JP7308409B2 - load controller - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to load control devices, and more particularly to load control devices that include a switch unit inserted between a power supply and a load.

Patent Literature 1 describes a load control device (two-wire dimmer) that dims a load (LED lighting fixture). The load control device described in Patent Document 1 includes a switch section (triac) inserted between an AC power supply and a load, a control section (control circuit), and a power generation circuit (power generation circuit). there is The control unit conducts conduction control of the switch unit based on a detection signal from a detection circuit that detects a zero cross point of the AC power supply. The power generation circuit is connected across the switch section and generates power (power supply) for operating the control section during an OFF period of the switch section.

JP 2012-14953 A

In this type of load control device, there is a problem that when the power consumption of the control unit or other units increases, the power for the operation of the control unit becomes insufficient, and the power supply to the load tends to become unstable.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above reasons, and an object thereof is to provide a load control device that facilitates stable power supply to a load.

A load control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a switch section, a first power supply circuit, a second power supply circuit, an internal circuit, and a precharge circuit. The switch section is inserted between the power supply and the load. The first power supply circuit generates power from a voltage applied across the switch section. The second power supply circuit generates power from a voltage applied across the switch section. The internal circuit is supplied with power from the first power supply circuit or the second power supply circuit. The precharge circuit charges a capacitive element included in the second power supply circuit with power from the first power supply circuit . The first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit each have a first capacitive element and a second capacitive element in their respective output stages. The first power supply circuit is connected between a third capacitive element charged by a voltage applied across the switch section and between the third capacitive element and the first capacitive element to a charging path forming a charging path for conducting charging current for the device. The precharge circuit is connected between the third capacitive element and the second capacitive element, which is the capacitive element, and charges the second capacitive element with power from the first power supply circuit.
A load control device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a switch unit inserted between a power supply and a load; a first power supply circuit that generates power from voltage applied across the switch unit; a second power supply circuit that generates power from the voltage applied to both ends of the power supply circuit, an internal circuit to which power is supplied from the first power supply circuit or the second power supply circuit, the first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit and a precharge circuit that charges a capacitive element included in the other circuit with power from one of the circuits. The operating state of the switch section includes a cutoff state in which power supply from the power source to the load is cut off, and an on state in which power supply from the power source to the load is cut off. In the cut-off state, power is supplied from the first power supply circuit to the internal circuit. In the conductive state, power is supplied from the second power supply circuit to the internal circuit. The precharge circuit charges the capacitive element included in the second power supply circuit with power from the first power supply circuit. When power supply from the first power supply circuit to the internal circuit starts, the precharge circuit charges the capacitive element.

According to the present disclosure, there is an advantage that the power supply to the load tends to be stable.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a load control device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing a specific example of the load control device of the same. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a specific example of the load control device, and particularly showing the relationship with the control section. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation in the charge mode of the load control device of the same. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation in the interruption mode of the load control device of the same. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the operation in the conductive mode of the load control device of the same. FIG. 7A is a graph showing the voltage across the capacitor in the output stage of the first power supply circuit in the load control device; 7B is a graph showing the voltage across the capacitor in the output stage of the second power supply circuit in the load control device; FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a load control device according to a first modification of the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a load control device according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

(Embodiment 1)
(1) Overview An overview of the load control device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

A load control device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device provided with a switch section 2 inserted between a power supply 11 and a load 12 as shown in FIG. “Insertion” in the present disclosure means insertion between two electrically connected devices, and the switch unit 2 connects the power source 11 and the load 12 in a circuit configured by the power source 11 and the load 12. will be electrically connected between them. In other words, the load 12 is electrically connected to the power supply 11 via the switch section 2 .

The switch unit 2 is realized by a semiconductor switch such as a transistor or a bidirectional thyristor, for example. In this embodiment, the load control device 1 is a so-called electronic switch that electronically switches conduction/non-conduction between the power source 11 and the load 12 by electronically controlling the switch section 2 . The load control device 1 has a pair of terminals 101 and 102 (see FIG. 2), and the switch section 2 is electrically connected between the pair of terminals 101 and 102 . In other words, inside the load control device 1 , the terminals 101 and 102 are electrically connected via the switch section 2 . One terminal 101 (first terminal) is connected to the power supply 11 and the other terminal 102 (second terminal) is connected to the load 12, so that the switch section 2 is inserted between the power supply 11 and the load 12. be.

With such a configuration, the load control device 1 can control the energization state (power supply state) from the power source 11 to the load 12 by the switch section 2 . Basically, if the operating state of the switch section 2 is in the conductive state, the terminals 101 and 102 are conductive through the switch section 2, and if the operating state of the switch section 2 is in the disconnected state, the terminals The connection between 101 and terminal 102 becomes non-conducting. In other words, if the switch section 2 is in a conductive state, power is supplied from the power source 11 to the load 12 via the load control device 1, and if the switch section 2 is in a disconnected state, the load control device 1 supplies power to the load 12. Power supply from 11 to load 12 is cut off.

By the way, the load control device 1 according to this embodiment further includes an internal circuit 3 and a power generation circuit 4 . The internal circuit 3 includes a control section 31 for controlling the switch section 2 and the like. The power generation circuit 4 generates power for operating the internal circuit 3 .

The power generation circuit 4 generates power for operating the internal circuit 3 from the voltage applied across the switch section 2 . The power generation circuit 4 has a first power supply circuit 41 and a second power supply circuit 42, and supplies operating power to the internal circuit 3 from either the first power supply circuit 41 or the second power supply circuit 42. supply. In other words, each of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 included in the power generation circuit 4 receives the voltage applied between the pair of terminals 101 and 102 from the power supply 11 as input, and operates the internal circuit 3 . of electricity. In this manner, the load control device 1 can secure power for operating the internal circuit 3 from the pair of terminals 101 and 102 for inserting the switch section 2 between the power source 11 and the load 12. .

That is, the load control device 1 is a so-called two-wire load control device that can secure power for operating the internal circuit 3 with two wires connected to a pair of terminals 101 and 102 . In such a two-wire load control device 1, there is no need to provide a power supply terminal for supplying power for operating the internal circuit 3 separately from the pair of terminals 101 and 102. It also simplifies wiring work during installation.

Here, the load control device 1 according to this embodiment includes a switch section 2 , a first power supply circuit 41 , a second power supply circuit 42 , an internal circuit 3 and a precharge circuit 43 . Switch unit 2 is inserted between power source 11 and load 12 . The first power supply circuit 41 generates power from the voltage applied across the switch section 2 . The second power supply circuit 42 generates power from the voltage applied across the switch section 2 . The internal circuit 3 is supplied with power from the first power supply circuit 41 or the second power supply circuit 42 . The precharge circuit 43 uses power from one of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 to charge the capacitive element C3 included in the other circuit.

That is, the load control device 1 according to this embodiment further includes a precharge circuit 43 in addition to the switch section 2 , the first power supply circuit 41 , the second power supply circuit 42 and the internal circuit 3 . According to the precharge circuit 43, power is transferred from one of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 to the capacitive element C3 of the other, so that, for example, power supply from the other circuit to the internal circuit 3 is started. In some cases, the time required for charging the capacitive element C3 can be shortened. Therefore, according to the load control device 1, when switching the power supply source to at least the internal circuit 3 from one of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 to the other, the switching can be easily realized smoothly. . As a result, when switching between the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42, fluctuations in the power supplied from the power supply 11 to the load 12 can be easily suppressed, and the power supply to the load 12 can be easily stabilized. There is an advantage.

