US20200176972A1 - Over voltage disconnect - Google Patents
Over voltage disconnect Download PDFInfo
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- US20200176972A1 US20200176972A1 US16/783,143 US202016783143A US2020176972A1 US 20200176972 A1 US20200176972 A1 US 20200176972A1 US 202016783143 A US202016783143 A US 202016783143A US 2020176972 A1 US2020176972 A1 US 2020176972A1
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Images
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02H—EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
- H02H3/00—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection
- H02H3/20—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection responsive to excess voltage
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02H—EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS
- H02H3/00—Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection ; integrated protection
- H02H3/02—Details
- H02H3/06—Details with automatic reconnection
- H02H3/066—Reconnection being a consequence of eliminating the fault which caused disconnection
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- 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
- H05B45/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
-
- 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
- H05B45/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H05B45/50—Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED] responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
-
- 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
- H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
- H05B47/20—Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
- H05B47/24—Circuit arrangements for protecting against overvoltage
Definitions
- aspects of the present invention relate to an over voltage disconnect, e.g., for use with 277 volt (V) lighting systems.
- a 277 V lighting system includes a shared circuit, one leg of the shared circuit being 277 V.
- an over voltage condition e.g., if that neutral connection is lost.
- the voltage rises above the intended 277 V.
- the severity of the over voltage depends on the loading of the other phases in the system. Whereas older iron core “transformer” type ballasts and bulbs could handle or “absorb” the overage and remain functional afterward, newer lighting systems can be damaged by over voltages.
- an over voltage can be destructive to newer switching type power supplies, ballasts, Light Emitting Diode (LED) drivers, etc.
- Newer, electronic based and/or switching type power supplies have a specific range of voltage that they are designed to accept. Voltages beyond that range will most likely result in some sort of failure that will render the corresponding lighting system useless.
- FIG. 1 shows an example lighting system in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 shows an example disconnect component in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
- FIG. 3 shows a flow chart for a method of protecting a lighting system from over voltages in accordance with aspects of the present invention.
- aspects present herein include a disconnect component and a lighting system incorporating the disconnect component.
- a 277 V lighting system includes a shared circuit, one leg of the shared, three phase circuit being 277 V, and a second being a neutral. However, when a neutral connection is lost, the voltage on the other phases rises. Thus, there is a possibility that lighting systems on such a 277 V circuit may experience a voltage higher than the intended 277 V. Older lighting systems included an iron core ballast that was able to handle the additional voltage. However, newer lighting systems, such as LED lighting systems and other solid state emitters, include electronic based switching components that can be damaged by the additional voltage.
- a disconnect component In order to avoid damage to components of a 277 V lighting system e.g., a power supply, a ballast, LED drivers, etc., a disconnect component is provided that continuously monitors a line for an over voltage condition. When the voltage in the line rises above an acceptable level, the disconnect component disconnects the load from the line, thereby preventing it from experiencing the over voltage condition.
- the load may include, e.g., the power supply and ballast for the lighting system.
- the disconnect component disconnects the load within the time period of the increasing voltage cycle, in order to protect the susceptible components of the lighting system from damage that could be caused if the assembly did experience the over voltage. Even during the disconnected state, the disconnect component continues to monitor the line. When the voltage on the line returns to an acceptable level, the disconnect component automatically reconnects the line voltage to the lighting system.
- FIG. 1 Illustrates an example diagram of a lighting system 100 having a disconnect component 102 .
- Lighting system 100 is coupled to a main power line 110 , which may be, e.g., a 277 V line.
- the lighting system comprises a lighting load coupled to the main power line.
- the lighting system may comprise any combination of, e.g., a power supply 104 , a ballast 106 , a driver 107 and a lamp 108 a - c .
- These lighting system components are coupled to a line 112 output from the disconnect component 102 .
- Lamp 108 may comprise any lighting fixture having an electronic switching type power supply, driver, and/or ballast.
- such a lighting fixture may comprise an LED or other solid state emitter, a fluorescent light, and/or high pressure sodium light.
- an LED 108 c is shown in connection with an LED driver
- a fluorescent or high pressure lighting fixture 108 b is shown in connection with an electronic ballast 106 .
- the combinations of power supply 104 and lamp 108 ; ballast 106 and lighting fixture 108 b , and driver 107 and LED 108 c are merely examples, and any combination of power supply, ballast, and driver may be coupled to any lamp 108 .
