EP0491434B1 - Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement - Google Patents

Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0491434B1
EP0491434B1 EP91203266A EP91203266A EP0491434B1 EP 0491434 B1 EP0491434 B1 EP 0491434B1 EP 91203266 A EP91203266 A EP 91203266A EP 91203266 A EP91203266 A EP 91203266A EP 0491434 B1 EP0491434 B1 EP 0491434B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fluorescent lamp
electrode
winding
lamp
ballast
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP91203266A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0491434A1 (en
Inventor
Glenn D. Garbowicz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Koninklijke Philips NV
Original Assignee
Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Philips Electronics NV
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US07/629,868 external-priority patent/US5175470A/en
Priority claimed from US07/673,692 external-priority patent/US5208511A/en
Application filed by Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV, Philips Electronics NV filed Critical Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Publication of EP0491434A1 publication Critical patent/EP0491434A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0491434B1 publication Critical patent/EP0491434B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/16—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by dc or by low-frequency ac, e.g. by 50 cycles/sec ac, or with network frequencies
    • H05B41/20—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by dc or by low-frequency ac, e.g. by 50 cycles/sec ac, or with network frequencies having no starting switch
    • H05B41/23—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by dc or by low-frequency ac, e.g. by 50 cycles/sec ac, or with network frequencies having no starting switch for lamps not having an auxiliary starting electrode
    • H05B41/232—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by dc or by low-frequency ac, e.g. by 50 cycles/sec ac, or with network frequencies having no starting switch for lamps not having an auxiliary starting electrode for low-pressure lamps
    • H05B41/2325—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by dc or by low-frequency ac, e.g. by 50 cycles/sec ac, or with network frequencies having no starting switch for lamps not having an auxiliary starting electrode for low-pressure lamps provided with pre-heating electrodes
    • Y—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
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S315/00—Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
    • Y10S315/05—Starting and operating circuit for fluorescent lamp

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a fluorescent lamp system suitable for operating at least one fluorescent lamp having a pair of electrodes, a ballast for connection to a proper source of voltage, said ballast when connected to a proper source of voltage providing voltage across said lamp, said ballast including a plurality of electrode windings, a plurality of semiconductor switches, each connecting one of said electrode windings to a respective lamp electrode and control means for rendering said semiconductor switches conductive.
  • a fluorescent lamp system is therefore characterized in that said control means is responsive to the voltage over the fluorescent lamp and is coupled to a control electrode of at least one semiconductor switch and to its associated electrode winding by means of an optocoupler.
  • the presence of one or more optocouplers decouples the filaments from the filament windings upon ignition of the fluorescent lamp so that no uncontrollable voltage can be generated during lamp operation.
  • French patent application 2550043 discloses circuitry for the electrode heating of a fluorescent lamp. Although this circuitry incorporates an optocoupler, it is configured to provide electrode heating during stationary lamp operation instead of only during a preignition phase.
  • Said control means preferably include a semiconductor conducting device, in operation conditions being connected in parallel with said fluorescent lamp and wherein current through said semiconductor conducting device renders said plurality of semiconductor switches conductive.
  • At least one of said plurality of semiconductor switches directly receives the current through said semiconductor conducting device.
  • said ballast comprises a transformer including a primary and a secondary winding and at least one of the electrode windings comprises a portion of said secondary winding or said primary winding.
  • Electrode 11a is connected across heater winding 15 of autotransformer 17 through triac TR1. Electrodes 11b and 13a are connected through triac TR2 across heater winding 19 of transformer 17. Electrode 13b is connected through triac TR3 across winding 21 which forms part of primary winding PR of transformer 17. As is typical primary winding PR and secondary winding SE are connected through capacitor C1 across lamps 11 and 13 to provide operating voltage thereto. Such an operating voltage will be supplied when primary winding PR is connected to a proper source of voltage through lines 23 and 25.
  • Starting capacitor C2 is connected across lamp 1 in order for lamp 13 to start first and lamp 11 to follow in sequence thereafter. Also connected across lamps 11 and 13 from terminal A to terminal B is a circuit comprising sidac S1 resistor R1 and a diode bridge comprising diodes D1-D4. Connected in series across the diode bridge are the inputs 1 and 2 of optical couplers OC1, OC2 and OC3. As is well known a photodiode is connected across the input terminals 1 and 2 of optical couplers OC3. As is also well known a light activated triac is connected across the output terminals 4 and 6 of each optical coupler OC1, OC2 and OC3.
  • optical couplers OC1, OC2 and OC3 provide electrical isolation between the diode bridge D1-D4 and the circuitry the light activated triacs are connected to.
  • These light activated triacs of optical couplers OC1, OC2 and OC3 are connected through resistors R2, R3 and R4 to the gates of triacs TR1, TR2 and TR3, respectively, to render triacs TR1, TR2 and TR3 separately controlled.
  • Signals for the gates of triacs TR1, TR2 and TR3 are generated by the voltages across the associated electrode windings 15, 19 and 21, respectively.
  • the main conduction paths of triacs TR1, TR2 and TR3 are connected in series with heater windings 15, 19 and 21 and their respective lamp electrodes 11a, 11b and 13a, and 13b.
  • triacs TR1, TR2 and TR3 are rendered conductible and permit heater windings 15, 19 and 21 to provide heating current to electrodes 11a, 11b, 13a, and 13b of lamps 11 and 13.
  • Upon heating sufficiently electrode 13a and 13b will start conduction in lamp 13 to be followed shortly thereafter by conduction in lamp 11.
  • lamps 11 and 13 conducting the voltage across the lamps and across terminals A and B is no longer high enough to allow sidac S1 to conduct.
  • the light emitting diodes of optical couplers OC1, OC2 and OC3 no longer have voltage applied to them and can no longer emit light.
  • control means comprising the circuitry containing sidac S1 and the optical couplers OC1, OC2 enabled triacs TR1, TR2 and TR3 to provide heating power to the electrodes of lamps 11 and 13 to enable them to ignite and upon ignition the control means responded to the reduction in the voltage across the lamps to render triacs TR1, TR2 and TR3 nonconductive.
  • the optical couplers have been identified by the reference characters OC1', OC2' and OC3' to distinguish them from the optical couplers of the other two embodiments.
  • These optical couplers were Toshiba catalog part number TLP3520 type which combines the function of an optical coupler with an output triac in a single integrated circuit package. Consequently, separate triacs such as TR1, TR2 and TR3 of the other two embodiments disclosed herein and the resistors associated therewith are not necessary in the Figure 3 embodiment. Otherwise the operation of the Figure 3 embodiment is the same as that of the Figure 1 and Figure 2 embodiments.
  • the electrode winding 15 forms part of the secondary winding SE and the electrode winding 21 forms part of the primary winding PR. Otherwise the operation of the Figure 4 embodiment is the same as that of the Figure 2 embodiment.
  • ballast arrangement As those skilled in the art will appreciate, while only one type of ballast arrangement has been specifically disclosed herein the invention described will operate with various other ballast arrangements.

