Patent ID: 8836301

Claim:
A power supply unit comprising: a first sub-power supply module, comprising a first inductor, a first switching element which switches current supplied from an input power supply to the first inductor, a first drive control circuit which drives the first switching element, and a first sub-output terminal to which current is output from the first inductor; a second sub-power supply module, comprising a second inductor, a second switching element which switches current supplied from an input power supply to the second inductor, a second drive control circuit which drives the second switching element, and a second sub-output terminal to which current is output from the second inductor; and a common output terminal to which the first sub-output terminal and the second sub-output terminal are coupled, wherein an ON operation of the first switching element is controlled depending on whether or not an output voltage of the common output terminal is lower than a first voltage, and an ON operation of the second switching element is controlled depending on whether or not the output voltage is lower than a second voltage, which is different from the first voltage the first drive control circuit compares a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage with a first reference voltage, turns the first switching element ON if the feedback voltage is lower than the first reference voltage, and turns the first switching element OFF if the feedback voltage is higher than the first reference voltage, and the second drive control circuit compares the feedback voltage with a second reference voltage that is different from the first reference voltage, turns the second switching element ON if the feedback voltage is lower than the second reference voltage, and turns the second switching element OFF if the feedback voltage is higher than the second reference voltage, wherein the first drive control circuit and the second drive control circuit each further comprise a comparator for comparing the feedback voltage with the reference voltage and outputting a comparison result signal, and perform ON/OFF control for the first switching element and the second switching element according to the comparison result signal respectively, and wherein the first drive control circuit and the second drive control circuit each further comprise a pulse generator for generating a pulse signal, phases of the pulse signals being shifted from each other, and perform ON/OFF control by supplying the comparison result signal to the first switching element or the second switching element respectively while the pulse signal is in an H level period or an L level period.