WO2021129663A1

WO2021129663A1 - Power supply circuit and power source device

Info

Publication number: WO2021129663A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/138627
Authority: WO
Inventors: 谢长江; 巩雷; 潘超; 严永红; 杨银华; 蒋思东
Original assignee: 中兴通讯股份有限公司
Priority date: 2019-12-24
Filing date: 2020-12-23
Publication date: 2021-07-01
Also published as: CN113036896A

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a power supply circuit, comprising an input end for connecting a direct-current power source, an output end for connecting a load, an energy storage unit, a switch unit, and a switch control unit. The switch unit is connected between the energy storage unit and the output end, and the energy storage unit is connected to the input end and the switch unit, and is used for storing energy when the direct-current power source supplies power and for supplying power to the output end by means of the switch unit when the switch unit is connected. The switch control unit is connected to the input end and the switch unit, and is used for controlling the switch unit to be connected when the direct-current power source is powered off, so that the energy storage unit supplies power to the output end by means of the switch unit. The switch unit is an NMOS transistor. The present disclosure further provides a power source device.

Description

Power supply circuit and power supply device

Cross references to related applications

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application CN 201911350499.8 entitled "Power Supply Circuit, Power Supply Device" filed on December 24, 2019, the entire content of which is incorporated into this application by reference.

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to the field of power supply technology, and in particular to power supply circuits and power supply devices.

Background technique

In a communication device powered by a DC power supply, if the input of the DC power supply loses power, it is hoped that the power supply circuit will keep the output for a period of time without power loss, so that the load can continue to work after the DC power supply is disconnected.

Generally, a large-capacity capacitor is placed in the power supply circuit. The large-capacity capacitor stores energy when the DC power supply is supplied. When the DC power supply is cut off, the stored energy is used to power the load so that the load can continue to work, but the large-capacity capacitor supplies power. The useless power consumption generated by the circuit itself is too large, especially when the load itself has a large power, the problem is more obvious, so it cannot meet the requirement of uninterrupted power supply for the high-power load.

Summary of the invention

The present disclosure provides a power supply circuit and a power supply device.

In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a power supply circuit, which includes: an input terminal for connecting a DC power supply and an output terminal for connecting a load; a switch unit, the switch unit is connected between the energy storage unit and the output Between the terminals; an energy storage unit, the energy storage unit is connected to the input terminal and the switch unit, used to store energy when the DC power supply is supplied, and when the switch unit is turned on, the switch unit is The output terminal provides power; and a switch control unit, which connects the input terminal and the switch unit, and is used to control the switch unit to conduct when the DC power supply is off, so that the storage The energy unit supplies power to the output terminal through the switch unit; wherein, the switch unit is an NMOS tube.

In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a power supply device including: a DC power supply; and the power supply circuit according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

Description of the drawings

The accompanying drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and constitute a part of the specification, and are used to explain the present disclosure together with the embodiments of the present disclosure, and do not constitute a limitation to the present disclosure. The above and other features and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by describing detailed example embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a power supply circuit provided by an embodiment of the disclosure;

2 is a circuit diagram of a power supply circuit provided by an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of another power supply circuit provided by an embodiment of the disclosure;

4 is a circuit diagram of another power supply circuit provided by an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of another power supply circuit provided by an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of another power supply circuit provided by an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a power supply device provided by an embodiment of the disclosure.

List of reference signs

1 Surge protection unit

2 Forward current anti-reverse unit

3 Boost unit

4 Energy storage unit

5 Switch unit

6 Switch control unit

61 Sampling module

62 Drive the energy storage module

63 Switch module

64 Drive module

7 Output filter unit

8 Load unit

9 Drive energy storage

FV1 The first voltage-limiting surge protector

FU1 First fuse

C1 The first capacitor

C2 The second capacitor

C3 The third capacitor

C4 Fourth capacitor

VD1 First diode

VD2 second diode

VD3 third diode

VD4 Fourth diode

VT1 The first NMOS tube

VT2 The second NMOS tube

VT3 Third NMOS tube

VT4 Fourth NMOS tube

VT5 Fifth NMOS tube

VT6 Sixth NMOS tube

R1 First resistance

R2 Second resistance

R3 Third resistance

R4 Fourth resistor

R5 Fifth resistor

R6 Sixth resistor

R7 Seventh resistor

R8 Eighth resistance

R9 Ninth resistor

R10 Tenth resistance

D1 The first chip

D2 The second chip

L1 First inductance

Detailed ways

In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the power supply circuit and the power supply device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the illustrated embodiments may be embodied in different forms, and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth in the present disclosure. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the present disclosure thorough and complete, and to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the present disclosure.