- both a power supply 104 and an LED driver 107 may be coupled between LED 108 c and disconnect component 102 .
- Disconnect component 102 is coupled between the main power line 110 and the components of the lighting system that are susceptible to damage from increased voltages.
- the disconnect component 102 continuously monitors the voltage on the main power line 110 and operates to disconnect the load components of the lighting system that are susceptible to damage from the main power line when the voltage on the power line rises above an acceptable level. When the voltage returns to a level that is within an acceptable range, the disconnect component reestablishes the connection.
- FIG. 2 illustrates example features of a disconnect component 200 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Aspects illustrated in disconnect component 200 in FIG. 2 may be included in disconnect component 102 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the disconnect component may include, e.g., a double pole relay, a low power line rectifier circuit, a low power precision shunt reference and a switching device to control the relay coil.
- the disconnect device 206 may comprise a TRIAC silicon based switch such as a triode for alternating current (TRIAC) rather than a relay as a switching element to disconnect the load from the line.
- TRIAC triode for alternating current
- the shunt reference device may be used as an open loop operational amplifier.
- Feedback resistor element R 9 may be included, e.g., in the open loop operational amplifier, in order to prevent on/off oscillations when approaching the transition threshold.
- the component may drive a switching device (bipolar junction transistor (BJT)/field-effect transistor (FET)) to activate a relay.
- BJT bipolar junction transistor
- FET field-effect transistor
- the relay remains engaged and disconnects or decouples the main power line/neutral connections from the load, e.g., the power supply, ballast, and light emitter of the lighting system.
- Aspects may also include the use of a TRIAC in place of the relay.
- FIG. 2 illustrates the disconnect component 200 comprising a low power bias supply 202 , a voltage sensing circuit 204 , and a load disconnect relay 206 .
- the disconnect component 200 may be configured, e.g., as a box component that can be coupled in series with the lighting load.
- the low power bias supply 202 may be configured to supply power to the load disconnect relay 206 and the voltage sensing circuit 204 .
- the lower power capacitor coupled bias supply may generate approximately 15 V DC to drive the disconnect device and the detection circuitry.
- the low power bias supply 202 comprises an input coupled to the main power line AC_L and an input coupled to the neutral line AC_N of the 277 circuit.
- the low power bias supply 202 also includes a capacitor coupled to a rectifier to generate 15V, which is output to the voltage sensing circuit 204 and the load disconnect relay 206 .
- the voltage sensing circuit 204 may be configured to continuously sense or monitor a voltage received on the main power line AC_L.
- This circuit 204 receives the main power line AC_L at an input. It comprises a circuit (e.g., oscosc431) that generates a reference voltage, e.g., the upper limit voltage.
- the voltage of the main power line AC_L is sampled by the voltage sensing circuit and compared to the reference voltage. If the sampled voltage is above the reference voltage, the circuit changes states, causing an output to the load disconnect relay that opens the relay.
- a TL431 circuit may change states and drive circuitry that causes the relay contacts to open. Once the relay is driven, some voltage from the drive circuit may be fed back to the sense circuit to ensure the relay stays switched until a new lower falling threshold is reached. This provides hysteresis and prevents oscillations in the TL431 circuit.
- the load disconnect relay 206 may be configured to disconnect or decouple the lighting load from the main power line when a voltage on the main power line rises above an acceptable level.
- the load disconnect relay 206 may comprise a coupling component, e.g., a relay that couples the main power line, e.g., AC_L and the neutral line AC_N to output lines, e.g., AC_L_OUT and AC_N_OUT outputting power from the disconnect component 200 to the other lighting system components, e.g., 104 , 106 , 108 .
- the relay may comprise at least one switch K 1 , and may comprise, e.g., a double pole double throw (DPDT).
- DPDT double pole double throw
- Each illustrated switch may comprise, e.g., a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and/or field-effect transistor (FET).
- the disconnect device 206 may comprise a switch comprised of a silicon based type switching element, e.g. a TRIAC or other device, to disconnect the load.
- a bipolar or FET may only “drive” the relay rather than directly disconnect the line.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a method 300 of protecting a lighting system from an over voltage condition.
- the voltage on the line is continuously monitored.
- a determination is made as to whether the voltage measured on the line is greater than a preselected high level (HL). This monitoring/determination may be performed, e.g., by voltage sensing circuit 204 of FIG. 2 .
