Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Periodic switch in the supply circuit – Impedance or current regulator in the supply circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-25
2003-07-22
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Periodic switch in the supply circuit
Impedance or current regulator in the supply circuit
C315S291000, C315S307000, C315SDIG004
Reexamination Certificate
active
06597127
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to discharge lamp operating apparatuses, self-ballasted discharge lamps, dimmers and illumination kits for dimming. In particular, the present invention relates to operating apparatuses that dim fluorescent lamps, for example, with a dimmer for incandescent lamps.
Fluorescent lamps are characterized by high efficiency and long life, compared with incandescent lamps, so that they are widely used. In particular, a self-ballasted fluorescent lamp in which a fluorescent lamp and a ballast circuit are integrally formed can be mounted on a socket for an incandescent lamp without any modification, so that the need for self-ballasted fluorescent lamps is increasing in view of energy saving and resources saving.
In recent years, there is an increasing demand for self-ballasted fluorescent lamps that can be dimmed with a dimmer for an incandescent fluorescent lamp as in incandescent lamps, so that dimmable self-ballasted fluorescent lamps are under development. To dim an incandescent lamp, a method generally used is as follows. A commercial power source is turned on and off with a dimmer, and an AC voltage that is phase-controlled in such a manner that the ON period is changed is input thereto. On the other hand, to dim a self ballasted fluorescent lamp, a ballast circuit to which a phase-controlled AC voltage is input and that allows dimming and operation is required.
An example of the discharge lamp operating apparatus to which a phase-controlled AC voltage is input and that dims and operates a fluorescent lamp is one disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-111486. The discharge lamp operating apparatus disclosed in the publication changes the brightness of the fluorescent lamp in accordance with the conduction period (ON period) of an input phase-controlled AC voltage.
FIG. 9
shows the configuration of this discharge lamp operating apparatus.
The discharge lamp operating apparatus shown in
FIG. 9
includes a phase control device
102
connected to a commercial power source
101
, a high frequency generating device
103
, and a fluorescent lamp
108
, and further includes detecting means
109
for detecting a conduction angle of a phase-controlled voltage from the phase control device
102
and photodetecting means
110
for detecting an optical output of the fluorescent lamp
108
. The high frequency generating device
103
includes a high frequency blocking filter
104
, a rectifying device
105
, a smoothing DC voltage converter
106
, and inverter portion
107
. The inverter portion
107
includes a switching portion
171
and a transmission control portion
172
of the switching portion
171
. The detecting means
109
changes the output frequency of the transmission control portion
172
of the inverter portion
107
in accordance with the detected conduction angle. On the other hand, the photodetecting means
110
changes the output frequency of the transmission control portion
172
in accordance with the detected output.
For dimming and operation of a dimmable fluorescent lamp, a commercially available dimmer for an incandescent lamp is often used as the phase control device
102
. Although in principle, any commercially available dimmers should perform a dimming operation stably, the operation tests conducted by the inventors of the present invention confirmed that operational malfunction occurred in some cases. For example, when an operation of turning on, then turning off, and then turning off is performed with a dimmer, some dimmers are operated successfully, but other dimmers fail to turn on again and stay off. Such malfunction does not generally occur in dimming of incandescent lamps and thus it becomes one factor that prevents dimmable fluorescent from becoming popular.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind, it is a main object of the present invention to provide a discharge lamp operating apparatus that can achieve a stable dimming operation from full light state to light-off state.
A discharge lamp operating apparatus of the present invention includes a discharge lamp; a dimmer for performing phase-control with respect to an input power source; and a ballast circuit for dimming and operating the discharge lamp in accordance with an AC voltage that is phase-controlled by the dimmer. A relationship
Z
2
≦(
Vin/Vob−
1)×
Z
1
is satisfied, where Z
1
(&OHgr;) is an impedance between an input terminal and an output terminal of the dimmer, Vob (V) is a breakover voltage of a bidirectional trigger diode that applies a trigger signal and is connected to a gate terminal of a switching element included in the dimmer, Vin (V) is an effective voltage of a commercial power source, and Z
2
(&OHgr;) is an input impedance between the input terminals of the ballast circuit.
It is preferable that the upper limit of the Z
2
(&OHgr;) is 54 K&OHgr;.
It is preferable that the upper limit of the Z
2
(&OHgr;) is 26 K&OHgr;.
In one embodiment, a first capacitor is connected between the input terminals of the ballast circuit, and the first capacitor has a function of setting a value of the Z
2
(&OHgr;).
In one embodiment, a series circuit including a second capacitor and a resistor is connected between the input terminals of the ballast circuit, and the series circuit has a function of setting a value of the Z
2
(&OHgr;).
It is preferable that the lower limit of the resistance of the resistor is 1 K&OHgr;.
In one embodiment, the ballast circuit comprises a high frequency blocking filter including an inductance element and a capacitor, and the second capacitor is the capacitor included in the high frequency blocking filter.
In one embodiment, the discharge lamp operating apparatus further includes a lamp base, wherein the lamp base, the ballast circuit, and the discharge lamp are integrally formed.
In one embodiment, the dimmer is a dimmer for an incandescent lamp.
Another discharge lamp operating apparatus of the present invention includes a discharge lamp; a dimmer for performing phase-control with respect to an input power source; and a ballast circuit for dimming and operating the discharge lamp in accordance with an AC voltage that is phase-controlled by the dimmer. A series circuit including a capacitor and a resistor is connected between the input terminals of the ballast circuit, and the series circuit has a function of preventing ringing current that can be generated during dimming.
In one embodiment, the resistor has a resistance of 1 K&OHgr; or more, and a relationship
Z
2
≦(
Vin/Vob−
1)×
Z
1
is satisfied, where Z
1
(&OHgr;) is an impedance between an input terminal and an output terminal of the dimmer, Vob (V) is a breakover voltage of a bidirectional trigger diode that applies a trigger signal and is connected to a gate terminal of a switching element included in the dimmer, Vin (V) is an effective voltage of a commercial power source, and Z
2
(&OHgr;) is an input impedance between the input terminals of the ballast circuit.
A self-ballasted discharge lamp of the present invention includes a discharge lamp, a ballast circuit and a lamp base that are integrally formed. The self-ballasted discharge lamp is a lamp for dimming used in combination of a dimmer for performing phase control with respect to an input power source, the ballast circuit performs dimming and operation in accordance with an AC voltage that is phase-controlled by the dimmer, and a relationship
Z
2
≦(
Vin/Vob−
1)×
Z
1
is satisfied, where Z
1
(&OHgr;) is an impedance between an input terminal and an output terminal of the dimmer, Vob (V) is a breakover voltage of a bidirectional trigger diode that applies a trigger signal and is connected to a gate terminal of a switching element included in the dimmer, Vin (V) is an effective voltage of a commercial power source, and Z
2
(&OHgr;) is an input impedance between the input terminals of the ballast circuit.
In one embodiment, the discharge lamp is a fluorescent lamp having a phosphor in one portion thereof. The upp
Gyoten Masayoshi
Kominami Satoshi
Miyazaki Koji
Takahashi Kenichiro
Takeda Mamoru
Harness Dickey & Pierce PLC
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Vo Tuyet T.
Wong Don
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