EP1555860B1 - DC-fed driving modules for light sources - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the control of lamp operating devices from a central unit.

The invention of a in Fig. 2 schematically illustrated system. In this example, the light source is a gas discharge lamp 5, which is controlled by an electric ballast (ECG) 1 as a control gear. In the usual way, this electronic ballast 1 has a rectifier with power factor correction circuit (PFC, Power Factor Correction) 2, an electrolyte storage capacitor 4 and an RF inverter 3, which in turn via its output circuit 6, the gas discharge lamp 5 drives. The DC voltage (bus voltage) is therefore only present within the ECG.

In addition, an emergency lighting control 7 may be provided.

The rectifier 2 in the electronic ballast 1 is usually supplied with alternating voltage 9, for example mains voltage.

At the same time, it is known to control the electronic ballast 1 via a digital or analog bus control 8, in order thus to start, dim or switch off the lamp 5. It should be noted that in this prior art in each lamp operating device (ECG 1) has its own rectifier. 2 provided with PFC circuit. Such a PFC circuit is known to reduce spurious harmonics in the input current. On the other hand, these inverters with PFC 2 provided locally in each ECG 1 represent a considerable cost factor, which severely restricts the trend towards extremely cost-effectively manufactured electronic ballasts.

From the GB 2 299 659 A For example, a lighting system for garden applications is known which has a plurality of fluorescent lamps powered by a DC low voltage. In the versions of the lamps DC / AC converters are provided, which generate a high-frequency high voltage to power the lamps.

Accordingly, the starting point and object of the present invention is to propose a drive for light source operating devices, which enables a more cost-effective production of operating devices.

The central point of the invention is that the unit rectifier / PFC is no longer provided locally in each operating device, but centrally for several operating devices. The connection between this center, and the individual operating devices is carried out according to the invention via a DC output circuit. A similar device is known from patent specification US 5,485,057 (smallwood) known.

At the same time a flexible and adapted to the needs of the connected equipment supply is to be made possible despite the central design.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for driving lighting means, the system comprising a central unit comprising at least one rectifier has, which converts a supplied AC voltage into a DC voltage and a subsequent PFC circuit supplies. Furthermore, at least one resource module is provided, which is detachably connectable to the central unit. In this case, in the course of a mechanical connection of the resource module with the central unit at the same time also the equipment is electrically connected to the DC output of the central unit.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, such a system is provided with a central unit and at least one resource module, wherein the resource module is designed such that, by further grinding, it provides a DC supply voltage supplied thereto to terminals for further resource modules ,

The central unit can have a power factor correction circuit common to all connectable resource modules.

Operating means for different types of lighting means can be provided, all of which are supplied by further grinding of the DC supply voltage. Equipment for LED lamps is from patent US Pat. No. 6,624,638 B2 (St-Germain) known.

On the other hand, resources for lamps of the same type but different colors can also be provided.

On the DC supply voltage command signals can be modulated according to a powerline technology. The central unit and / or the resource module in this case has a powerline demodulator for reading the Command signals modulated onto the DC supply voltage. A similar modulation technique is known from patent specification EP 1 220 587 A2 (Setech) known.

Fig. 1

zeigt eine schematische Ansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Steuersystems für Leuchtmittel-Betriebsgeräte mit zentraler Gleichrichter/PFC-Einheit und DC-Ausgangskreis,

Fig. 2

zeigt eine aus dem Stand der Technik bekannte Betriebsmittel-Ausgestaltung für Gasentladungslampen, und

Fig. 3

zeigt ein Ausführungsbeispiel der vorliegenden Erfindung, bei dem mehrere Leuchtmittel-Betriebsmodule auf eine zentrale Gleichrichter/PFC-Einheit aufgesetzt sind.

Further features, advantages and features of the present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of an embodiment.