- the acceptable upper limit for the voltage may be selected based on the characteristics of the lighting system. For certain components, a voltage slightly above 277 V may be acceptable, e.g., up to 305 V, but beyond this level, damage may occur. For example, an over voltage may be considered 10% beyond the nominal voltage of 277 V, e.g., 305 V. Any voltage that exceeds 305 V may be considered an over voltage situation.
- the upper limit may be selected, e.g., based on the level at which the most susceptible component might be damaged, even though other components are capable of handling a higher voltage.
- the upper limit may be selectable based on the voltages of the WYE system used.
- the WYE system is, e.g., a transformer type where the shared neutral comes from.
- a lower voltage such as a 120/208 system might not incur problems because typical supplies (electronic drivers/ballasts, etc.) are rated to 264Vin, or 277 which may adjust the maximum to 305.
- load disconnect relay 206 may comprise at least one switch, e.g., K 1 , that couples the received, main power line, e.g., AC_L and AC_N to the lines that output power from the power disconnect component 200 , e.g., AC_L_OUT and AC_N_OUT.
- the switch may open thereby decoupling the output lines from the received power line.
- the voltage continues to be monitored at 308 , e.g., by voltage sensing circuit 204 shown in FIG. 2 .
- a determination is made as to whether the monitored voltage continues to be above an acceptable limit. As long as the voltage remains high, the load remains disconnected, and the voltage is continuously monitored. When the voltage is determined to have returned to an acceptable level, e.g. below the reconnect limit RL, the load is reconnected or recoupled at 312 , and the voltage continues to be monitored for another over voltage condition.
- This reconnect voltage may be the same as HL. Alternatively, the reconnect voltage may be set to be a percentage below the overvoltage level that triggered the disconnect.
- the load may be recoupled, e.g., by closing switch K 1 .
- the over voltage disconnect may be used in connection with light fixtures having power supplies and control circuitry, such as those described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/462,674, titled “LED LAMP APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MAKING AN LED LAMP APPARATUS”, filed on May 2, 2012, Published as Publication No. 2012/0307483, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/243,316, filed Oct. 1, 2008, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,186,855, which claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 61/071,828 filed May 20, 2008 and U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 60/960,473 filed Oct. 1, 2007; in U.S.
- the aspects presented herein could be adapted to other voltages, e.g., a range between 90 V-264 V. Additionally, the acceptable range cut off may be set to 277 V, 305 V, etc. based on the tolerance of the components of the lighting system that are being protected by the disconnect component.
- Combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and/or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C.
- combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C.
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- Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 15/900,114, entitled “Over Voltage Disconnect” and filed on Feb. 20, 2018, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/667,505, entitled “Over Voltage Disconnect” and filed on Mar. 24, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/970,085, entitled “Over Voltage Disconnect” and filed on Mar. 25, 2014, the contents of each of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
- Aspects of the present invention relate to an over voltage disconnect, e.g., for use with 277 volt (V) lighting systems.
- A 277 V lighting system includes a shared circuit, one leg of the shared circuit being 277 V. In 277 V lighting systems having shared neutrals, there is a possibility of an over voltage condition, e.g., if that neutral connection is lost. In an over voltage condition, the voltage rises above the intended 277 V. The severity of the over voltage depends on the loading of the other phases in the system. Whereas older iron core “transformer” type ballasts and bulbs could handle or “absorb” the overage and remain functional afterward, newer lighting systems can be damaged by over voltages. Among other things, an over voltage can be destructive to newer switching type power supplies, ballasts, Light Emitting Diode (LED) drivers, etc. Newer, electronic based and/or switching type power supplies have a specific range of voltage that they are designed to accept. Voltages beyond that range will most likely result in some sort of failure that will render the corresponding lighting system useless.
- Thus, in lighting systems having electronic based and/or switching type components such as LEDs or other similar solid state light emitters, a solution is needed to protect the lighting system from such over voltages.
- Aspects of the present invention overcome the above identified problems, as well as others, by providing a disconnect component that protects the electronic based and/or switching type components of a lighting system from over voltages.
- Additional advantages and novel features in accordance with aspects of the present invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice thereof.
- In the drawings:
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FIG. 1 shows an example lighting system in accordance with aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 shows an example disconnect component in accordance with aspects of the present invention. -
FIG. 3 shows a flow chart for a method of protecting a lighting system from over voltages in accordance with aspects of the present invention. - The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.
