General Electric Company

Other

Technical Consumer Products, Inc.

James Kevin Skully

Timothy Chen

Louis Robert Nerone

James Domenic Mieskoski

Laszlo Sandor Ilyes

Didier G Rouaud

Melvin C Cosby

Gordon Alexander Grigor

Clarence J Harsa

Virgil A Chichernea

Nitin Kumar

Haiyan Wang

Timothy B Gurin

Khaled I Abdel-Tawab

An electronic ballast has a rectifying circuit for rectifying an input voltage controlled by a phase dimmer. The electronic ballast has an averaging circuit for averaging current received from the rectifying circuit to produce a reference voltage. The electronic ballast has a control integrated circuit for providing an output current to a compact fluorescent lamp by performing a linear to logarithmic conversion of the reference current, according to a predefined conversion function.

Multi-level adaptive control circuitry for deep phase-cut dimming compact fluorescent lamp

In one embodiment, a self-oscillating electronic ballast for discharge tube type lamps which increases efficiency and has IEC-standard end of lamp life protection. Efficiency is enhanced by placing primary resonant capacitor () in parallel with cathode conduction loop () while retaining a minimal secondary resonant capacitor () within the cathode conduction loop (). IEC-standard end of lamp life protection is achieved by placing the primary winding () of the base drive transformer () within the cathode conduction loop () of the ballast circuit, and employing a dampening capacitor () to suppress the erroneous base drive signals generated by coupling in the secondary windings () as a lamp nears end of lamp life. Other embodiments are described and shown.

Ultra-high efficiency ballast with end of lamp life protection

A higher power package is provided in a smaller package by providing at least first and second magnetics in parallel in first and second transformers. To limit degrading performance associated with circulating current between the two transformers, the transformers are electrically decoupled. In a preferred embodiment, the circuit includes parallel primary and secondary windings of the transformer that are decoupled electrically on an output side. Particularly, diodes are provided in a preheat portion of the circuit so that once the preheat phase is terminated, the diodes prevent current flow in one direction through the preheat portion of the circuit.

Parallel transformer with output side electrical decoupling

A single-converter circuit-based LED driver circuit () with isolated multi-channel outputs is disclosed. The circuit () includes an IC control circuit (), a plurality of isolated output channels () each having an output current sensing and conditioning circuit (), and an output current regulation circuit (). The output current regulation circuit () includes a voltage-sensing transformer winding (T) that senses an output voltage level across a secondary side of the circuit (), and a peak output current sensing component () that senses output currents from the isolated output channels and determines which channel has a highest current output. Additionally, the circuit () facilitates providing output current regulation when detected output voltage is below a predetermined threshold, and providing output current regulation when the detected output voltage is above the predetermined threshold.

LED driver with single inverter circuit with isolated multi-channel outputs

The present application claims a compact low cost topology solution of a ballast for a discharge lamp that can provide both high power factor and low total harmonic distortion with fewer components than prior art. The topology provides the feature of a low crest factor and quick start that increase both the lamp life and the number of starts for the product. By using Bipolar Junction Transistor instead of Field Effect Transistor as the main switches and also a lower value electrolytic, the cost and size are considerably reduced.

Low cost compact size single stage high power factor circuit for discharge lamps

A current fed bipolar junction transistor (BJT) based inverter ballast includes base drive circuits configured to drive respective BJT switches, and high-speed drive reverse peak current limiting circuits, configured to operate in conjunction with the respective base drive circuits.

Circuit with improved efficiency and crest factor for current fed bipolar junction transistor (BJT) based electronic ballast

In a lamp lighting ballast which generates a lamp lighting signal for a lamp, provided is a striation elimination circuit to increase the lumen output frequency for elimination of visual striations which may occur within the lamp. An even harmonic signal generator is configured to generate an even harmonic waveform, and an injection point is configured to receive the even harmonic signal into the lamp lighting system. The injection point is located at a location wherein the even harmonic signal alters the lamp lighting signal from a symmetric signal configuration to a high content even harmonic signal configuration prior to being received by the lamp.

