Flyback converter and controlling method thereof
10050538 ยท 2018-08-14
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
H02M1/0009
ELECTRICITY
H02M3/33507
ELECTRICITY
H02M3/33553
ELECTRICITY
H02M3/33576
ELECTRICITY
H02M1/44
ELECTRICITY
H02M1/0025
ELECTRICITY
H02M3/33523
ELECTRICITY
Y02B70/10
GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
International classification
Abstract
A flyback converter includes a primary side circuit, a secondary side circuit and a controller. The primary side circuit includes a primary winding and a main switch electrically connected to the primary winding. The secondary side circuit includes a secondary winding and an output diode electrically connected to the secondary winding and having a parasitic electrical parameter. The controller generates a correcting parameter for counteracting an effect on an output voltage of the flyback converter from the parasitic electrical parameter, wherein the parasitic electrical parameter is an equivalent series-connection resistance R.sub.d of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, and the correcting parameter is calculated based on the formula
wherein n.sub.p denotes a turns number of the primary winding, n.sub.s denotes a turns number of the secondary winding, and I.sub.ini denotes an initial current value which is detected when the main switch is conducted.
Claims
1. A flyback converter having an output current and an output voltage, comprising: a transformer including a primary winding, a secondary winding and an auxiliary winding; a main switch electrically connected to the primary winding; an output diode electrically connected to the secondary winding; and a controller, including: a current-adjusting parameter generating module receiving an initial current value at a time when the main switch is turned on, a peak current value at a time when the main switch is turned off, a conducting duration of the output diode and a first turns number ratio of the secondary winding to the primary winding to generate a current-adjusting parameter; a voltage-adjusting parameter generating module receiving the initial current value, the first turns number ratio, a second turns number ratio of the auxiliary winding to the secondary winding, an output voltage value of the flyback converter, a conducted voltage drop value of the output diode and an equivalent resistance of the output diode to generate a voltage-adjusting parameter; a current adjuster adjusting the output current of the flyback converter according to the current-adjusting parameter; and a voltage adjuster adjusting the output voltage of the flyback converter according to the voltage-adjusting parameter.
2. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output current I.sub.o is determined according to the following formula:
3. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the auxiliary winding has a mapping voltage V.sub.aux determined by the following formula:
4. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the current-adjusting parameter generating module is a feedback current-trimming module, and the voltage-adjusting parameter generating module is a feedback voltage-trimming module.
5. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the initial current value I.sub.ini is detected at a first moment after the main switch is turned on for a first predetermined duration to avoid a surge.
6. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 5, wherein: the peak current value I.sub.PK is detected at a second moment before the main switch is turned off for a second predetermined duration to compensate an offset value resulting from a delay detection of the first predetermined duration on the initial current I.sub.ini.
7. A flyback converter comprising: a primary side circuit including a primary winding and a main switch electrically connected to the primary winding; a secondary side circuit including a secondary winding and an output diode electrically connected to the secondary winding and having a parasitic electrical parameter; and a controller generating a correcting parameter for counteracting an effect on an output voltage of the flyback converter from the parasitic electrical parameter, wherein the parasitic electrical parameter is an equivalent series-connection resistance R.sub.d of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, and the correcting parameter is calculated based on the formula
8. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the flyback converter further comprises an auxiliary winding having a mapping voltage v.sub.aux, which is detected at a moment t.sub.s and determined by the following formula:
9. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controller includes a feedback voltage-trimming module for generating the correcting parameter to trim a detected offset due to the parasitic electrical parameter.
10. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a current-adjusting parameter generating module calculating a plurality of factors including the initial current value from the main switch to generate a current-adjusting parameter for adjusting an output current of the flyback converter, wherein the correcting parameter includes the current-adjusting parameter.
11. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a voltage-adjusting parameter generating module calculating a plurality of factors including an initial current value from the main switch to generate a voltage-adjusting parameter for counteracting an effect on the output voltage of the flyback converter from the parasitic electrical parameter, wherein the correcting parameter includes the voltage-adjusting parameter.
12. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 7, wherein the flyback converter includes an auxiliary winding having a mapping voltage, and has an output current, and the controller has a detection timing to detect the output current and the mapping voltage in one of a DCM (discontinuous current mode) and a CCM (continuous current mode).
13. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plurality of factors include an operating cycle T.sub.s of the main switch, a current value i.sub.d of a current flowing through the output diode, a conducting period T.sub.dis of the output diode, the initial current value I.sub.ini at a time when the main switch is turned on, a peak current value I.sub.PK being detected when the main switch is turned off, the turns number n.sub.p of the primary winding, the turns number n.sub.s of the secondary winding, and the output current of the flyback converter I.sub.o is determined according to the following formula:
14. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 11, wherein the flyback converter further comprises an auxiliary winding, the plurality of factors include the output voltage value V.sub.o of the flyback converter, a first turns number ratio n of the secondary winding to the primary winding, a turns number n.sub.aux of the auxiliary winding, an equivalent series-connection resistance R.sub.d of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, a conducted voltage drop value V.sub.F of the output diode and a mapping voltage v.sub.aux of the auxiliary winding, and the mapping voltage v.sub.aux is determined according to the following formula:
15. The flyback converter as claimed in claim 13, wherein: the flyback converter has an output current having a sampling error; the main switch has the initial current value I.sub.ini and the peak current value I.sub.PK of currents flowing there through at a first moment and a second moment respectively; the initial current value I.sub.ini is detected at the first moment after the main switch is turned on for a first predetermined duration to avoid a surge; the peak current value I.sub.PK is detected at the second moment before the main switch is turned off for the second predetermined duration to compensate an offset value due to a delay detection of the first predetermined duration on the initial current I.sub.ini; and the sampling error is cancelled when the first predetermined duration equals to the second predetermined duration.
16. A method of controlling a flyback converter having an output voltage, a primary side circuit and a secondary side circuit, wherein the primary side circuit includes a primary winding and a main switch electrically connected to the primary winding, and the secondary side circuit includes a secondary winding, the method comprising: providing an output diode having a parasitic electrical parameter; and providing a controller generating a correcting parameter for counteracting an effect on the output voltage of the flyback converter from the parasitic electrical parameter, wherein the parasitic electrical parameter is an equivalent series-connection resistance R.sub.d of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, and the correcting parameter is calculated based on the formula
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the controller includes a current-adjusting parameter generating module, and a voltage-adjusting parameter generating module, and the method further comprises: providing a transformer including the primary winding, the secondary winding, an auxiliary winding, the main switch connected to the primary winding and the output diode electrically connected to the secondary winding, wherein: the main switch has the initial current value and a peak current value, the output diode has a conducting duration, a conducting voltage drop value and an equivalent resistance; the flyback converter has an output current; a first turns number ratio is defined as the secondary winding to the primary winding; a second turns number ratio is defined as the turns number of the auxiliary winding to the turns number of secondary winding; the current-adjusting parameter generating module receives the initial current value and the peak current value, and generates a current-adjusting parameter for adjusting the output current of the flyback converter based on the conduction duration and the first turns number ratio; and the voltage-adjusting parameter generating module receives the initial current value, the peak current value and the output voltage, and generates a voltage-adjusting parameter for adjusting the output voltage of the flyback converter based on the first turns number ratio, the second turns number ratio and the equivalent series-connection resistance.
18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein: the flyback converter has an output current having a sampling error; the main switch has the initial current value I.sub.ini and a peak current value I.sub.PK of currents flowing there through at a first moment and a second moment respectively; the initial current value I.sub.ini is detected at the first moment after the main switch is turned on for a first predetermined duration to avoid a surge; the peak current value I.sub.PK is detected at the second moment before the main switch is turned off for a second predetermined duration to compensate an offset value due to a delay detection of the first predetermined duration on the initial current I.sub.ini; the sampling error is cancelled when the first predetermined duration equals to the second predetermined duration; and the controller has a detection timing to detect an output current and a mapping voltage of the flyback converter in one of a DCM (discontinuous current mode) and a CCM (continuous current mode).