- Aspects present herein include a disconnect component and a lighting system incorporating the disconnect component.
- A 277 V lighting system includes a shared circuit, one leg of the shared, three phase circuit being 277 V, and a second being a neutral. However, when a neutral connection is lost, the voltage on the other phases rises. Thus, there is a possibility that lighting systems on such a 277 V circuit may experience a voltage higher than the intended 277 V. Older lighting systems included an iron core ballast that was able to handle the additional voltage. However, newer lighting systems, such as LED lighting systems and other solid state emitters, include electronic based switching components that can be damaged by the additional voltage.
- In order to avoid damage to components of a 277 V lighting system e.g., a power supply, a ballast, LED drivers, etc., a disconnect component is provided that continuously monitors a line for an over voltage condition. When the voltage in the line rises above an acceptable level, the disconnect component disconnects the load from the line, thereby preventing it from experiencing the over voltage condition. The load may include, e.g., the power supply and ballast for the lighting system. The disconnect component disconnects the load within the time period of the increasing voltage cycle, in order to protect the susceptible components of the lighting system from damage that could be caused if the assembly did experience the over voltage. Even during the disconnected state, the disconnect component continues to monitor the line. When the voltage on the line returns to an acceptable level, the disconnect component automatically reconnects the line voltage to the lighting system.
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FIG. 1 . Illustrates an example diagram of alighting system 100 having adisconnect component 102.Lighting system 100 is coupled to amain power line 110, which may be, e.g., a 277 V line. The lighting system comprises a lighting load coupled to the main power line. The lighting system may comprise any combination of, e.g., apower supply 104, aballast 106, adriver 107 and alamp 108 a-c. These lighting system components are coupled to aline 112 output from thedisconnect component 102.Lamp 108 may comprise any lighting fixture having an electronic switching type power supply, driver, and/or ballast. Among others, such a lighting fixture may comprise an LED or other solid state emitter, a fluorescent light, and/or high pressure sodium light. For example, anLED 108 c is shown in connection with an LED driver, and a fluorescent or highpressure lighting fixture 108 b is shown in connection with anelectronic ballast 106. The combinations ofpower supply 104 andlamp 108;ballast 106 andlighting fixture 108 b, anddriver 107 andLED 108 c, are merely examples, and any combination of power supply, ballast, and driver may be coupled to anylamp 108. For example, in one aspect, both apower supply 104 and anLED driver 107 may be coupled betweenLED 108 c anddisconnect component 102. Additionally, althoughmultiple lighting fixtures single disconnect component 102, a disconnect component may be provided for each lamp or lighting fixture and/or for a subset of lighting fixtures. Ballast 106 may be, e.g., an electronic ballast. Disconnectcomponent 102 is coupled between themain power line 110 and the components of the lighting system that are susceptible to damage from increased voltages. Thedisconnect component 102 continuously monitors the voltage on themain power line 110 and operates to disconnect the load components of the lighting system that are susceptible to damage from the main power line when the voltage on the power line rises above an acceptable level. When the voltage returns to a level that is within an acceptable range, the disconnect component reestablishes the connection. -
FIG. 2 illustrates example features of adisconnect component 200 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Aspects illustrated indisconnect component 200 inFIG. 2 may be included indisconnect component 102 shown inFIG. 1 . - Aspects of the disconnect component may include, e.g., a double pole relay, a low power line rectifier circuit, a low power precision shunt reference and a switching device to control the relay coil. As described supra, the
disconnect device 206 may comprise a TRIAC silicon based switch such as a triode for alternating current (TRIAC) rather than a relay as a switching element to disconnect the load from the line. When a voltage on the power line increases beyond an acceptable level, the shunt reference device may be used as an open loop operational amplifier. Feedback resistor element R9 may be included, e.g., in the open loop operational amplifier, in order to prevent on/off oscillations when approaching the transition threshold. - When a level above the preset acceptable level is sensed, the component may drive a switching device (bipolar junction transistor (BJT)/field-effect transistor (FET)) to activate a relay. As long as the voltage remains higher than the set point, the relay remains engaged and disconnects or decouples the main power line/neutral connections from the load, e.g., the power supply, ballast, and light emitter of the lighting system. Aspects may also include the use of a TRIAC in place of the relay.
