JPS6230725Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea]

With regard to discharge lamp ballasts, this invention not only shortens the starting time, but also extends the life of the discharge tube, and can be easily mass-produced in a small size and at low cost using electronic components that are generally widely available on the market. The purpose is to do. There are two known starting methods for conventional fluorescent discharge lamp ballasts: the glow start method and the rapid start method, and these are still the mainstream methods. With the glow start method, the startup time is long at 2 to 8 seconds, and it takes even longer in a cool, dark place. Moreover, glow starters have a short lifespan and must be replaced frequently. In addition, with the rapid start type, the starting time is 2
Although the time could be reduced to about seconds, the disadvantage was that the ballast was large, heavy and expensive. Moreover, it is disadvantageous from the viewpoint of power saving. This invention eliminates the disadvantages of the glow start type, which takes a long time to start, and the disadvantages of the rapid start type, which has a large and heavy ballast. Small size/
The purpose is to mass-produce at low cost, and as a means to achieve this, the filament of the discharge tube is supplied with a preheating current by a preheating semiconductor switch circuit and a kick voltage by a pulse generation semiconductor switch circuit every half cycle of the power supply voltage. This is a ballast that can be preheated and started quickly by supplying the same amount of water alternately. Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an overall circuit diagram as an embodiment of the discharge lamp ballast B. Both terminals O of the commercial power supply 22,
A power switch 23, a discharge tube 2 and a choke coil 1 are connected in series between O'. A power factor improving capacitor 24 of the chiyoke coil 1 is connected to the power source 22 side, and an electronic starter circuit S is connected in parallel to the discharge tube 2 which is connected in parallel to the power source 22. The electronic starter circuit S consists of a discharge tube 2 connected in parallel with a semiconductor switch circuit S ₁ for preheating both filaments 3 and 3' of the discharge tube 2 and a semiconductor switch circuit S ₂ for pulse generation. Semiconductor switch circuit for preheating discharge lamp filament
_S1 connects a thyristor 4 and a diode 5 connected in series to both input terminals T,
It is connected between T′. As the thyristor 4, a bidirectional two-terminal thyristor (SSS) or a reverse blocking two-terminal thyristor (PNPN switch) is used. The semiconductor switch circuit _S1 for preheating the filament is configured to operate when the input voltage is in either the positive or negative half cycle to pass the preheating current if, and the semiconductor switch circuit S2 for pulse generation is configured to operate when the input voltage is in either the positive or negative half cycle, and the semiconductor switch circuit _S2 for pulse generation is connected to the preheating semiconductor switch circuit S2. ₁ operates during the other half cycle when it does not operate, and generates a pulse current ip, which generates a pulse voltage at the inductance of the chiyoke coil 1.
In this embodiment, the connection position of the choke coil 1 is as follows:
Set it to the O′ terminal side. The pulse generation semiconductor switch circuit _S2 is configured as follows. That is, a diode 6 is arranged in the opposite direction to the diode 5 of the preheating semiconductor switch circuit _S1 , and a voltage divider X is connected in series with the diode 6, and both input terminals T,
Connect between T′. A voltage divider Y different from the above and a switching PNP transistor 12 are connected in parallel between the voltage dividing point of the voltage divider X and its negative terminal via a diode 9. An N-channel field effect transistor 15 is connected between the voltage dividing point of the latter voltage divider Y and the base of the PNP transistor 12. N-channel field effect transistor 15
The gate of is connected to the negative terminal of the former voltage divider
Connect via. This resistor 16 is located closer to the negative terminal of the former voltage divider X than the PNP transistor 12 when viewed from the gate of the field effect transistor 15. The collector circuit and emitter circuit of the PNP transistor 12 each have a resistor 1 as required.