19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein: the output current I.sub.o is determined according to the following formula:
20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein: the auxiliary winding has a mapping voltage v.sub.aux determined by the following formula:
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(7) Please refer to all Figs. of the present invention when reading the following detailed description, wherein all Figs. of the present invention demonstrate different embodiments of the present invention by showing examples, and help the skilled person in the art to understand how to implement the present invention. The present examples provide sufficient embodiments to demonstrate the spirit of the present invention, each embodiment does not conflict with the others, and new embodiments can be implemented through an arbitrary combination thereof, i.e., the present invention is not restricted to the embodiments disclosed in the present specification.
(8) Please refer to
(9) The present application provides a control method of the flyback converter system 2. When the flyback converter system 2 is operated in the CCM and the DCM, the flyback converter system 2 forms two main sets of waveforms as shown in
(10)
(11) Under a condition that the output voltage is detected by using the concept of the present application, a mapping voltage Vaux of the auxiliary winding 1213 can be derived from the following formula (4):
(12)
(13) In formula (4), Ts denotes an operating cycle of the main switch S, id denotes a value of a current flowing through the output diode Do, T.sub.dis denotes a conduction time of the output diode Do, Iini denotes an initial current value at the time when the main switch S starting conducting, Ipk denotes a peak current value detected at the time when the main switch S ends conducting, np denotes a turns number of the primary winding 1211, ns denotes a turns number of the secondary winding 1212, naux denotes a turns number of the auxiliary winding 1213, Vo denotes an output voltage value of the flyback converter (12 and 21), n denotes a turns ratio of the secondary winding 1212 to the primary winding 1211, R.sub.d denotes an equivalent series-connection resistance of the output diode Do and a secondary side circuit, and V.sub.F denotes a conducted voltage drop value of the output diode Do. The current-adjusting parameter generating module 211 is a feedback current-trimming module, and the voltage-adjusting parameter generating module 212 is a feedback voltage-trimming module.
(14) Comparing the aforementioned formula (1) with the formula (3), it is found that the aforementioned formula (1) and the formula (3) will be the same when the flyback converter system 2 is operated in the DCM, wherein the initial current Iini is detected to be zero. Similarly, comparing the formula (2) with formula (4), it is found that the aforementioned formula (2) and the formula (4) will be the same when the flyback converter system 2 is operated in the DCM, wherein the initial current Iini is detected to be zero. In view of the above descriptions, it is known that circuits of the controller 21 designed by using the concept of the formula (3) and the formula (4) are not affected by the operating mode of the flyback converter system 2 whenever in the DCM or the CCM, and thus the purpose of controlling the output current Io and the output voltage Vo can be achieved in one of the DCM and CCM.
(15) A. Control of the Output Current Io:
(16) In the CCM operation, the output current Io can be derived from the formula (3). A portion of parameters, including Tdis, Iini and Ipk in the formula (3) is necessary to be detected; but np and ns are constant (when the circuit is built, np and ns are fixed). The initial current Iini denotes an initial current value detected at the first moment after the main switch S is turned on for a first predetermined duration to avoid a surge. Because the main switch S has the surge, especially at the time when the main switch S is turned on, it will cause severe control errors by using the detected initial current value Iini. I.sub.PK is detected at the second moment when the main switch S is turned off. T.sub.dis is a conducting period of the output diode Do. Ts is a operating cycle of the main switch S. After the main switch S is turned off, a current energy in the magnetizing inductance Lm will be transmitted to the secondary side circuit. After a current i.sub.Lm inside the magnetizing inductance Lm is down to zero, the output diode Do is caused to stop conducting immediately.
