EP1442635A1

EP1442635A1 - Evg units which may be wired in parallel due to lamp type

Info

Publication number: EP1442635A1
Application number: EP02776833A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wilfried Brauckmann; Ulrich Klipstein
Original assignee: B & S Elektronische Gerate GmbH
Current assignee: B & S Elektronische Gerate GmbH
Priority date: 2001-10-27
Filing date: 2002-10-15
Publication date: 2004-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 2022-10-15
Also published as: US20050151426A1; CN100474996C; DE50207528D1; EP1442635B1; CN1575625A; RU2004116130A; RU2301509C2; EP1442635B9; US7385310B2; WO2003039204A1

Abstract

The invention relates to the supply of lamps (8', 8'') of at least two different lamp types, of which a first lamp type (8'') has a wattage which is approximately a whole multiple of the wattage of a second lamp type (8'), whereby the same ballast devices (1) are used, embodied for the direct supply of the second lamp type (8') and which may be operated in parallel for the supply of the first lamp type (8''). The correct connection of a suitable lamp (8', 8', 8'') to the ballast device (1) is monitored by means of a signal exchange between ballast device (1) and lamps (8', 8', 8'') before switching on the supply line of the ballast device (1).

Description

PARALLEL SWITCHABLE ECGS BASED ON THE LAMP TYPE

The invention relates to a method for establishing a suitable connection between a luminaire and an electronic ballast, which provides a suitable supply power for the luminaire, a signal being transmitted from the ballast before the supply power of the luminaire is switched on, by means of the luminaire on the basis of transmitted signal, a response signal specific to the luminaire type is generated, the response signal is evaluated in the ballast to identify the connected luminaire type and the supply power is only switched on after detection of a luminaire type suitable for connection, in accordance with patent ... (patent application 101 39 402.0).

The invention further relates to an arrangement of electronic ballasts, each having a power supply unit for generating a supply power for the operation of a connected lamp, a connection cable for establishing an electrical connection to the lamp for transmitting the supply device, a control device by means of which a signal is sent to the luminaire before the supply power is switched on, an evaluation device for evaluating a response signal from the luminaire for recognizing the luminaire type and evaluating the recognized luminaire type as suitable for connection to the supply power, and a switching device for switching on the Supply power if the recognized luminaire type is suitable for connection to the supply power.

Numerous luminaires equipped with discharge lamps are regularly used to illuminate exhibition stands, exhibition rooms, film scenes, etc. Scaffold-like frames are often used for this, on which the lights are mounted and connected to a connecting cable. The connecting cable connects the lights to an associated electronic ballast. Because of the frequently used high number of luminaires, several of the electronic ballasts are used in standardized slide-in housings. In order to reduce the number of cables sometimes laid over a longer distance, the connecting lines of the electronic ballasts are increasingly connected with a single, multi-core cable, which largely bridges the distance between the electronic ballasts and the lights. A distributor is attached to the end of the multi-core cable, to which the individual lights can then be connected.

Luminaires with different powers are generally used to fulfill the respective lighting tasks. It is known to provide the lights of different powers with different plugs, for example to avoid connecting a lamp of lower power to an electronic ballast with a higher output power or vice versa, which can result in damage to the discharge lamp of the lamp or to the electronic ballast. A disadvantage of this, however, is that the distributor connected to the multi-core cable with corresponding mechanical nically coded mating connectors must be equipped so that the distributor must be specially set up for the respective lighting task. This is cumbersome and requires major retrofitting work, for example, if it turns out when the lighting is created that a luminaire of a pre-planned power level should be replaced by a luminaire of a different power level at one or more points. It has therefore been proposed to dispense with the mechanical coding of the plugs and to demand increased attention from the installation personnel in order to avoid incorrect connection of lights to electronic ballasts. This requires careful assignment and marking of the connections of the luminaire-side distributor to the individual electronic ballasts at the other end of the multi-core cable and furthermore a high level of attention from the installation personnel.

The teaching of the main patent ... is based on the assumption that, due to the often cramped installation conditions in the area of the distributor, for example on a narrow luminaire frame and because of the problematic lighting conditions that are regularly present there, error-free work by the operating personnel cannot be assumed. Incorrect installations and the associated damage to lamps and / or electronic ballasts therefore appear inevitable.

The main patent is therefore based on the problem of avoiding harmful consequences of incorrect installations due to the mechanical coding of plug connections no longer being present, without significant additional outlay.

Based on this problem, according to the main patent, a method for establishing a suitable connection between a luminaire and an electronic ballast, which provides a suitable supply power for the luminaire, is characterized in that before switching on the connection If the light output is transmitted from the ballast to the light output, a response signal specific to the light type is generated by the light based on the transmitted signal, that the response signal is evaluated in the ballast to identify the switched-on light type and that only after detection of a light type suitable for connection the supply power is switched on.

