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:
Mar. 07, 2006
Filed:
Nov. 26, 2002
Tracy L. Lentz, Minnetonka, MN (US);
Timothy J. Kensok, Minnetonka, MN (US);
Philip O. Readio, Savage, MN (US);
Tracy L. Lentz, Minnetonka, MN (US);
Timothy J. Kensok, Minnetonka, MN (US);
Philip O. Readio, Savage, MN (US);
Honeywell International Inc., Morristown, NJ (US);
Abstract
A system, apparatus, and method for preventing thermal cycling of a ballast coupled to one or more lamps. A monitor circuit is provided to monitor for activation of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism. Such monitoring may include monitoring of the ballast's thermal protection mechanism itself, or monitoring lamp current and ambient temperature in the vicinity of the ballast to determine that the ballast's thermal protection mechanism has been activated. Power to the ballast is temporarily disabled when the ballast's thermal protection mechanism has been activated, thereby preventing thermal cycling of the ballast, and consequently of the lamps, when power to the ballast has been removed.