(17) B. Control of the Output Voltage:
(18) Reviewing the formula (1):
(19)
when the flyback converter (12 and 21) is operated in the CCM, the auxiliary voltage Vaux will be detected before the main switch S is turned on at next conducting time. The current i.sub.D flowing through the output diode Do is not zero because the flyback converter system 2 is operated in the CCM. Because an initial current information Iini will be detected at the time when the main switch S is turned on, this initial current information I.sub.ini can be used to represent a diode current value iD(ts) at the time ts.
i.sub.D(ts)=(np/ns)Iini(5)
(20) According to the equation (5), the auxiliary voltage Vaux detected at the time ts can be written as the following equation (6):
(21)
(22) The above detection errors resulting from the current of the output diode Do can be corrected because the initial current value Iini is detected. If the item
(23)
in the equation (6) can be eliminated, the flowing equation (7) can be obtained:
(24)
(25) In the equation (7), only the conducted voltage drop value VF of the output diode Do needs to be considered to obtain the auxiliary voltage Vaux. However, the conducted voltage drop value VF is in general a constant, and thus the correcting technique employing constant offset can fix such a problem.
(26) In
(27)
in item 2 of the formula (6). The voltage-adjusting parameter generating module 212 includes an adder that can eliminates the item
(28)
from the voltage vs (ts), in order to generate the auxiliary voltage Vaux(ts) value as shown in formula (7), and can output an voltage-adjusting parameter to the voltage adjuster 144, so that the output voltage Vo of the flyback converter (12 and 21) can be adjusted accordingly.
(29) Please refer to
(30)
(31) In the above equation (8), Td is the aforementioned Tdis, Lm is the magnetizing inductance, and when Td1=Td2, the last item of the above equation (8) is cancelled, i.e. the above sampling error is eliminated. The above loading in
EMBODIMENTS
(32) 1. A flyback converter having an output current and an output voltage comprises a transformer, a main switch, an output diode and a controller. The transformer includes a primary winding, a secondary winding and an auxiliary winding. The main switch is electrically connected to the primary winding. The output diode is electrically connected to the secondary winding. The controller includes a current-adjusting parameter generating module, a voltage-adjusting parameter generating module, a current adjuster and a voltage adjuster. The current-adjusting parameter generating module receives an initial current value at a time when the main switch is turned on, a peak current value at a time when the main switch is turned off, a conducting duration of the output diode and a first turns number ratio of the secondary winding to the primary winding to generate a current-adjusting parameter. The voltage-adjusting parameter generating module receives the initial current value, the first turns number ratio, a second turns number ratio of the auxiliary winding to the secondary winding, an output voltage value of the flyback converter, a conducted voltage drop value of the output diode and an equivalent resistance of the output diode to generate a voltage-adjusting parameter. The current adjuster adjusts the output current of the flyback converter according to the current-adjusting parameter. The voltage adjuster adjusts the output voltage of the flyback converter according to the voltage-adjusting parameter.
(33) 2. The flyback converter in Embodiment 1, wherein the output current I.sub.o is determined according to the following formula:
(34)
where T.sub.s denotes an operating cycle of the main switch, i.sub.d denotes a current value flowing through the output diode, T.sub.dis denotes the conducting duration of the output diode, I.sub.ini denotes the initial current value being detected when the main switch starts conducting, I.sub.PK denotes the peak current value being detected when the main switch ends conducting, n.sub.p denotes a turns number of the primary winding, and n.sub.s denotes a turns number of the secondary winding.
(35) 3. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 1-2, wherein the initial current value I.sub.ini is detected at a first moment after the main switch is turned on for a first predetermined duration to avoid a surge.
(36) 4. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 1-3, wherein the peak current value I.sub.PK is detected at a second moment before the main switch is turned off for a second predetermined duration to compensate an offset value resulting from a delay detection of the first predetermined duration on the initial current I.sub.ini.
(37) 5. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 1-4, wherein the auxiliary winding has a mapping voltage v.sub.aux determined by the following formula:
(38)
where V.sub.O denotes the output voltage value of the flyback converter, n denotes the first turns number ratio of the secondary winding to the primary winding, n.sub.aux denotes a third turns number of the auxiliary winding, R.sub.d denotes an equivalent series-connection resistance of the output diode and a secondary side circuit, and V.sub.F denotes the conducted voltage drop value of the output diode.
