DIMMABLE SCREW-IN COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMP HAVING INTEGRAL ELECTRONIC BALLAST CIRCUIT

• US 20120286689A1
• Filed: 05/04/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Newman, Robert C. Jr., Nachtrieb, Robert T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/246
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/16 in which the lamp is fed by dc or by low-frequency ac, e.g. by 50 cycles/sec ac, or with network frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2828 using control circuits for the switching elements H05B41/2827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/3925 by frequency variation H05B41/3922 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/39 Circuits containing inverter bridges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A dimmable ballast circuit for a compact fluorescent lamp controls the intensity of a lamp tube in response to a phase-control voltage received from a dimmer switch. The ballast circuit generates a lamp current through the lamp tube having a substantially constant envelope such that flicker in the lamp tube and electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise on an AC voltage supply are minimized. The dimmable ballast circuit comprises a high speed control circuit characterized by a cutoff frequency much greater than a frequency of a voltage ripple on a bus voltage of the ballast circuit. The dimmable ballast circuit may also comprise a non-linear amplifier circuit amplifying a lamp-current-feedback signal representative of the magnitude of the lamp current through the lamp.

Claims

1. A dimmable ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp comprising:

a bus-voltage-generating circuit receiving an input from an AC voltage supply and producing a DC bus voltage characterized by a low-frequency voltage ripple;

an inverter circuit receiving said DC bus voltage and generating a variable frequency square-wave output signal, said inverter circuit having a control input provided with a drive control signal that determines the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit and thus the frequency of said square-wave output signal;

an output filter circuit receiving said square wave output signal and generating a substantially sinusoidal lamp current through said lamp at said frequency;

a control circuit producing said drive control signal provided at said control input of said inverter circuit to control the frequency of said square-wave output signal and thus the intensity level of said lamp, said control circuit receiving a first signal related to a target intensity level of said lamp and a second signal related to the actual intensity level of said lamp, said control circuit comprising an error amplifier circuit for comparing said first and second signals to produce said drive control signal to cause said inverter circuit to operate at a frequency to illuminate said lamp at said target intensity level;

wherein said bus-voltage-generating circuit produces said DC bus voltage to define an envelope for said sinusoidal lamp current, and said error amplifier circuit operates in a frequency range such that said error amplifier circuit is responsive to said second signal at the frequency of said second signal thereby to adjust the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit to reduce variation in said envelope of said sinusoidal lamp current.

2. The ballast circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

an artificial load circuit coupled to said AC voltage supply to ensure that adequate current is drawn from said AC voltage supply to enable a semiconductor switch of a dimmer circuit supplying said AC voltage supply to latch on and stay on.

3. The ballast circuit of claim 2, wherein said artificial load circuit comprises:

a rectifier circuit;

a resistive element; and

a current-passing switch coupled to said output of said rectifier circuit and in series with said resistive element for setting an artificial load current.

4. The ballast circuit of claim 3, further comprising:

a switch controlling said current-passing switch to turn off said current-passing switch when the magnitude of said AC voltage supply has exceeded a predetermined magnitude.

5. The ballast circuit of claim 4, further comprising:

an overcurrent switch for turning off said current-passing switch if there is an overcurrent in said current-passing switch.

6. The ballast circuit of claim 3, further comprising:

a switch for passing a rectified phase-control voltage from said rectifier circuit to said control circuit as said first signal.

7. The ballast circuit of claim 3, wherein said rectifier circuit is a full-wave rectifier.

8. The ballast circuit of claim 2, wherein said semiconductor switch of said dimmer circuit comprises an SCR or a triac.

9. The ballast circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a first power supply for said inverter circuit and a second power supply for said control circuit.

10. The ballast circuit of claim 9, wherein said first power supply receives a voltage from said bus-voltage-generating circuit and said second power supply receives an electromagnetically-coupled voltage from an inductor of said output filter circuit.

11. The ballast circuit of claim 10, wherein said first power supply receives a voltage from said bus-voltage-generating circuit through a resistor to charge a first capacitor, and further receives said square wave voltage from said inverter circuit, once developed, through a series-connected snubber capacitor to charge said first capacitor, thereby reducing current in said resistor to reduce power dissipated in said resistor.

12. The ballast circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a current sense circuit in series with said lamp for generating said second signal proportional to the current in said lamp.

13. The ballast circuit of claim 12, wherein said current sense circuit produces current sense signals in alternate half-cycles of the lamp current conducted through said lamp.

14. The ballast circuit of claim 1, wherein said output filter circuit comprises a resonant tank, and a capacitor in series with said tank and said lamp for eliminating the DC component of a sinusoidal output voltage produced across said lamp.

15. The ballast circuit of claim 14, wherein said inverter circuit comprises a half-bridge inverter circuit and an inverter control circuit complementarily driving two switches of said half-bridge inverter circuit.

