EP0930809A2 - Procedure and device for the power supply of fluorescent discharge lamps - Google Patents

Procedure and device for the power supply of fluorescent discharge lamps Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0930809A2
EP0930809A2 EP98500274A EP98500274A EP0930809A2 EP 0930809 A2 EP0930809 A2 EP 0930809A2 EP 98500274 A EP98500274 A EP 98500274A EP 98500274 A EP98500274 A EP 98500274A EP 0930809 A2 EP0930809 A2 EP 0930809A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
balast
lamps
procedure
lamp
power supply
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP98500274A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0930809A3 (en
EP0930809B1 (en
Inventor
Juan Roura Ares
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.)
Juan Roura y Cia SA
Original Assignee
Juan Roura y Cia SA
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
Application filed by Juan Roura y Cia SA filed Critical Juan Roura y Cia SA
Publication of EP0930809A2 publication Critical patent/EP0930809A2/en
Publication of EP0930809A3 publication Critical patent/EP0930809A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0930809B1 publication Critical patent/EP0930809B1/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
    • H05B41/46—Circuits providing for substitution in case of failure of the lamp

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to a procedure and device for the power supply of fluorescent discharge lamps, by means of which a new and profitable effect is achieved for the power supply of fluorescent lamps.
  • the procedure and device of the present invention are destined to solve a problem that presently occurs in fluorescent lamp illumination systems, namely the relatively frequent failure of the fluorescent lamps due to the extinguishment of its active life or due to other causes.
  • the lamp fails, many times quite suddenly, ceasing to fulfil its function.
  • fluorescent lamps are relatively complex in their handling and are installed in high locations of the areas to be illuminated, their replacement cannot be performed in an easy and practical manner as is the case with a light bulb, so that when a fluorescent lamp stops working it causes problems and inconvenience until it is replaced, a task that in most cases requires trained staff and a ladder, etc.
  • the present invention is destined to solve these inconveniences allowing lighting installations in which, for each fluorescent tube, another reserved tube or several others are available, being the procedure and system of the following invention arranged in a way that only the normal lighting of one lamp takes place, but in case of its failure, automatically, another one of the reserve lamps will light up until the total extinguishment of all the reserve lamps installed takes place.
  • This allows to achieve lighting installations that offer noticeably regular illumination and which rarely stop performing as desired since when a reserve tube begins to operate there will be time enough to replace it, which allows proper maintenance of the light conditions of the particular area illuminated by fluorescent lamps.
  • the present invention will be applicable domestically as well as in offices, warehouses etc., given that in all cases the same advantage will be obtained, namely that of achieving a more reliable illumination of the desired area and allowing the replacement of lamps when desired, for example during periodic inspections of the light installation which will no longer be direct consequence as it occurs nowadays, of the partial or total lack of illumination of the area due to the failure of one or several lamps.
  • the present invention foresees the arrangement of a single balast supplying power in parallel to several identical fluorescent lamps of the same lighting system, being the power characteristics of the balast those required for a single lamp , which means that in activating the system only a single tube will illuminate, and when this tube ceases to function for whatever reason, in a very short period of time, which could be less than 0.2 seconds, another one of the reserve lamps will light up and so on. Therefore the procedure of the invention will allow the sequential power supply of fluorescent lamps in the same lighting installation without the absence of light ever being noticeable due to the failure of one lamp.
  • the single balast used in the procedure of this invention possesses a specific characteristic by which the exit of the conducting cables from the inside of the balast takes place through a single body of insulating resin in which the components of the balast and the wire connections are monolithically embedded without any exposed connection devices, which confers the balast more solidity, simplifies its manufacturing process and provides it with a much higher resistance to any kind of external agents.
  • the procedure object of the present invention is based fundamentally in the disposition of a single balast 1, Figure 4, with appropriate characteristics to feed only one tube of one array of various identical tubes, as shown with reference numerals 2 and 3, being the total number of lights in a set absolutely variable.
  • These fluorescent lamps are connected in parallel with respect to the single balast 1.
  • the balast will remain connected by means of wires 4 and 5 to one polarity and the neutral of the AC current source, showing as well the proper grounding 6.
  • the fluorescent lamps 2 and 3 will be connected in parallel with the conductor pairs 7 and 8 for lamp 2 , and 9 and 10 for lamp 3.
  • the balast will contain the components shown in figure 5, in which elements 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 have been represented as blocks integrated inside a monolithic block of insulating resins 17, inside which remain the connections of the various conducting cables, so that the outside wall 18 of the monolithic block 17 is perforated directly by the conductors, not exposing to the exterior a single connection .
  • Through the wall itself 18 will come out all of the power supply cables and the wires to the multiple lamps such as 19 and 20 or a variable number of them, connected in parallel with the single balast, having the above mentioned construction.
  • Blocks 11 to 16 contain the following elements: Block 11: filters and suppressors; block 12 : rectifier and protections; block 13: corrector of power factor and potential difference elevator; block 14 : commutation and high frequency control; block 15 : lamp control and power manoeuvre; block 16 : absence detectors, potential and current.
  • Figure 3 shows the front wall 18 of the monolithic block of resins through which conductors 21, 22, 23, 24 pass to feed the two fluorescent lamps in parallel as well as conductor 25 which holds the wires to supply power and for the grounding connection.
  • the present invention allows the control of the power supply to several identical fluorescent lamps by means of a single balast suitable for one individual tube, making a connection in parallel of the various tubes with the single balast, resulting in the lighting of a single or main lamp and continuing to light one of the other tubes as they cease to be operative for whatever cause.
  • the proper device to perform the present procedure consists of a completely monolithic balast which will contain its components inside of a block of insulating resin, and in this block the connections to the wires for the connection in parallel of several identical tubes, which wires go through the wall of the monolithic block with no external connections exposed.

