Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Surge generator or inductance in the supply circuit
Patent
1998-03-02
1999-09-21
Wong, Don
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Surge generator or inductance in the supply circuit
315DIG4, 315DIG5, H05B 3702
Patent
active
059558474
ABSTRACT:
The illumination intensity of a fluorescent lamp which has cathodes and an ionizable medium separating the cathodes is controlled by a method in which the lamp is ignited once during each half-cycle of applied AC current and is thereafter extinguished during that same half-cycle. The lamp is ignited by creating and applying an ignition voltage pulse of a magnitude greater than a characteristic operating voltage of the ionizable medium between the lamp cathodes. The lamp is extinguished by reducing the voltage between the cathodes to a value less than the operating voltage, at a point prior to a zero crossing of the applied AC current half-cycle in which the lamp was illuminated. Because the extinguishing point occurs prior to the end of the applied AC current half-cycle, the illumination intensity is reduced during each half cycle. The characteristics of the ignition pulse reliably ignite the lamp, thereby allowing extinguishing control on a half-cycle by half-cycle basis. The current which flows through the cathodes between the occurrence of the extinguishing point and the ignition point in each applied AC current half-cycle keeps the cathodes warm. The extinguishing point within each half-cycle of applied AC current is adjusted to vary the illumination intensity.
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Beacon Light Products, Inc.
Ley John R.
Vo Tuyet
Wong Don
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