Patent ID: 8467212

Claim:
A rectifier circuit comprising: an inductor with a first end thereof connected to an AC power supply; a plurality of series circuits in each of which a first end of a first diode and a first end of a switching section are connected to each other, to the connection point of the first end of the first diode and the first end of the switching section, the inductor being connected with a second end thereof; a first DC line to which a second end of the first diode in each of a plurality of the series circuits is connected; a second DC line to which a second end of the switching section in each of a plurality of the series circuits is connected; a capacitor connected between the first DC line and the second DC line; a second diode connected between the first end of the inductor and the first DC line; and a bypass circuit which is formed so that a charge current flowing from the AC power supply to the capacitor bypasses a plurality of the series circuits by making the switching sections out of conduction when the voltage of the AC power supply becomes higher than the voltage across the capacitor.