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:
Oct. 25, 2016
Filed:
Jul. 21, 2014
Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., Madison, AL (US);
Wei Xiong, Madison, AL (US);
Danny Pugh, Harvest, AL (US);
Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., Madison, AL (US);
Abstract
A ballast configured for multiple parallel lamp operation includes a system for detecting unbalanced loads or absent lamps in a parallel multiple lamp ballast. The ballast includes one or more starting transformers having windings, each winding connected in series with a lamp connected to the ballast. A winding of one or more of the starting transformers that is not connected in series with one of the lamps is monitored for a voltage in excess of a threshold. A voltage in excess of the threshold across the winding is indicative of an unbalanced load (e.g., an absent or broken lamp). If a voltage above the threshold is detected across the monitored load, the ballast ceases powering the lamps.