Patent ID: 8194427

Claim:
A switching power supply device, comprising: a transformer comprising a primary winding, a secondary winding and an auxiliary winding; a switching element connected to the primary winding of the transformer; a control circuit that performs an ON/OFF control for the switching element in a case where a voltage is inputted to the primary winding of the transformer, thereby induces voltages in the secondary winding and auxiliary winding of the transformer; a rectifying/smoothing circuit for rectifying and smoothing the voltage induced in the secondary winding of the transformer and outputting the voltage to a load; an auxiliary power supply circuit that rectifies and smoothes the voltage induced in the auxiliary winding of the transformer, and charges a capacitor owned by the auxiliary power supply circuit with the voltage to thereby supply power to the control circuit; a starting circuit that supplies a current to the capacitor of the auxiliary power supply circuit in a case of starting the control circuit and in a case where the load is light and the switching element is turned off; and a determination circuit that determines whether or not a value of a voltage supplied to the control circuit by the auxiliary power supply circuit is a predetermined voltage value or less, wherein, in the case where the load is light and the switching element is turned off, the starting circuit supplies the current to the capacitor of the auxiliary power supply circuit only in a case where a determination result made by the determination circuit shows the predetermined voltage value or less.