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FIG. 2 illustrates thedisconnect component 200 comprising a lowpower bias supply 202, avoltage sensing circuit 204, and aload disconnect relay 206. Thedisconnect component 200 may be configured, e.g., as a box component that can be coupled in series with the lighting load. - The low
power bias supply 202 may be configured to supply power to theload disconnect relay 206 and thevoltage sensing circuit 204. For example, the lower power capacitor coupled bias supply may generate approximately 15 V DC to drive the disconnect device and the detection circuitry. The lowpower bias supply 202 comprises an input coupled to the main power line AC_L and an input coupled to the neutral line AC_N of the 277 circuit. The lowpower bias supply 202 also includes a capacitor coupled to a rectifier to generate 15V, which is output to thevoltage sensing circuit 204 and theload disconnect relay 206. - The
voltage sensing circuit 204 may be configured to continuously sense or monitor a voltage received on the main power line AC_L. Thiscircuit 204 receives the main power line AC_L at an input. It comprises a circuit (e.g., oscosc431) that generates a reference voltage, e.g., the upper limit voltage. The voltage of the main power line AC_L is sampled by the voltage sensing circuit and compared to the reference voltage. If the sampled voltage is above the reference voltage, the circuit changes states, causing an output to the load disconnect relay that opens the relay. For example, a TL431 circuit may change states and drive circuitry that causes the relay contacts to open. Once the relay is driven, some voltage from the drive circuit may be fed back to the sense circuit to ensure the relay stays switched until a new lower falling threshold is reached. This provides hysteresis and prevents oscillations in the TL431 circuit. - The
load disconnect relay 206 may be configured to disconnect or decouple the lighting load from the main power line when a voltage on the main power line rises above an acceptable level. Theload disconnect relay 206 may comprise a coupling component, e.g., a relay that couples the main power line, e.g., AC_L and the neutral line AC_N to output lines, e.g., AC_L_OUT and AC_N_OUT outputting power from thedisconnect component 200 to the other lighting system components, e.g., 104, 106, 108. The relay may comprise at least one switch K1, and may comprise, e.g., a double pole double throw (DPDT). Each illustrated switch may comprise, e.g., a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and/or field-effect transistor (FET). As described supra, thedisconnect device 206 may comprise a switch comprised of a silicon based type switching element, e.g. a TRIAC or other device, to disconnect the load. For example, a bipolar or FET may only “drive” the relay rather than directly disconnect the line. -
FIG. 3 illustrates amethod 300 of protecting a lighting system from an over voltage condition. At 302, the voltage on the line is continuously monitored. At 304, a determination is made as to whether the voltage measured on the line is greater than a preselected high level (HL). This monitoring/determination may be performed, e.g., byvoltage sensing circuit 204 ofFIG. 2 . - The acceptable upper limit for the voltage may be selected based on the characteristics of the lighting system. For certain components, a voltage slightly above 277 V may be acceptable, e.g., up to 305 V, but beyond this level, damage may occur. For example, an over voltage may be considered 10% beyond the nominal voltage of 277 V, e.g., 305 V. Any voltage that exceeds 305 V may be considered an over voltage situation. The upper limit may be selected, e.g., based on the level at which the most susceptible component might be damaged, even though other components are capable of handling a higher voltage.
- For example, the upper limit may be selectable based on the voltages of the WYE system used. The WYE system is, e.g., a transformer type where the shared neutral comes from. A lower voltage such as a 120/208 system might not incur problems because typical supplies (electronic drivers/ballasts, etc.) are rated to 264Vin, or 277 which may adjust the maximum to 305.
- Although examples are given for a 277 V system, aspects may be applied to other “higher voltage” lighting systems involving a similar circuit by adjusting the switching threshold voltage to an appropriate level for the particular application.