Landscapes

  • Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Fastening Of Light Sources Or Lamp Holders (AREA)
  • Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)
  • Discharge-Lamp Control Circuits And Pulse- Feed Circuits (AREA)
  • Light Sources And Details Of Projection-Printing Devices (AREA)

Abstract

The procedure consists on a single balast which is suitable for one individual tube and feeds successively multiple identical fluorescent lamps, which are connected in parallel with the balast terminals, illuminating a single lamp in a set of fluorescent lamps and continuing to light from one lamp to the next automatically when the operating lamp stops working.

Description

  • The present invention refers to a procedure and device for the power supply of fluorescent discharge lamps, by means of which a new and profitable effect is achieved for the power supply of fluorescent lamps.
  • In particular, the procedure and device of the present invention are destined to solve a problem that presently occurs in fluorescent lamp illumination systems, namely the relatively frequent failure of the fluorescent lamps due to the extinguishment of its active life or due to other causes. When this occurs the lamp fails, many times quite suddenly, ceasing to fulfil its function. Given that fluorescent lamps are relatively complex in their handling and are installed in high locations of the areas to be illuminated, their replacement cannot be performed in an easy and practical manner as is the case with a light bulb, so that when a fluorescent lamp stops working it causes problems and inconvenience until it is replaced, a task that in most cases requires trained staff and a ladder, etc. The present invention is destined to solve these inconveniences allowing lighting installations in which, for each fluorescent tube, another reserved tube or several others are available, being the procedure and system of the following invention arranged in a way that only the normal lighting of one lamp takes place, but in case of its failure, automatically, another one of the reserve lamps will light up until the total extinguishment of all the reserve lamps installed takes place. This allows to achieve lighting installations that offer noticeably regular illumination and which rarely stop performing as desired since when a reserve tube begins to operate there will be time enough to replace it, which allows proper maintenance of the light conditions of the particular area illuminated by fluorescent lamps. The present invention will be applicable domestically as well as in offices, warehouses etc., given that in all cases the same advantage will be obtained, namely that of achieving a more reliable illumination of the desired area and allowing the replacement of lamps when desired, for example during periodic inspections of the light installation which will no longer be direct consequence as it occurs nowadays, of the partial or total lack of illumination of the area due to the failure of one or several lamps.
  • To achieve its objectives, the present invention foresees the arrangement of a single balast supplying power in parallel to several identical fluorescent lamps of the same lighting system, being the power characteristics of the balast those required for a single lamp , which means that in activating the system only a single tube will illuminate, and when this tube ceases to function for whatever reason, in a very short period of time, which could be less than 0.2 seconds, another one of the reserve lamps will light up and so on. Therefore the procedure of the invention will allow the sequential power supply of fluorescent lamps in the same lighting installation without the absence of light ever being noticeable due to the failure of one lamp.
  • The single balast used in the procedure of this invention possesses a specific characteristic by which the exit of the conducting cables from the inside of the balast takes place through a single body of insulating resin in which the components of the balast and the wire connections are monolithically embedded without any exposed connection devices, which confers the balast more solidity, simplifies its manufacturing process and provides it with a much higher resistance to any kind of external agents.
