Discharge lamp igniter with reduced noise output
US5945786A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 2, 1997 |
| Grant date | Aug 31, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 2, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05B41/042
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A gas discharge lamp is provided having a ballast control element and suppressible igniter. The igniter is chosen to superimpose an ignition pulse onto the initial AC ballast cycle or cycles provided to the lamp. The secondary coil of the igniter transformer is initially shorted until sufficient voltage is applied to the igniter. This causes a switch arranged across the secondary coil to open. A voltage detector coupled to a primary winding of the igniter transformer senses the amount of voltage applied from the ballast. Once that amount has been detected, the secondary winding is no longer shorted and the igniter can initially ignite the lamp during a peak of the initial cycle or cycles from the ballast. After the lamp has been initially ionized/discharged, or after a pre-defined set of discharges, the switch remains closed for the duration of each and every ballast cycle. Thus, the igniter is suppressed from the ballast output, and the ballast alone provides lamp discharge.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.