Patent · US Expired

Capacitive lamp out detector

US5493181A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
16References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 8, 1995
Grant dateFeb 20, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 8, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S315/07
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An electronic ballast includes a boost circuit, a low voltage control circuit, and a driven inverter in a half-bridge, push-pull, series resonant, parallel loaded configuration. The boost circuit includes a low voltage output for powering the control circuit. In the event of a fault, the control circuit shuts off the boost circuit and the inverter. A sense capacitor is in series with the lamps and the voltage across the capacitor prevents a timer in the control circuit from shutting off the ballast. The timer circuit waits a period longer than the time it takes for the lamps to start normally. The sense capacitor is either in series with the lamp across the resonant capacitor or is in series with the resonant capacitor.

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