(2) Details (2.1) Premise In the present embodiment, the load control device 1 is fixed to a building object. The “attachment object” referred to in the present disclosure is an object to which the load control device 1 is fixed, and is, for example, a building wall, ceiling, floor, or other structure, or a desk, shelf, counter stand, or other furniture ( (including fittings), etc. The building in which the load control device 1 is installed is, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or collective housing, or a non-residential facility such as an office, store, school, factory, hospital, or nursing care facility.

In this embodiment, as an example, it is assumed that the load control device 1 is an embedded wiring device that is attached to an attachment object such as a wall of a house. Also, it is assumed that the power supply 11 is, for example, a single-phase 100 [V], 60 [Hz] commercial AC power supply (system power supply). Furthermore, it is assumed that the load 12 is, for example, a lighting device (luminaire) that includes a light source made up of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a lighting circuit that lights the light source. In this load 12 , the light source lights up when power is supplied from the power supply 11 .

The load control device 1 also includes terminals 101 and 102 for connecting electric wires. It is electrically connected to the power supply 11 and the load 12 via electric wires. The electric wire may be directly connected to the power supply 11 (system power supply or the like) or may be indirectly connected via a distribution board or the like.

In addition, the “terminals” such as the terminals 101 and 102 in the present disclosure may not be parts for connecting electric wires or the like, and may be, for example, leads of electronic parts, parts of conductors included in a circuit board, or the like. There may be.

In addition, in the present disclosure, “greater than or equal to” in comparison of two values includes both the case where the two values are equal and the case where one of the two values exceeds the other. However, the term "greater than or equal to" as used herein may be synonymous with "greater than" which includes only the case where one of the two values exceeds the other. That is, whether the two values are equal can be arbitrarily changed depending on the setting of the reference value, etc., so there is no technical difference between "greater than" and "greater than". Similarly, "less than" may be synonymous with "less than".

(2.2) Overall Configuration of Load Control Device Hereinafter, the overall configuration of a load control device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

The load control device 1 includes a switch section 2, a power generation circuit 4, and an internal circuit 3, as shown in FIG. The power generation circuit 4 includes a first power supply circuit 41 , a second power supply circuit 42 and a precharge circuit 43 . That is, the load control device 1 includes a switch section 2 , an internal circuit 3 , a first power supply circuit 41 , a second power supply circuit 42 and a precharge circuit 43 . 2, the load control device 1 includes a pair of terminals 101 and 102, zero cross (denoted as "ZC" in the drawing) detection units 51 and 52, voltage detection units 53 and 54, A charge detector 55 and a level shift circuit 56 are further provided. These components of the load control device 1 (switch unit 2, terminals 101, 102, etc.) are housed in one housing.

Each of the pair of terminals 101 and 102 is a component to which electric wires are electrically and mechanically connected. Each of the pair of terminals 101 and 102 is, for example, an electric wire insertion type so-called quick connection terminal to which an electric wire is connected by inserting the electric wire from a terminal hole.

The switch unit 2 is inserted between the power source 11 and the load 12 and switches conduction/interruption between the power source 11 and the load 12 . In this embodiment, as an example, the switch section 2 has two MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) 21 and 22 electrically connected in series between a pair of terminals 101 and 102. . Each of these two MOSFETs 21 and 22 is an enhancement type n-channel MOSFET. Source terminals of the two MOSFETs 21 and 22 are connected to each other, that is, connected in anti-series connection, thereby switching conduction/interruption of bidirectional currents.

Gate terminals of the MOSFETs 21 and 22 are electrically connected to the level shift circuit 56 . The level shift circuit 56 drives the MOSFETs 21 and 22 by receiving a control signal Si10 (see FIG. 3) from the controller 31, which will be described later.

In addition, as described above, the switch section 2 includes a cut-off state and a conducting state as its operating states. Of these states, the conductive state includes not only a state in which the switch section 2 is continuously conductive, but also a state in which the switch section 2 is intermittently conductive. That is, in the present disclosure, the cutoff state of the switch unit 2 is a state in which the supply of power from the power source 11 to the load 12 is cut off, and the conductive state of the switch unit 2 is a state in which power from the power source 11 to the load 12 is cut off. is supplied.

Here, it is assumed that the switch section 2 is in a non-conducting state and an AC voltage is applied to the switch section 2 from the power supply 11 . In other words, if the switch section 2 is non-conducting, the voltage applied across the switch section 2 (hereinafter also referred to as “inter-switch voltage”) is substantially equal to the AC voltage from the power supply 11 . Also, hereinafter, the polarity of the voltage across the switch that causes the terminal 101 to have a high potential is referred to as "positive polarity", and the polarity of the voltage across the switch that causes the terminal 102 to have a high potential is referred to as "negative polarity".

The zero-cross detection units 51 and 52 are configured to detect the zero-cross point of the inter-switch voltage by detecting the magnitude of the inter-switch voltage. Zero-cross detector 51 is electrically connected to terminal 101 .

The zero-cross detection unit 51 compares the absolute value of the voltage between the terminal 101 and the ground (reference potential point) with a reference value (for example, 10 [V]), thereby detecting when the voltage between switches switches from negative polarity to positive polarity. to detect the zero-crossing point of In other words, the zero-crossing detection unit 51 determines that the zero-crossing point has occurred when detecting that the positive inter-switch voltage has changed from being less than the reference value to being equal to or higher than the reference value. Zero-cross detector 52 is electrically connected to terminal 102 . The zero-cross detection unit 52 compares the absolute value of the voltage between the terminal 102 and the ground (reference potential point) with a reference value (for example, 10 [V]) to detect when the voltage between switches switches from positive polarity to negative polarity. to detect the zero-crossing point of In other words, the zero-cross detection unit 52 determines that the zero-cross point has occurred when it detects that the voltage between the switches of negative polarity has changed from being less than the reference value to being equal to or greater than the reference value.

Therefore, the detection timing of the zero cross point detected by the zero cross detectors 51 and 52 is slightly delayed from the zero cross point (0 [V]) in the strict sense.

The power generation circuit 4 includes the first power supply circuit 41, the second power supply circuit 42, and the precharge circuit 43, as described above. 2 and 3, in addition to the first power supply circuit 41, the second power supply circuit 42, and the precharge circuit 43, the power generation circuit 4 includes primary side diodes D1, D2, It also has secondary diodes D3, D4 and a DC/DC converter 44. FIG. In the figure, the DC/DC converter 44 is simply written as "DC/DC".

The power generation circuit 4 generates power for operating the internal circuit 3 from the voltage applied across the switch section 2 . That is, the power generation circuit 4 receives the inter-switch voltage as an input and supplies power for operation to the internal circuit 3 . In this embodiment, the power generation circuit 4 outputs an output voltage Vout from its output terminal. By applying the output voltage Vout to the internal circuit 3 , power is supplied from the power generating circuit 4 to the internal circuit 3 .

