Multi-lamp actuating facility

• US 20050029967A1
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taipei Multipower Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Taipei Multipower Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Kevin, Chen, Mender, Chan, Woody
• Granted Patent: US 7,045,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2824 using control circuits for the switching element H05B41/2822 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/392 using semiconductor devices, e.g. thyristor

Abstract

A lamp actuating device includes a number of lamps each having an output terminal, an inverter circuit coupled to the lamps to energize the lamps, a low frequency control unit coupled to the inverter circuit, to set an average value for the level of the effective lamp current at the output terminals of the lamps and to control the inverter circuit, a number of current detecting devices coupled between the lamps and the low frequency control devices to obtain and send the average current value at the output terminals of the lamps to the low frequency control unit. A number of regulating devices are coupled between the lamps and the low frequency control unit, to maintain each lamp at the predetermined average value of the effective current.

Claims

1. A lamp actuating facility comprising:

a plurality of lamps each including an output terminal,

an inverter circuit coupled to said lamps, to convert electric power and to energize said lamps,

a low frequency control unit coupled to said inverter circuit, to set an average current value at said output terminals of said lamps, and to control said inverter circuit,

a plurality of current detecting units coupled between said lamps and said low frequency control unit respectively, to obtain the average current value at said output terminals of said lamps, and to send the average current value back to said low frequency control unit, and

a plurality of regulating devices coupled between said lamps and said low frequency control unit respectively, to control electric power through said lamps, and to maintain each of said lamps at the average current value, each of said regulating devices including a transistor having a base coupled to said low frequency control unit, a collector coupled to electric power source, and an emitter grounded, and each of said regulating devices further including a switch coupled to said collector of said transistor, to control said lamps.

2. The lamp actuating facility as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a MOSFET coupled between said inverter circuit and said low frequency control unit.

3. The lamp actuating facility as claimed in claim 2, wherein said MOSFET includes a drain electrode coupled to said inverter circuit via an inductor, and a gate electrode and a source electrode grounded.

4. The lamp actuating facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said current detecting units includes an integrator circuit coupled to said low frequency control unit.

5. The lamp actuating facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein said switch includes a control gate coupled to said collector of said transistor.

6. The lamp actuating facility as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said regulating devices further includes a first resistor having two ends, a second resistor, said switch includes upper and lower contact electrodes coupled to said ends of said first resistor, and grounded via said second resistor.

7. The lamp actuating facility as claimed in claim 6, wherein said first resistor includes a resistance greater than that of said second resistor.