US3904921A - Starting device for discharge lamp - Google Patents

Starting device for discharge lamp Download PDF

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Publication number
US3904921A
US3904921A US392303A US39230373A US3904921A US 3904921 A US3904921 A US 3904921A US 392303 A US392303 A US 392303A US 39230373 A US39230373 A US 39230373A US 3904921 A US3904921 A US 3904921A
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United States
Prior art keywords
filament
transistor
terminals
switching circuit
pair
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Expired - Lifetime
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US392303A
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English (en)
Inventor
Ichiro Imaizumi
Minoru Nagata
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Hitachi Ltd
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Hitachi Ltd
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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
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/02—Details
    • H05B41/04—Starting switches
    • H05B41/042—Starting switches using semiconductor devices
    • H05B41/044—Starting switches using semiconductor devices for lamp provided with pre-heating electrodes
    • 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
    • Y10S315/05—Starting and operating circuit for fluorescent lamp

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A discharge lamp lighting device comprises a first silicon symmetrical switch adapted to be turned on [30] Forelgn Apphcatlon Pnonty Data when a voltage to be applied across both ends of a dis- Aug. 28, 1972 Japan 47-85362 Charge lamp reaches a predetermined value, a transis tor connected to the first silicon symmetrical switch so [52] U.S. Cl.. 315/101; 315/99; 315/103; that a preheating current for the discharge lamp may 315/205; 315/207; 3l5/DIG- 5 flow when the first silicon symmetrical switch turns [51] Int. C1.
  • a Second Silicon Symmetrical Switch is com [58'] Field of Search 315/D1G. 5, DIG. 7, 94, nected to the transistor so as to be turned when 315/99, 101, 103, 105, 194, 205, 207; 307/324 the current flowing through the transistor reaches a predetermined value, and when the second silicon [56]
  • References Cted symmetrical switch is turned on the transistor is UNITED STATES PATENTS turned off to generate a high voltage pulse in a coil 3,274,397 9/1966 Heckman et a1 307/324 x Connected between the discharge p and an AC 3,315,093 4/1967 Abraham 307/324 X power supply.
  • the present invention relates to a discharge lamps and, more particularly, to a lightin device employing a solid state ,switch.
  • numerals 1 and 2 designate AC power input terminals, 3 a choke coil, 4 a fluorescent lamp, 41 and 42 filaments of the fluorescent lamp 4, 5 a glow starter, and 51 a bimetal of the glow starter 5.
  • numerals 1 and 2 designate AC power input terminals, 3 a choke coil, 4 a fluorescent lamp, 41 and 42 filaments of the fluorescent lamp 4, 5 a glow starter, and 51 a bimetal of the glow starter 5.
  • the operation of such a prior art device prior to lighting will be. described below.
  • the bimetal 51 is heated by thecurrent, so that the contact of the glow starter 5 is closed.
  • the period of time as taken for the contact to be closed is approximately 1 second, It is of a value of several seconds when the glow starter has become deteriorated.
  • current flows from the terminal 1, through the choke coil 3, the filament 41, the glow lamp 5, the filament 42 and to the terminal 2.
  • This current heats the filaments, and is called the preheating current.
  • Owing to the heat ing of the filaments 41 and 42 of the fluorescent lamp 4 an oxide coated on the filaments is heated to emit electrons, and the state is established under which the fluorescent lamp 4 is easily started.
  • the magnitude of thepreheating current is principally determined by the impedance of the choke coil 3.
  • the bimetal 51 of the glow starter Under the state in which the preheating current flows, the bimetal 51 of the glow starter has its contact closed, and hence, no glow is generated. For this reason, the bi metal 51 is not heated, and is gradually cooled. After the lapse of a fixedtime, the bimetal 51 intends to return to the original state, and the contact becomes open. Letting di be the variation of the current induced in the choke coil 3 at this time, the voltage V generated across the choke coil is as follows:
  • the prior art discharge lamp lighting-device employing the glow starter has various disadvantages as mentioned below.
  • the life 'of the, glow starter is short. I 3. Since the life is short, maintenance comes into question.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a discharge-lamp solid state lightingdevice.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device adapted to instantly light a discharge lamp.
  • Still another object of the present invention is to provide a discharge lamp lighting device of long life.
  • the discharge lamp lighting device utilizes the switching operations of semiconductor switches-to control the magnitude of a supply voltage to be applied across the filaments of a discharge lamp and to control the magnitude of a current to flow through the filaments, thereby lighting the discharge lamp by a change of the current.
  • FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the construction of the, prior art discharge lamp lighting device which employs a glow lamp; v
  • FIGS. 2, 3, 7 and 8 are diagrams each showing the construction of an embodiment of the discharge lamp lighting device according to the present invention.
  • FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the changesversus-time of currents and voltages in the devices illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, respectively,
  • FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrams each showing the voltage-current characteristic of a semiconductor switch for use in the. discharge lamp lighting device according to, the present invention.
  • FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a section in the case where a semiconductor portion of the device shown in FIG. 7 is put into an integrated circuit
  • Numeral 8 designates a transistor which is a semiconductor switch, the collector of which is connected to the other end of the SSS 6.
  • a resistance'element 7 is connected between the juncture between the collector of the transistor 8 and the SSS 6 and the base of the transistor 8.
  • the SSS 9 has its one end connected to the terminal of the filament 42 remote from the power supply, and has its other end connected to the base of the transistor 8.
  • Another resistance element 10 is connected between the emitter of the transistor 8 and the aforesaid terminal of the filament 42.
  • the SSS and the alternative P-N-P-N switch for use as the semiconductor switches have voltage-current characteristics as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, respectively.
  • the SSS 6 becomes conductive (it is turned ON), and a current (preheating current) flows from the power supply terminal 1, through the coil 3, the filament 41, the SSS 6, the transistor 8, the resistance element 10, the filament 42 and to the power supply terminal 2 in the order mentioned.
  • a current heating current
  • FIG. 5 The relationship between the current and voltage in this case is illustrated in FIG. 5.
  • the current through the transistor 8 is cut off, and the current flows only through the resistance 7. Since the current through the resistance 7 is somewhat greater than the base current of the transistor 8, the filament current abruptly decreases to a value of approximately l/h (where/2 denotes the current gain) of the current flowing under the conductive state of the transistor 8.
  • the current flowing through the filaments 41 and 42 has its magnitude controlled.
  • This current change becomes, in itself, a change in the current flowing through the choke coil 3, sothat a high voltage is generated across the choke coil 3 as'previously stated.
  • the high voltage is applied across a and b, and has its greater part applied across the base and collector of the transistor 8.
  • the lighting of the discharge lamp is carried out almost instantaneously.
  • the preheating current starts flowing when the supply voltage exceeds the voltage value V no of the SSS 6, after the closure of the power supply and, hence, there is a period of cessation in the meantime.
  • the voltage across a and b does not become less than the value BV of the transistor 8 and, hence, the preheating current decreases.
  • a diode 11 is connected between the point b and the collector electrode of the transistor 8, as illustrated in FIG. 8 so that, when the positive voltage is applied to the point b, the preheating current may flow by way of the diode 11.
  • a resistanceor diode in the figure, a resistance element 13 may be connected between the point b and the base electrode of the transistor 8.
  • a diode 12 may be connected, as illustrated by dotted lines in FIG. 8.
  • the high voltage can be generated at every cycle of the supply voltage in dependence on the magnitude of the voltage generated across the resistance element 10.
  • the present invention is applicable even where the generation of the high voltage causes the choke coil to produce noise or establishes a state under which the discharge lamp produces therein the glow discharge before the lighting thereof and is gradually lit from such a dim condition.
  • the generation of the high voltage is based on the fact that since the resistance element is a linear one, a fixed voltage is produced when a fixed current flows. In order to avoid this inconvenience,
  • a non-linear resistance element such as positive resistance coefficient thermistor may be used as the resistance element 10.
  • the positive resistance coefficient thermistor employed as the resistance ele ment, it exhibits a low resistance in a period in which the initial current, after connection of the power supply, flows, and exhibits a high resistance when its temperature is raised by the heating of the current.
  • the voltage across the SSS 9 does not exceed the breakovcr voltage V and the high voltage does not appear. Meanwhile, the filaments are sufficiently heated, While the positive resistance co efficient thermistor generates heat, has its own temperature raised and has its resistance increased. After the lapse of a predetermined period of time, the voltage across SSS 9 reaches the value V Then, the high voltage is generated, and the fluorescent lamp is lit at that time.
  • the preheating time is shortened.
  • the required period of time prior to lighting can be easily made 0.5 sec or so.
  • a further non-linear resistance element is a tungsten filament.
  • the filaments 41 and 42 of the discharge lamp 4 are tungsten filaments, so that they are usable as the non-linear resistance elements.
  • FIG; 3 shows the construction of an embodiment of the discharge lamplighting device according to the present invention in the case where a tungsten'filament is employed.
  • the filament 42 is used instead of the resistance element 10, and one terminal of the SSS 9 is connected to a point c which is the terminal of the filament 42 on the power supply side.
  • the changes-versus-time of the voltage and current across the points a and c in this case are as illustrated in FIG.
  • the voltage across a and b does not exeeed the threshold voltage V of the SSS 6 and, hence, the lighting circuit does not operate.
  • the lighting device is constituted of the stationary switches made of a semiconductor device. Since it therefore has good instant lighting properties. and a long life, it can eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art lighting device employing the glow starter. Also, since it is satisfactorily possible to limit the current at the preheating by means of the stationary switch, the choke coil is only needed to generate a high voltage and to serve as a ballast. This is advantageous in that the choke coil in the present invention need not effect even the control of the preheating current, in contrast to the choke coil in theprior art.
  • the value of the inductance of the coil for generating the high voltage may be in the order of mH, which is sufficiently smaller than a value required for ballast. That is, a choke ballast is only required to function as a ballast, so that the present invention has the advantages of facilitating the design of the ballast choke and allowing the device to be rendered small-sized.
  • thelighting device isconstructed from a semiconductor material and, hence, it can be in the form of an integrated circuit.
