US3458757A - Automatic starter switch for preheating and ignition of fluorescent lamps having heated cathodes - Google Patents
Automatic starter switch for preheating and ignition of fluorescent lamps having heated cathodes Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US3458757A US3458757A US623587A US3458757DA US3458757A US 3458757 A US3458757 A US 3458757A US 623587 A US623587 A US 623587A US 3458757D A US3458757D A US 3458757DA US 3458757 A US3458757 A US 3458757A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- contact
- ignition
- preheating
- hot wire
- switch
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
- H01H37/00—Thermally-actuated switches
- H01H37/02—Details
- H01H37/32—Thermally-sensitive members
- H01H37/46—Thermally-sensitive members actuated due to expansion or contraction of a solid
- H01H37/50—Thermally-sensitive members actuated due to expansion or contraction of a solid with extensible wires under tension
-
- 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
- H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
- H05B41/02—Details
- H05B41/04—Starting switches
- H05B41/06—Starting switches thermal only
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S315/00—Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
- Y10S315/02—High frequency starting operation for fluorescent lamp
Definitions
- the invention relates to starters or ignition switches of the type having a tapped choke coil or ballast and a normal off contact operated by the expansion and contraction of a hot wire for preheating and igniting fluorescent lamps having heated cathodes.
- the object of the present invention is to operate the normal olf contacts in such manner that upon repeated switching the temperature of the cathodes does not decrease to a value below that required for ignition.
- the invention consists in an automatic starter device for preheating and igniting fluorescent lamps, said starter device controlling a preheating circuit including a normal off contact operated by a hot wire, wherein the said normal off contact is formed as a quick action snap contact controlling the opening and closing of the preheating circuit to prevent a temperature decrease of the cathodes of the luminescent tube at the moment of ignition during repeated switching action to below a value required for the emission of electrons.
- FIGURE 1 of the drawing is a diagram representing the temperature curve of the cathodes as a function of time in a conventional fluorescent tube.
- FIGURE 2 illustrates one form of embodiment of an ignition switch and its associated circuit diagram according to the present invention.
- FIGURE 3 represents a modification of the switch mechanism.
- FIGURE 4 represents a diagram of the temperature curve for the tube according to the invention.
- the cathodes of a conventional fluorescent tube are preheated to a temperature of about 800 to 1000 C., whereafter the normal off contact is opened at the point A.
- the temperature of the cathodes decreases to the point B, at which the normal off contact closes again, the cathode temperature then slightly increasing.
- the closure period as represented, however, is substantially shorter than the opening period, so that the cathode temperature does not rise above a minimum value C of about 700 C. required for the emission of electrons, but continuously decreases.
- FIGURE 2 diagrammatically represents an ignition switch according to the invention.
- a switch housing 31 is provided with four terminals 5a, 6a, 9a and 10a.
- a hot wire 11 has one end 2 fixed to the housing, while the other end 3 is secured to the hub portion 14 of a control lever 15 pivotally mounted in the housing on a pin 16.
- the end 2 of the hot wire is connected to terminal 9a and the end 3 to the terminal 10a.
- the terminal 9a is connected to the movable contact 9 of an inductance coil or choke 4 having its end 10 connected to the terminal 10a.
- the normal off contact comprises a movable contact member 5 carried by a resilient contact arm 23 and a fixed contact 6.
- the contact arm 23 further carries a ferromagnetic armature 21 which is associated with a permanent magnet 20.
- a tension spring 22 fixed with one end to the housing 31 acts upon the pivoting control lever 15 for tensioning the hot wire 11 by urging the lever to turn in the direction of the arrow.
- the opening movement of the contact arm 23 is limited by a stop member 26 carried by the arm and coacting with a fixed abutment 30 on the housing 1. Due to the ferromagnetic armature being attracted by the permanent magnet 20, the resilient contact arm 23 is flexed and a sufliciently strong contact pressure is exerted on the normal off contact pair 5, 6.
- the electric diagram represented outside the housing 31 is of conventional design.
- a preheating current flows from the conductor 7 through the coil 4, the electrode 2 of the cathode tube 1, terminal 5a, normal off contacts 5, 6, terminal 6a, electrode 3 of the cathode tube to the conductor 8.
- a control current flows from the coil 4 through contact 9, terminal 9a, hot wire 11, terminal 10a to the end 10 of the coil 4. Due to this current, the hot wire 11 is gradually heated and expands correspondingly.
- the control lever 15 now can pivot in counterclockwise direction owing to the action of the spring 22 and acts upon the contact arm 23 at a point 25 intermediate the permanent magnet 20 and the place of attachment 24 of the arm.
- the normal off contacts have substantially identical opening periods A1-B1, A2-B2, A3B3, A l-B4, and closing periods B1-A2, B2-A3, B3-A4, so that the cathodes, after each closure of the contacts, are heated with a suflicient margin of safety above the minimum value C, and safe ignition occurs after the first or second repetition of the switching operation, provided that the lamp is intact.
- the closing periods B1-A2, B2-A3, B3-A4 can be modified by varying the number of windings of the coil 4, so that they can be made substantially equal to the opening periods Al-Bl, A2-B2, A3-B3.
- the stop member 26 relieves the hot wire 11 from mechanical stress and limits the opening gap between the contacts 5, 6 to a minimum value as determined by experience.