This method thus provides for an electronic check of the lamp connected to the relevant electronic ballast before the supply power is switched on by the electronic ballast. In this way, a connection of an incompatible luminaire to an electronic ballast is not prevented, but the luminaire is not put into operation by the electronic ballast.

The type of luminaire, in particular the nominal power of the luminaire, can be checked without additional cable wires using the connecting cable, for example, a two-wire cable. The circuitry required for the electronic ballast and for the luminaire is low, since the information about the luminaire type can be transmitted in a very simple manner, for example by pulses generated in the luminaire, the number of which per unit time contains the information about the luminaire type. In this case, for example, only a pulse generator in the form of an astable multivibrator is suitable, the switching frequency of which can be determined by a circuit with a capacitor.

Basically, it is conceivable to supply the response signal generator with its own battery in the luminaire. However, a solution is preferred in which the response signal is generated from the energy of the received signal in the luminaire, so that the luminaire continues to do without its own power source. For this purpose, for example, a low DC voltage can be transmitted as a signal, which as a response signal from the signal generator in the luminous is switched in a low-impedance and high-resistance manner so that, depending on the type of connection, voltage pulses occur or current pulses can be detected in the electronic ballast if the voltage remains the same.

Another embodiment consists in that a time-limited pulse signal is sent as the signal of the electronic ballast, from the energy content of which a response signal is formed by means of the lamp. The pulse signal can be used in the lamp, for example, to charge a capacitor, from whose energy the time-limited response signal is formed. It is expediently provided that the device for forming the response signal in the lamp is designed to be self-switching, so that it is switched off when the supply power is directed to the lamp.

An electronic ballast suitable for carrying out the method according to the main patent is characterized by a control device by means of which a signal is sent to the luminaire before the supply power is switched on, by an evaluation device for evaluating a response signal from the luminaire to identify the luminaire type and to evaluate the luminaire type detected as suitable for connection to the supply power, and by a switching device for switching on the supply power if the detected luminaire type is suitable for connection to the supply power.

At the output of the control device, a DC voltage which is substantially lower than the voltage of the supply power can be present for transmission to the lamp. In accordance with the method of operation described above, it may be sufficient if a time-limited pulse of the low DC voltage for transmission to the lamp is present at the output of the control device. The output of the control device can be connected to the connection cable, so that the transmission of the low DC voltage takes place with the same cable with which the supply power is later directed to the lamp.

The evaluation device can be designed in a simple manner to identify the number of pulses per unit of time.

Of course, the evaluation device can also be designed differently within the scope of the invention, for example for the detection of pulse widths, for the detection of zero crossings of a harmonic oscillation or the like.

According to the main patent, a lamp for carrying out the method is characterized by a signal transmitter triggered by an externally supplied signal for transmitting a response signal characterizing the lamp type to the ballast. The signal transmitter can expediently be fed by the externally supplied signal, that is to say it can receive its supply voltage.

The signal transmitter is preferably connected to the connection cable, ie receives both the externally supplied signal and the supply power via the same line.

The signal transmitter is preferably designed to be self-switching after the response signal has been emitted. It is reactivated by a renewed externally supplied signal that differs significantly from the supply power and can be recognized by the signal generator.

For the reasons described above, it is advantageous if the signal transmitter has an energy storage device for forming its supply voltage from a received signal. Alternatively, the signal transmitter can be supplied by a received DC voltage and switch over the DC voltage in a clocked manner.

In particular for the connection of a large number of luminaires which have different lighting tasks and therefore have different power consumption, there is a problem in providing different ballasts for the different luminaire types and, for example, installing them in a slide-in rack housing. Since the electronic ballasts have meanwhile been reduced in size so that several can be accommodated next to each other in a 19-inch plug-in unit, it is extremely tedious to replace a ballast of one type of performance with a ballast of another type of performance, for example, as these regularly have different widths ,

The invention is therefore based on the problem of simplifying the handling and arrangement of numerous ballasts for operating luminaires of different luminaire types.

Based on this problem, the method according to the main patent is characterized in that the same ballasts are used to supply lights to at least two different types of lights, one of which has a power consumption that is up to a full-line multiple of the power consumption of a second type of lights, which are designed to supply the second type of luminaire directly and are operated in parallel to supply the first type of luminaire.

A corresponding arrangement of electronic ballasts of the type mentioned at the outset is characterized in that the same ballasts are provided in the arrangement that are used for direct supply of lights of the second light type are designed and can be connected in parallel to supply lights of the first light type.

The present invention makes use of the fact that although different types of luminaires are often used, the number of luminaire types used is limited to two or three. A frequently used combination of luminaires uses three types of luminaires with power consumption of 200 W, 575 W and 1200 W. According to the invention, the same ballasts are used for controlling the luminaire with 575 W and 1200 W, which are designed for direct supply of the luminaires with 575 W.