Here, the input terminal of the first power supply circuit 41 is electrically connected to a pair of terminals 101 and 102 via primary side diodes D1 and D2, respectively. Similarly, the input end of the second power supply circuit 42 is electrically connected to a pair of terminals 101 and 102 via primary side diodes D1 and D2, respectively. The output terminal of the first power supply circuit 41 is electrically connected to the DC/DC converter 44 via the secondary diode D3. The output end of the second power supply circuit 42 is electrically connected to the DC/DC converter 44 via the secondary diode D4. The DC/DC converter 44 converts the DC voltage input from the first power supply circuit 41 or the second power supply circuit 42 into an output voltage Vout composed of a DC voltage of a predetermined magnitude. As a result, the power generation circuit 4 supplies power to the internal circuit 3 from either one of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 .

By the way, in this embodiment, the power supply source of the internal circuit 3 is switched according to the operating state of the switch section 2 . That is, as described above, the operating state of the switch unit 2 includes a cutoff state in which the supply of power from the power source 11 to the load 12 is cut off and a conductive state in which the power supply from the power source 11 to the load 12 is supplied. I'm in. Here, power is supplied from the first power supply circuit 41 to the internal circuit 3 in the interrupted state, and power is supplied from the second power supply circuit 42 to the internal circuit 3 in the conductive state. Then, the precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive element C3 included in the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 . In other words, the first power supply circuit 41 is a power supply circuit for interruption, which supplies power to the internal circuit 3 in the interruption state. The second power supply circuit 42 is a power supply circuit for when conducting, for supplying power to the internal circuit 3 in the conducting state.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 are selected as power supply sources for the internal circuit 3 depending on whether the operating state of the switch unit 2 is the cut-off state or the conductive state. to switch. In short, the power generation circuit 4 includes two power supply circuits, a first power supply circuit 41 and a second power supply circuit 42, and these two power supply circuits are selectively used depending on whether the switch section 2 is in a cut-off state or a conductive state.

There is a difference in required characteristics between the first power supply circuit 41 for interruption and the second power supply circuit 42 for conduction. That is, in the first power supply circuit 41 for shutdown, since the switch section 2 is in the shutdown state, a relatively high-impedance circuit is used to reduce the leakage current flowing between the pair of terminals 101 and 102 through the power generation circuit 4 . is required to be On the other hand, in the second power supply circuit 42 for conduction, since the switch section 2 is in the conduction state, the impedance is required to be relatively low so that the power generation circuit 4 can efficiently generate power. be. Therefore, the first power supply circuit 41 charges the capacitive element C2 in the output stage with a relatively high voltage, and the second power supply circuit 42 charges the capacitive element C3 in the output stage with a relatively low voltage. Therefore, the voltage Vc2 across the capacitor C2 of the first power supply circuit 41 and the voltage Vc3 across the capacitor C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 are not the same, and the voltage Vc2 is higher than the voltage Vc3.

Then, the DC/DC converter 44 converts the voltage Vc2 across the capacitive element C2 of the first power supply circuit 41 or the voltage Vc3 across the capacitive element C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 to an output voltage consisting of a DC voltage of a predetermined magnitude. Convert to Vout. As a result, the output voltage Vout having a predetermined magnitude is stably applied from the power generation circuit 4 to the internal circuit 3 .

In this embodiment, the precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive element C3 included in the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 . That is, when the switch unit 2 is in the cutoff state, the precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive element C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 for conduction with power from the first power supply circuit 41 for cutoff. . As a result, switching from the first power supply circuit 41 for interruption to the second power supply circuit 42 for conduction is smooth at least when the interruption state transitions to the conduction state. In other words, even when switching from the first power supply circuit 41 to the second power supply circuit 42 , power is seamlessly supplied to the internal circuit 3 .

Since the power generation circuit 4 will be described in detail in the section “(2.3) Configuration of the power generation circuit”, only the general configuration of the power generation circuit 4 will be described here. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the first power supply circuit 41 includes a dropper power supply circuit 410, a first current limiting circuit 411, a rapid charging path 412, a capacitive element C0 and a capacitive element C2. there is The second power supply circuit 42 has a low impedance circuit 420, a second current limiting circuit 421, a constant current maintaining circuit 422, diodes D5 to D7, capacitive elements C1 and C3.

The voltage detection unit 53 detects a voltage Vc2 across the capacitive element C2 of the first power supply circuit 41 . That is, the voltage (both-ends voltage Vc2) detected by the voltage detection unit 53 increases as the capacitive element C2 is charged. The voltage detection unit 54 detects a voltage Vc3 across the capacitive element C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 . That is, the voltage (both-ends voltage Vc3) detected by the voltage detection unit 54 increases as the capacitive element C3 is charged.

The charge detection unit 55 detects the charge state of the capacitive element C1 of the second power supply circuit 42 . Specifically, the charge detection unit 55 is electrically connected to a series circuit of a Zener diode ZD1 and a resistor R1 connected to the output terminal of the low impedance circuit 420 . The charge detection unit 55 is connected to a connection point between the Zener diode ZD1 and the resistor R1, and the charge detection unit 55 detects completion of charging of the capacitive element C1 when the voltage Vc1 across the capacitive element C1 becomes equal to or higher than a threshold. do.

The internal circuit 3 has a control section 31, a wireless communication section 32, and a touch panel 33, as shown in FIG. Power for operating the internal circuit 3 including the control unit 31 , the wireless communication unit 32 and the touch panel 33 is generated by the power generation circuit 4 . In other words, each of the control unit 31 , the wireless communication unit 32 and the touch panel 33 included in the internal circuit 3 operates by being supplied with power from the power generation circuit 4 .

The control unit 31 includes, for example, a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories as a main component. The microcontroller realizes the function of the control unit 31 by executing programs recorded in one or more memories with one or more processors. The program may be recorded in memory in advance, recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card and provided, or provided through an electric communication line. In other words, the program is a program for causing one or more processors to function as the control unit 31 .

The control unit 31 turns on/off at least the switch unit 2 . Furthermore, the control unit 31 controls the switch unit 2 so as to adjust the amount of power supplied from the power supply 11 to the load 12 per unit time by phase control (including anti-phase control) or PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. may be controlled (hereinafter also referred to as “load control”). The control unit 31 also controls each part of the power generation circuit 4 .

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 31 acquires detection signals Si1 and Si2 representing detection results from the zero-cross detection units 51 and 52, respectively. Similarly, control unit 31 acquires detection signals Si5 and Si6 representing the detection results from voltage detection units 53 and 54, respectively, and acquires detection signal Si8 representing the detection result from charge detection unit 55. FIG. The control section 31 also outputs a control signal Si10 for controlling the switch section 2 to the level shift circuit 56, as shown in FIG. Control unit 31 outputs control signals Si3 and Si4 for controlling dropper power supply circuit 410 and rapid charging path 412, respectively. Furthermore, the control unit 31 outputs control signals Si9 and Si7 for controlling the low impedance circuit 420 and the constant current maintaining circuit 422, respectively.

In this manner, the control unit 31 appropriately acquires the detection signals Si1, Si2, Si5, Si6, and Si8, and outputs the control signals Si3, Si4, Si7, Si9, and Si10, so that the switch unit 2 and the power generation circuit 4 to control.