The embodiments of the present disclosure may be described with reference to plan views and/or cross-sectional views with the help of ideal schematic diagrams of the present disclosure. Therefore, the example illustrations may be modified according to manufacturing technology and/or tolerances.

In the case of no conflict, the embodiments of the present disclosure and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

The terms used in the present disclosure are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The term "and/or" as used in this disclosure includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. The singular forms "a" and "the" as used in this disclosure are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used in the present disclosure, the terms "including" and "made of" designate the presence of the described features, wholes, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, Whole, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, the meanings of all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the present disclosure are the same as those commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. It will also be understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the related technology and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted as having idealized or excessive formal meanings, Unless the present disclosure is specifically so limited.

The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but include modifications of configurations formed based on manufacturing processes. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the drawings have schematic properties, and the shapes of the regions shown in the figures exemplify the specific shapes of the regions of the elements, but are not intended to be limiting.

In the first aspect, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a power supply circuit.

The power supply circuit provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure is connected between the DC power supply and the load, and can continue to supply power to the load when the DC power supply is off, thereby improving the reliability of power supply.

The power supply circuit of the embodiment of the present disclosure specifically includes an input terminal for connecting a DC power supply, an output terminal for connecting a load (ie, load unit 8), an energy storage unit 4, a switch unit 5, and a switch control unit 6; among them, the switch unit 5 is connected between the energy storage unit 4 and the output end; the energy storage unit 4 is connected to the input end and the switch unit 5, used to store energy when the DC power supply is supplied, and when the switch unit 5 is turned on, the switch unit 5 supplies power to the output end ; The switch control unit 6 is connected to the input terminal and the switch unit 5, and is used to control the switch unit 5 to be turned on when the DC power supply is cut off, so that the energy storage unit 4 supplies power to the output terminal through the switch unit 5; wherein, the switch unit 5 is NMOS tube.

In the power supply circuit of the embodiment of the present disclosure, the energy storage unit 4 can store energy when the DC power supply is supplied. When the DC power supply is cut off, the switch control unit 6 controls the switch unit 5 to be turned on, so that the energy storage unit 4 can pass through the switch unit 5 is connected to the load unit 8, and the energy stored therein is used to maintain the power supply for the load unit 8 for a certain period of time.

Compared with the PMOS tube used in some related technologies, the resistance of the NMOS tube is smaller, so that the power consumption (heat consumption) of the NMOS tube itself is smaller when powering the same load, that is, the useless power consumption of the power supply circuit Therefore, the power supply circuit of the present disclosure uses NMOS transistors to supply power to high-power loads, which greatly improves the output load power and maintenance time, and improves the reliability of the power supply when the DC power supply is off, especially for high-power loads. Power requirements.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the switch control unit 6 includes a sampling module 61, a drive energy storage module 62, and a switch module 63; wherein, the switch module 63 is connected to the gate of the drive energy storage module 62 and the switch unit 5. Between the poles; the drive energy storage module 62 is connected to the drive energy storage terminal 9 and the switch module 63, used to store energy when the DC power supply is supplied, and when the switch module 63 is turned on, the switch module 63 provides voltage to the gate of the switch unit 5 , To drive the switch unit 5 to be turned on; the sampling module 61 is connected to the input terminal and the switch module 63, and is used to control the switch module 63 to be turned on when the DC power supply is cut off, so that the drive energy storage module 62 can be the switch unit through the switch module 63 The grid of 5 provides voltage.

Compared with the PMOS tube used as the switching unit in some related technologies, the NMOS tube requires a positive gate-source voltage to be turned on, that is, a higher gate voltage is required to be turned on. To this end, a drive energy storage module 62 can be provided. The drive energy storage module 62 also stores energy when the DC power supply is supplied. When the power is off, the sampling module 63 collects the power off signal to control the switch module 63 to conduct and drive The energy storage module 62 can then supply power to the grid of the switch unit 5 through the switch module 63, so as to keep the switch unit 5 in a conducting state when the DC power supply is cut off.

In some cases, the switch unit 5 is turned on by the energy storage unit 4, which will cause the energy storage unit 4 to use part of the energy to keep the switch unit 5 turned on. However, the power supply circuit provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure The independent drive energy storage module 62 keeps the switch unit 5 turned on, so that the energy storage unit 4 can supply more energy to the load unit 8.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the input terminal includes a positive input terminal for connecting the positive electrode of the DC power source and a negative input terminal for connecting the negative electrode of the DC power source.

