EP1121003A1 - Module comprising a starter and inverter for a power source of a discharge lamp and method of mounting a luminaire including such a module - Google Patents

Abstract

The module (20) has an autonomous housing enclosing a circuit (21-24) that switches the direction of the direct supply current (I3) to produce an alternating square wave output (I4). A control circuit (25) determines the switching as a function of the state of the lamp (5). The module is pre-mounted adjacent to the lamp in the lamp unit.

Description

The invention relates to a module forming initiator-reverser for a lamp lamp supply device dump. The invention also relates to a method of mounting of a lamppost or projector incorporating such a module.

In the field of public lighting, it is known, by example from EP-A-0 933 979, using a supply device electronic, sometimes called "electronic ballast", for an arc lamp such as a fluorescent tube, a lamp sodium vapor, metal halide or lamp equivalent. In known systems, the ballast is generally placed either in the luminaire or at the foot of a street light lamp. In the latter case, a cable conductor connects the ballast and its peripherals to the lamp, on the height of the post which is generally between 10 and 20 meters. The ignition voltage of a discharge lamp being of the order of 4,000 volts, the power line electric lamp on the height of the lamp post must be able to withstand such a tension and its cross-section must be planned relatively large. There are currently two large families of electronic ballasts: those that directly supply the lamp with high frequency current, generally several tens of kilohertz, and those which supply the lamp with a square-shaped current which is generally refers to as "square wave". Ballasts belonging to the second family "square wave" issue a current whose frequency is generally a few hundreds of Hertz. The inductance of the cable connecting the ballast to the lamp creates an impedance proportional to the frequency of the current it carries and this impedance can affect significantly the performance of the ballast, in particularly in the case of a high frequency supply. On the other hand, the impedance of the cable considerably attenuates the priming pulse delivered by the ballast during the lamp comes on. These phenomena require reducing the distance between the ballast and the lamp. He is not always possible to install the ballast in height in the floor lamp for a question of space. In addition, if a ballast with an isolation transformer was used, the lower part of the lamppost would then be crossed by the current of the sector, which would remove security provided by galvanic isolation.

In addition, there are systems for regulating groups of discharge lamps in which the supply voltage of all the lamps, this voltage can be continuous. These systems do not allow individual lamp control and / or connection accessories or temporary materials because the network carries a variable DC voltage incompatible with the most of these materials. These known systems in which the command is carried out in tension induce the use mandatory ballast downstream of the supply line continuously.

The same limitations are found in systems known from US-A-4,751,398, from WO-A-95/06951 or from WO-A-94/27419 in which ballasts are mounted downstream of a supply common, these ballasts having to generate the supply current of a lamp while being dedicated to this lamp.

The problems envisaged above are also found in industrial building lighting systems in which power devices should be grouped near the lamps, especially in the upper part of the superstructure of a hall.

It is to these disadvantages that we hear more particularly remedy the invention by proposing a module forming initiator-reverser usable with different types of lamps landfill and whose dimensions are adapted to its environment.

In this spirit, the invention relates to a module forming initiator-reverser for lamp supply device discharge, characterized in that it comprises, in a housing autonomous, inverter forming means capable of generating a alternating current in square wave form, only by periodic reversals of the sign of a direct supply current of this module, and an electronic control unit able to control the period of the output current of this module.

Thanks to the modular and autonomous nature of the initiator inverter of the invention, it can be installed at close proximity to a discharge lamp, for example in the lantern of a street lamp or in a projector power cable duct or raceway industrial lighting, while it is able to be powered in direct current from another module or circuit current injection intended for this purpose, the supply of direct current which can take place over a long distance, since the impedance of the module supply line initiator-reverser is not a sensitive quantity with a direct current. The electronic control unit allows generate in the module of the invention, that is to say immediate proximity to the lamp, high voltage during lamp start-up phases, such a voltage not having to run on a long line, so that no specific insulation of such a line should be provided for example on the height of a lighting floor lamp public or along the length of a trough or path cable. The period variations of the alternating current of module output may be dependent on lamp status that it feeds.

• Il comprend quatre transistors de puissance montés en pont inverseur, la lampe étant connectée entre ces transistors en série avec une bobine formant secondaire d'un transformateur élévateur de tension.
• Il comprend un transformateur haute tension d'amorçage de la lampe.
• Le boítier est inscrit dans un parallépipède dont l'arête la plus longue a une longueur inférieure ou égale à 60 mm. Le module, particulièrement compact, peut ainsi être aisément intégré dans un système d'éclairage à proximité d'une lampe.
• Le module est compatible avec des lampes de types et/ou de puissances différents. Ainsi, ce module peut être fabriqué en grande quantité et installé par défaut dans les lanternes de certains lampadaires ou dans les projecteurs de certaines lampes de halls industriels, avant mise en place de la lampe, le choix définitif de la lampe déterminant le mode d'alimentation en courant continu de ce module.