The wireless communication unit 32 performs wireless communication using radio waves as a medium, either directly or indirectly via a repeater or the like, with another communication device. Communication between the wireless communication unit 32 and the communication device is, for example, a 920 MHz band specified low-power wireless station (a wireless station that does not require a license), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). It is wireless communication that complies with standards. Examples of other communication devices include a sensor terminal such as a human sensor, or a remote controller that accepts human operations. The wireless communication unit 32 bi-directionally communicates with these communication devices, so that the control unit 31 can control the switch unit 2 based on wireless signals from the communication devices.

The touch panel 33 is a touch panel display and has a display function and a touch sensor function. This type of touch panel 33 functions as a user interface, and for example, displays information such as the operation status of the load control device 1 to present it to a person, or receives a touch operation from a person and outputs a signal. is possible. With such a touch panel 33 , the control section 31 can control the switch section 2 based on a human operation on the touch panel 33 .

(2.3) Configuration of Power Generating Circuit Next, a more detailed configuration of the power generating circuit 4 in the load control device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG.

The power generation circuit 4 includes the first power supply circuit 41, the second power supply circuit 42, the precharge circuit 43, the primary side diodes D1 and D2, the secondary side diodes D3 and D4, and the DC/DC converter 44, as described above. are doing. In FIG. 1 (the same applies to FIGS. 8 and 9 described later), illustration of the DC/DC converter 44 included in the power generating circuit 4 is omitted.

As described above, the input terminal of the first power supply circuit 41 and the input terminal of the second power supply circuit 42 are electrically connected to the pair of terminals 101 and 102 via the primary diodes D1 and D2, respectively. ing. The output end of the first power supply circuit 41 and the output end of the second power supply circuit 42 are electrically connected to the DC/DC converter 44 via secondary diodes D3 and D4, respectively. Therefore, the voltage applied to both ends of the switch section 2 is rectified by the primary diodes D1 and D2 and input to the first power supply circuit 41 or the second power supply circuit 42. The output of 42 will be input to the DC/DC converter 44 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first power supply circuit 41 includes a dropper power supply circuit 410, a first current limiting circuit 411, a rapid charging path 412, a primary side capacitive element C0 (capacitor), and a secondary side capacitive element. It has C2 (capacitor).

The dropper power supply circuit 410 steps down the rectified voltage applied to both ends of the switch section 2 . The capacitive element C0 is connected to the output terminal of the dropper power supply circuit 410 and is charged by the output of the dropper power supply circuit 410 . The capacitive element C0 on the primary side is a capacitor that is charged at a higher voltage and has a smaller capacity than the capacitive element C2 on the secondary side. That is, the voltage Vc0 across the capacitive element C0 is higher than the voltage Vc2 across the capacitive element C2.

Thus, the first power supply circuit 41 has a capacitor (capacitor element C2) at its output stage. This output-stage capacitor (capacitor C2) functions as a buffer that absorbs fluctuations in power consumption in the internal circuit 3. FIG. A voltage Vc2 across the capacitive element C2 is applied as the output of the first power supply circuit 41 to the DC/DC converter 44 via the secondary diode D3.

The first current limiting circuit 411 is inserted between the capacitive element C0 on the primary side and the capacitive element C2 on the secondary side. The first current limiting circuit 411 forms a charging path for flowing the current flowing through the capacitive element C2, that is, the charging current of the capacitive element C2. The first current limiting circuit 411 is a constant current circuit that limits the magnitude of the current flowing through the charging path of the first current limiting circuit 411, that is, the capacitive element C2, to a first current value (eg, 0.5 mA) or less. do.

The rapid charge path 412 is inserted between the primary-side capacitive element C0 and the secondary-side capacitive element C2. That is, the first current limiting circuit 411 and the rapid charging path 412 are electrically connected in parallel between the primary-side capacitive element C0 and the secondary-side capacitive element C2. Rapid charge path 412 forms a charging path for flowing the current flowing through capacitive element C2, that is, the charging current of capacitive element C2. The rapid charge path 412 constitutes a low impedance charging path compared to the first current limiting circuit 411 .

Rapid charge path 412 is controlled to be conductive/non-conductive by control signal Si<b>4 from control unit 31 . Then, at the start of power supply from the first power supply circuit 41 to the internal circuit 3, the control section 31 causes the rapid charging path 412 to be conducted by the control signal Si4. The “at the start of supply of power” from the first power supply circuit 41 to the internal circuit 3 here includes both the time when the load control device 1 is activated and the time when the switch section 2 is switched from the ON state to the OFF state.

In short, in the present embodiment, the first power supply circuit 41 includes the first capacitive element C2, the first charging path for charging the first capacitive element C2, and the path for charging the first capacitive element C2. and a second charging path having a lower impedance than the first charging path. The first capacitive element C2 is a capacitive element different from the capacitive element C3 (second capacitive element C3) charged by the precharge circuit 43 . The first power supply circuit 41 charges the first capacitive element C2 through the second charging path when power supply from the first power supply circuit 41 to the internal circuit 3 is started. That is, the first current limiting circuit 411 corresponds to the "first charging path", and the rapid charging path 412 corresponds to the "second charging path". Thus, the first power supply circuit 41 has two charging paths as charging paths for the capacitive element C2, and when power supply to the internal circuit 3 is started, the rapid charging path 412 (second charging path) Rapidly charges the capacitive element C2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second power supply circuit 42 includes a low impedance circuit 420, a second current limiting circuit 421, a constant current maintaining circuit 422, diodes D5 to D7, a primary capacitive element C1 (capacitor) and It has a capacitive element C3 (capacitor) on the secondary side.

The low impedance circuit 420 is inserted between the output terminals (cathode) of the primary side diodes D1 and D2 and the primary side capacitive element C1. The low impedance circuit 420 forms a charging path for flowing the current flowing through the capacitive element C1, that is, the charging current of the capacitive element C1. The low impedance circuit 420 configures a low impedance charging path compared to the first current limiting circuit 411 .

The capacitive element C1 is connected to the output terminal of the low impedance circuit 420 via the diode D5 and is charged by the output of the low impedance circuit 420. The primary-side capacitive element C1 is a capacitor that is charged at a higher voltage and has a smaller capacity than the secondary-side capacitive element C3. That is, the voltage Vc1 across the capacitive element C1 is higher than the voltage Vc3 across the capacitive element C3. Also, in the second power supply circuit 42 , the capacitor in the output stage is charged with a lower voltage than in the first power supply circuit 41 . Therefore, the secondary-side capacitive element C3 in the second power supply circuit 42 has a lower withstand voltage and a larger capacity than the secondary-side capacitive element C2 in the first power supply circuit 41 .

Thus, the second power supply circuit 42 has a capacitor (capacitor element C3) at its output stage. This output-stage capacitor (capacitor C3) functions as a buffer that absorbs fluctuations in power consumption in the internal circuit 3. FIG. A voltage Vc3 across the capacitive element C3 is applied as the output of the second power supply circuit 42 to the DC/DC converter 44 via the secondary diode D4.