- When the voltage is not greater than the upper limit, the voltage continues to be monitored. When the voltage is determined to be beyond an acceptable level, the lighting load is disconnected or decoupled from the power line at 306. This can be performed, e.g., by
load disconnect relay 206 shown inFIG. 2 . As illustrated inFIG. 2 ,load disconnect relay 206 may comprise at least one switch, e.g., K1, that couples the received, main power line, e.g., AC_L and AC_N to the lines that output power from thepower disconnect component 200, e.g., AC_L_OUT and AC_N_OUT. When an over voltage condition is sensed, the switch may open thereby decoupling the output lines from the received power line. - When the load is disconnected, the voltage continues to be monitored at 308, e.g., by
voltage sensing circuit 204 shown inFIG. 2 . At 310, a determination is made as to whether the monitored voltage continues to be above an acceptable limit. As long as the voltage remains high, the load remains disconnected, and the voltage is continuously monitored. When the voltage is determined to have returned to an acceptable level, e.g. below the reconnect limit RL, the load is reconnected or recoupled at 312, and the voltage continues to be monitored for another over voltage condition. This reconnect voltage may be the same as HL. Alternatively, the reconnect voltage may be set to be a percentage below the overvoltage level that triggered the disconnect. By setting the acceptable level to reconnect the LED light a percentage below the over voltage limit that triggered the disconnect prevents flickering of the light that may occur if a single limit were to trigger both disconnect and reconnect The load may be recoupled, e.g., by closing switch K1. - The over voltage disconnect may be used in connection with light fixtures having power supplies and control circuitry, such as those described in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/462,674, titled “LED LAMP APPARATUS AND METHOD OF MAKING AN LED LAMP APPARATUS”, filed on May 2, 2012, Published as Publication No. 2012/0307483, which is a Continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/243,316, filed Oct. 1, 2008, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,186,855, which claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 61/071,828 filed May 20, 2008 and U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 60/960,473 filed Oct. 1, 2007; in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/588,926, titled, “Lighting Device Monitor and Communication Apparatus,” filed on Aug. 17, 2012, which claims priority to Provisional Application No. 61/525,448 titled “Lighting Device Communication Apparatus” filed Aug. 19, 2011, and Provisional Application No. 61/542,556, titled Lighting Device Including Power Supply and Surge Protection Monitoring, filed Oct. 3, 2011; in U.S. application Ser. No. 13/692,402 titled “LIGHTING FIXTURE” filed on Dec. 3, 2013, Published as Publication No. 2013/0155675, which claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 12/341,798 filed on Dec. 22, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,322,881, which claims priority to Provisional Application No. 61/015,713 filed on Dec. 21, 2007 and Provisional Application No. 61/094,558 filed on Sep. 5, 2008; and in U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/936,586 titled “LED Light Emitting Apparatus Having Both Reflected and Diffused Subassemblies,” filed on Feb. 6, 2014, the entire contents of each of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
- Although aspects are described in connection with a 277 V lighting system, the aspects presented herein could be adapted to other voltages, e.g., a range between 90 V-264 V. Additionally, the acceptable range cut off may be set to 277 V, 305 V, etc. based on the tolerance of the components of the lighting system that are being protected by the disconnect component.
- Example aspects of the present invention have now been described in accordance with the above advantages. It will be appreciated that these examples are merely illustrative thereof. Many variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
- The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. Combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” include any combination of A, B, and/or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically, combinations such as “at least one of A, B, or C,” “at least one of A, B, and C,” and “A, B, C, or any combination thereof” may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”
Claims (8)
Priority Applications (1)
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US16/783,143 US20200176972A1 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2020-02-05 | Over voltage disconnect |
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US201461970085P | 2014-03-25 | 2014-03-25 | |
US14/667,505 US9906013B2 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2015-03-24 | Over voltage disconnect |
US15/900,114 US10594130B2 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2018-02-20 | Over voltage disconnect |
US16/783,143 US20200176972A1 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2020-02-05 | Over voltage disconnect |
