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Load control device for high-efficiency loads

  • US 10,530,268 B2
  • Filed: 11/12/2018
  • Issued: 01/07/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A dimmer switch for controlling an amount of power delivered from an AC power source to a lighting load for controlling an intensity of the lighting load, the dimmer switch comprising:

  • a triac adapted to be electrically coupled between the AC power source and the lighting load, the triac having first and second main terminals through which current can be conducted to energize the lighting load and a gate terminal through which current can be conducted to render the triac conductive;

    a first current path electrically coupled between the first main terminal of the triac and the gate terminal of the triac to conduct current through the gate terminal of the triac;

    a control circuit configured to control the first current path to conduct a pulse of current through the gate terminal of the triac to render the triac conductive at a firing time during a present half-cycle of an AC mains voltage of the AC power source, the control circuit configured to control the first current path to allow the first current path to conduct at least one other pulse of current through the gate terminal of the triac again after the firing time until a second time before the end of the present half-cycle, the control circuit configured to control the firing time to adjust the intensity of the lighting load; and

    a second current path electrically coupled between the first and second terminals of the triac to conduct current through the lighting load between the second time and the end of the present half-cycle.

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