4 and 13, and a diode 21 is inserted into the emitter circuit as required. The output of the PNP transistor 12 is configured to be amplified by an amplification transistor 18. Of course, the amplifier circuit may be a two-stage amplifier circuit or a three-stage amplifier circuit as required. Amplification transistor 18
A base current limiting resistor 17 is connected between the base of the PNP transistor 12 and the connection point between the collector circuit of the PNP transistor 12 and the resistor 16. Amplification transistor 18
Resistors 19 and 20 are inserted and connected in series to the collector and emitter circuits as necessary. This allows the semiconductor switch circuit for pulse generation to
As shown in Figure 3, S ₂ does not operate when the input voltage e is in a negative cycle, but operates during a positive cycle to generate a pulse current ip, and the inductance of the chiyoke coil 1 generates a pulse voltage Vp. Then, by superimposing this on the input voltage e, the kick voltage
Vk can be generated. FIG. 2 shows the mechanical structure of the discharge lamp ballast B. For example, a chiyoke coil 1, a capacitor 24, and an electronic starter circuit S are arranged and connected as shown in the figure. The output line on the input side is pulled out from the outlet 25 of the case 27, and the output line on the lamp side is pulled out from the outlet 26 of the case 27. The chain coil 1, the capacitor 24, and the electronic starter S housed in the case 27 are partially or completely filled with a plastic compound or an asphalt compound 28, and are integrated with the case 27. Next, its effect will be explained. When the switch 23 of the AC power supply 22 is turned on, the third
The input voltage e shown in FIG. When the input voltage e is in a positive cycle, the thyristor ₄ of the semiconductor switch circuit S1 for preheating the filament
does not operate due to the reverse blocking effect of diode 5. The input voltage e enters a negative cycle, increases in negative value, and when the operating voltage V _BO of the thyristor 4 is reached, the thyristor 4 becomes conductive. As a result, the current if shown in FIG. This heats the filaments 3, 3'. The phase of this filament heating current if lags behind the input voltage by nearly 90 degrees due to the inductance of the chiyoke coil 1. When the filament heating current if decreases to about 20mA or less, thyristor 4
becomes nonconductive. At this time, the power supply voltage e has already entered the positive cycle. When the power supply voltage e enters a positive cycle, the power supply voltage e applied to the pulse generation semiconductor switch circuit S ₂ passes through the diode 6 and is applied to the resistor 7 of the voltage divider X.
8, passes through a diode (or Zener diode) 9, flows from a resistor 13 to a switching PNP transistor 12, and also flows in parallel to resistors 10 and 11 of a voltage divider Y. As the power supply voltage e rises, the current rapidly flows through the circuit passing through the emitter and base of the PNP transistor 12, the drain and source of the field effect transistor 15, and the resistors 11 and 16. At this time, the current is resistance 1
However, since the value of resistor 10 is set sufficiently higher than the internal resistance of field effect transistor 15, most of the current flows through the circuit passing through field effect transistor 15, so transistor 12 It becomes conductive immediately. This current is immediately amplified by the transistor 18 and rapidly flows through the collector and emitter of the transistor 18 as a pulse current ip. The situation during this time will be explained in more detail. The current flowing through the field effect transistor 15 changes over time to an operating characteristic curve Z shown in FIG.
flows according to Due to the current, the negative potential between the gate and source of the field effect transistor 15 increases rapidly, and the field effect transistor 15 approaches pinch-off. In this situation, PNP transistor 1
Almost no current flows through the base of 2,
The PNP transistor 12 approaches a non-conducting state and has a high resistance value between the emitter and collector, and the current that has passed through the diode 9 from the voltage dividing point of the voltage divider Most will migrate. As a result, the field effect transistor 15
The negative potential between the gate and source of the field-effect transistor 15 instantly exceeds the pinch-off voltage, and no current flows between the drain and source of the field effect transistor 15 (point C→point D in FIG. 4). Therefore, the PNP transistor 12 also becomes completely non-conductive, and the transistor 18 that amplifies the output of this PNP transistor 12
is completely non-conducting. When this transistor 18 switches off,
In other words, when the pulse current ip quickly becomes zero, the inductance of the choke coil (inductive ballast) 1 generates a pulse voltage Vp, which becomes the input voltage e.
