Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Koji Miyazaki

Satoshi Kominami

Masayoshi Gyoten

Kenichiro Takahashi

Mamoru Takeda

Toshiaki Kurachi

Shigeru Horii

Masataka Ozawa

Katsushi Seki

Takayuki Kamitani

Atsuo Waki

Takeshi Saito

Kazuhiko Ito

Masanobu Murakami

Kiyoshi Hashimotodani

Nobuhisa Yoshikawa

Mitsuharu Kawasaki

Toshiya Yokogawa

Makoto Kitabatake

Makoto Horiuchi

Osamu Kusumoto

Kunimasa Takahashi

Kenji Itaya

Takeshi Uenoyama

Yoko Matsubayashi

Takeshi Arakawa

Tetsuya Tahara

Yoko Shimomura

Young-Jae Cho

Kohei Enchi

Kazutaka Koyama

Takayuki Imai

Kenichirou Takahashi

Yoji Tashiro

Hiroyuki Uchiyama

Tatsushi Higuchi

A discharge lamp operating apparatus or a compact self-ballasted fluorescent lamp includes: an AC/DC conversion unit for converting an alternating voltage phase-controlled by a dimmer into a direct current voltage; a DC/AC conversion unit for converting an output from the AC/DC conversion unit into a high frequency voltage and applying the high frequency voltage to a discharge lamp, whereby the discharge lamp is intermittently operated; and a dimming control unit which generates a dimming instruction signal for driving the DC/AC conversion unit so that the discharge lamp performs an intermittent operation and outputs the dimming instruction signal to the DC/AC conversion unit via a photocoupler , and synchronizes the timings of turn-ON and turn OFF of the phase-controlled voltage with the timings of turn-ON and turn OFF of an operation of the DC/AC conversion unit , respectively.

Electrodeless discharge lamp operating apparatus, electrodeless compact self-ballasted fluorescent lamp and discharge lamp operating apparatus

A self-ballasted electrodeless discharge lamp of the invention is provided with a discharge vessel filled with discharge gas, the discharge vessel having a cavity portion, a coil inserted into the cavity portion of the discharge vessel, a ballast circuit for supplying high frequency power to the coil, and a lamp base that is electrically connected to the ballast circuit, wherein the discharge vessel, the coil, the ballast circuit, and the lamp base are configured as a single unit, and a reflective tape for reflecting light that is radiated from the discharge gas and emitted from inside the discharge vessel to its cavity portion side is wound around the coil.

Self-ballasted electrodeless discharge lamp and electrodeless discharge lamp operating device

A self-ballasted electrodeless discharge lamp includes a discharge vessel having a cavity, an induction coil that is inserted into the cavity, a ballast for supplying power to the induction coil, a case for covering the ballast, and a lamp base provided in the case. The discharge vessel is secured to the case via a holder. A part of the discharge vessel and a first portion of the holder are engaged with each other to constitute a combination structure. A second portion of the holder and a part of the case are engaged with each other to constitute a combination structure.

Self-ballasted electrodeless discharge lamp and electrodeless discharge lamp

The invention provides a self-ballasted fluorescent lamp provided with a function for operating normally when the self-ballasted fluorescent lamp is inadvertently connected to a lighting fixture provided with a light bulb dimmer if the dimmer is at the maximum level, and with a function for reliably stopping operation of the ballast circuit if the dimmer is in a dimmed state and thereby latch the lamp in an unlit state and protect the ballast circuit. Even if the self-ballasted fluorescent lamp is connected to a power source via a light bulb dimmer, when a current detected by a current detection circuit exceeds a predetermined current value, a stop circuit stops operation of an inverter circuit and latches it in that stopped state in order to maintain the self-ballasted fluorescent lamp in an unlit state.

Self-ballasted fluorescent lamp

In a SiC substrate ( ), a first active region ( ) composed of n-type heavily doped layers ( ) and undoped layers ( ), which are alternately stacked, and a second active region ( ) composed of p-type heavily doped layers ( ) and undoped layers ( ), which are alternately stacked, are provided upwardly in this order. A Schottky diode ( ) and a pMOSFET ( ) are provided on the first active region ( ). An nMOSFET ( ), a capacitor ( ), and an inductor ( ) are provided on the second active region ( ). The Schottky diode ( ) and the MOSFETs ( ) have a breakdown voltage characteristic and a carrier flow characteristic due to a multilayer structure composed of &dgr;-doped layers and undoped layers and are integrated in a common substrate.