Two ballasts are connected in parallel to control the luminaire with 1200 W. In this way, the otherwise usual variety of electronic ballasts can be avoided. In this specific case, electronic ballasts are used that can be switched internally for the low power outputs between the output power of 200 W and 575 W, whereby the correct switching position for the connection of a specific luminaire is checked according to the procedure in accordance with the main patent or an automatic switch is carried out using this procedure becomes.

By using the same ballasts, these can advantageously be arranged next to one another in a standard plug-in housing, the arrangement of six ballasts in a 19-inch plug-in housing being advantageous next to one another for the described application.

Since the ballasts are designed to be adjustable in their output power as standard, it is also possible according to the present invention, for example, to operate a luminaire with a power consumption of 800 W with two ballasts connected in parallel with a power output of up to 600 W if, for example, both ballasts are set to 400 W have been set by the controller. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawing. Figures 1 to 3 explain the method according to the main patent, Figure 4 illustrates the modular arrangement according to the invention with the same ballasts. Show in detail:

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic ballast and a lamp connected via a connecting cable

Figure 2 is a graph for the output voltage of the electronic ballast during the test process for the type of light and for the subsequent switching on the supply power

FIG. 3 shows a signal curve for a signal generated and transmitted by the electronic ballast in the form of a DC voltage pulse and a response signal generated thereon.

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of six identical ballasts for controlling lights of different types.

Figure 1 shows schematically an electronic ballast 1, which has a power section 2 in the usual way, with which a supply power is generated and provided at output terminals 3.

The electronic ballast also has a control and evaluation device 4, the output terminals of which can be switched to the output terminals 3 as an alternative to the supply power via a changeover switch 5. A connection to connection terminals 7 of a light 8 is established via a two-wire connection cable 6. An ignition device 9 and a discharge lamp 10 are conventionally connected to the connection terminals 7 in the lamp 8. In parallel to the ignition device 9, a signal transmitter 11 is connected to the connection terminals 7, which can be designed as a pulse transmitter.

The schematically illustrated connection cable 6 is often part of a multi-core cable in which numerous connection cables 6 are combined to form one cable. Accordingly, the lamp 8 is connected via a distributor, through which the numerous combined connecting cables 6 are separated again and can be assigned to individual lamps 8.

FIG. 2 illustrates the voltage curve on the connecting line 6. After the lamp 8 has been connected to the connecting cable 6 connected to the electronic ballast 1, communication signals 12 with a low voltage of approximately 10 V are first transmitted in order to check the type of lamp connected. If a correctly connected lamp 8 has been detected during this transmission, the changeover switch 5 is switched over in the electronic ballast 1, so that the supply power of the power unit 2 is transmitted via the connecting cable 6. This leads to the ignition process of the lamp 10 via the ignition device 9, as a result of which the supply voltage of approximately 300 V drops and then changes into the stable burning state of the discharge lamp 10, as is illustrated by the curve 13 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the test signals 12, which in this case consist of a direct voltage pulse 14 with the pulse width ta-ta 'emitted by the control / evaluation device 4 and of a subsequent response signal 15 generated by the signal generator 11 in the form of voltage pulses or current pulses that are completed by time tb. The signal generator 11 draws its supply voltage from the energy of the DC voltage pulse 14. The number of the pulses 14 emitted in FIG. 3a up to the time tb is higher than that according to FIG. 3b and therefore characterizes a different type of luminaire. As mentioned, alternatively, the DC voltage 14 can be transmitted continuously up to the time tb when the pulse generator then switches this DC voltage with low-impedance and high-resistance clocking, as a result of which 4 current pulses are recognized in the control / evaluation device and, for example, their number is encoded by the time type tb until the time tb ,

In the exemplary embodiments shown, a very simple arrangement of a light 8 is shown, with which very simple communication in the form of the test signals 12 is possible. Of course, the method described can also be used for lights 8 which are the subject of more complicated control tasks, for example having servomotors by means of which they can be pivoted into a specific position, by means of which different color filters are activated, etc. In this case, communication with the test signals can be carried out 12 go beyond the detection of the luminaire type and also serve to transmit control signals for the servomotors, actuators for color filters, etc.

It is readily apparent that the method described makes it possible to dispense with mechanical plug coding without the risk that damage to the electronic ballast 1 or to the discharge lamp 10 due to incorrect connection of a lamp 8 to an electronic ballast 1 to be produced.

FIG. 4 shows an arrangement of six ballasts 1 in a slide-in housing 16, which can be a 19-inch standard slide-in. The ballasts 1 can each be switched for the direct supply of two types of luminaires 8 ', 8 "with a power consumption of 200 W or 575 W. The six ballasts 1 are supplied in groups of two ballasts 1 each with a phase L1, L2, L3 of a three-phase connection with respect to a neutral conductor N.