The first end of the energy storage unit 4 is connected to the positive input end and the switch unit 5, and the second end is connected to the negative input end; the first end of the drive energy storage module 62 is connected to the drive energy storage end 9 and the switch module 63, and the second end of the drive energy storage module 62 is connected to the drive energy storage end 9 and the switch module 63. Connect the negative input terminal.

In other words, the energy storage unit 4 can essentially be connected between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the DC power supply, and its end connected to the positive electrode is also connected to the switch unit 5.

Similarly, the drive energy storage module 62 is also connected to the negative pole of the DC power supply at one end, and the switch module 63 at the other end. At the same time, this end is also connected to the drive energy storage terminal 9 (which can be connected to different devices, see detailed description below).

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the power supply circuit further includes a boost unit 3 connected between the positive input terminal and the energy storage unit 4 for boosting the signal from the positive input terminal Then, the boosted signal is sent to the energy storage unit 4 so that the energy storage unit 4 can be stored.

In other words, a booster unit 3 can be provided in front of the energy storage unit 4, and the voltage at the first end of the energy storage unit 4 can be increased by the booster unit 3, so that more energy can be stored, and the energy storage unit 4 can be increased when the power is off. The power supply time can improve the reliability of power supply.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the driving energy storage terminal 9 is an end of the boosting unit 3 connected to the energy storage unit 4.

In other words, the drive energy storage terminal 9 connected to one end of the drive energy storage unit 62 can be connected to the boost unit 3 (that is, powered by the boost unit 3), so that the voltage transmitted to the drive energy storage module 62 is higher, and the energy storage module 62 is driven. Can store more energy.

As mentioned above, the connection position of the drive energy storage terminal 9 is not limited to this, and other suitable positions can be selected for power supply according to actual conditions.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the circuit further includes a forward current anti-reverse unit 2, and the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 is connected between the positive input terminal and the energy storage unit 4.

In other words, the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 is connected in front of the boost unit 3, that is, the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 is connected between the positive input terminal and the boost unit 3, and the boost unit 3 is connected to the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 and the energy storage unit 4, so as to prevent the power supply current of the energy storage unit 4 from flowing backward when the DC power supply is cut off.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the circuit further includes a chip, namely a first chip D1, which is connected to the positive input terminal, the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 and the drive energy storage terminal 9 for positive A conduction signal is provided to the current anti-reverse unit 2.

In other words, the chip can be set to maintain the conduction of the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 while supplying power for driving the energy storage terminal, that is, supplying power for driving one end of the energy storage module 62.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the switch control unit 6 further includes a drive module 64, which is connected between the drive energy storage terminal 9 and the drive energy storage module 62, and is used to provide power when the DC power is supplied. The energy storage module 62 is driven to supply power.

In other words, a drive module 64 can also be provided between the drive energy storage terminal 9 and the drive energy storage module 62. The DC power supply works normally, that is, when power is supplied, the current flows through the drive energy storage terminal 9 to the drive module 64 to generate a drive voltage, and the generated drive The voltage is sent to the driving energy storage module 62, and the driving energy storage module 62 stores the driving voltage.

The driving energy storage module 62 can obtain the stored energy from the existing circuit through the driving module 64, without the need for an additional independent circuit, so that the circuit components are fewer and the circuit is simple.

In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the driving module 64 is a diode, the first pole of which is connected to the driving energy storage terminal 9, and the second pole of which is connected to the driving energy storage module 62.

In other words, the energy storage module 62 can be driven by a diode, so that the unidirectionality of the diode can be used to drive the energy storage module 62 when the DC power is supplied, and prevent the energy storage module 62 from being driven backward when the DC power is off.

The work flow of the entire power supply circuit will be described in detail below.

When the DC power supply is supplied, the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 can only flow forward current, and the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 flows forward current to generate a driving voltage for the drive module 64, and the drive voltage generated by the drive module 64 is sent to the drive The energy storage module 62 stores the driving voltage.

At the same time, the boost unit 3 boosts the input voltage of the DC power supply, and the boosted voltage is sent to the energy storage unit 4. Since the NMOS of the switch unit 5 is in the off state when the DC power supply is supplied, the energy storage unit 4 will increase The voltage after pressing is stored.

When the DC power supply is cut off, the sampling module 61 gives a cut-off signal, the cut-off signal turns on the switch module 63, and the drive voltage stored in the drive energy storage module 62 is sent to the switch unit 5 through the switch module 63, so that the switch unit 5 is in position Conduction state. At this time, the energy storage unit 4 supplies power to the load unit 8 through the switch unit 5 in combination with the output filter unit 7 to maintain the uninterrupted operation of the load unit 8.