Striation control for current fed electronic ballast

An electronic ballast circuit for a lamp is described, wherein the ballast comprises a power factor correction circuit coupled to an inverter circuit. The inverter circuit is further coupled to a trigger circuit, which is in turn operatively connected to a hot or neutral line of a power supply by a control line. Upon closing a switch in the control line, the trigger circuit operates to place a capacitor in parallel with a base drive winding of a transistor in the inverter circuit, causing the inverter circuit to shut down. When the switch is opened, the trigger circuit shuts off and the inverter starts up and returns to an oscillating state.

Switching control for inverter startup and shutdown

A ballast lamp circuit and method of operation is disclosed. The ballast lamp circuit comprising an inverter circuit and cathode heating circuit, wherein a lamp current, generated by the inverter circuit, is inversely proportional to a lamp cathode voltage generated by the cathode heating circuit.

Dimming ballast and method

In a current fed electronic ballast multiple lamps are operated in a parallel circuit arrangement. The ballast provides pre-heating to the cathodes of the lamps for a period of time before an open circuit voltage is ramped up to the preferred starting voltage of the lamps. An open circuit voltage controller times coordinates the pre-heating and the operating voltage. After the pre-heating phase, current is removed from the cathodes of the lamps so that electricity is not wasted to the cathodes while the lamps are lit. A single switch is used to switch cathode pre-heating on and off, regardless of how many lamps the ballast operates. A decoupling array of diodes allows the single switch to coordinate pre-heating to all the lamps.

Parallel lamps with instant program start electronic ballast

A ballast, or power supply circuit, for gas discharge lamps of the type using IC control based gate-drive circuitry for controlling a pair of serially connected switches of a d.c.-a.c. inverter. More particularly, the invention relates to a ballast having a resonant feedback circuit drawing continuous input current from a wide range of source voltages to satisfy requirements of phase control dimmers. Even more particularly, the invention relates to a universal platform for phase dimming discharge lighting using the Ballast and a discharge Lamp with a phase dimming circuit.

Universal platform for phase dimming discharge lighting ballast and lamp

An HID ballast, is powered by a power source, to control operation of a load. The HID ballast includes a switching network connected to a first bus and a second bus, and is configured to output a high-frequency voltage signal. A bridge converter section has a first leg including first and second series connected bridge diodes, and a second leg including third and fourth series connected bridge diodes. Each leg is connected to the first bus and the second bus and is configured to receive an input signal from the power source and to convert the input signal into a form usable by the switching section. The bridge converter section is integrated with the switching section to provide the usable signal to the switching section, and to contribute to the operation of the switching section. By this design, the HID ballast is defined as a single-stage ballast device.

Single stage HID electronic ballast

An HID ballast is powered by a power source to control a load. The HID ballast includes a switching section connected to a first bus and a second bus, and further configured to output a high-frequency voltage signal. A bridge converter section includes a first leg having first and second series connected bridge diodes and a second leg having third and fourth series connected bridge diodes. Each leg is connected to the first bus, and the second bus, and is configured to receive an input signal from the power source. The input signal is converted into a form usable by the switching section. The bridge converter section is integrated with the switching section to provide the usable signal to the switching section, and to contribute to the operation of the switching section. An active switching system is configured to provide a desired balance between the input and output power to maintain the HID ballast in a balanced state while the load transitions from a start to a steady state operation.

HID electronic ballast with glow to arc and warm-up control

A method of assembling a coil includes forming a ferrite core having a top end, a bottom end, an inner opening extending from the top end to the bottom end, a cylindrical outer surface, and a step portion formed near the bottom end, the step portion extending past the outer surface. A first high dielectric material is applied on the outer surface of the ferrite core, then a conductive wire is wound onto the high dielectric material, whereafter a second high dielectric material is applied over the conductive wire.

Method of making a coil

Prior to a load being activated, a first capacitive network and the load are operationally in parallel with each other, and the first capacitive network and a first inductor are in series with each other. A second inductor is magnetically coupled to the first inductor to boost a voltage supplied to the load. When the load is activated, a second capacitive network, the load, and the first inductor are operationally in series with each other. In a further embodiment, the first inductor and a second inductor are not capacitively coupled together, rather the second inductor generates lagging current at a first node to cancel leading current generated by the first capacitive network. Heating of the load is accomplished by the use of a cathode heater winding in operational connection with at least one of the cathodes.

Growing community of inventors

Willoughby, OH, United States of America

James Kevin Skully