The kick voltage Vk is superimposed on the voltage Vk, which is applied between the filaments 3 and 3' of the fluorescent discharge tube 2. In this way, the filament heating current if flows between both filaments 3 and 3' during the preheating cycle.
HS and a voltage application cycle VS in which a kick voltage Vk is applied are alternately repeated. Both filaments 3,
When the lamp 3' is sufficiently heated and lighting conditions are satisfied, the fluorescent discharge tube 2 shifts to the lighting state. After lighting, the lamp voltage between both filaments 3 and 3' of the fluorescent discharge tube 2 decreases to below the operating voltage V _BO of the thyristor 4, so the thyristor 4 becomes non-conductive and the semiconductor switch circuit for preheating the filament S ₁ stops working. On the other hand, the pulse generating semiconductor switch _S2 is set to operate at a lower voltage by the resistors 7 and 8 of the voltage divider X. However, after lighting the fluorescent discharge tube 2, the lamp voltage between both filaments 3 and 3' drops significantly, and is inhibited by the rising voltage of the diode 9 (or its Zener voltage when a Zener diode is used). At this voltage, current no longer flows through transistor 12, field effect transistor 15, and resistors 10, 11, and 16, and pulse-generating semiconductor switch _S2 no longer operates. Next, the performance of the product of the present invention having the structure of the above example and the conventional product was compared, and the results are shown in Table 1 below. However, as a product of this invention,
For one 30W lamp, we used a product with a temperature rise of 45°C or less.As for the conventional product, we used a rapid high power factor type for a 30W single lamp with a temperature rise of 45°C or less.

[Table] As is clear from the above table, compared to the conventional product, the input current of this product is 83.3%, and the input power is 86.0%.
%, ballast power loss is 50.0%, weight is 56%,
It is obvious that it is superior in all the above points in that it can significantly save energy and resources. It is conceivable to modify the pulse generating semiconductor switch circuit _S2 in the above embodiment as shown in FIG. That is, the switching transistor 12
An NPN transistor is used, and a P-channel type field effect transistor 15 is used. This P
The gate of the channel field effect transistor 15 is connected to the voltage dividing point of the former voltage divider X via a diode 9 and a resistor 16. Its operation is similar to that of the above embodiment. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, if a leakage transformer 1' is used instead of the chiyoke coil 1, the power output is 32W.
This invention, which can be used as an electronic start type ballast for fluorescent discharge lamps such as 40W, is constructed and operates as described above, and has the following effects. (a) That is, both filaments of the discharge tube are rapidly preheated by being alternately given a preheating current by the preheating semiconductor switch circuit and a kick voltage by the pulse generation semiconductor switch circuit every half cycle of the power supply voltage; Start. As a result, the starting time of the fluorescent discharge tube is, for example, 1 to 2
It can be sufficiently shortened to 2 seconds, compared to 2 seconds in the case of a glow starter.