The ballast 1 shown in FIG. 4 is switched to the 200 W mode and directly supplies a lamp 8 'with the power consumption 200 W.

The ballast 1 shown below, on the other hand, is switched to the output power 575 W and directly supplies a lamp 8 "with the input power 575 W.

The above-described checking of the suitable connection between the ballast 1 and the lamp 8 ', 8 "ensures that the supply power of the ballast 1 only reaches a lamp 8', 8" which is also suitable for this purpose.

The lamp 8 '"which is still shown has a power consumption of 1200 W and is therefore controlled by two ballasts 1 connected in parallel, so that two ballasts 1 are required to supply the lamp 8'". The output terminals 3 of two ballasts 1 are thus connected in parallel with the input terminals 7 of the lamp 8 ′ ″.

It is thus shown that the lamps 8 "and 8 '" can be controlled with the same type of ballasts 1 with the output power of approximately 575 W, specifically the lamp 8 "directly through a ballast 1 and the lamp 8'" by means of two ballasts connected in parallel 1 .

The supply of the further luminaire type 8 'is also successful if the ballast used, as is often the case, can be switched over in the lower power range, so that after the switchover, the luminaire 8' with the low power consumption can be supplied directly by the ballast 1.

In the case of parallel connection of the ballasts 1 for supplying the lamp 8 '", it is possible for the detection of a suitable connection of the lamp 8'" to the ballast 1 to produce a response signal 15 which characterizes the power consumption “1200 W”. In this case, this detects this Ballast 1 that the lamp 8 '"can only be supplied by two ballasts 1 connected in parallel, but that it itself must be switched to the" 600 W "position.

It is also possible to have the lamp 8 "'send out a response signal" 600 W "since the ballast 1 only requires the information as to whether a lamp 8" "is connected with a power consumption suitable for the high output power.

If two ballasts 1 have inadvertently not been connected in parallel, but only a single ballast has been connected to the lamp 8 '", this leads to a noticeably poorer function or to a failure of the lamp 8'", which is eliminated by connecting two ballasts 1 in parallel becomes. Damage to the lamp 8 '"is not possible in this case.

Of course, it is also possible to detect the correct parallel connection of two ballasts 1. However, the effort for this will generally not make sense, since any missing parallel connection can be immediately recognized by the function of the lamp 8 '".

The advantageous, modular arrangement of the ballasts 1 according to the invention in a housing 16 can also be used for the supply of luminaire types with higher power consumption, for example 1800 W, in which several For example, three ballasts 1 can be connected in parallel. In practice, however, the parallel connection of two ballasts 1 is generally sufficient.

Claims

Expectations

1 . Method for establishing a suitable connection between a lamp (8, 8 ', 8 ", 8'") and an electronic ballast (1) which provides a suitable supply power for the lamp (8, 8 ', 8 ", 8"') provides, before switching on the supply power of the lamp (8, 8 ', 8 ", 8'") a signal (14) is transmitted from the ballast (1) by means of the lamp (8, 8 ', 8 " , 8 '") is generated on the basis of the transmitted signal (14), a response signal (1 5) specific to the luminaire type, the response signal (1 5) is evaluated in the ballast (1) to identify the connected luminaire type and only after detection of a connection suitable luminaire type, the supply power is switched on, characterized in that for the supply of luminaires (8 ', 8 ", 8'") at least two different luminaire types, of which a first luminaire type (8 "') has a power consumption that extends up to a full line Multiples of the power consumption imame a second type of light (8 "), the same ballasts (1) are used, which are designed for the direct supply of the second type of light (8") and operated in parallel to supply the first type of light (8 "').

2. Arrangement of electronic ballasts (1), each a power supply (2) for generating a supply power for the operation of a connected lamp (8, 8 ', 8 ", 8'"), a connection cable (6) for producing an electrical Connection to the lamp (8, 8 ', 8 ", 8'") for transmitting the supply power, a control device (in FIG. 4) by means of which a signal (14) is sent to the lamp (8, 8 ', 8 ", 8 '") is sent, an evaluation device (in FIG. 4) for evaluating a response signal (15) of the lamp (8, 8', 8 ", 8" ') for recognizing the type of lamp and evaluating the type of lamp detected as a connection suitable for the supply power and has a switching device (5) for switching on the supply power if the recognized luminaire type is suitable for connection to the supply power, characterized in that the same ballasts (1) are provided in the arrangement which are used for direct supply ng of lights (8 ") of the second light type are designed and can be connected in parallel to supply lights (8 '") of the first light type.

3. Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the ballasts (1) for the direct supply of different types of lights (8 ', 8 ") are formed switchable.

4. Arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a number of ballasts 1 are arranged side by side in a standard slide-in housing (16).

5. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that six ballasts (1) are arranged side by side in a 19-inch slide-in housing (16).