US 7,321,483 B2
Power converter
Cornelis Johannes Adrianus Schetters, Gerstweg 2, 6534 AE Nijmegen (Netherlands)
Appl. No. 10/564,232
PCT Filed Jul. 08, 2004, PCT No. PCT/IB2004/051165
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jan. 10, 2006,
PCT Pub. No. WO2005/008868, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 27, 2005.
Claims priority of application No. 03102198 (EP), filed on Jul. 17, 2003.
Prior Publication US 2007/0019448 A1, Jan. 25, 2007
Int. Cl. H02H 3/22 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 361—91.1  [361/111] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power converter comprising: a rectifier arrangement having inputs coupled to AC power supply terminals; a pair of series-connected capacitors coupled across output terminals of the rectifier arrangement; a switch coupled between one of said AC power supply terminals and a midpoint of the pair of series-connected capacitors, the switch being open if a first AC voltage is applied to the AC power terminals, and the switch being closed if a second AC voltage is applied to the AC power terminals, the first AC voltage exceeding the second AC voltage; and an overvoltage protection circuit coupled between at least one of the inputs of the rectifier arrangement and the midpoint of the pair of series-connected capacitors, the overvoltage protection circuit comprising a series connection of zener diodes having opposite conductivity directions.