The disadvantage that it takes ~8 seconds can be greatly improved. Furthermore, since the lamp is started after sufficient preheating, the wear of both filaments is small, and the life of the fluorescent discharge tube can be maintained for a long time. Furthermore, the electronic starter used in the ballast of the present invention is made up of a combination of electronic elements and has a semi-permanent lifespan, so it has a short lifespan and must be replaced frequently, just like the glow bulb in a glow starter. You can eliminate unnecessary hassles. Moreover, since it is started by applying preheating current and kick voltage to both filaments, compared to the rapid start method,
The ballast can be made extremely lightweight and compact, making it inexpensive to manufacture, and it is also superior in terms of power savings. C. The semiconductor switch circuit for preheating and the semiconductor switch circuit for pulse generation, which are the main components of the fluorescent discharge lamp ballast according to the present invention, can be easily mass-produced in a small size and at low cost using electronic components that are generally widely available on the market. be able to. Going even further, it is extremely easy to integrate both of the above circuits into one complete IC, and it can also be miniaturized and mass-produced, so the role it plays in saving power and resources is immeasurably large.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is an electrical circuit diagram, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the mechanical structure,
3A and 3B are curves showing the relationship between the input voltage, kick voltage and the filament heating current, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the operating characteristics of a field effect transistor, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are
The figures are modified versions of FIG. 1. 1, 1': inductive ballast, 2: discharge tube,
3, 3'... filament, 4... thyristor,
5, 6, 9, 21...diode, 12...switching transistor, 13, 14, 16...resistor, 15...field effect transistor, 18...amplifying transistor, 22...power supply, 27...ballast case, 28...compound, B...discharge lamp ballast, S...electronic starter, S ₁ ...semiconductor switch for preheating discharge tube filament, S ₂ ...semiconductor switch for generating pulse, X, Y...voltage divider.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. Inductive ballast 1 connected in series to discharge tube 2;
1', a semiconductor switch _S1 for preheating the discharge tube filament connected in parallel to the discharge tube 2, and _a semiconductor switch _S2 for pulse generation connected in parallel to the semiconductor switch S1 for preheating. ₂ is configured to generate a pulse voltage between both filaments 3, 3' of the discharge tube 2 by operation related to the inductance of the inductive ballasts 1, 1', and A discharge lamp stabilizing device characterized in that a semiconductor switch S ₁ and a pulse generation semiconductor switch S ₂ are housed in one ballast case 27, and a part or all of the ballast case 27 is filled with a compound 28. vessel. 2 Utility Model Registration In the discharge lamp ballast described in Claim 1, the semiconductor switch _S1 for preheating the discharge tube filament is a thyristor (reverse blocking two-terminal thyristor or bidirectional two-terminal thyristor, hereinafter simply referred to as thyristor). 4 and a diode 5 are connected in series. 3. In the discharge lamp ballast described in Claim 2 of the Utility Model Registration Claim, as a configuration that further embodies the pulse generation semiconductor switch _S2 , the diode 5 of the discharge tube filament preheating semiconductor switch _S1 is connected in the opposite direction. A diode 6, a voltage divider X connected in series with this diode 6, and this voltage divider
a switching transistor 12 and a voltage divider Y connected in parallel between the voltage dividing point and one terminal;
The field effect transistor 15 inserted into the circuit that connects the voltage dividing point of the latter voltage divider Y and the base of the switching transistor 12, and the gate of the field effect transistor 15 connected to one terminal of the former voltage divider X and the voltage dividing point. A resistor 16 inserted into a circuit connected to the field effect transistor 1.
A resistor 16 located closer to the former voltage divider X than the switching transistor 12 when viewed from the gate of
and an amplifier circuit for amplifying the output of the switching transistor 12 to form a pulse generation semiconductor switch _S2 . 4 In the discharge lamp ballast described in claim 3 of the utility model registration, a PNP transistor is used as the switching transistor 12, an N-channel one is used as the field-effect transistor 15, and the gate of the N-channel field-effect transistor 15 is is connected to the negative terminal of the former voltage divider X via a resistor 16. 5. In the discharge lamp ballast described in claim 3 of the utility model registration, an NPN transistor is used as the switching transistor 12, a P-channel transistor is used as the field-effect transistor 15, and the gate of the P-channel field-effect transistor 15 is is connected to the voltage dividing point of the former voltage divider X via a resistor 16. 6. In the discharge lamp ballast described in claim 3, 4, or 5 of the utility model registration claim, a resistor 13 is provided in at least one of the collector circuit and the emitter circuit of the switching transistor 12.
14 inserted. 7. The discharge lamp ballast described in claim 3, 4, 5, or 6 of the utility model registration claim, in which a diode 21 is inserted in the emitter circuit of the switching transistor 12. 8. In the discharge lamp ballast described in any one of claims 3 to 7 of the claims for utility model registration, the voltage dividing point of the former voltage divider A diode 9 is inserted immediately after the branch from the pressure point. 9. The discharge lamp ballast described in claim 1 of the utility model registration, in which either a plastic compound or an asphalt compound is used as the compound 28.