  • For a better understanding a number of drawings are included, as means of illustrating but not limiting a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figures 1 and 2 represent side and top views of a balast used for carrying out the present invention.
  • Figure 3 shows a front view of the balast displaying the set of conducting cables.
  • Figure 4 shows schematically an installation with two lamps and one single balast.
  • Figure 5 shows a block diagram of a balast feeding a set of two fluorescent lamps.
  • The procedure object of the present invention is based fundamentally in the disposition of a single balast 1, Figure 4, with appropriate characteristics to feed only one tube of one array of various identical tubes, as shown with reference numerals 2 and 3, being the total number of lights in a set absolutely variable. These fluorescent lamps are connected in parallel with respect to the single balast 1. As illustrated in figure 4, the balast will remain connected by means of wires 4 and 5 to one polarity and the neutral of the AC current source, showing as well the proper grounding 6. The fluorescent lamps 2 and 3 will be connected in parallel with the conductor pairs 7 and 8 for lamp 2 , and 9 and 10 for lamp 3.
  • The balast will contain the components shown in figure 5, in which elements 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 have been represented as blocks integrated inside a monolithic block of insulating resins 17, inside which remain the connections of the various conducting cables, so that the outside wall 18 of the monolithic block 17 is perforated directly by the conductors, not exposing to the exterior a single connection . Through the wall itself 18 will come out all of the power supply cables and the wires to the multiple lamps such as 19 and 20 or a variable number of them, connected in parallel with the single balast, having the above mentioned construction. Blocks 11 to 16 contain the following elements: Block 11: filters and suppressors; block 12 : rectifier and protections; block 13: corrector of power factor and potential difference elevator; block 14 : commutation and high frequency control; block 15 : lamp control and power manoeuvre; block 16 : absence detectors, potential and current.
  • Figure 3 shows the front wall 18 of the monolithic block of resins through which conductors 21, 22, 23, 24 pass to feed the two fluorescent lamps in parallel as well as conductor 25 which holds the wires to supply power and for the grounding connection.
  • It will be understood therefore the present invention allows the control of the power supply to several identical fluorescent lamps by means of a single balast suitable for one individual tube, making a connection in parallel of the various tubes with the single balast, resulting in the lighting of a single or main lamp and continuing to light one of the other tubes as they cease to be operative for whatever cause.
  • The proper device to perform the present procedure consists of a completely monolithic balast which will contain its components inside of a block of insulating resin, and in this block the connections to the wires for the connection in parallel of several identical tubes, which wires go through the wall of the monolithic block with no external connections exposed.

Claims (2)

  1. Procedure for the power supply of fluorescent discharge lamps, characterised by a single balast suitable for one individual tube which feeds an array of multiple fluorescent lamps of identical nature, which are connected in parallel with the terminals of the balast, lighting a single one of the lamps in the set of the fluorescent lamps and going on to light from one lamp to another automatically when the illuminated lamp stops working.
  2. Device destined to the procedure described in claim 1, characterized by a single balast which components are embedded monolithically in a single block of insulating resin, remaining in it the connections to the power wires and the wires which feed the lamps in parallel, which come out through a wall of the resin block without exposing any connections at all.
EP98500274A 1997-12-17 1998-12-16 Procedure and device for the power supply of fluorescent discharge lamps Expired - Lifetime EP0930809B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES9702617 1997-12-17
ES009702617A ES2136034B1 (en) 1997-12-17 1997-12-17 PROCEDURE AND ITS DEVICE FOR THE SUPPLY OF FLUORESCENT DISCHARGE LIGHTING TUBES.

