Patent · US Expired

Control system for electrical lighting

US4956583A · kind A · utility

8Cited by
7References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 11, 1988
Grant dateSep 11, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 11, 2008

Classification

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

Abstract

A control system for lighting a bank of fluorescent lamps, includes input terminals (10, 11) for a mains voltage (e.g. 240 v) and output terminals (20, 21) to which the bank of lamps is connected. A transformer (T1) provides a reduced voltage (216 v) as compared to the mains supply voltage. The transformer (T2) provides a supplementary voltage (24 v). Upon start up of the circuit, a control circuit (CC) operates contact (A1) to energize the transformer (T2) so that terminals (20, 21) receive both the reduced voltage from (T1) and the supplementary voltage from (T2) (i.e. 240 v) which is sufficient to ignite the fluorescent lamps. The control circuit (CC), after a predetermined delay (e.g., 15 seconds), switches contact (A1) to disconnect the supplementary voltage from (T2). The lamps then continue to operate on the reduced voltage (216 v) thereby reducing the power consumed by the lamps.

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