- a ferromagnetic contact strip 29 is secured to the contact arm 23 and is provided with an offset armature finger 27 coacting with a permanent magnet 28.
- the control arm 15a acts upon the contact arm 23 at the place where the strip 29 is secured to the arm.
- the circuit diagram of this modified switch is the same as that shown in FIG. 2 and operation of the switch is identical with the operation as explained in relation with FIG. 2.
- the normal ofl contacts 5, 6, due to the permanent magnet associated with the resilient contact arm 23, operates as a magnetic quick action or snap switch.
- a magnetically operated quick action switch the same effect can be obtained by a mechanical quick action switch in which the movable contact is provided on a biased contact spring which, however, requires adjustment and causes switching noises.
- An automatic starter switch for control-ling a preheating and igniting circuit for luminescent tubes having a cathode which emits electrons at a temperature above a predetermined temperature
- said switch comprising a hot wire, a pivotally mounted control lever operatively connected to one end of said hot wire tobe actuated upon dilatation of the hot wire, a normally off contact means including a movable contact for controlling the opening and closing of said circuit, a contact arm carrying said movable contact between open and closed positions, biasing means urging said contact arm and holding said movable contact in a closed position against the initial force exerted on said contact arm by said hot wire and thereby controlling the period of opening for said contacts when said force exerted by said hot wire overcomes said biasing force and causes the contacts to open, and means electrically connected to said hot wire for adjusting the force exerted thereby on said control lever, said last mentioned means and said hot wire controlling the closing period so that the temperature of said luminescent tube is maintained above said predetermined value required for the emission
- said means for biasing said movable contact includes a permanent magnet for attracting said movable contact and said contact arm to its closed position and in which said normally olf contact means acts as a quick action snap contact.
- An automatic starter switch as claimed in claim 1 said means for adjusting including a choke coil having a movable tapping contact electrically connected to the other end of said hot wire, one end of the choke coil being electrically connected to said first named end of the hot wire, whereby said hot wire is selectively connected in circuit with a variable number of windings of the choke coil, so that by varying the number of windings of the choke coil in circuit with the hot wire, substantially identical opening and closing periods of the normal off contact means may be obtained upon repeated switching action.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
CH1612566A CH491578A (de) | 1966-11-09 | 1966-11-09 | Vorrichtung für die Zündung und den Betrieb von Leuchtstofflampen mit geheizten Kathoden |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US3458757A true US3458757A (en) | 1969-07-29 |
Family
ID=4414645
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US623587A Expired - Lifetime US3458757A (en) | 1966-11-09 | 1967-03-16 | Automatic starter switch for preheating and ignition of fluorescent lamps having heated cathodes |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US3458757A (de) |
CH (1) | CH491578A (de) |
DE (1) | DE1589135A1 (de) |
ES (1) | ES346746A1 (de) |
FR (1) | FR1512293A (de) |
IL (1) | IL28793A (de) |
SE (1) | SE327759B (de) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3768056A (en) * | 1971-06-04 | 1973-10-23 | Cetek Const Electrotech | Electro-thermic starter for igniting fluorescent lamps |
US4329622A (en) * | 1980-05-19 | 1982-05-11 | Xerox Corporation | Low pressure gas discharge lamp with increased end illumination |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2355296A (en) * | 1942-03-05 | 1944-08-08 | Honeywell Regulator Co | Fuel burner control system |
US2479372A (en) * | 1946-03-02 | 1949-08-16 | Knobel Fritz | Starter on low-pressure fluorescent tubular lamps |
US3086141A (en) * | 1958-04-24 | 1963-04-16 | Jacob H Rubenstein | Starter and circuit for electric discharge device |
-
1966
- 1966-11-09 CH CH1612566A patent/CH491578A/de not_active IP Right Cessation
-
1967
- 1967-01-19 DE DE19671589135 patent/DE1589135A1/de active Pending
- 1967-01-26 SE SE01124/67A patent/SE327759B/xx unknown
- 1967-02-24 FR FR96385A patent/FR1512293A/fr not_active Expired
- 1967-03-16 US US623587A patent/US3458757A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1967-10-18 IL IL28793A patent/IL28793A/en unknown
- 1967-11-03 ES ES346746A patent/ES346746A1/es not_active Expired
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2355296A (en) * | 1942-03-05 | 1944-08-08 | Honeywell Regulator Co | Fuel burner control system |
US2479372A (en) * | 1946-03-02 | 1949-08-16 | Knobel Fritz | Starter on low-pressure fluorescent tubular lamps |
US3086141A (en) * | 1958-04-24 | 1963-04-16 | Jacob H Rubenstein | Starter and circuit for electric discharge device |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3768056A (en) * | 1971-06-04 | 1973-10-23 | Cetek Const Electrotech | Electro-thermic starter for igniting fluorescent lamps |
US4329622A (en) * | 1980-05-19 | 1982-05-11 | Xerox Corporation | Low pressure gas discharge lamp with increased end illumination |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
IL28793A (en) | 1971-08-25 |
CH491578A (de) | 1970-05-31 |
DE1589135A1 (de) | 1970-08-20 |
ES346746A1 (es) | 1968-12-16 |
SE327759B (de) | 1970-08-31 |
FR1512293A (fr) | 1968-02-02 |
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