Landscapes

  • Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
EP91203266A 1990-12-19 1991-12-11 Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement Expired - Lifetime EP0491434B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US629868 1984-07-11
US673692 1984-11-21
US07/629,868 US5175470A (en) 1990-12-19 1990-12-19 Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement
US07/673,692 US5208511A (en) 1991-03-21 1991-03-21 Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0491434A1 EP0491434A1 (en) 1992-06-24
EP0491434B1 true EP0491434B1 (en) 1996-07-17

Family

ID=27091029

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91203266A Expired - Lifetime EP0491434B1 (en) 1990-12-19 1991-12-11 Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0491434B1 (hu)
JP (1) JPH04277494A (hu)
KR (1) KR100218555B1 (hu)
CA (1) CA2057682A1 (hu)
DE (1) DE69120913T2 (hu)
HU (1) HU213126B (hu)
MX (1) MX9102104A (hu)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5363017A (en) * 1991-03-21 1994-11-08 North American Philips Corporation Starting capacitor disconnect scheme for a fluorescent lamp
US6111369A (en) * 1998-12-18 2000-08-29 Clalight Israel Ltd. Electronic ballast
DE10304544B4 (de) * 2003-02-04 2006-10-12 Hep Tech Co.Ltd. Elektronisches Vorschaltgerät

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4010399A (en) * 1975-12-22 1977-03-01 Gte Sylvania Incorporated Switching circuit for a fluorescent lamp with heated filaments
DE3312572A1 (de) * 1983-04-08 1984-10-18 Trilux-Lenze Gmbh + Co Kg, 5760 Arnsberg Elektronisches vorschaltgeraet fuer eine leuchtstofflampe
DE3327189A1 (de) * 1983-07-28 1985-02-07 Diehl GmbH & Co, 8500 Nürnberg Schaltungsanordnung fuer das zuenden und fuer die helligkeitssteuerung von leuchtstofflampen
GB2153606A (en) * 1984-01-26 1985-08-21 Rodney Cairn Hope Output current controller for fluorescent lamp ballast

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR920014370A (ko) 1992-07-30
DE69120913T2 (de) 1997-01-16
KR100218555B1 (ko) 1999-09-01
JPH04277494A (ja) 1992-10-02
DE69120913D1 (de) 1996-08-22
EP0491434A1 (en) 1992-06-24
HUT59785A (en) 1992-06-29
HU213126B (en) 1997-02-28
HU913971D0 (en) 1992-03-30
CA2057682A1 (en) 1992-06-20
MX9102104A (es) 1992-06-01

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