The second current limiting circuit 421 is inserted between the primary-side capacitive element C1 and the secondary-side capacitive element C3. The second current limiting circuit 421 forms a charging path for flowing the current flowing through the capacitive element C3, that is, the charging current of the capacitive element C3. The second current limiting circuit 421 is a constant current circuit, and limits the magnitude of the current flowing through the charging path of the second current limiting circuit 421, that is, the capacitive element C3, to a second current value (eg, 3 mA) or less.

The constant current maintaining circuit 422 forms a current path when the secondary capacitive element C3 is fully charged. Specifically, constant current maintaining circuit 422 includes a series circuit of Zener diode ZD2 and MOSFET 423 . The constant current maintaining circuit 422 is electrically connected to the connection point between the capacitive element C3 and the secondary diode D4. Continuity/non-conduction of the constant current maintaining circuit 422 is controlled by a control signal Si7 from the control section 31. FIG. Then, when the capacitive element C3 is fully charged, the control section 31 causes the constant current maintaining circuit 422 to conduct with the control signal Si7.

Diodes D6 and D7 are electrically connected to the output end of the precharge circuit 43 . The diode D6 is inserted between the precharge circuit 43 and the capacitive element C1 on the primary side.

The precharge circuit 43 has its input terminal electrically connected to a connection point between the primary-side capacitive element C0 in the first power supply circuit 41 and the first current limiting circuit 411 (or the rapid charging path 412). That is, the precharge circuit 43 is inserted between the primary-side capacitive element C<b>0 of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 . Here, the precharge circuit 43 constitutes a low impedance charging path compared to the rapid charging path 412 .

As a result, the precharge circuit 43 can charge the primary-side capacitive element C1 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 through the diode D6. The diode D7 is inserted between the precharge circuit 43 and the secondary-side capacitive element C3. As a result, the precharge circuit 43 can charge the secondary-side capacitive element C3 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 through the diode D7.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 have capacitors (the capacitive element C2 and the capacitive element C3) in their respective output stages. The capacitive element C3 charged by the precharge circuit 43 is a capacitor (at the output stage) of either the first power supply circuit 41 or the second power supply circuit 42 . In this embodiment, as described above, the precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive element C3 included in the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 . That is, the capacitive element C3 charged by the precharge circuit 43 is the output stage capacitor (capacitive element C3) of the second power supply circuit 42 .

(2.4) Operation of Load Control Device Next, the operation of the load control device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7B. FIG. 4 shows the operation of the load control device 1 in the charge mode when the capacitive elements C0, C1, C2, and C3 are charged. 5 shows the operation of the load control device 1 in the interruption mode in which the switch section 2 is in the interruption state, and FIG. 6 shows the operation of the load control device 1 in the conduction mode in which the switch section 2 is in the conduction state. 4 to 6 show the main currents I1 to I3 in each mode, and parts not related to these currents I1 to I3 are shown lightly.

First, the load control device 1 operates in the charge mode shown in FIG. 4 immediately after startup, that is, immediately after power supply is started. Immediately after startup, the capacitive elements C0 and C2 of the first power supply circuit 41 and the capacitive elements C1 and C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 are both in an uncharged state. At this time, the load control device 1 is in a state in which the switch section 2 is in the disconnected state and the rapid charging path 412 is in a conductive state by the control signal Si4 from the control section 31 . Therefore, in the charge mode of FIG. 4, in the first power supply circuit 41, the capacitive elements C0 and C2 are charged with the current I1 through the dropper power supply circuit 410 by the voltage applied across the switch section 2. . In particular, the capacitive element C2 is rapidly charged with the current I1 through the rapid charge path 412, that is, without being subject to current limitation by the first current limiting circuit 411. FIG.

Further, in the charge mode of FIG. 4, in the second power supply circuit 42, the capacitive elements C1 and C3 are charged with the current I1 through the precharge circuit 43 by the voltage applied across the switch section 2. . That is, since the precharge circuit 43 has a lower impedance than the rapid charge path 412 , power from the first power supply circuit 41 is transferred to the second power supply circuit 42 via the precharge circuit 43 . Therefore, in the charge mode, the precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive elements C1 and C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 . As a result, in the charge mode shown in FIG. 4, the capacitive elements C0 to C3 of both the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 are charged simultaneously with the current I1.

Then, when the capacitive element C2 on the secondary side of the first power supply circuit 41 is charged and the voltage Vc2 across the capacitive element C2 becomes equal to or higher than the threshold, the detection signal Si5 from the voltage detection unit 53 is received, and the load control device 1 The operating mode switches to blocking mode. That is, the load control device 1 shifts from the charge mode shown in FIG. 4 to the cutoff mode shown in FIG. At this time, in the load control device 1, the switch section 2 is in the disconnected state, and the control signal Si4 from the control section 31 causes the rapid charging path 412 to be non-conductive. Therefore, the lighting device as the load 12 is turned off.

In the cutoff mode of FIG. 5, the voltage applied across the switch section 2 supplies power to the DC/DC converter 44 through the first power supply circuit 41 at the current I2. At this time, a current I2 limited to a first current value (for example, 0.5 mA) or less flows through the first power supply circuit 41 via the first current limiting circuit 411 . As a result, in the cutoff mode shown in FIG. 5, the leakage current flowing between the pair of terminals 101 and 102 through the power generation circuit 4 can be reduced by setting the power generation circuit 4 to high impedance. Therefore, in the shutdown mode, for example, it becomes easier to prevent the lighting device as the load 12 from being erroneously turned on.

On the other hand, when the switch section 2 shifts from the interruption state to the conduction state, the operation mode of the load control device 1 is switched to the conduction mode. That is, the load control device 1 shifts from the interruption mode shown in FIG. 5 to the conduction mode shown in FIG. At this time, the switch unit 2 of the load control device 1 is in a conducting state. Therefore, the lighting device as the load 12 is lit.

In the conduction mode of FIG. 6, the voltage applied across the switch section 2 supplies power to the DC/DC converter 44 through the second power supply circuit 42 at the current I3. At this time, a current I3 limited to a second current value (for example, 3 mA) or less flows through the second power supply circuit 42 via the second current limiting circuit 421 . Furthermore, when the capacitive element C3 is fully charged, the control section 31 causes the constant current maintaining circuit 422 to conduct with the control signal Si7. As a result, in the conduction mode shown in FIG. 6, the impedance of the power generation circuit 4 can be stabilized while limiting the current flowing through the power generation circuit 4 . Therefore, in the conduction mode, for example, the lighting state of the lighting device as the load 12 is easily stabilized.

Further, when the switch section 2 shifts from the conductive state to the cutoff state, the operation mode of the load control device 1 is switched to the charge mode. That is, the load control device 1 shifts from the conducting mode shown in FIG. 6 to the charging mode shown in FIG. After that, the load control device 1 cyclically repeats the operations shown in FIGS.

As described above, in the load control device 1 according to the present embodiment, the precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive element C3 when power supply from the first power supply circuit 41 to the internal circuit 3 is started. The “at the start of supply of power” from the first power supply circuit 41 to the internal circuit 3 here includes both the time when the load control device 1 is activated and the time when the switch section 2 is switched from the ON state to the OFF state. In other words, the load control device 1 operates in the charge mode at the time of initial start-up and at the time of switching from the conductive state to the cut-off state of the switch section 2 . In the charge mode, the precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive elements C1 and C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 .

