Patent ID: 6987675

Claim:
A power converter having an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal being coupled to a power source, the power converter comprising: a storage inductor coupled to the input terminal; a first switch operating to charge and discharge the storage inductor; an active snubber including a second switch, coupled to a reference voltage that is substantially constant over a switching cycle of the first and second switches; a rectifier operatively coupled to the storage inductor, the active snubber and the output terminal to transfer energy from the storage inductor to the output terminal; and a control circuit that provides control signals to control the operations of the first and second switches over the switching cycle, such that the second switch closes to cause a current in the rectifier to be diverted from the rectifier to the active snubber, so as to allow the first switch to close at a substantially zero voltage condition and, in turn, to allow the second switch to open at substantially zero current condition.