(39) 6. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 1-5, wherein the current-adjusting parameter generating module is a feedback current-trimming module, and the voltage-adjusting parameter generating module is a feedback voltage-trimming module.
(40) 7. A flyback converter comprises a primary side circuit, a secondary side circuit and a controller. The primary side circuit includes a primary winding and a main switch electrically connected to the primary winding. The secondary side circuit includes a secondary winding and an output diode electrically connected to the secondary winding and having a parasitic electrical parameter. The controller generates a correcting parameter for counteracting an effect on an output voltage of the flyback converter from the parasitic electrical parameter, wherein the parasitic electrical parameter is an equivalent series-connection resistance R.sub.d of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, and the correcting parameter is calculated based on the formula
(41)
wherein n.sub.p denotes a turns number of the primary winding, n.sub.s denotes a turns number of the secondary winding, and I.sub.ini denotes an initial current value which is detected when the main switch is conducted.
(42) 8. The flyback converter in Embodiment 7, wherein the flyback converter further comprises an auxiliary winding having a mapping voltage v.sub.aux, which is detected at a moment t.sub.s and determined by the following formula:
(43)
wherein n.sub.aux denotes a turns number of the auxiliary winding, V.sub.o denotes an output voltage value of the flyback converter, and V.sub.F denotes a conducted voltage drop value of the output diode.
(44) 9. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 7-8, wherein the controller includes a feedback voltage-trimming module for generating the correcting parameter to trim a detected offset due to the parasitic electrical parameter.
(45) 10. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 7-9, further comprising a current-adjusting parameter generating module calculating a plurality of factors including the initial current value from the main switch to generate a current-adjusting parameter for adjusting an output current of the flyback converter, wherein the correcting parameter includes the current-adjusting parameter.
(46) 11. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 7-10, wherein the plurality of factors include an operating cycle T.sub.s of the main switch, a current value i.sub.d of a current flowing through the output diode, a conducting period T.sub.dis of the output diode, the initial current value I.sub.ini at a time when the main switch is turned on, a peak current value I.sub.PK being detected when the main switch is turned off, the turns number n.sub.p of the primary winding, the turns number n.sub.s of the secondary winding, and the output current of the flyback converter I.sub.o is determined according to the following formula:
(47)
(48) 12. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 7-11, wherein: the flyback converter has an output current having a sampling error; the main switch has the initial current value I.sub.ini and the peak current value I.sub.PK of currents flowing there through at a first moment and a second moment respectively; the initial current value I.sub.ini is detected at the first moment after the main switch is turned on for a first predetermined duration to avoid a surge; the peak current value I.sub.PK is detected at the second moment before the main switch is turned off for the second predetermined duration to compensate an offset value due to a delay detection of the first predetermined duration on the initial current I.sub.ini; and the sampling error is cancelled when the first predetermined duration equals to the second predetermined duration.
(49) 13. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 7-12, further comprising a voltage-adjusting parameter generating module calculating a plurality of factors including an initial current value from the main switch to generate a voltage-adjusting parameter for counteracting an effect on the output voltage of the flyback converter from the parasitic electrical parameter, wherein the correcting parameter includes the voltage-adjusting parameter.
(50) 14. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 7-14, wherein the flyback converter further comprises an auxiliary winding, the plurality of factors include the output voltage value V.sub.o of the flyback converter, a first turns number ratio n of the secondary winding to the primary winding, a turns number n.sub.aux of the auxiliary winding, an equivalent series-connection resistance R.sub.d of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, a conducted voltage drop value V.sub.F of the output diode and a mapping voltage v.sub.aux of the auxiliary winding, and the mapping voltage v.sub.aux is determined according to the following formula:
(51)
(52) 15. The flyback converter of any one of Embodiments 7-15, wherein the flyback converter includes an auxiliary winding having a mapping voltage, and has an output current, and the controller has a detection timing to detect the output current and the mapping voltage in one of a DCM (discontinuous current mode) and a CCM (continuous current mode).
