Gte Products Corporation

Lucidity Lights, Inc.

Osram Sylvania Inc.

Gte Laboratories Incorporated

James N Lester

Jakob Maya

Walter Peter Lapatovich

Valery A Godyak

John R Goscha

Felix I Alexandrov

Charles N Fallier, Jr

Zeng Zhi Yu

William J Roche

Wojciech W Byszewski

Andrew Johnsen

David Alan Goodman

Benjamin Alexandrovich

David Wentzel

Lee A Prager

Julian J Wierzbicki

Andrew O Johnsen

A dimmable induction RF fluorescent light bulb comprising a power coupler with reduced extraneous electromagnetic radiation wherein a dimming facility utilizes burst-mode dimming that periodically interrupts the high frequency voltage and current to the power coupler with an off period and an on period in order to reduce the power being delivered to the power coupler wherein the off period is shorter than the time required for an electron density of the discharge within the lamp envelope to substantially decrease.

Dimmable induction RF fluorescent lamp with reduced electromagnetic interference

A fast starting induction RF fluorescent lamp comprising a power coupler with conductive material in contact with the power coupler to reduce extraneous electromagnetic radiation emanating from the power coupler, and with structures within the bulb envelope that facilitate rapid luminous development during a turn-on phase.

Fast start induction RF fluorescent lamp with reduced electromagnetic interference

An apparatus for powering and TRIAC dimming of a gas discharge lamp includes an electronic ballast for powering a gas discharge lamp from a TRIAC based dimmer connected to an AC line, an EMI filter for protecting the AC line from EMI generated by the ballast and the lamp, a DC bus without a smoothing electrolytic capacitor, a resonant DC-to-AC inverter connected to the DC bus for powering the gas discharge lamp with a high frequency current, wherein an auxiliary DC-to-DC power supply input is connected to the DC bus and a first resonant tank having in series a first resonant inductor and a first resonant capacitor, wherein the gas discharge lamp is connected in parallel to the resonant capacitor.

Arrangements and methods for triac dimming of gas discharge lamps powered by electronic ballasts

An induction RF fluorescent lamp configuration provides reduced EMI, including a lamp envelope with a re-entrant cavity both covered on the partial vacuum side with phosphor and filled with a working gas mixture, a tubular ferromagnetic core on the non-vacuum side said re-entrant cavity wound directly on the said core with two windings having different numbers of turns, a first active winding having one end connected to an RF ballast and the other end connected to local ground, and a second passive winding having one end grounded and the other end free.

RF induction lamp with reduced electromagnetic interference

A high frequency ballast for a metal halide lamp comprises a controller, a switch, and an oscillator. The controller selectively enables and disables the oscillator via the switch to ignite the lamp. The switch is in a power supply loop of the oscillator and selectively open circuits and close circuits the power supply loop. When the switch close circuits the power supply loop, the oscillator oscillates and provides power to the lamp. When the switch open circuits the power supply loop, the oscillator does not oscillate and does not provide power to the lamp.

Ignition for ceramic metal halide high frequency ballasts

Electrodeless compact fluorescent lamp

A ballast includes an inverter for providing an AC voltage to a discharge lamp. As the lamp approaches end-of-life a DC voltage component develops across the lamp. The ballast includes circuitry for monitoring the condition of each of the cathodes by measuring this DC voltage component. After a predetermined increase in this DC voltage component, the inverter is disabled in order to prevent excessive heating of the cathodes.

Ballast containing circuit for measuring increase in DC voltage component

A synchronized ballast for a discharge lamp having an increased dimming range. The ballast includes a combined overvoltage and reverse voltage protection device for an electronic circuit operable from a direct current supply is disclosed.