As a result, when switching from the interruption mode to the conduction mode, since the capacitive elements C1 and C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 are in a charged state, the power supply source of the internal circuit 3 is changed from the first power supply circuit 41 to the second power supply circuit. Smooth switching to the two power supply circuit 42 is facilitated. That is, in the charge mode, the capacitive elements C1 and C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 are charged by the power from the first power supply circuit 41 by the precharge circuit 43, so that when switching from the interruption mode to the conduction mode, , there is no need to recharge the capacitive elements C1 and C3. Therefore, power is seamlessly supplied to the internal circuit 3 when switching from the first power supply circuit 41 to the second power supply circuit 42 . As a result, fluctuations in the voltage applied from the power generation circuit 4 to the internal circuit 3 are suppressed, and the operation of the control unit 31 and the like is stabilized.

By the way, the internal circuit 3 is a circuit whose power consumption fluctuates. The capacitive element C3 (charged by the precharge circuit 43) mitigates the influence of fluctuations in power consumption on the inputs of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit . In other words, in the present embodiment, the internal circuit 3 includes circuits whose power consumption fluctuates, such as the wireless communication unit 32 and the touch panel 33 . On the other hand, the capacitive element C3 charged by the precharge circuit 43 is a capacitor as a buffer, and absorbs fluctuations in the power consumption of the internal circuit 3, thereby reducing the power consumption of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42. Mitigate the impact of power consumption fluctuations on the input.

As an example, FIGS. 7A and 7B show how the capacitive elements C2 and C3 absorb power consumption fluctuations. FIG. 7A shows the voltage Vc2 across the output stage capacitor (capacitive element C2) of the first power supply circuit 41, with the horizontal axis as the time axis. FIG. 7B shows the voltage Vc3 across the output stage capacitor (capacitive element C3) of the second power supply circuit 42, with the horizontal axis as the time axis. A voltage value V1 in FIG. 7A is a voltage Vc2 across capacitive element C2 when fully charged, and a voltage value V2 in FIG. 7B is a voltage Vc3 across capacitive element C3 when fully charged (V1>V2).

7A and 7B, period T1 indicates a period during which the wireless communication unit 32 of the internal circuit 3 receives radio waves, period T2 indicates a period during which the wireless communication unit 32 transmits radio waves, and period T3 indicates a period during which radio waves are transmitted. It indicates a period during which the communication unit 32 continuously receives radio waves. In other words, the power consumption of the wireless communication unit 32 of the internal circuit 3 increases as a result of receiving or transmitting operations. At this time, the electric energy accumulated in the capacitive elements C2 and C3 is consumed, so that the voltages Vc2 and Vc3 across the capacitive elements C2 and C3 are lowered. In this way, when the power consumption of the internal circuit 3 fluctuates, the fluctuation is absorbed by the capacitive elements C2 and C3. The influence of fluctuations in power consumption is less likely to occur.

In other words, the load control device 1 includes buffer capacitors (capacitor elements C2 and C3) so that the shortage of the current flowing through the internal circuit 3 can be compensated for by the discharge current of the capacitors (capacitor elements C2 and C3). can. Therefore, the load control device 1 can supply necessary power to the internal circuit 3 while limiting the current flowing through the power generating circuit 4 by the first current limiting circuit 411 or the second current limiting circuit 421. is.

In particular, when the power consumption of the internal circuit 3 is relatively large and the fluctuation of the power consumption of the internal circuit 3 is also relatively large, as in the present embodiment, the significance of the precharge circuit 43 as described above increases. .

That is, when the internal circuit 3 includes a circuit that consumes relatively large power, such as the wireless communication unit 32 and the touch panel 33, the capacitors (capacitance elements C2 and C3) serving as buffers of the power generation circuit 4 are relatively large. Capacitor capacitors are used. Furthermore, in the cut-off state, the first power supply circuit 41 has a high impedance, so the withstand voltage of the capacitive element C2 is relatively high. On the other hand, in the conducting state, the capacitance of the capacitive element C3 is particularly large because the capacitive element C3 is charged with a low voltage. Then, when the secondary-side capacitive element C2 of the first power supply circuit 41 and the secondary-side capacitive element C3 of the second power supply circuit 42 are used together, the withstand voltage is relatively high and the capacity is relatively large. Some sort of large capacitor is required.

In addition, when the capacitance of the capacitive element C2 increases, it takes time to charge the capacitive element C2. Therefore, when switching from the conductive state to the cutoff state, a leak current tends to flow between the pair of terminals 101 and 102 through the power generation circuit 4. Become. As a result, for example, the lighting device as the load 12 tends to flicker.

In this embodiment, the capacitive elements C2 and C3 can be made relatively small by selectively using the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 depending on whether the switch section 2 is in the cut-off state or the conductive state. In addition, the precharge circuit 43 allows the power to be transferred from the first power supply circuit 41 to the capacitive elements C1 and C3 of the second power supply circuit 42, thereby smoothly switching from the first power supply circuit 41 to the second power supply circuit 42. I have to. As a result, while using two power supply circuits, the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42, as the power generation circuit 4, power is seamlessly supplied to the internal circuit 3, and the power generation circuit 4 supplies power to the internal circuit. 3 can be suppressed.

(3) Modifications Embodiment 1 is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. Embodiment 1 can be modified in various ways according to design and the like, as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. For example, the specific circuit shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example of the load control device 1 of the present disclosure, and various modifications are possible according to the design and the like. Each drawing described in this disclosure is a schematic drawing, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in each drawing does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio. Also, functions equivalent to those of the control unit 31 of the load control device 1 according to the first embodiment may be embodied by a control method, a (computer) program, or a non-temporary recording medium recording the program.

Modifications of the first embodiment are listed below. Modifications described below can be applied in combination as appropriate.

(3.1) First Modification In a load control device 1A according to a first modification of Embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. is different from the load control device 1 according to the first embodiment in that the current for precharging flows in both directions. In the following, configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted as appropriate.

That is, in this modification, the first power supply circuit 41 has a first capacitive element C2 different from the second capacitive element C3 which is the capacitive element C3 (charged by the precharge circuit 43). The precharge circuit 43 charges the second capacitive element C3 with power from the first power supply circuit 41 and charges the first capacitive element C2 with power from the second power supply circuit 42 .

In the first embodiment, the precharge circuit 43 unilaterally accommodates power from the first power supply circuit 41 to the capacitive element C3 of the second power supply circuit 42. Power can also be interchanged with respect to the capacitive element C<b>2 of the one power supply circuit 41 . Since the second power supply circuit 42 is a circuit with a relatively low voltage compared to the first power supply circuit 41, when power is transferred from the second power supply circuit 42 to the capacitive element C2 of the first power supply circuit 41, The precharge circuit 43 is implemented by including a booster circuit. That is, the precharge circuit 43 boosts the voltage Vc1 across the capacitive element C1 on the primary side of the second power supply circuit 42 and applies it to the capacitive element C2 of the first power supply circuit 41, thereby increasing the capacitive element C2. It is possible to charge.