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0930809A2 true EP0930809A2 (en) 1999-07-21
EP0930809A3 EP0930809A3 (en) 2000-02-23
EP0930809B1 EP0930809B1 (en) 2003-11-12

Family

ID=8301526

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP98500274A Expired - Lifetime EP0930809B1 (en) 1997-12-17 1998-12-16 Procedure and device for the power supply of fluorescent discharge lamps

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0930809B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE254387T1 (en)
DE (1) DE69819674D1 (en)
ES (1) ES2136034B1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1280385A1 (en) * 2001-07-23 2003-01-29 Hubbell Incorporated Apparatus for operating respective single lamps among multiple lamps coupled to the same ballast

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2612343A1 (en) * 1976-03-23 1977-10-06 Neon Es Fenycsoeberendezeseket Emergency lighting system with two discharge lamps in parallel - has ignition or operating voltages of lamps differing by at least two percent
DE3116933A1 (en) * 1981-04-29 1983-01-05 Adolf Schuch Kg, Lichttechnische Spezialfabrik, 6520 Worms Light circuit for interruption-sensitive high-pressure lamps
US4862038A (en) * 1987-06-08 1989-08-29 Morten John F Automatic relamping system
JPH03171605A (en) * 1989-11-29 1991-07-25 Tokyo Electric Co Ltd Stabilizer for discharge lamp
US5089943A (en) * 1989-12-07 1992-02-18 Vdo Adolf Schindling Ag Illuminating device, having two identical lamps connected in parallel
JPH0696893A (en) * 1992-09-10 1994-04-08 Toshiba Lighting & Technol Corp Fluorescent lamp lighting device and luminaire

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4034259A (en) * 1976-04-14 1977-07-05 Audio Visual Innovators Corporation Spare lamp control circuit for a light projection system
US4700100A (en) * 1986-09-02 1987-10-13 Magnavox Government And Industrial Electronics Company Flexural disk resonant cavity transducer
US5430354A (en) * 1992-03-24 1995-07-04 North American Philips Corporation HID lamp and auxiliary lamp ballast using a single multiple function switch
GB9404607D0 (en) * 1994-03-09 1994-04-20 Forest City Signs Limited Road sign lighting unit

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2612343A1 (en) * 1976-03-23 1977-10-06 Neon Es Fenycsoeberendezeseket Emergency lighting system with two discharge lamps in parallel - has ignition or operating voltages of lamps differing by at least two percent
DE3116933A1 (en) * 1981-04-29 1983-01-05 Adolf Schuch Kg, Lichttechnische Spezialfabrik, 6520 Worms Light circuit for interruption-sensitive high-pressure lamps
US4862038A (en) * 1987-06-08 1989-08-29 Morten John F Automatic relamping system
JPH03171605A (en) * 1989-11-29 1991-07-25 Tokyo Electric Co Ltd Stabilizer for discharge lamp
US5089943A (en) * 1989-12-07 1992-02-18 Vdo Adolf Schindling Ag Illuminating device, having two identical lamps connected in parallel
JPH0696893A (en) * 1992-09-10 1994-04-08 Toshiba Lighting & Technol Corp Fluorescent lamp lighting device and luminaire

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 015, no. 412 (E-1124), 21 October 1991 (1991-10-21) & JP 03 171605 A (TOKYO ELECTRIC CO LTD), 25 July 1991 (1991-07-25) *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 018, no. 355 (E-1573), 5 July 1994 (1994-07-05) & JP 06 096893 A (TOSHIBA LIGHTING & TECHNOL CORP), 8 April 1994 (1994-04-08) *

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1280385A1 (en) * 2001-07-23 2003-01-29 Hubbell Incorporated Apparatus for operating respective single lamps among multiple lamps coupled to the same ballast

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES2136034A1 (en) 1999-11-01
EP0930809A3 (en) 2000-02-23
ES2136034B1 (en) 2000-05-16
DE69819674D1 (en) 2003-12-18
EP0930809B1 (en) 2003-11-12
ATE254387T1 (en) 2003-11-15

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