Dimmer Adaptable to Either Two or Three Active Wires
First Claim
1. A lighting dimmer adaptable to either two or three active wires, said dimmer comprising:
- (a) an AC line hot connection;
(b) an AC line neutral connection;
(c) a dimmer hot connection;
(d) an internal power supply;
(e) an energy storage device associated with, and providing power to, said power supply;
(f) a control circuit powered by said power supply wherein said control circuit is switchably operable to provide either a conductive or a nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection;
(g) a first full-wave rectifier configured for rectifying an alternating current input voltage present between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection and to provide a direct current output voltage across the energy storage device, wherein said alternating current input voltage between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection is present when(i) the control circuit is providing a nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection and(ii) an external load is connected between the dimmer hot connection and an AC line neutral return(h) a second full-wave rectifier configured for rectifying an alternating current input voltage present between the AC line hot connection and the AC line neutral connection and to provide a direct current output voltage across the energy storage device, wherein said alternating current input voltage between the AC line hot connection and the AC line neutral connection is present only when the dimmer is connected to three active wires; and
(i) wherein said control circuit switchably operates to provide either a conductive or a nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection(i) according to a first set of preset dimming levels when current is flowing through the first full-wave rectifier, and(ii) according to a second set of preset dimming levels when current is flowing through the second full-wave rectifier.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dimmer adaptable to either two (H, DH) or three (H, N, DH) active wires includes a first full-wave rectifier (D1, D2, D3, D4) across an AC power hot (H) terminal and a dimmer hot (DH) terminal and a second full-wave rectifier (D1, D4, D5, D6) across the AC power hot (H) terminal and an AC power neutral (N) terminal. The dimmer operates in a two-wire configuration by drawing power through a load when a control circuit is not conducting or in a three-wire configuration, when the AC power neutral (N) terminal is connected, by drawing power from AC power hot (H) and AC power neutral (N) terminals. The dimmer operates according to a first set of preset dim levels when current is flowing through the first rectifier and according to a second set of preset dim levels when current is flowing through the second rectifier.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A lighting dimmer adaptable to either two or three active wires, said dimmer comprising:
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(a) an AC line hot connection; (b) an AC line neutral connection; (c) a dimmer hot connection; (d) an internal power supply; (e) an energy storage device associated with, and providing power to, said power supply; (f) a control circuit powered by said power supply wherein said control circuit is switchably operable to provide either a conductive or a nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection; (g) a first full-wave rectifier configured for rectifying an alternating current input voltage present between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection and to provide a direct current output voltage across the energy storage device, wherein said alternating current input voltage between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection is present when (i) the control circuit is providing a nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection and (ii) an external load is connected between the dimmer hot connection and an AC line neutral return (h) a second full-wave rectifier configured for rectifying an alternating current input voltage present between the AC line hot connection and the AC line neutral connection and to provide a direct current output voltage across the energy storage device, wherein said alternating current input voltage between the AC line hot connection and the AC line neutral connection is present only when the dimmer is connected to three active wires; and (i) wherein said control circuit switchably operates to provide either a conductive or a nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection (i) according to a first set of preset dimming levels when current is flowing through the first full-wave rectifier, and (ii) according to a second set of preset dimming levels when current is flowing through the second full-wave rectifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for operating a lighting dimmer according to either a first set of preset dimming levels or a second set of preset dimming levels, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing the lighting dimmer, said lighting dimmer comprising (i) a control circuit switchably operable to provide either a conductive or a nonconductive electrical path between an AC line hot connection and a dimmer hot connection of the lighting dimmer (ii) a first full-wave rectifier configured for rectifying an alternating current input voltage present between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection, wherein said alternating current input voltage between the AC line hot connection and dimmer hot connection is present when the control circuit is providing a nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection and an external load is connected between the dimmer hot connection and an AC line neutral return, and (ii) a second full-wave rectifier configured for rectifying an alternating current input voltage present between the AC line hot connection and an AC line neutral connection wherein said alternating current input voltage between the AC line hot connection and the AC line neutral connection is present only when the dimmer is connected to three active wires; (b) switchably providing a conductive or nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection according to a first set of preset dimming levels when current is flowing through the first full-wave rectifier; and (c) switchably providing a conductive or nonconductive electrical path between the AC line hot connection and the dimmer hot connection according to a second set of preset dimming levels when current is flowing through the second full-wave rectifier. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification