Patent · US Expired

Electronic ballast for gaseous discharge lamps

US4415839A · kind A · utility

68Cited by
8References
32Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 23, 1981
Grant dateNov 15, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 23, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH05B41/2828
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An electronic ballast for energizing one or more gaseous-discharge lamps and for regulating the power consumed thereby, the ballast including a power supply for providing a source of DC power between a pair of outputs, a pair of transistors connected as switches in series between the power-supply outputs, the transistors for selectively coupling to the juncture thereof positive and negative potentials, a voltage-conditioning and current-limiting network for energizing the lamp from the potential developed between the transistor juncture and a power-supply common, and a pulse generator for developing pulses for driving each of the transistors in turn whereby a potential is developed at the transistor juncture which alternates as positive-going and negative-going pulses each separated by a dead time, the pulse generator for monitoring the power consumption level of the lamp and responsive thereto operative to vary the frequency and/or the width of the transistor driving pulses whereby the lamp consumption is regulated. Also included is a third harmonic trap for coupling the power supply to the AC power line to improve the power factor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.