  • the P-N-P-N switch is employed as the stationary switch, an example of an integrated circuit is as shown in FIG. 11. i
  • Q indicates a P-N-P-N switch, Q a transistor, Q a P-N-P-N switch, and Q, a diode which usesthe N -type region of the transistor Q at the same time.
  • These elements respectively correspond to the sss '6, the transistor 8, the sss 9 and the diode 11 shown in FIG. 7.
  • the resistance 7 in FIG. 7 the embodiment in FIG. 1 1 employs the resistance of the base region of the transistor Q Terminals a, b and c in FIG. 11 correspond to the terminals 11, b and c in FIG. 7, respectively. With such an integrated circuit, the lighting device is easily made small in size, and can bemanufaetured inexpensively.
  • a device for lighting a discharge lamp said lamp having first and second filamentsto which first and second pairs of filament terminals, at opposite ends thereof for initiating a discharge therein, are respectively connected, comprising:
  • first and second input terminals for coupling a source of AC voltage to respective ones of the filament terminals of said first and second pairs of filament terminals at the opposite ends of said lamp;
  • a second switching circuit which controls the magni tude of the current which flows through said filaments and said first switching circuit when the first switching circuit is in the conductive state; and wherein said first and second switching circuits are directly connected in series between the respective other filament terminals of said first and second pairs of filament terminals, so that a pulse is generated in said inductive coil.
  • each of said first and second switching circuits includes a semiconductor switching element having a PN junction therein.
  • a device wherein said semiconductor switching element of each of said first and second switching circuits comprises a silicon symmetrical switch.
  • said second switching circuit comprises a transistor switching circuit connected between said first switching circuit and the other filament terminal of said second pair of filament terminals.
  • saidtransistor switching circuit comprises a transistor having a collector electrode coupled to said first switching circuit, a base electrode connected through a first resistor element to said collector electrode, and an emitter 7.
  • said second switching, circuit further comprises a first diode connected between the collector electrode of said tran:
  • a device wherein said sec- 11.
  • said first switching circuit comprises a P-N-P-N switch con nected between the collector electrode of said transistor and the other filament terminal of said first pair of filament terminals
  • the semiconductor switching element of said second switching circuit comprises a P-N-P-N switch connected between the base electrode of said transistor and said one filament terminal of said second pair of filament terminals.
  • a device wherein the emitter of said transistor is connected directly to the other filament terminal of said second pair of filament terminals.
  • a device according to claim 12, wherein said second filament of said discharge lamp to which said second pair of filament terminals is connected is made of non-linear resistance material.
  • said second switching circuit further comprises a semiconductor switching element connected in series between the base electrode of said transistor and the other filament terminal of said second pair of filament terminals.
  • a device wherein said semiconductor switching element of each of said first and second switching circuits comprises a silicon symmetrical switch.
  • said second switching circuitfurther comprises a second resistor element connected in series between the emitter electrode of said transistor and the other filament terminal of said second pair of filament terminals.
  • said second resistor comprises a positive resistance coefficient tor connected between the base electrode of said tran sistor and the other filament terminal of said second pair; of filament terminals.
  • a device according to claim 19, wherein said sec- .ond switching circuit further comprises a second resistor and a diode connected in series between the emitter electrode ,of said transistor and the other filament terminal of said second pair of filament terminals.
  • said second switching circuit further comprises a third resistor connected between the base electrode of said transistor and the other filament terminal of said second pair of filament terminals.
  • Adevice for lighting a discharge lamp said lamp having first and second filaments to which first and second pairs of filament terminals, at opposite ends thereof for initiating a discharge therein, are respectively connected, comprising:
  • first and second input terminals for coupling a source of AC voltage to respective ones of the filament terminals of said first and second pairs of filament terminals at the opposite ends of said lamp;
  • first and second switching circuits connected directly in series between the respective other filament terminals of said first and second pairs of filament terminals, wherein said first switching circuit includes first means, re-
  • said second switching circuit includes second means, responsive to the control of the magnitude of the voltage by said first means, for controlling the magnitude of the current flowing through said filaments and said first switching circuit when the first switching circuit is in the conductive state.
  • second means of said second switching circuit includes means, responsive to the voltage applied thereto as a result of the control of the magnitude of the voltage applied by said first means, for abruptly changing'the magnitude of current flowing through said filaments and, accordingly, said inductive coil, so as to cause the generation of a high voltage pulse sufficient to ignite said discharge lamp.
  • each of said first and second switching circuits includes a respective first and second semiconductor switching element and said second switching circuit includes a transistor circuit connected to said first and second semiconductor switching elements and to one of said other filament terminals.
  • said transistor circuit includes a transistor so connected with said first and second switching elements that, upon the conduction of said second switching element, said