(53) 16. A method of controlling a flyback converter. The flyback converter has an output voltage, a primary side circuit and a secondary side circuit, wherein the primary side circuit includes a primary winding and a main switch electrically connected to the primary winding, and the secondary side circuit includes a secondary winding, the method of controlling the flyback converter comprises: providing an output diode having a parasitic electrical parameter; and providing a controller generating a correcting parameter for counteracting an effect on the output voltage of the flyback converter from the parasitic electrical parameter, wherein the parasitic electrical parameter is an equivalent series-connection resistance R.sub.d of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, and the correcting parameter is calculated based on the formula
(54)
wherein n.sub.p denotes a turns number of the primary winding, n.sub.s denotes a turns number of the secondary winding, and I.sub.ini denotes an initial current value which is detected when the main switch is conducted.
(55) 17. The method in Embodiment 16, wherein the controller includes a current-adjusting parameter generating module, and a voltage-adjusting parameter generating module, and the method further comprises: providing a transformer including the primary winding, the secondary winding, an auxiliary winding, the main switch connected to the primary winding and the output diode electrically connected to the secondary winding, wherein: the main switch has the initial current value and a peak current value, the output diode has a conducting duration, a conducting voltage drop value and an equivalent resistance; the flyback converter has an output current; a first turns number ratio is defined as the secondary turns number to the primary turns number; a second turns number ratio is defined as the turns number of the auxiliary winding to the secondary winding turns number; the current-adjusting parameter generating module receives the initial current value and the peak current value, and generates a current-adjusting parameter for adjusting the output current of the flyback converter based on the conduction duration and the first turns number ratio; and the voltage-adjusting parameter generating module receives the initial current value, the peak current value and the output voltage, and generates a voltage-adjusting parameter for adjusting the output voltage of the flyback converter based on the first turns number ratio, the second turns number ratio and the equivalent series-connection resistance.
(56) 18. The method of any one of Embodiments 16-17, wherein the output current I.sub.o is determined according to the following formula:
(57)
where T.sub.s denotes an operating cycle of the main switch, i.sub.d denotes a current value flowing through the output diode, T.sub.dis denotes the conduction duration of the output diode, I.sub.ini denotes the initial current value being detected when the main switch starts conducting, I.sub.PK denotes the peak current value being detected when the main switch ends conducting, n.sub.p denotes the first turns number of the primary winding, and n.sub.s denotes the second turns number of the secondary winding.
(58) 19. The method of any one of Embodiments 7-15, wherein the auxiliary winding has a mapping voltage v.sub.aux determined by the following formula:
(59)
where V.sub.o denotes the output voltage value of the flyback converter, n denotes the first turns number ratio of the secondary winding to the primary winding, n.sub.aux denotes a third turns number of the auxiliary winding, R.sub.d denotes the equivalent series-connection resistance of the output diode and the secondary side circuit, and V.sub.F denotes the conducting voltage drop value of the output diode.
(60) 20. The method of any one of Embodiments 16-19, wherein: the flyback converter has an output current having a sampling error; the main switch has the initial current value I.sub.ini and a peak current value I.sub.PK of currents flowing there through at a first moment and a second moment respectively; the initial current value I.sub.ini is detected at the first moment after the main switch is turned on for a first predetermined duration to avoid a surge; the peak current value I.sub.PK is detected at the second moment before the main switch is turned off for a second predetermined duration to compensate an offset value due to a delay detection of the first predetermined duration on the initial current I.sub.ini; the sampling error is cancelled when the first predetermined duration equals to the second predetermined duration; and the controller has a detection timing to detect an output current and a mapping voltage of the flyback converter in one of a DCM (discontinuous current mode) and a CCM (continuous current mode).
(61) While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.