Protection device for electronic circuit

Infrared luminaire for security system or the like

A synchronized ballast for a discharge lamp having an increased dimming range. The ballast includes semiconductor switches coupled to a generator to receive a high frequency signal. A variable pulse width modulator includes a one-shot multivibrator for generating a pulsed signal for interrupting conduction of the semiconductor switches and thereby controlling the intensity of the discharge lamp. A delay means is electrically coupled to the variable pulse width modulator for delaying the generation of the interrupting pulsed signal whereby the voltage across the discharge lamp is zero for a predetermined amount of time after power is applied to the ballast and prior to lamp starting. The ballast may further include a power factor correcting means in the form of an inductor shunting the secondary winding of an arc transformer. The power factor inductor has a predetermined inductance whereby the inductor and the lamp's ballasting capacitor resonate at the frequency of the signal from the high frequency generator. In a preferrred embodiment, the ballast further includes a harmonic filter in the form of an inductor coupling the secondary winding of the arc transformer to the lamp. The inductor of the harmonic filter has a predetermined inductance whereby the filter inductor and the lamp's ballasting capacitor resonate at the second harmonic frequency of the high frequency signal. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a combined overvoltage and reverse voltage protection device for an electronic circuit operable from a direct current supply is disclosed.

Synchronized lamp ballast with dimming

A light source including a spiral line pulse generator having an output coupled to one electrode of a high pressure discharge lamp and having an input for coupling to a source of lamp operating power for providing high voltage lamp starting pulses. This pulse generator includes, in addition to a spiral line generator, a solid state electronic switch in combination with an inductor. The electronic switch and inductor are connected in series between the conductors of the spiral line pulse generator for multiple discharge of the spiral line pulse generator to provide multiple high voltage pulses during each half cycle of lamp operating power to initiate discharge in the high pressure discharge lamp.

High frequency lamp igniter using a spiral line pulse generator in

A multipulse starting aid for a high-intensity discharge lamp includes a spiral line, a bi-directional solid-state switch, or a spark gap, coupled to one of the ends of the spiral line, a resistance in association with the spiral line to provide an RC time constant. The time constant RC is so adjusted that, upon receiving the alternating current voltage from the appropriate source, a waveform of voltage is presented across the pair of terminals of the lamp, together with the series of pulses at the peak of each half cycle of the waveform. thereby enhancing the lamp startability.

Multipulse starting aid for high-intensity discharge lamps

A light source including a spiral line pulse generator having an output coupled to one electrode of a high pressure discharge lamp and having an input for coupling to a source of lamp operating power for providing high voltage lamp starting pulses. The pulse generator includes, in addition to a spiral line circuit, a solid state electronic switch for discharging the spiral line pulse generator and a ballast capacitor connected in series with the solid state switch. The spiral line pulse generator preferably has a magnetic core associated therewith for increasing the spiral line inductance.

Method and apparatus for starting high intensity discharge lamps

Starting and operating apparatus for high intensity discharge lamps includes first and second pairs of terminals formed for connection to an AC source and a discharge lamp respectively, a series connect ballast means and inductor connected to one of said first pair and one of said second pair of terminals a bilateral switch shunted by a capacitor and in series with an AC impedance coupled to the inductor and to the other one of said first and second pair of terminals whereby relatively wide high voltage, high frequency pulse potentials for starting the discharge lamps are provided.

High intensity discharge lamp starting and operating apparatus

A transmitter circuit adapted to transmit control signals to receivers which in turn activate fluorescent lamp fixtures. The transmitter comprises a frequency controllable oscillator and means coupled from the oscillator for providing alternating cycle control signals adapted to control the drive of the load. A divider circuit is used responsive to the oscillator frequency for providing a divided frequency signal of lower frequency of that of the oscillator. Feedback means including biphase means is responsive to the divided frequency signal and is coupled to the oscillator for controlling the oscillating frequency thereof. The oscillator output frequency is switchable at the divided frequency signal rate from a first frequency to a second frequency under control from the divider circuit. There is preferrably also provided frequency modulation control of the oscillator and in this regard the output of the divider circuit couples by way of a frequency modulation wave shape circuit to the frequency modulation input of the frequency controllable oscillator. Zero crossing detecting circuitry is also provided to reduce power consumption.

Growing community of inventors

Essex, MA, United States of America

James N Lester