In some embodiments, the specific circuit of the entire power supply circuit may be as shown in FIG. 4, where +/-48V represents the positive input terminal and the negative input terminal of the DC power supply respectively. Please refer to the following for the specific working principle of the circuit.

When the DC power supply is supplied, the forward current anti-reverse unit 2, that is, the first NMOS transistor VT1 can only flow forward current, and the first chip D1 (such as a driver chip) drives the first NMOS transistor VT1 to make the first NMOS transistor VT1 It is in an open state. The gate-source voltage Vgs of the first NMOS transistor VT1 is charged by the driving module 64, that is, the second diode VD2, to the driving energy storage module 62, that is, the first capacitor C1. The first capacitor C1 charges the first NMOS The gate-source voltage Vgs of the tube VT1 is stored. Among them, the end of the first chip D1 connected with the first NMOS tube is the driving energy storage terminal 9, and the driving energy storage terminal 9 is of course also connected to the second diode VD2.

At the same time, when the DC power is supplied, the DC power supplies the DC voltage to the boost unit 3 through the third diode VD3, which is the BOOST boost composed of the first inductor L1, the fourth diode VD4, and the fifth NMOS tube VT5 Circuit, which boosts the DC power supply voltage and sends the boosted voltage to the energy storage unit 4, namely the third capacitor C3. The third capacitor C3 stores the boosted voltage and sends it to the switch unit 5, namely the first Two NMOS tube VT2. When the DC power is supplied, the second NMOS transistor VT2 is in the off state, so the third capacitor C3 can store the voltage.

When the DC power supply is cut off, the input voltage sampling circuit composed of the sampling module 61, namely the eighth resistor R8, the ninth resistor R9, the tenth resistor R10, and the second chip D2, the fourth transistor VT4, and the control switch module 63 (That is, the third transistor VT3) is turned on. The specific process is that the input voltage sampling circuit composed of the eighth resistor R8, the ninth resistor R9, the tenth resistor R10, and the second chip D2 detects the input voltage. The second chip D2 (such as a comparator) gives a power-off signal, the power-off signal is sent to the fourth transistor VT4 through the seventh resistor R7, the fourth transistor VT4 is turned on, and the current flows through the sixth resistor R6 to form a low level , The third transistor VT3 is turned on. The third transistor VT3 switch module 63.

When the DC power supply is cut off, the first chip D1 is also cut off, the first NMOS tube VT1 loses the driving signal, and the first NMOS tube VT1 is turned off, preventing the energy on the fourth capacitor C4 from flowing backward through the first NMOS tube VT1 , The second diode VD2 prevents the energy on the first capacitor C1 from flowing backward, and the first capacitor C1 sends the originally stored driving voltage through the second resistor R2, the turned-on third NMOS transistor VT3, and the fifth resistor R5 The second NMOS tube VT2 turns on the second NMOS tube VT2. The turned-on second NMOS transistor VT2 combines the energy of the third capacitor C3 with the fourth capacitor C4, that is, the energy of the output filter unit 7 to the load unit 8 to maintain its uninterrupted operation.

Among them, the diodes inside the first NMOS tube and the second NMOS tube in the circuit are parasitic diodes. The surge protection unit 1, that is, the first voltage-limiting surge protector FV1 plays the role of a protection circuit. The circuit also has a resistor that changes the voltage value and other devices, such as the first resistor R1, etc., here I will not introduce it in detail.

Among them, the first chip D1 that drives the first NMOS transistor VT1 can be replaced by other chips or a switching power supply circuit, as long as the first NMOS transistor VT1 is driven.

Among them, the sampling module 61 is not limited to the current input sampling circuit, and other circuits that can determine whether the DC power supply is powered off can be used. The second chip D2 can also be replaced with other chips besides the comparator.

Among them, the forward current anti-reverse unit 2 (that is, the first NMOS transistor VT1) and the switch unit 5 (that is, the second NMOS transistor VT2) can be the NMOS transistors in FIG. Functional devices, such as the NMOS tube VT1 without a parasitic diode in Figure 3.

Among them, the type of driving energy storage module 62 (that is, the first capacitor C1 in FIG. 2) may be an electrolytic capacitor, or other capacitors such as ceramic capacitors (the first capacitor C1 in FIG. 4), or may also be Energy storage devices other than capacitors.

Among them, the driving module 64 (ie, the second diode VD2 in FIG. 2) may be a diode, or may be a single device other than a diode, such as the NMOS transistor VT6 with a parasitic diode in FIG.