Semiconductor power device for high-temperature applications

A dimmable self-ballasted fluorescent lamp includes a fluorescent lamp, a ballast and a lamp base that are formed as one unit. The ballast includes a preheating current supply circuit for supplying a preheating current to the fluorescent lamp; an inverter circuit portion for supplying a high frequency AC voltage to the fluorescent lamp; and a control circuit portion for controlling a driving frequency of the inverter circuit portion. The ballast is provided with an output current limiting element for limiting an output current from the preheating current supply circuit.

Dimmable self-ballasted fluorescent lamp and discharge lamp operating apparatus

A ballast for a discharge lamp includes a fluorescent lamp, an AC/DC conversion portion, a dimming control portion, and a DC/AC conversion portion. The AC/DC conversion portion converts a phase-controlled input AC voltage to a DC voltage. The dimming control portion calculates a dimming control signal from the input AC voltage. The DC/AC conversion portion converts the DC voltage from the AC/DC conversion portion to a high frequency AC voltage to be applied to the fluorescent lamp and lights and dims the lamp in response to the dimming control signal. The DC/AC conversion portion has a first operation mode for maintaining the lighting of the fluorescent lamp and for lighting and dimming the same and a second operation mode for supplying the fluorescent lamp with a voltage lower than the starting voltage of the lamp in its non-operating state. The conducting period of the phase-controlled AC voltage can be detected even in the non-operating state of the fluorescent lamp so as to restart the lamp.

Ballast for discharge lamp

An electrodeless discharge lamp includes a translucent bulb enclosing a luminous material; a coil for generating an alternating magnetic field that causes discharge in the luminous material; a power source for supplying an alternating current to the coil, the coil including a core and a winding provided near the bulb; and further includes startability improving means for improving startability of the lamp by generating a portion in which the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil is intensified in the bulb.

Self-ballasted electrodeless discharge lamp with startability improving means

The induction coil core used for an induction coil of a discharge lamp, the discharge lamp including: a bulb containing discharge gas inside; and the induction coil for generating an electromagnetic field with a frequency in a range of 50 kHz to 1 MHz inclusive in the bulb. The core is made of a Mn&mdash;Zn polycrystalline ferrite and has a Curie temperature of 270&deg; C. or more.

Induction coil core, illumination unit using the same, and polycrystalline ferrite

Discharge lamp operating apparatus, self-ballasted discharge lamp, dimmer and illumination kit for dimming

An electrodeless discharge lamp operating apparatus includes a transparent discharge vessel ( ) in which a luminescent substance is enclosed; a coil ( ) for generating an alternating electromagnetic field that discharges the luminescent substance; a power source ( ) for supplying alternating current to the coil ( ). The coil ( ) comprises at least a magnetic material, and is disposed on an inner side than the outer side wall of the discharge vessel ( ), and the luminescent substance comprises at least a rare gas, and does not comprise mercury.

Electrodeless discharge lamp operating apparatus

The present invention discloses an operating apparatus of discharge lamp comprising an AC/DC converter means for converting an ac voltage into a dc voltage, a DC/AC converter means for converting a dc output voltage of the AC/DC converter means into a high frequency ac voltage, a discharge lamp coupled to an output terminal of the DC/AC converter means, and a controller means by which the output of the DC/AC converter means is made variable according to an integrated value based on a half cycle of the ac voltage.

Operating apparatus of discharge lamp

A discharge lamp operating apparatus includes a discharge lamp and a driving circuit of the discharge lamp. The driving circuit can vary power to be supplied to the discharge lamp and has a function to turn off the discharge lamp at a supplied power value above a supplied power value at which unstable discharge occurs in the discharge lamp.

Discharge lamp operating apparatus

A fluorescent lamp apparatus includes a fluorescent tube, a ballast circuit for lighting the fluorescent tube, a case for housing the ballast circuit and a holder provided at the end of the case for holding the fluorescent tube. The ballast circuit includes at least a first circuit board and a second circuit board, and the first and second circuit boards are arranged substantially perpendicular to each other in the case. This configuration can suppress an increase in the size of the apparatus and prevent thermal damage to the circuit elements during lamp operation.

Disclosed is a dimmable fluorescent lamp operating apparatus which comprises a fluorescent lamp, electrical characteristic detecting element for detecting an electrical characteristic of the fluorescent lamp, an inverter circuit for driving the fluorescent lamp, and a feedback controlling circuit for controlling the drive frequency of the inverter circuit such that the electrical characteristic of the fluorescent lamp becomes a predetermined value, wherein the feedback controlling circuit includes temperature detecting element for detecting the temperature of the fluorescent lamp and wherein the frequency characteristic bandwidth of the feedback controlling circuit is varied based on the detected fluorescent lamp temperature.

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Osaka, Japan

Koji Miyazaki