Fig. 1

shows a schematic view of a control system according to the invention for light-emitting devices with central rectifier / PFC unit and DC output circuit,

Fig. 2

shows a known from the prior art resource design for gas discharge lamps, and

Fig. 3

shows an embodiment of the present invention Invention in which a plurality of lamp operating modules are mounted on a central rectifier / PFC unit.

As in Fig. 1 1, a central unit, comprising, for example, a rectifier 2 and possibly also a power factor correction circuit (PFC) 10, is provided in common for a plurality of lighting device operating devices 1, 1 ', 1''. The central unit 2 is supplied with (mains) AC voltage 9.

As in Fig. 1 indicated schematically, the various lamps operating devices 1, 1 ', 1''a variety of light sources, such as a gas discharge lamp 5, LEDs 5', etc. control. The lamps themselves can be operated with DC or with AC voltage, in the latter case, an inverter is provided in the associated operating device.

Furthermore, other (eg passive) lighting or building services equipment, such as a light sensor 5 '' or a motion detector (not shown) may be connected to a DC output circuit 11 of the central unit.

Depending on the nature of the connected lamps 5, 5 'or sensors 5 ", the operating devices 1, 1', 1" are designed differently. In the event that a gas discharge lamp 5 is to be controlled, the corresponding operating device 3 is, for example, as an electronic ballast (EVG) u.a. formed with an inverter. In this case, the operating devices can also be referred to as "output converters".

The power supply of the operating devices and lamps and optionally the uni- or bidirectional communication between the central unit and the local operating devices 1, 1 ', 1 ''via at least one DC output circuit 11, 12. As in Fig. 1 shown schematically may be configured by means of a pair of common bus lines, so that starting from this central common bus 11, the various operating devices 1, 1 ', 1''via stubs 13, 13', 13 '' are supplied , Alternatively or additionally, individual output circuits 12 may be provided for individual operating devices or jointly supplied groups of operating devices.

This DC output circuit has the advantage of being less susceptible to parasitic effects than corresponding AC circuits.

It should be noted that according to the present invention, the central unit is provided for a plurality of operating devices in common, wherein the central unit is connected to the operating devices by means of at least one DC output circuit.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a control system according to the invention for a light-emitting device and provides a possible implementation of the circuit according to FIG. 1 The system according to FIG. 3 In this case, a central unit 31 has, for example, a rectifier 32 for supplied AC line voltage 34 and a power factor correction circuit (PFC Power Factor Correction) 33 for reducing harmonics in the input current of the central unit 31.

The central unit provides a DC voltage on at least one connection on the output side. Over at least one DC output bus 37 are several operating device modules 40, 41, 42 connected to this DC output of the central unit 31. The operating device modules 40, 41 and 42 are configured in such a way that DC voltage is supplied to the input-side terminals by the central unit 31 or another operating device module and to output-side connections separated from the input-side connections to a further operating device, if applicable. Module loop the DC voltage. In the illustrated embodiment, the operating device modules 40, 41, 42 to each other compatible inputs 43 and 44 outputs. Preferably, these inputs and outputs are arranged on mutually applied sides of the housing of the modules and / or at a right angle to each other, but not on the same sides of the housing.

The central unit can also control a plurality of output circuits in a star topology, to each of which several resource modules can be connected.

It can also be provided that a plurality of feeding central units control a common DC bus, whereby, for example, increases the interference and the load on a central unit is reduced.

The operating device modules 40, 41, 42 may be provided for controlling different light sources. For this purpose, they also have a local control unit 35, 35 'or 35 "supplied by the DC output circuit 37.

In the example shown, the resource module 40 supplies a gas discharge lamp 38 and the local control unit 35 is designed as an electronic ballast (ECG) with an inverter (DC / AC). The electronic ballast can also control a group of parallel-connected gas discharge lamps together.

The resource module 41 has a control unit 35 'which is designed to drive one or a group of light-emitting diodes 38'.

Finally, the resource module 42 has a local control unit 35 '', which is suitable for driving a high-pressure lamp 38 ''.

