DISCHARGE LAMP LIGHTING DEVICE, AND ILLUMINATING DEVICE

• US 20100013393A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ikeda Electric Co., Ltd., Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ikeda Electric Co., Ltd., Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Onishi, Naoki, Ueda, Keisuke, Tachibana, Kazuhiko, Ikegami, Kouichi, Sakai, Takuya, Hamana, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,973,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/119
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2985 against abnormal lamp operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2988 for protecting the lamp against abnormal operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/3921 with possibility of light intensity variations

Abstract

In order to enhance stability of a discharge lamp at the time of dimming lighting even in the case where a light output is lowered, a direct current superimposing circuit superimposes a direct current voltage on an alternating current voltage applied to a fluorescent lamp, and a dimming signal correction circuit receives a detection value of a direct current voltage detection circuit and a dimming signal that is from an outside, outputs a dimming signal higher in level than the dimming signal in the case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit exceeds a first threshold value, and decreases the level of the outputted dimming signal to the level of the inputted dimming signal in the case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit falls down below a second threshold value that is equal to or less than the first threshold value. Then, an amount of alternating current power supplied to the fluorescent lamp by an inverter circuit is increased and decreased in response to fluctuations of the level of the dimming signal outputted by the dimming signal correction circuit, whereby the fluorescent lamp is dimmed.

Claims

1. A discharge lamp lighting device that dims a discharge lamp by increasing or decreasing an amount of supplied power to the discharge lamp in response to fluctuations of a level of a dimming signal, comprising:

an alternating current output circuit that supplies alternating current power to the discharge lamp;

a direct current superimposing circuit that superimposes a direct current voltage on an alternating current voltage applied to the discharge lamp;

a direct current voltage detection circuit that detects a direct current voltage component of a voltage generated on both ends of the discharge lamp;

a dimming signal correction circuit that receives a detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit and a dimming signal that is from an outside, outputs a dimming signal higher in level than the inputted dimming signal in a case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit exceeds a first threshold value, and decreases the level of the outputted dimming signal to the level of the inputted dimming signal in a case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit falls down below a second threshold value that is equal to or less than the first threshold value; and

a control circuit that dims the discharge lamp by increasing or decreasing an amount of the alternating current power in response to fluctuations of the level of the dimming signal outputted by the dimming signal correction circuit, the alternating current power being supplied to the discharge lamp by the alternating current output circuit.

2. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1,

wherein the dimming signal correction circuit includes:

correction means for creating a dimming signal of which level increases in the case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit exceeds the first threshold value, and decreases in the case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit falls down below the second threshold value; and

higher value prioritizing means for comparing the level of the dimming signal inputted from the outside and the level of the dimming signal outputted from the correcting means with each other, and outputting the dimming signal set at a higher one between the levels, and

the control circuit dims the discharge lamp by increasing or decreasing the amount of alternating current power in response to fluctuations of the level of the dimming signal outputted by the higher value prioritizing means, the alternating current power being supplied to the discharge lamp by the alternating current output circuit.

3. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the direct current superimposing circuit is composed in such a manner that the discharge lamp is connected through an impedance element to between both ends of a voltage source containing at least the direct current voltage component.

4. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a time constant at which the level of the dimming signal outputted by the dimming signal correction circuit is changed is set larger than a time constant at which the level of the dimming signal inputted to the dimming signal correction circuit is changed, and set smaller than a time constant at which the direct current voltage detection circuit detects the direct current voltage component.

5. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for stopping the supply of the alternating current power from the alternating current output circuit to the discharge lamp in the case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit exceeds the first threshold value when the dimming signal outputted by the dimming signal correction circuit is at a predetermined level or more.

6. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an alternating current voltage detection circuit that detects an alternating current voltage component of the voltage generated on both ends of the discharge lamp; and

means for stopping the supply of the alternating current power from the alternating current output circuit to the discharge lamp in a case where a detection value of the alternating current voltage detection circuit exceeds a third threshold value.

7. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 6, wherein at least one threshold value among the first threshold value, the second threshold value and the third threshold value becomes variable in response to the level of the dimming signal.

8. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1,

wherein the alternating current output circuit supplies alternating current powers to a plurality of discharge lamps, and includes a plurality of direct current voltage detection circuits which individually detect direct current voltage components of voltages generated on both ends of the respective discharge lamps, and

the dimming signal correction circuit corrects the dimming signal in response to a detection value highest in level among detection values of the plurality of direct current voltage detection circuits.

9. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a microcomputer is provided, the microcomputer including:

an input port to which the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit and the dimming signal from the outside are at least inputted;

arithmetic operation means for executing a program, thereby outputting the dimming signal higher in level than the inputted dimming signal in the case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit exceeds the first threshold value, and decreasing the level of the outputted dimming signal to the level of the inputted dimming signal in the case where the detection value of the direct current voltage detection circuit falls down below the second threshold value; and

an output port that outputs a dimming command value corresponding to the level of the dimming signal outputted by the arithmetic operation means.

10. An illuminating device, comprising:

a discharge lamp;

the discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, the discharge lamp lighting device lighting the discharge lamp;

a housing that houses the discharge lamp lighting device; and

sockets which connect the discharge lamp to the discharge lamp lighting device.