Solar powered lamp having an auxiliary startup device

• US 20050001564A1
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yun Pan
• Original Assignee: Yun Pan
• Inventors: Pan, Yun
• Granted Patent: US 7,098,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/03 rechargeable by exposure to light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/0824 Ground spikes
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/109 of gardens
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/282 with semiconductor devices H05B41/2806, H05B41/288, H05B41/295 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/25 Circuit arrangements for protecting against overcurrent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/05 Starting and operating circuit for fluorescent lamp

Abstract

Disclosed is a solar powered lamp adopting a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp and an auxiliary startup device which can improve the efficiency of the voltaic-photo transformation when lighting the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp. The device comprises a direct current power unit, a DC/AC inverter circuit for generating a high voltage alternating current from the DC voltage to light a CCFL; and an auxiliary startup circuit disposed between the DC power supply unit and the DC/AC inverter circuit for generating across the input terminals of the DC/AC inverter circuit a voltage of about twice of the DC voltage output from the DC power supply unit.

Claims

1. A device for lighting a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp comprising:

a direct current power supply unit for providing a low voltage direct current;

an auxiliary startup circuit connected to the direct current power unit; and

a DC/AC inverter circuit connected to the auxiliary startup circuit, which generates a higher voltage alternating current from the output of the auxiliary startup circuit to light the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp,

wherein the auxiliary startup circuit generates across the input terminals of the DC/AC inverter circuit a voltage as about twice as the direct current voltage output from the direct current power supply unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary startup circuit comprises:

a first transistor and a second transistor, each having a base, a collector and an emitter, wherein the two emitters are coupled together to one output terminal of the direct circuit power supply unit, the two bases are coupled to another output terminal of the direct circuit power supply unit, the collector of the first transistor is coupled to the ground, and the collector of the second transistor is coupled to the DC/AC inverter circuit; and

a first capacitor coupled between the collector of the first transistor and the emitter of the second transistor.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising a protecting circuit provided between the direct current power supply unit and the auxiliary startup circuit for protecting the direct current power supply unit from being over-discharged, said protecting circuit comprising:

a first comparator circuit including

a first operational amplifier,

a first resistor connected with one end to the direct current power supply unit and with another end to a voltage stabilizer, and

a second resistor connected with one end to the direct current power supply unit and with another end to a third resistor and the inverter input terminal of the first operational amplifier; and

a switch circuit comprising a third transistor, of which the base is connected to the output of the first operational amplifier, and the emitter is connected to the direct current power supply unit.

4. The device according to claim 3, further comprising a fourth resistor connected between the output terminal of the operational amplifier and the emitter of the third transistor, and a fifth resistor and a second capacitor connected in parallel between the output terminal of the first operational amplifier and the base of the third transistor.

5. The device according to claim 3, further comprising a second comparator circuit provided between the output of the switch circuit and the DC/AC inverter circuit, including

a second operational amplifier;

a sixth resistor connected between the inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier and the collector of the first transistor;

a photo-resistor connected to the inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier; and

a seventh resistor connected between the non-inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier and the collector of the first transistor; and

an eighth resistor connected to the non-inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier.

6. The device according to claim 2, further comprising a main power supply circuit including a fourth transistor and a fifth transistor, wherein the collector of the fourth transistor is connected with the base of the fifth transistor, the base of the fourth transistor is connected with the first capacitor, the emitter of the fourth transistor is grounded, the emitter of the fifth transistor is coupled to the direct current power supply unit, and the collector of the fifth transistor is connected to the input of the DC/AC inverter circuit.

7. A solar powered lamp having a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp comprising:

a photovoltaic cell receiving sunlight and generating electrical energy;

an electrical storage device coupled to said photovoltaic cell, storing the electrical energy generated by said photovoltaic cell and providing a low voltage direct current;

an inverter circuit for generating a higher voltage alternating current from the low DC voltage to light the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp; and

an auxiliary startup circuit connected between the electrical storage device and the inverter circuit for generating across the input terminals of the DC/AC inverter circuit a voltage as about twice as the DC voltage output from the electrical storage device.

8. The solar powered lamp according to claim 7, further comprising a casing provided between the CCFL and a translucent mask.

9. The solar powered lamp according to claim 8, further comprising a plurality of ribs provided at the outer side of the casing or of the translucent mask.

10. The solar powered lamp according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary startup circuit comprises:

a first transistor and a second transistor, each having a base, a collector and an emitter, wherein the two emitters are coupled together to one output terminal of the direct circuit power supply unit, the two bases are coupled to another output terminal of the direct circuit power supply unit, the collector of the first transistor is coupled to the ground, and the collector of the second transistor is coupled to the DC/AC inverter circuit; and

a first capacitor coupled between the collector of the first transistor and the emitter of the second transistor.

11. The solar powered lamp according to claim 10, further comprising a protecting circuit provided between the direct current power supply unit and the auxiliary startup circuit for protecting the direct current power supply unit from being over-discharged, said protecting circuit comprising:

a first comparator circuit including

a first operational amplifier,

a first resistor connected with one end to the direct current power supply unit and with another end to a voltage stabilizer, and

a second resistor connected with one end to the direct current power supply unit and with another end to a third resistor and the inverter input terminal of the first operational amplifier; and

a switch circuit comprising a third transistor, of which the base is connected to the output of the first operational amplifier, and the emitter is connected to the direct current power supply unit.

12. The solar powered lamp according to claim 11, further comprising a fourth resistor connected between the output terminal of the first operational amplifier and the emitter of the third transistor, and a fifth resistor and a first capacitor connected in parallel between the output terminal of the first operational amplifier and the base of the third transistor.

13. The solar powered lamp according to claim 11, further comprising a second comparator circuit provided between the output of the switch circuit and the inverter circuit, including

a second operational amplifier;

a sixth resistor connected between the inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier and the collector of the first transistor;

a photo-resistor connected to the inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier;

a seventh resistor connected between the non-inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier and the collector of the first transistor; and

an eighth resistor connected to the non-inverter terminal of the second operational amplifier.

14. The solar powered lamp according to claim 10, further comprising a main power supply circuit including a fourth transistor and a fifth transistor, wherein the collector of the fourth transistor is connected with the base of the fifth transistor, the base of the fourth transistor is connected with the first capacitor, the emitter of the fourth transistor is grounded, the emitter of the fifth transistor is coupled to the direct current power supply unit, and the collector of the fifth transistor is connected to the input of the inverter circuit.

15. A method for lighting a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp, comprising the steps of:

generating across the input terminals of a DC/AC inverter circuit a voltage as about twice as a DC voltage output from a DC power supply device utilizing an auxiliary startup circuit; and

converting the generated voltage to a higher AC voltage to activate the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

providing the DC/AC inverter circuit with the DC output from the DC power supply device after the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp is activated.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

firstly determining whether the voltage output from the DC power supply device is lower than an predetermined value.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

switching off the output from the DC power supply device, where the voltage output from the DC power supply device is lower than the predetermined value; and

switching on the output from the DC power supply device, where the voltage output from the DC power supply device is equal to or higher than the predetermined value.