In general, the local control units 35, 35 'and 35 "have the function of converting the supplied DC voltage from the bus 37 into an AC or DC voltage of predetermined amplitude, which is tuned to the needs of the respectively connected lighting means.

In addition, it can be provided that the local control units 35, 35 'or 35' 'receive control commands via the bus 37 in the sense of a powerline system or else via further control inputs in order to bring the respectively connected lighting means into predetermined operating states or Queries status queries from the connected bulbs or their resources. The control commands, for example, from the central unit 31 can thus transmit predetermined input, output or dimming control values.

When the commanders are communicated over the DC bus 37, the central processing unit or separate central controller comprises a poweline modulator and the resources corresponding to a powerline demodulator. If the communication is to take place bidirectionally via the bus 37, both mentioned communication partners have both a powerline modulator and a powerline demodulator.

Although in the embodiment of Fig. 3 is shown that to each of the central unit 31 connected resource modules 40, 41 and 42 are connected to different types of light bulbs, of course, also resource modules can be connected to the central unit 31, which supply at least partially bulbs of the same kind. It is conceivable, for example, that a resource module with green bulbs, red bulbs and blue bulbs is connected to the central unit 31 for generating a colored light control. In this case, the bulbs are preferably LEDs.

By means of the above-mentioned control commands, for example from the central unit 31 to the local control units 35, 35 'or 35' ', it is thus possible to generate light mixing effects possibly also of a dynamic nature by corresponding transmission of dimming commands to the individual colors.

As stated in the above section, therefore, the resource modules 40, 41 and 42 connected in the central unit 31 are electrically connected to the central unit 31 via the DC output bus 37.

As shown schematically by the reference numeral 39, the resource modules 40, 41, 42 can also be connected mechanically, for example in the sense of a plug connection, either to the central unit 31 or to other similar equipment modules. It is advantageous that simultaneously with the plugging, ie the creation of the mechanical connection between a resource module and the central unit 31 and another resource module of the same type and the electrical contacting of the listed elements via the DC output bus 37 takes place. The electrical contact is preferably also via plug contacts, which can also be solved again. In this case, the housing of the resource modules on a surface male electrical connector elements and on a further surface corresponding male connector elements.

The mechanical connection can also be created by other means, such as brackets, etc.

The mechanical connections 39 are designed in particular as detachable mechanical connections in order to configure the illumination control system in a particularly flexible manner.

Claims (5)

1. System for the actuation of operating means for lighting means, having:

   - a central unit (31) having at least one rectifier (32), that converts a fed AC voltage (34) into a DC voltage which is fed to a following power factor correction circuit (PFC) that supplies a DC voltage output (36) of the central unit (31), and

   - at least one operating means module (40, 41, 42) detachably connected with the central unit (31), wherein in the course of a mechanical connection of the operating means module (40, 41, 42) with the central unit (31), the operating means module (40, 41, 42) is at the same time electrically connectable with the DC voltage output (36) of the central unit (31), characterized in that at least one operating means module (40, 41, 42) is a drive module for at least one LED, wherein command signals can be modulated onto the DC supply voltage according to a powerline technology, and the central unit (31) and/or the operating means module (40, 41, 42) has a powerline demodulator for reading the command signals modulated onto the DC supply voltage.
2. System according to claim 1, wherein the operating means module (40, 41, 42) is configured in such a way that it provides, by means of feeding through, a DC supply voltage fed to it in turn to connectors (44) for further operating means modules (41).
3. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that operating means modules (40, 41, 42) are provided for different types of lighting means (38, 38', 38'') that are supplied by means of feeding through of the DC supply voltage.
4. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that operating means modules for lighting means of the same type but different color, which are supplied by means of feeding through of the DC supply voltage, are provided.
5. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating means modules (40, 41, 42) are configured for lighting means (38, 38', 38'') of different color.

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