Wherein, the power take-off point of the switch module 63 (that is, the third NMOS transistor VT3), as shown in FIG. 2, is one end of the driving module 64 that drives the energy storage module 62 (that is, the first capacitor C1). It can also be shown in FIG. 6, which is the fourth diode VD4 of the boost unit 3. At this time, the driving energy storage terminal 9 is the end connecting the boost unit 3 and the energy storage unit 4, that is, the driving energy storage module 62 can store The boosted energy of the booster unit 3.

The power supply circuit provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can supply power to the load when the DC power supply is off, thereby improving the reliability of power supply, and the useless power consumption is low, thereby prolonging the power supply time and meeting the requirement of uninterrupted power supply for the high-power load.

In the second aspect, referring to FIG. 7, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a power supply device, which includes: a DC power supply; and the above-mentioned power supply circuit.

In other words, the DC power supply and the above power supply circuit can be combined into an integrated power supply, which is equivalent to a DC power supply that can supply power to a load (especially a high-power load) when the DC power supply is off.

A person of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or some of the steps, functional modules/units in the system, and devices disclosed above can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, and appropriate combinations thereof.

In the hardware implementation, the division between functional modules/units mentioned in the above description does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, a physical component may have multiple functions, or a function or step may consist of several physical components. The components are executed cooperatively.

The present disclosure has disclosed example embodiments, and although specific terms are adopted, they are used and should only be interpreted as general descriptive meanings, and are not used for the purpose of limitation. In some instances, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that, unless expressly indicated otherwise, the features, characteristics, and/or elements described in combination with a specific embodiment may be used alone, or features, characteristics, and/or elements described in combination with other embodiments may be used. Combination of features and/or components. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and details can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth by the appended claims.

Claims

A power supply circuit, which includes:

The input terminal used to connect to the DC power supply and the output terminal used to connect to the load;

A switch unit, the switch unit is connected between the energy storage unit and the output terminal;

An energy storage unit, the energy storage unit is connected to the input terminal and the switch unit, and is used to store energy when the DC power supply is powered, and to output the output through the switch unit when the switch unit is turned on. Terminal power supply; and

A switch control unit, which is connected to the input terminal and the switch unit, and is used to control the switch unit to be turned on when the DC power supply is cut off, so that the energy storage unit passes through the switch unit To supply power to the output,

Wherein, the switch unit is an NMOS tube.
The circuit according to claim 1, wherein the switch control unit includes a sampling module, a drive energy storage module, and a switch module; wherein,

The switch module is connected between the drive energy storage module and the gate of the switch unit;

The drive energy storage module is connected to the drive energy storage terminal and the switch module, and is used to store energy when the DC power supply is supplied, and when the switch module is turned on, the switch module serves as the gate of the switch unit. Pole power supply to drive the switch unit to conduct;

The sampling module is connected to the input terminal and the switch module, and is used to control the switch module to be turned on when the DC power supply is cut off, so that the drive energy storage module becomes the switch through the switch module The grid of the unit is powered.
3. The circuit according to claim 2, wherein the input terminal comprises a positive input terminal for connecting the positive electrode of the DC power supply and a negative input terminal for connecting the negative electrode of the DC power supply;

The first end of the energy storage unit is connected to the positive input end and the switch unit, and the second end of the energy storage unit is connected to the negative input end;

The first end of the drive energy storage module is connected to the drive energy storage end and the switch module, and the second end of the drive energy storage module is connected to the negative input end.
The circuit according to claim 3, wherein the circuit further comprises a boosting unit;

The boost unit is connected between the positive input terminal and the energy storage unit, and is used to boost the signal from the positive input terminal.
4. The circuit of claim 4, wherein the drive energy storage terminal is an end of the boost unit connected to the energy storage unit.
The circuit according to claim 3, wherein the circuit further comprises a forward current anti-reverse unit;

The forward current anti-reverse unit is connected between the positive input terminal and the energy storage unit.
The circuit according to claim 6, wherein the circuit further comprises a chip;

The chip is connected to the positive input terminal, the forward current anti-reverse unit and the drive energy storage terminal, and is used to provide a conduction signal for the forward current anti-reverse unit.
The circuit according to claim 3, wherein the switch control unit further comprises a driving module;

The drive module is connected between the drive energy storage terminal and the drive energy storage module, and is used for supplying power to the drive energy storage module when the DC power supply is powered.
8. The circuit according to claim 8, wherein the driving module is a diode, a first pole of the diode is connected to a driving energy storage terminal, and a second pole of the diode is connected to the driving energy storage module.
A power supply device, which includes:

DC power supply;

The power supply circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 9.