According to advantageous but not compulsory aspects of the invention, the module incorporates one or more of the following characteristics:

• It includes four power transistors mounted on an inverter bridge, the lamp being connected between these transistors in series with a coil forming a secondary of a step-up transformer.
• It includes a high voltage transformer to start the lamp.
• The housing is inscribed in a parallelepiped whose longest edge has a length less than or equal to 60 mm. The particularly compact module can therefore be easily integrated into a lighting system near a lamp.
• The module is compatible with lamps of different types and / or wattages. Thus, this module can be manufactured in large quantities and installed by default in the lanterns of certain lampposts or in the projectors of certain lamps in industrial halls, before fitting the lamp, the final choice of the lamp determining the mode of DC power supply for this module.

The invention also relates to a method of mounting a floor lamp or projector which consists of pre-mounting, in or near a lantern, a module forming an inverter-initiator as previously described before determining the exact type and nominal wattage of the lamp used in this floor lamp.

The process of the invention therefore allows industrialization optimized manufacturing of lighting floor lamps public and / or industrial lighting projectors in the extent that lanterns can be assembled completely before the final choice of the lamp used in each lantern, this choice depending on the conditions of use of the floor lamp or projector.

We can in particular provide that the module forming initiator-reverser is associated, depending on the exact type and / or the nominal power of the lamp, to a module current injection forming, for the initiator-reverser module, isolated source of direct current from a low frequency voltage source. So an injection module of current is used depending on the final choice of the lamp used.

• La figure 1 est une représentation schématique de principe d'une installation d'éclairage public incorporant un module conforme à l'invention ;
• La figure 2 est un schéma de principe d'un dispositif d'alimentation utilisé dans l'installation de la figure 1 et
• La figure 3 est une représentation en perspective d'un module conforme à l'invention, en situation d'utilisation.

The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the light of the following description of an embodiment of a discharge lamp supply device incorporating a module in accordance with the invention. invention, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the principle of a public lighting installation incorporating a module according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a block diagram of a supply device used in the installation of Figure 1 and
• Figure 3 is a perspective representation of a module according to the invention, in use.

The public lighting installation shown in the figure 1 includes two street lamps 1 and 1 'supplied with current electric from a low voltage network 2, carrying an alternating current of frequency equal to 50 or 60 hertz. Each lamppost 1, 1 'consists respectively of a mast 3, 3 'and a lantern 4, 4' inside which is disposed with a discharge lamp 5, 5 ', for example iodide metallic.

The lamp supply device 5 comprises a first module 10 disposed in the foot area 3a of the mast 3 and connected to network 2 by a cable 6.

The device also includes a second module 20 forming initiator-reverser for lamp 5 and disposed at immediate proximity of this lamp in lantern 4. A two-wire supply line 30 extends over the height of the mast 3 and makes it possible to connect the output of the first module 10 to the input of the second module 20.

As can be seen more particularly from FIG. 2, the module 10 comprises, at the input, a filter 11 at the output of which is connected a rectifier 12 including a power factor corrector. The elements 11 and 12 are such that, when the module 10 is supplied, for example, by a voltage of approximately 230 volts at a frequency of approximately 50 hertz, the DC voltage U ₁ at the output of the rectifier 12 is of the order of 400 volts. An inverter 13 of the half-bridge type makes it possible to transform the voltage U ₁ into an alternating voltage U ₂ of amplitude equal to approximately 200 volts and of frequency equal to approximately 50 kilohertz. We denote I ₂ the output current of the inverter 13. The inverter 13 is configured so that the current I ₂ and the voltage U ₂ are able to supply the lamp 5, this current and this voltage can be assimilated to currents and ballast output voltage. The current I ₂ and the voltage U ₂ are supplied to the primary 14 of an isolation transformer 15, the secondary 16 of which is connected to a rectifier 17 incorporating a filter 18. The rectifier 17 generates a direct current I ₃ of the order a few amperes, the voltage U ₃ depending on the load connected at the output of the module 10. The voltage U ₃ is between 0 and 350 volts, depending on the state of the lamp 5.

The inverter is advantageously of the type known from EP-A-0 933,979.

The module 10 therefore operates as a current generator for the line 30 into which it injects the current I ₃ .

A third module 40 is attached to the first module 10 and constitutes a control box for this module in function of orders issued by an installation management system, these orders being transmitted by any appropriate means, for example over the air or using a current system porters using the power network 2.

The box or module 40 is supplied by a line of branch 41 from cable 6 and its output 42 is connected by an optical connector 43 to the module 10, which allows send to the inverter 13 a command signal C commanding the operation of module 10, in particular for setting up power on, power reduction or lamp stop 5 in according to a schedule or light conditions and in respecting a certain progressiveness for these phases of transition.

