Patent · US Expired

Fluorescent lamp controllers

US5111118A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
11References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 12, 1991
Grant dateMay 5, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 12, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S315/02
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A controller operates in pre-ignition and ignition phases to obtain stable and reliable control of operation of a half-bridge DC-AC converter in a frequency range which is offset from a resonant frequency of an output circuit which includes a transformer and capacitors and which couples the converter to a fluorescent lamp load. The converter is supplied with a DC voltage from a switched-mode DC-DC supply of a pre-conditioner circuit which responds to a full-wave rectified AC voltage and which is supplied with pulse-width modulated gating pulses from the controller, preferably at a frequency which is the same as that of the converter. The controller monitors signals from the output circuit and pre-conditioner circuits and exercises control to reliable starting and highly efficient lamp operation and to obtain an in-phase proportional relationship of input voltage and current wave forms.

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