Method of lighting driver protection in case of loss of neutral connection, and lighting driver including such protection
US10912174B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 23, 2017 |
| Grant date | Feb 2, 2021 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 28, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B20/30
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A lighting driver (600, 800, 900) receives an AC Mains voltage (15), employs a rectifier (630, 830, 930) to produce a rectified voltage, and supplies an output current (665) to a lighting device (20) in response to the rectified voltage. A surge protection circuit (840, 940) of the lighting driver includes a voltage clamping device (MOV2) connected across the output of the rectifier, and a differentiator circuit (843/845/847/849, 943/945/947/949) configured to differentiate between a temporary voltage spike at the input to the rectifier and a loss of neutral connection to the lighting driver. When a temporary voltage spike is detected, the voltage clamping device is activated to clamp the rectified voltage until the temporary voltage spike ends. When a loss of neutral is detected, the voltage clamping device is latched into a disabled state until the AC Mains voltage input to the lighting driver is turned off.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.