Patent · US Expired

Power supply

US4920300A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
5References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 11, 1988
Grant dateApr 24, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 11, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S315/05
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Arc discharge lamps driven at frequencies in excess of 20 kHz may exhibit the phenomenon of `acoustic resonance` in which longitudinal and lateral acoustic waves are supported in the arc tube. This is a problem because the acoustic wave may give rise to an instability in the discharge arc, causing it to stretch or gyrate and invariably to extinguish. In some cases damage may be caused to the arc tube. A power supply suitable for an arc discharge lamp comprises a drive circuit arranged to supply voltage to the lamp and control means for causing a characteristic of the voltage to vary, with time, in accordance with a pseudo random sequence in order to reduce, or eliminate, acoustic resonance in the lamp.

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