Patent ID: 8144443

Claim:
A discharging control apparatus of a switching device for an inverter comprising: an over-current detecting circuit section configured to detect whether an over-current flows in the switching device; a first discharge circuit section configured to provide a discharging path through which a gate voltage of the switching device is discharged at a first discharging speed; an idle discharge circuit section connected to the first discharge circuit section in parallel and configured to provide a discharging path through which the gate voltage of the switching device is idly discharged at a second discharging speed slower than the first discharging speed; a second discharge circuit section configured to provide a discharging path through which the gate voltage of the switching device is discharged at a third discharging speed faster than the first discharging speed; and a spike voltage reduction controller configured to cause the gate voltage to be discharged simultaneously via the first discharge circuit section and the idle discharge circuit section when the switching device is turned off and an over-current is not flowing in the switching device, wherein when the switching device is turned off and an over-current has been detected by the over-current detecting circuit, the spike voltage reduction controller causes the gate voltage of the switching device to be discharged via the second discharge circuit section for a predetermined time, then causes an idle discharge of the gate voltage via the idle discharge circuit section for a predetermined time, and then causes a discharge of the gate voltage via the first discharge circuit section.