The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 13, 1981
Filed:
Dec. 29, 1978
Nicholas A Schmitz, Liverpool, NY (US);
General Electric Company, Syracuse, NY (US);
Abstract
A dc to ac inverter for operating a gaseous discharge lamp through pre-ignition, arc stabilization, warm-up and final run states is disclosed. The arrangement comprises a transformer and a pair of transistors connected for alternate conduction in a self-oscillating configuration in which turn off occurs at a predetermined flux level in each conduction period. The flux limit is used to preclude excess current drain during warm-up when the lamp resistance is at a minimum. A capacitor is provided, resonant at a harmonic of the inverter output waveform for producing the enhanced output voltage required for pre-ignition. The capacitor also helps to maintain a higher harmonic content during warm-up, enhancing the effective ballasting reactance during that period in relation to that during final run operation. A shift of the oscillating frequency of the inverter from pre-ignition to final run operation further enhances inverter operation.