscillation suppress current is provided between a collector terminal and gate electrode of a main IGBT. The current supply circuit comprises a resistor and a diode which are connected in series. A bypass MOSFET is connected between the series connection and the emitter terminal. No semiconductor element having different temperature characteristics is provided in the current supply circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kohno, Junpei Uruno, Mutsuhiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20030116149
    Abstract: A circuit for supplying an oscillation suppress current is provided between a collector terminal and gate electrode of a main IGBT. The current supply circuit comprises a resistor and a diode which are connected in series. A bypass MOSFET is connected between the series connection and the emitter terminal. No semiconductor element having different temperature characteristics is provided in the current supply circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2003
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kohno, Junpei Uruno, Mutsuhiro Mori
  • Patent number: 6539928
    Abstract: A circuit for supplying an oscillation suppress current is provided between a collector terminal and gate electrode of a main IGBT. The current supply circuit comprises a resistor and a diode which are connected in series. A bypass MOSFET is connected between the series connection and the emitter terminal. No semiconductor element having different temperature characteristics is provided in the current supply circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kohno, Junpei Uruno, Mutsuhiro Mori
  • Patent number: 6448587
    Abstract: A circuit incorporated IGBT is provided with a semiconductor substrate having an IGBT area and a circuit area which are adjacent to each other. In a semiconductor layer of one conductivity type in which a circuit element is formed in the circuit area, there is provided another semiconductor layer of another conductivity type which adjoins the circuit element and has an impurity concentration higher than that of the semiconductor layer of the one conductivity type. An electrode contacts the other semiconductor layer and is connected to an electrode of the IGBT. Carriers are ejected from the other semiconductor layer to the electrode of the IGBT, thereby making it possible to prevent an erroneous operation of the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kohno, Mutsuhiro Mori, Junpei Uruno
  • Publication number: 20020040709
    Abstract: A circuit for supplying an oscillation suppress current is provided between a collector terminal and gate electrode of a main IGBT. The current supply circuit comprises a resistor and a diode which are connected in series. A bypass MOSFET is connected between the series connection and the emitter terminal. No semiconductor element having different temperature characteristics is provided in the current supply circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kohno, Junpei Uruno, Mutsuhiro Mori
  • Publication number: 20020027253
    Abstract: A circuit incorporated IGBT is provided with a semiconductor substrate having an IGBT area and a circuit area which are adjacent to each other. In a semiconductor layer of one conductivity type in which a circuit element is formed in the circuit area, there is provided another semiconductor layer of another conductivity type which adjoins the circuit element and has an impurity concentration higher than that of the semiconductor layer of the one conductivity type. An electrode contacts the other semiconductor layer and is connected to an electrode of the IGBT. Carriers are ejected from the other semiconductor layer to the electrode of the IGBT, thereby making it possible to prevent an erroneous operation of the circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Publication date: March 7, 2002
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Kohno, Mutsuhiro Mori, Junpei Uruno