Illumination unit for normal and emergency operation

• US 20030141819A1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Impolight Limited
• Original Assignee: Impolight Limited
• Inventors: Cojocary, Mose
• Granted Patent: US 6,900,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/86
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/065 for lighting purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2853 against abnormal power supply conditions

Abstract

An illumination unit, that comprises a lamp; an adaptor for attaching the electrical contacts of the unit to contacts of a socket being connected to an electricity network feeding the unit through a switch, the switch electrically connects/disconnects at least one contact of the unit to/from the electricity network, while being in its conductive/nonconductive state, respectively; a rechargeable element for supplying electrical power form to the lamp during emergency period, when the electricity network fails, and an electronic circuit for automatically detecting the state of the switch and failure of the electricity network and to operate the lamp, which is operative to disconnect the unit from the rechargeable element from the electricity network, if failure is detected whenever the switch being in its conductive state, or otherwise, to disconnect the unit from the electricity network and from the rechargeable element whenever the switch being in its nonconductive state.

Claims

1. An illumination unit, comprising:

a) a lamp;

b) an adaptor for attaching the electrical contacts of said unit to contacts of a socket being connected to an electricity network feeding said unit through a switch, said switch electrically connects/disconnects at least one contact of said unit to/from said electricity network, while being in its conductive/nonconductive state, respectively;

c) a rechargeable element for supplying electrical power form to said lamp during emergency period, when said electricity network fails; and

d) an electronic circuit for automatically detecting the state of said switch and failure of said electricity network and to operate said lamp;

said electronic circuit being operative to;

d.1), disconnect said unit from said rechargeable element from said electricity network, if failure is detected whenever said switch being in its conductive state, or otherwise,

d.2) to disconnect said unit from said electricity network and from said rechargeable element whenever said switch being in its nonconductive state.

2. An illumination unit according to claim 1, in which the electronic circuit comprises:

a) a converter unit for converting the electrical power from the electricity network into electrical power in DC form, said converter unit has one or more outputs that provides different levels of electrical power in said DC form;

b) an electronic choke operating as a starter and ballast for the operation of the lamp of said unit, said electronic choke is driven by at least one output of said converter;

c) a controllable switch for connecting/disconnecting the supply of the required electrical power from the rechargeable element to said electronic choke to serve as a starter and ballast to said lamp, said controllable switch connecting the supply of said required electrical element whenever said whenever the switch being in its conductive state and failure is detected;

d) a control unit for performing the automatic detection of the state of the switch and failure of said electricity network; and

e) a charger for charging said rechargeable element with electrical power that said charger is receiving from said converter.

3. An illumination unit according to claim 2, in which the control unit further comprises:

a) a controller for determining the way of operating said lamp, whether in the normal use, the emergency use or not to use said lamp if the switch that connects said lamp to the electricity network is open, said controller is operated by a required voltage supplied from the rechargeable element; and

b) an oscillator unit for producing signals and for sending said produced signals, said oscillator has a single input from said electricity network having thereon corresponding signals to said sent produced signals, a first output connected to said controller and to said electricity network for providing said produced signals, a second output connected to said controller for providing a manipulated signal corresponding to said corresponded signal of said single input, said produced and said manipulated signals are used for determining the way of operating said lamp, said controller is determining directly or indirectly the value of one or more elements used for producing said produced signals, said oscillator unit is operated by a required voltage supplied from said rechargeable element.

4. An illumination unit according to claim 3, in which the produced signals are pulse-trains.

5. An illumination unit according to claim 3, in which the pulse-trains have constant frequency.

6. An illumination unit according to claim 3, in which the produced signals consists of sub-series of signals in the form of pulses, each sub-series produced with different frequency.

7. An illumination unit according to claim 5 or 6, in which the frequency is set by determining directly or indirectly the value of the elements.

8. An illumination unit according to claim 7, in which the elements are at least one capacitor and/or at least one resistor.

9. An illumination unit according to claim 5 or 6, in which the frequency is in the range of 1 to 100 KHz.

10. An illumination unit according to claim 2, in which the rechargeable element is one or more rechargeable batteries and/or one or more capacitors.

11. An illumination unit according to claim 1, in which the adapter can be screwed into a standard Edison type lamp socket.

12. A method for operating the illumination unit of claim 1, comprising:

a) attaching the electrical contacts of said unit to contacts of a socket being connected to an electricity network feeding said unit through a switch, said switch electrically connects/disconnects at least one contact of said unit from said electricity network, while being in its conductive/nonconductive state, respectively;

b) charging a rechargeable element for supplying electrical power to the lamp of said unit during emergency period, when said electricity network fails;

c) automatically detecting the state of said switch and failure of said electricity network;

d) operating said lamp;

whenever said switch being in its conductive state,

d.1) from said rechargeable element, if failure is detected, or otherwise, from said electricity network;

whenever said switch being in its nonconductive state,

d.2) by disconnecting said unit from said electricity network and from said rechargeable element.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the operating of the unit further comprising:

a) converting the electrical power from the electricity network into electrical power in DC form, said converter unit has one or more outputs that provides different levels of electrical power in said DC form;

b) activating the starter and ballast of said lamp in order to produce light;

c) supplying the required electrical power in DC form to components of said electronic circuit that required said electrical power in DC form;

d) whenever the switch is in its conductive state;

d.1) producing signals and sending said produced signals to the electricity network;

d.2) waiting for receiving a corresponding signals to said produced signals from said electricity network, and upon receiving said corresponding signals manipulating said corresponding signals;

d.3) comparing said produced signals with said manipulated corresponding signals for automatically detecting whether a power failure occurs in said electronic circuit or not;

e) whenever a power failure occurs and said switch is in its conductive state, closing a controllable switch that allows supplying light by said rechargeable elements for said lamp, and repeating steps d.1) to d.3); and

f) upon said switch is in its nonconductive state, stopping to supply electrical power to said unit.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the produced signals are in the form of pulses.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pulses have constant frequency.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the produced signals consists of sub-series of signals in the form of pulses, each sub-series produced with different frequency.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the frequency is set by determining directly or indirectly the value of one or more elements used for producing the produced signals.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the elements are at least one capacitor and/or at least one resistor.

19. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the frequency is in the range of 1 to 100 KHz.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the rechargeable elements are one or more rechargeable batteries and/or one or more capacitors.

21. An illumination unit according to claim 1, in which the lamp is selected from the group consists of fluorescent lamp, incandescent lamp or CFL.

22. The method according to claim 13, wherein the lamp is selected from the group consists of fluorescent lamp, incandescent lamp or CFL.