The module 20 comprises four switches 21, 22, 23 and 24 formed by power transistors mounted in inverter bridge and making it possible to create, from the voltage U ₃ and the current I ₃ passing through the line 30, a voltage U ₄ and an alternating current I ₄ , of frequency equal to approximately 100 hertz. More specifically, an electronic control unit 25 controls the operation of the four transistors 21 to 24, so as to allow, when the lamp is primed, the sending of a voltage pulse via a transformer 26, the secondary 28 of which is connected to a conductor 27 supplying the lamp 5. When the lamp is started, this unit 25 switches the transistors 21 to 24 so as to obtain, at the output of the bridge, an alternating voltage U ₄ , the value of this voltage determining the state of the system. Indeed, the value of the voltage U ₄ depends on the state of the lamp 5, the value of the voltage U ₃ between the conductors of the line 30 varying with that of the voltage U ₄ . It has been determined that the value of the voltage U ₄ is of the order of 100 volts when the lamp 5 is hot, of the order of 20 volts when the lamp 5 is cold and of the order of 350 volts when the lamp 5 is off, burnt out or absent. The variable nature of the voltage U ₃ is due to the fact that the module 10 operates as a current generator I ₃ .

By playing on the respective opening and closing periods of the transistors 21 to 24, the unit 25 controls the period of the square-shaped current I ₄ . This period can be maintained at a predetermined fixed value, in particular under established lighting conditions. In the lamp start-up phase 5, the unit 25 can control the transistors, so that the period of the current I ₄ is optimized with respect to the state of the lamp in order to promote the start-up.

The module 20 as described is thus particularly simple and in particular does not include relays, one of which lack of reliability could cause a malfunction.

As the module 20 operates only by periodic inversions of the direct current I ₃ , it generates a current I ₄ and a voltage U ₄ of square wave form without modifying their effective values compared to those of its current I ₃ and of its voltage U ₃ entry.

The module 20 can be adapted to different types and / or at different lamp powers. So a type of module 20 can be compatible with power lamps included between 50 and 150 watts while another type of module 20 is compatible with lamps of power between 250 and 400 watts. The first type of module 20 is compact low, which allows its integration in lanterns 4 of relatively narrow dimensions related to size of the lamps 5 considered. The second type of module 20 can be larger since the lamps 5 and the lanterns 4 with which it is associated are of more dimensions important. So in a production with two types lanterns 4 adapted to two series of lamp power, the initiator-reverser modules 20 can be pre-assembled in the lanterns 4 before the choice is made lamp 5 used.

Module 10 is chosen according to the type exact and of the nominal power of the lamp 5, such so the characteristics of the current generator it constitute are optimized with respect to this lamp.

As is more particularly visible in Figure 3, the module 20 is included in a housing 29 which is L denotes the length, the width and the height h. The values of L, w and h are chosen to be less than 60 mm, so that the module 20 can be included in a maximum parallelepiped edge less than or equal to 60 mm, which allows its integration in most lanterns of lamppost and trunking or cable raceways supplying projectors in the case of building lighting. The housing 29 is connected to a socket 50 for connecting the lamp 5 by a cable 51.

Similar modules 10 ', 20' and 40 'are used in the second 1 'lamppost, with a 30' line connecting the 10 'and 20' modules, the 10 'module being housed in the 3'a leg of the 3 'mast while the 20' module is housed in the lantern 4 '. The 20 'module of the second floor lamp 1' is identical to the module 20.

The invention has been described in the case of a device public lighting with lamppost. She is also applicable to a building lighting device, in particular an industrial hall, in which lamps with dumps are installed in projectors, at the superstructure of the building.

Claims (7)

Module forming an initiator-inverter for a discharge lamp supply device (5), characterized in that it comprises, in an independent housing (29), means (21-24) forming an inverter capable of generating an alternating current ( I ₄ ) in the form of a square wave, only by periodic inversions of the sign of a direct current (I ₃ ) supplying said module (20), and an electronic control unit (25) capable of controlling the period of said current alternative (I ₄ ). Module according to claim 1, characterized in that that it includes four power transistors (21-24) mounted in inverter bridge, said lamp (5) being connected between said transistors in series with a coil (28) forming secondary of a step-up transformer (26). Module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes a high transformer voltage (26) intended to ignite said lamp (5). Module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said housing (29) is inscribed in a parallelepiped whose longest edge (L) has a length less than or equal to 60 mm. Module according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is compatible with lamps (5) of different types and / or powers. Method of mounting a lamppost (1, 1 ') or projector, characterized in that it consists in pre-mounting, in or near a lantern (4, 4 '), a module (20, 20') forming initiator-reverser for a discharge lamp (5, 5 ') before determining the exact type and nominal power of said lamp used in said lamppost or projector. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that it consists in associating according to the exact type and / or the nominal power of said lamp (5, 5 '), said module (20, 20') forming initiator-inverter with a current injection module (10, 10 ') forming, for said initiator-reverser module, an isolated source of direct current (I ₃ ) from a low frequency voltage source (2).

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