(3.2) Other Modifications The load control device 1 according to the present disclosure includes a computer system in the controller 31 and the like. A computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The function of the load control device 1 in the present disclosure is realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in advance in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded in a non-temporary recording medium such as a computer system-readable memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive. may be provided. A processor in a computer system consists of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large scale integrated circuits (LSIs). The integrated circuit such as IC or LSI referred to here is called differently depending on the degree of integration, and includes integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), which is programmed after the LSI is manufactured, or a logic device capable of reconfiguring the bonding relationship inside the LSI or reconfiguring the circuit partitions inside the LSI, can also be adopted as the processor. can. A plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed over a plurality of chips. A plurality of chips may be integrated in one device, or may be distributed in a plurality of devices. A computer system, as used herein, includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Accordingly, the microcontroller also consists of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits or large scale integrated circuits.

In addition, it is not an essential configuration of the load control device 1 that at least part of the functions of the load control device 1 are integrated in one housing. It may be distributed and provided. For example, the touch panel 33 may be provided in a housing separate from the control section 31 . Also, at least part of the functions of the control unit 31 and the like may be implemented by, for example, a server or a cloud (cloud computing).

In the first embodiment, the precharge circuit 43 unilaterally exchanges power from the first power supply circuit 41 to the capacitive element C3 of the second power supply circuit 42. Power may be unilaterally interchanged with respect to the capacitive element C2 of 41. That is, the precharge circuit 43 may charge the capacitive element included in one of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the other circuit. The electric power may charge the capacitive element C2 included in the first power supply circuit 41 .

Moreover, appropriate changes can be made to the circuit design, such as using a switching power supply circuit instead of the dropper power supply circuit 410, for example.

In the first embodiment, the power source 11 is a single-phase 100 [V], 60 [Hz] commercial power source, but it may be a single-phase 100 [V], 50 [Hz] commercial power source. Also, the voltage value of the power supply 11 is not limited to 100 [V].

Further, although the load control device 1 is a one-way switch in the first embodiment, it may have another configuration. For example, the load control device 1 may be a so-called three-way switch to which three wires can be connected. Also, the load control device 1 may be a so-called four-way switch to which four wirings can be connected. When the load control device 1 constitutes a three-way switch, by combining two load control devices 1, the energization state of the load 12 can be controlled at two points, for example, the upper floor and the lower floor of the stairs in the building. It is possible to switch.

In the first embodiment, the zero-cross detection unit 51 is configured to detect a zero-cross when the voltage between the switches switches from negative polarity to positive polarity when the voltage between the terminal 101 and the ground becomes equal to or higher than the reference value. There may be. That is, the zero-cross detection unit 51 may be configured to detect a zero-cross when the voltage between the switches changes from positive polarity to negative polarity when the voltage between the terminal 101 and the ground becomes less than the reference value. Similarly, the zero-cross detection unit 52 is configured to detect a zero-cross when the voltage between the switches switches from positive polarity to negative polarity when the voltage between the terminal 102 and the ground becomes equal to or higher than the reference value. good too. That is, the zero-cross detection unit 52 may be configured to detect a zero-cross when the voltage between the switches changes from negative polarity to positive polarity when the voltage between the terminal 102 and the ground becomes less than the reference value.

Moreover, the load 12 is not limited to a lighting device having a light source composed of LEDs, and may be a lighting device having a light source other than LEDs. Furthermore, the load 12 is not limited to a lighting device, and may be, for example, a ventilation fan, a display device, an electric shutter, an air conditioner, or a security device (including devices, systems, and equipment). Moreover, the load 12 is not limited to one device, and may be a plurality of devices electrically connected in series or in parallel.

Moreover, the load control device 1 may further include an operation terminal for connecting a child device. For example, the slave unit has a contact portion such as a push button switch, and the load control device 1 detects ON/OFF of the contact portion. In this case, the load control device 1 controls the switch section 2 so as to switch the operating state of the switch section 2 according to the operation of the child device (on/off of the contact section). That is, in the slave unit, for example, the load control device 1 operates so that the switch section 2 is switched between the disconnected state and the conductive state every time the push button switch is pressed and the contact section is turned on. In short, in the load control device 1, the control of the switch section 2 may be performed not only according to the output of the wireless communication section 32 and the touch panel 33, but also according to the operation of the child device. Therefore, by installing the load control device 1 and the child device at two locations, for example, the upper floor and the lower floor of the stairs in the building, the energization state of the load 12 can be switched at the two locations. Is possible.

Also, the internal circuit 3 may include a sensor circuit, a timer circuit, or the like in addition to or instead of the wireless communication unit 32 and the touch panel 33 . The sensor circuit includes, for example, a human sensor and/or a brightness sensor that detect whether or not a person is present. The load control device 1 can control the switch section 2 based on the outputs of these sensor circuits, timer circuits, or the like.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the switch section 2 has two MOSFETs 21 and 22, but the switches are not limited to MOSFETs and may be other semiconductor switches. For example, the switch unit 2 may be realized by a three-terminal bidirectional thyristor (triac), or a double gate (dual gate) structure semiconductor material using a wide bandgap semiconductor material such as GaN (gallium nitride). It may be realized using an element.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIG. 9, the load control device 1B according to the present embodiment includes one capacitor C4 instead of the capacitive elements on the secondary side of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42. 1 is different from the load control device 1 according to 1. In the following, configurations similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by common reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted as appropriate.

In this embodiment, one capacitor C4 is provided instead of the capacitive elements C2 and C3 (see FIG. 2) on the secondary side of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit . The precharge circuit 43 charges the capacitive element C<b>1 on the primary side of the second power supply circuit 42 . That is, in the present embodiment, only the primary-side capacitive elements C0 and C1 (see FIG. 2) are separately provided in the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42, and the voltage between the primary-side capacitive elements C0 and C1 is Therefore, the precharge circuit 43 may interchange power.

In this case also, the precharge circuit 43 may charge the capacitive element included in one of the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the other circuit. That is, the precharge circuit 43 not only charges the capacitive element C1 included in the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the first power supply circuit 41, but also charges the capacitive element C1 included in the second power supply circuit 42 with power from the second power supply circuit 42. A capacitive element C0 included in the power supply circuit 41 may be charged.

In addition, the precharge circuit 43 may bidirectionally flow a current for precharging between the first power supply circuit 41 and the second power supply circuit 42 .

The configuration (including modifications) described in the second embodiment can be employed in appropriate combination with the various configurations (including modifications) described in the first embodiment.

(summary)
As described above, the load control device (1, 1A, 1B) according to the first aspect includes the switch section (2), the first power supply circuit (41), the second power supply circuit (42), the internal It comprises a circuit (3) and a precharge circuit (43). A switch unit (2) is inserted between a power source (11) and a load (12). A first power supply circuit (41) generates power from the voltage applied across the switch section (2). A second power supply circuit (42) generates power from the voltage applied across the switch section (2). The internal circuit (3) is supplied with power from a first power supply circuit (41) or a second power supply circuit (42). A precharge circuit (43) charges capacitive elements (C0 to C3) included in one of the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42) with power from the other circuit.

According to this aspect, the precharge circuit (43) transfers power from one of the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42) to the other, thereby supplying power to the internal circuit (3). It is possible to shorten the time required for charging the capacitive elements (C0 to C3) at the start of supply. Therefore, when switching the power supply source to at least the internal circuit (3) from one of the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42) to the other, the switching can be easily realized smoothly. As a result, when switching between the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42), it becomes easier to suppress fluctuations in the power supplied from the power supply (11) to the load (12). ) has the advantage of being easy to stabilize the power supply.

