US3586906A - Control circuit for photoflash discharge lamps - Google Patents

Control circuit for photoflash discharge lamps Download PDF

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Publication number
US3586906A
US3586906A US797625A US3586906DA US3586906A US 3586906 A US3586906 A US 3586906A US 797625 A US797625 A US 797625A US 3586906D A US3586906D A US 3586906DA US 3586906 A US3586906 A US 3586906A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
voltage
glow tube
discharge
condenser
photoflash
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
Application number
US797625A
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English (en)
Inventor
Keno Okuno
Kouichi Takahata
Takeshi Suda
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Nikon Corp
Original Assignee
Nippon Kogaku KK
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Nippon Kogaku KK filed Critical Nippon Kogaku KK
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3586906A publication Critical patent/US3586906A/en
Assigned to NIKON CORPORATION, 2-3, MARUNOUCHI 3-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN reassignment NIKON CORPORATION, 2-3, MARUNOUCHI 3-CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, JAPAN CHANGE OF NAME (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). EFFECTIVE APR. 1, 1988 Assignors: NIPPON KOGAKU, K.K.
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/30—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by pulses, e.g. flash lamp
    • H05B41/32—Circuit arrangements in which the lamp is fed by pulses, e.g. flash lamp for single flash operation

Definitions

  • a 315/100, 315/241 P, 315/245, 307/316 monitor circuit is provided which is driven by the discharge [5]] Int.CI H05b 37/00, current of the glow tube to negatively control the terminal H05b 39/00 voltage of the glow tube and control the ratio of the voltage at Field of Search 315/237, the beginning of discharge to the voltage at the termination of 238, 239, 240, 241, 241 P, U, 245; 307/246, discharge.
  • the terminal voltage of the condenser is 316 maintained substantially constant.
  • the present invention relates to a circuit for controlling photoflash discharge lamps using a glow tube operable in connection with the terminal voltage of a main condenser.
  • the range and the time of monitor operating voltage are decided, so that it has been impossible to adjust so as to meet fully the above-mentioned items which are the aims for a monitor circuit.
  • the principal object of the present invention is to overcome said defects of the conventional devices and provides an electric circuit capable of adjusting monitor operation at will between the beginning of lighting a glow tube and the termination thereof.
  • the present invention it is possible to adjust monitor operation to a great extent within the range from the voltage at the beginning of discharge of the glow tube to the voltage at the termination of discharge thereof, so that even though a glow tube, the operating voltage of which is not uniform, is put to use, it is possible to regulate the upper limit of terminal voltage of a main condenser and also the lower limit thereof.
  • the input to the controlling circuit is an intermittent current so that the controlling circuit is very simple in constitution and the operation thereof is reliable and stable in comparison with the conventional method in which the circuit is controlled by the difference of current flowing through the glow tube between the voltage at the beginning of discharge and at the termination of discharge of the glow tube.
  • FIG. I is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 shows the performance characteristics of the present invention.
  • reference numeral 1 designates an electric power source battery
  • 2 is a switch for the power source
  • 3 is a DC-DC converter
  • 4 is a main condenser
  • S is a main condenser
  • S is a main condenser
  • S is a main condenser
  • S is a main condenser
  • S is a main condenser
  • S is a main condenser
  • S voltage dividing resistors respectively for dividing the terminal voltage of the main condenser
  • 6' and 7 are movable contact pieces respectively for said voltage dividing resistors 6 and 7.
  • 8 indicates a glow tube
  • 9 is a transistor
  • 10 is a base resistor for transistor
  • 11 is an emitter resistor
  • 12 a switching means (monitor circuit) forinterrupting the operation of said converter 3 by means of output current from said transistor
  • 13 is a trigger circuit
  • I4 is a photoflash discharge lamp
  • 15 is a synchro-switch
  • a glow tube when its terminal voltage is increased, begins suddenly to discharge at a certain voltage. Under this condition, even though the terminal voltage is decreased a little, discharge continues, and does not terminate until the voltage is decreased down to a certain value. These voltages at the beginning and at the termination of discharge vary considerably depending on an individual glow tube and it is very difiicult to make all such glow tubes uniform in operation.
  • this repetition operation is shown as a graph of voltage and current against time, and the broken lines show the terminal voltage of the glow tube in the case when there is no connecting action in accordance with the invention. That is, A indicates change of the terminal voltage of main condenser 4 relative to time, B shows change of the terminal voltage of glow tube 8 relative to time, and C shows current change through glow tube 8. Supposing when A gets to the given voltage E, at point 0,, B discharges at E and the increase of voltage A is interrupted. At the same time B drops down to E due to the bridge connecting action given by operation of transistor 9, but discharge continues.
  • voltage A (the terminal voltage of main condenser 4) drops gradually, so that B also drops, and when getting to voltage B at point b which shows the termination of discharge, said connection action given by operation of transistor 9 is released to increase up to E however, E is lower than voltage E, at the beginning of discharge so that the globe tube 8 does not discharge. Therefore, the voltage A begins again to increase and interrupts increasing at point a as described above, and thus the same operations are repeated over and over again.
  • Electronic photoflash apparatus comprising a DC voltage source, a condenser connected to the voltage source, the condenser being adapted to have a photoflash discharge lamp connected thereto, and a monitor circuit for controlling the terminal voltage of the condenser including a potentiometer connected in parallel with the main condenser, a glow tube actuated in accordance with the terminal voltage of the condenser through the potentiometer, means for dropping the voltage of the glow tube to near its discharge termination voltage when the glow tube begins its discharge, and switching means actuated by the glow tube for periodically terminating the supply of energy from the voltage source to the condenser while the glow tube is discharging.
  • Electronic photoflash apparatus wherein the means for dropping the voltage of the glow tube includes a transistor the base of which is connected to the 4.
  • Electronic photoflash apparatus further comprising a DC-DC converter for raising the voltage of the voltage source; and wherein the switching means acts to periodically terminate the oscillation of the DC-DC converter while the glow tube is discharging.

Landscapes

  • Discharge-Lamp Control Circuits And Pulse- Feed Circuits (AREA)
  • Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
US797625A 1968-02-23 1969-02-07 Control circuit for photoflash discharge lamps Expired - Lifetime US3586906A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1338668 1968-02-23

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3586906A true US3586906A (en) 1971-06-22

Family

ID=11831638

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US797625A Expired - Lifetime US3586906A (en) 1968-02-23 1969-02-07 Control circuit for photoflash discharge lamps

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US3586906A (US20030204162A1-20031030-M00001.png)
GB (1) GB1251701A (US20030204162A1-20031030-M00001.png)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3780344A (en) * 1971-09-07 1973-12-18 Gte Sylvania Inc Charge regulating circuit for flash lamp storage capacitor
US3993929A (en) * 1975-12-19 1976-11-23 Honeywell Inc. Automatic correct exposure indicator

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2809617A1 (de) * 1978-03-06 1979-09-13 Balda Werke Photographische Elektronisches blitzgeraet
US4613847A (en) * 1983-08-08 1986-09-23 Life Light Systems Emergency signal

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3780344A (en) * 1971-09-07 1973-12-18 Gte Sylvania Inc Charge regulating circuit for flash lamp storage capacitor
US3993929A (en) * 1975-12-19 1976-11-23 Honeywell Inc. Automatic correct exposure indicator

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1251701A (US20030204162A1-20031030-M00001.png) 1971-10-27

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Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: NIKON CORPORATION, 2-3, MARUNOUCHI 3-CHOME, CHIYOD

Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:NIPPON KOGAKU, K.K.;REEL/FRAME:004935/0584