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  • Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
US392303A 1972-08-28 1973-08-28 Starting device for discharge lamp Expired - Lifetime US3904921A (en)

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JP47085362A JPS5217677B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1972-08-28 1972-08-28

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Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4087723A (en) * 1975-11-21 1978-05-02 U.S. Philips Corporation Arrangement for starting and operating a discharge lamp
US4777410A (en) * 1987-06-22 1988-10-11 Innovative Controls, Inc. Ballast striker circuit
FR2644662A1 (fr) * 1989-02-23 1990-09-21 Matsushita Electric Works Ltd Dispositif d'allumage de lampe a decharge a courant continu
US5243258A (en) * 1991-08-30 1993-09-07 North American Philips Corporation Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS6071260U (ja) * 1983-10-24 1985-05-20 松下電工株式会社 パツト練習器
US4601107A (en) 1985-01-11 1986-07-22 Yasutomo Yoshida Scale balancing device in universal parallel ruler device
JPS61163671U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1985-03-28 1986-10-09

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3274397A (en) * 1963-02-18 1966-09-20 Earl H Heckman Solid state and hybrid modulators
US3315093A (en) * 1963-12-31 1967-04-18 Abraham George Multistable circuit having one direct and one inverted negative resistance
US3476976A (en) * 1966-04-09 1969-11-04 Matsushita Electric Works Ltd Starting device for discharge lamp
US3665243A (en) * 1969-02-27 1972-05-23 New Nippon Electric Co Discharge-lamp operating device using thyristor oscillating circuit
US3701925A (en) * 1970-02-28 1972-10-31 Blackwell Electronics Ind Co L Instantaneous starting system for discharge lamp
US3758818A (en) * 1969-07-25 1973-09-11 New Nippon Electric Co Starting circuit for discharge lamps

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3274397A (en) * 1963-02-18 1966-09-20 Earl H Heckman Solid state and hybrid modulators
US3315093A (en) * 1963-12-31 1967-04-18 Abraham George Multistable circuit having one direct and one inverted negative resistance
US3476976A (en) * 1966-04-09 1969-11-04 Matsushita Electric Works Ltd Starting device for discharge lamp
US3665243A (en) * 1969-02-27 1972-05-23 New Nippon Electric Co Discharge-lamp operating device using thyristor oscillating circuit
US3758818A (en) * 1969-07-25 1973-09-11 New Nippon Electric Co Starting circuit for discharge lamps
US3701925A (en) * 1970-02-28 1972-10-31 Blackwell Electronics Ind Co L Instantaneous starting system for discharge lamp

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4087723A (en) * 1975-11-21 1978-05-02 U.S. Philips Corporation Arrangement for starting and operating a discharge lamp
US4777410A (en) * 1987-06-22 1988-10-11 Innovative Controls, Inc. Ballast striker circuit
FR2644662A1 (fr) * 1989-02-23 1990-09-21 Matsushita Electric Works Ltd Dispositif d'allumage de lampe a decharge a courant continu
US5243258A (en) * 1991-08-30 1993-09-07 North American Philips Corporation Fluorescent lamp electrode disconnect arrangement

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Publication number Publication date
JPS5217677B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1977-05-17
JPS4939982A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-04-15

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