In the load control device (1, 1A, 1B) according to the second aspect, in the first aspect, the operating state of the switch section (2) is to cut off the power supply from the power supply (11) to the load (12). and a conducting state in which power is supplied from the power source (11) to the load (12). In the cut-off state, power is supplied from the first power supply circuit (41) to the internal circuit (3). In the conductive state, power is supplied from the second power supply circuit (42) to the internal circuit (3). A precharge circuit (43) charges capacitive elements (C1, C3) included in a second power supply circuit (42) with power from the first power supply circuit (41).

According to this aspect, when switching from the disconnected state to the conductive state, the capacitive elements (C1, C3) of the second power supply circuit (42) used in the conductive state can be charged in advance , and the first power supply circuit (41) It is easy to realize smooth switching to the second power supply circuit (42).

In the load control device (1, 1A, 1B) according to the third aspect, in the second aspect, the precharge circuit (43 ) charges the capacitive elements (C1, C3).

According to this aspect, when switching from the disconnected state to the conductive state, the capacitive elements (C1, C3) of the second power supply circuit (42) used in the conductive state can be charged in advance , and the first power supply circuit (41) It is easy to realize smooth switching to the second power supply circuit (42).

In the load control device (1, 1A, 1B) according to the fourth aspect, in the second or third aspect, the first power supply circuit (41) includes the second capacitive element (C3), which is the capacitive element (C3), and has another first capacitive element (C2), a first charging path and a second charging path. The first charging path is a path for charging the first capacitive element (C2). The second charging path is a path for charging the first capacitive element (C2) and has a lower impedance than the first charging path. At the start of power supply from the first power supply circuit (41) to the internal circuit (3), the first capacitive element (C2) is charged through the second charging path.

According to this aspect, when power supply from the first power supply circuit (41) to the internal circuit (3) is started, the first capacitive element (C2) can be rapidly charged through the second charging path, The output of the first power supply circuit (41) can be stabilized early.

In the load control device (1, 1A, 1B) according to the fifth aspect, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the first power supply circuit (41) includes the second capacitive element (C3), which is a capacitive element, and has another first capacitive element (C2). A precharge circuit (43) charges the second capacitive element (C3) with power from the first power supply circuit (41) and charges the first capacitive element (C2) with power from the second power supply circuit (42). ).

According to this aspect, the precharge circuit (43) can bidirectionally exchange power between the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42).

In the load control device (1, 1A, 1B) according to the sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42) each have an output stage has capacitors (C2, C3) at . Capacitive elements (C2, C3) are capacitors (C2, C3) of either the first power supply circuit (41) or the second power supply circuit (42).

According to this aspect, since the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42) each have the capacitors (C2, C3) in their respective output stages, the size of these capacitors (C2, C3) is increased. easy to avoid.

In the load control device (1, 1A, 1B) according to the seventh aspect, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the internal circuit (3) is a circuit whose power consumption fluctuates. The capacitive elements (C0 to C3) mitigate the effects of power consumption fluctuations on the inputs of the first power supply circuit (41) and the second power supply circuit (42).

According to this aspect, fluctuations in the power consumption of the internal circuit (3) are less likely to lead to fluctuations in the power supplied from the power supply (11) to the load (12), and the power supply to the load (12) tends to be stable. , has the advantage of

The configurations according to the second to seventh aspects are not essential to the load control device (1, 1A, 1B), and can be omitted as appropriate.

Reference Signs List 1, 1A, 1B load control device 2 switch section 3 internal circuit 11 power supply 12 load 41 first power supply circuit 42 second power supply circuit 43 precharge circuit 411 first current limiting circuit (first charging path)
412 fast charging path (second charging path)
C1, C0 capacitive element C2 capacitive element (first capacitive element, capacitor)
C3 capacitive element (second capacitive element, capacitor)

Claims (9)

a switch unit inserted between the power supply and the load;
a first power supply circuit that generates power from the voltage applied across the switch unit;
a second power supply circuit that generates power from the voltage applied across the switch unit;
an internal circuit to which power is supplied from the first power supply circuit or the second power supply circuit;
a precharge circuit that charges a capacitive element included in the second power supply circuit with power from the first power supply circuit ;
the first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit each having a first capacitive element and a second capacitive element in an output stage;
The first power supply circuit is connected between a third capacitive element that is charged by a voltage applied across the switch section, and between the third capacitive element and the first capacitive element. a charging path forming a charging path for flowing the charging current of the element;
The precharge circuit is connected between the third capacitive element and the second capacitive element, which is the capacitive element, and charges the second capacitive element with power from the first power supply circuit.
load controller. The third capacitive element has a smaller capacity than the first capacitive element,
The load control device according to claim 1. The operating state of the switch section is
a cut-off state in which the supply of power from the power source to the load is cut off;
a conducting state in which power is supplied from the power source to the load;
In the interrupted state, power is supplied from the first power supply circuit to the internal circuit,
In the conductive state, power is supplied from the second power supply circuit to the internal circuit,
The precharge circuit charges the capacitive element included in the second power supply circuit with power from the first power supply circuit.
The load control device according to claim 1 or 2. When power supply from the first power supply circuit to the internal circuit starts, the precharge circuit charges the capacitive element.
The load control device according to claim 3. a switch unit inserted between the power supply and the load;
a first power supply circuit that generates power from the voltage applied across the switch unit;
a second power supply circuit that generates power from the voltage applied across the switch unit;
an internal circuit to which power is supplied from the first power supply circuit or the second power supply circuit;
a precharge circuit that charges a capacitive element included in one of the first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit with power from the other circuit;
The operating state of the switch section is
a cut-off state in which the supply of power from the power source to the load is cut off;
a conducting state in which power is supplied from the power source to the load;
In the interrupted state, power is supplied from the first power supply circuit to the internal circuit,
In the conductive state, power is supplied from the second power supply circuit to the internal circuit,
The precharge circuit charges the capacitive element included in the second power supply circuit with power from the first power supply circuit,
When power supply from the first power supply circuit to the internal circuit starts, the precharge circuit charges the capacitive element.
load controller. The first power supply circuit
a first capacitive element different from the second capacitive element, which is the capacitive element;
a first charging path for charging the first capacitive element;
a second charging path that is a path for charging the first capacitive element and has a lower impedance than the first charging path;
charging the first capacitive element through the second charging path when power supply from the first power supply circuit to the internal circuit is started;
The load control device according to any one of claims 3-5. The first power supply circuit has a first capacitive element different from the second capacitive element which is the capacitive element,
The precharge circuit charges the second capacitive element with power from the first power supply circuit, and charges the first capacitive element with power from the second power supply circuit.
The load control device according to any one of claims 3-6. the first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit each having a first capacitive element and a second capacitor in an output stage;
wherein the capacitive element is a capacitor in either the first power supply circuit or the second power supply circuit;
The load control device according to any one of claims 1-7. The internal circuit is a circuit whose power consumption fluctuates,
The capacitive element mitigates the influence of fluctuations in the power consumption on the inputs of the first power supply circuit and the second power supply circuit.
The load control device according to any one of claims 1-8.

Images