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US15/900,114 Continuation US10594130B2 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2018-02-20 | Over voltage disconnect |
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US20200176972A1 true US20200176972A1 (en) | 2020-06-04 |
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US15/900,114 Active US10594130B2 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2018-02-20 | Over voltage disconnect |
US16/783,143 Abandoned US20200176972A1 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2020-02-05 | Over voltage disconnect |
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US14/667,505 Active 2035-08-11 US9906013B2 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2015-03-24 | Over voltage disconnect |
US15/900,114 Active US10594130B2 (en) | 2014-03-25 | 2018-02-20 | Over voltage disconnect |
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WO (1) | WO2015148642A1 (en) |
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Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9906013B2 (en) * | 2014-03-25 | 2018-02-27 | Appalachian Lighting Systems, Inc. | Over voltage disconnect |
AU2016398619A1 (en) * | 2016-03-21 | 2018-11-15 | Colbert TCHAKOUTE | Device for automatically disconnecting the coaxial cable from the tuner of the television set or that of the decoder |
FR3062980B1 (en) * | 2017-02-14 | 2021-05-07 | Valeo Comfort & Driving Assistance | LIGHTING SYSTEM, PROCESS IMPLEMENTED IN SUCH A SYSTEM AND ON-BOARD SYSTEM INCLUDING SUCH A SYSTEM |
CN108155812B (en) * | 2018-01-16 | 2024-03-19 | 深圳市赛格瑞电子有限公司 | Alternating current conversion circuit |
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CH608925A5 (en) * | 1977-02-03 | 1979-01-31 | Paul Maurer | |
US4350935A (en) * | 1980-03-28 | 1982-09-21 | Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. | Gas discharge lamp control |
US4651060A (en) * | 1985-11-13 | 1987-03-17 | Electro Controls Inc. | Method and apparatus for dimming fluorescent lights |
US4888494A (en) * | 1987-11-02 | 1989-12-19 | Mcnair Rhett | Electromechanical lamp switching |
US5805394A (en) * | 1997-06-17 | 1998-09-08 | Sundstrand Corporation | Overvoltage protection circuit for a generating system utilizing a fault current sensing Circuit in combination with a shunting circuit |
JP3823014B2 (en) * | 2000-07-10 | 2006-09-20 | 株式会社小糸製作所 | Discharge lamp lighting circuit |
CA2406500C (en) * | 2001-10-01 | 2008-04-01 | Research In Motion Limited | An over-voltage protection circuit for use in a charging circuit |
US6731486B2 (en) * | 2001-12-19 | 2004-05-04 | Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation | Output-powered over-voltage protection circuit |
US6784624B2 (en) * | 2001-12-19 | 2004-08-31 | Nicholas Buonocunto | Electronic ballast system having emergency lighting provisions |
US7262945B2 (en) | 2002-09-20 | 2007-08-28 | Monster, Llc | Electrical over/under voltage automatic disconnect apparatus and method |
US7245470B2 (en) * | 2004-05-19 | 2007-07-17 | Panamax | Unsafe voltage shutoff control |
US7312588B1 (en) | 2006-09-15 | 2007-12-25 | Osram Sylvania, Inc. | Ballast with frequency-diagnostic lamp fault protection circuit |
US8134820B1 (en) * | 2007-09-10 | 2012-03-13 | Technology Reasearch Corporation | Contactor control circuit |
US8350494B2 (en) | 2009-02-09 | 2013-01-08 | GV Controls, LLC | Fluorescent lamp dimming controller apparatus and system |
US8810983B2 (en) | 2009-04-01 | 2014-08-19 | Asco Power Technologies, L.P. | Power disconnect system and method |
US8405939B2 (en) * | 2010-03-08 | 2013-03-26 | Pass & Seymour, Inc. | Protective device for an electrical supply facility |
US9948087B2 (en) * | 2010-03-08 | 2018-04-17 | Pass & Seymour, Inc. | Protective device for an electrical supply facility |
DE102010032948A1 (en) * | 2010-07-30 | 2012-02-02 | Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik Gmbh | protection circuit |
DE102010054402A1 (en) * | 2010-12-14 | 2012-06-14 | Init Innovative Informatikanwendungen In Transport-, Verkehrs- Und Leitsystemen Gmbh | Circuit for protecting an electrical consumer against overvoltages |
KR101275415B1 (en) * | 2011-02-28 | 2013-06-17 | 삼성전기주식회사 | Power supply having protection function for abnormal voltage |
US20120326509A1 (en) * | 2011-03-01 | 2012-12-27 | Mcsheffrey William | Duty cycle controller |
TWI515987B (en) * | 2011-07-22 | 2016-01-01 | 鴻海精密工業股份有限公司 | Overvoltage and overcurrent protection circuit |
US20150372583A1 (en) * | 2013-01-31 | 2015-12-24 | Arcelik Anonim Sirketi | Overvoltage protection and power saving circuit for a switched mode power supply |
US9906013B2 (en) * | 2014-03-25 | 2018-02-27 | Appalachian Lighting Systems, Inc. | Over voltage disconnect |
-
2015
- 2015-03-24 US US14/667,505 patent/US9906013B2/en active Active
- 2015-03-25 WO PCT/US2015/022449 patent/WO2015148642A1/en active Application Filing
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2020
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US20150282284A1 (en) | 2015-10-01 |
US9906013B2 (en) | 2018-02-27 |
US20180175609A1 (en) | 2018-06-21 |
WO2015148642A1 (en) | 2015-10-01 |
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