16. The ballast circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a non-linear amplifier circuit for amplifying said second signal such that for first values of lamp current below a current threshold, said second signal is amplified by a first amount and for second values of lamp current above said current threshold, said second signal is amplified by a second, smaller amount, thereby increasing responsiveness of said error amplifier circuit to changes in lamp intensity levels at low lamp intensity levels.

17. The ballast circuit of claim 1, wherein said envelope is a ripple voltage defined by a frequency of said AC voltage supply.

18. The ballast circuit of claim 1, wherein said error amplifier circuit operates to spread the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit at a set intensity level of said lamp into a spread spectrum of frequencies thereby to reduce the time average of peaks of said spectrum of frequencies and reduce peak EMI levels.

19. The ballast circuit of claim 1, wherein the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit is around 100 KHz and said error amplifier circuit comprises a high-pass filter with a cut-off frequency of about 10 KHz.

20. The ballast circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

an overvoltage protection circuit coupled to said lamp for turning off said inverter circuit if an overvoltage is developed across said lamp.

21. The ballast circuit of claim 1, wherein said bus-voltage-generating circuit comprises a voltage doubler and said error amplifier circuit reduces variation in said envelope caused by differences in peaks of said DC bus voltage generated by said voltage doubler.

22. The ballast circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

an EMI reduction circuit receiving said AC voltage supply and coupled ahead of said DC bus voltage generating circuit for reducing EMI on AC mains.

23. A dimmable fluorescent lamp adapted to receive a phase-control voltage from a dimmer switch, said dimmable compact fluorescent lamp comprising:

a fluorescent lamp tube; and

an electronic ballast circuit for receiving said phase-control voltage from said dimmer switch and illuminating said lamp tube in response to said phase-control voltage, said ballast circuit comprising an inverter circuit for generating a variable frequency square-wave output signal from a DC bus voltage and an output filter circuit receiving said square wave output signal and generating a substantially sinusoidal lamp current through said lamp tube at said frequency, said electronic ballast circuit further comprising a control circuit for producing a drive control signal that is provided to a control input of said inverter circuit to control the frequency of said square-wave output signal and thus the intensity level of said lamp tube, said control circuit receiving a first signal related to a target intensity level of said lamp tube and a second signal related to the actual intensity level of said lamp tube, said control circuit comprising an error amplifier circuit for comparing said first and second signals to produce said drive control signal to cause said inverter circuit to operate at a frequency to illuminate said lamp tube at said target intensity level;

wherein said DC bus voltage defines an envelope for said sinusoidal lamp current, and said error amplifier circuit operates in a frequency range such that said error amplifier circuit is responsive to said second signal at the frequency of said second signal thereby to adjust the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit to reduce variation in said envelope of said sinusoidal lamp current.

24. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 23, wherein said input from said phase-control voltage is characterized by a duty cycle defining said target intensity level of said lamp, said duty cycle of said phase-control component being set by a dimmer switch that operates according to either a forward phase-control method or reverse phase-control method.

25. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 24, wherein said ballast circuit further comprises a phase-control-voltage converter circuit for converting said phase-control voltage into said first signal provided to said error amplifier circuit, said phase-control-voltage converter circuit operating such that changes in said duty cycle of said phase-control voltage that are below a threshold amount are filtered out by said phase-control-voltage converter circuit, and intentional changes in said duty cycle of said phase-control voltage are reflected in changes in said target intensity level and thereby the intensity level of said lamp tube.

26. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 23, wherein said lamp tube is filled with a fill-gas mixture having a pressure of approximately 2 Torr and a fill-gas ratio of approximately 85:

15 argon to neon.

27. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 26, wherein the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit is around 100 KHz and said error amplifier circuit comprises a high-pass filter with a cut-off frequency of about 10 KHz.

28. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 23, wherein said error amplifier circuit of said ballast circuit operates to spread the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit at a set intensity level of said lamp tube into a spread spectrum of frequencies thereby to reduce the time average of peaks of said spectrum of frequencies and reduce peak EMI levels.

29. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 23, said ballast circuit further comprises a non-linear amplifier circuit for amplifying said second signal such that for first values of lamp current below a current threshold, said second signal is amplified by a first amount and for second values of lamp current above said current threshold, said second signal is amplified by a second, smaller amount, thereby increasing responsiveness of said error amplifier circuit to changes in lamp intensity levels at low lamp intensity levels.

30. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 23, further comprising:

an enclosure for housing said electronic ballast circuit; and

a screw-in base adapted to be coupled to a standard Edison socket.

31. The dimmable compact fluorescent lamp of claim 23, wherein said fluorescent lamp tube comprises a compact fluorescent lamp tube.

32. A lighting control system receiving power from an AC power source, said lighting control system comprising:

a dimmable compact fluorescent lamp comprising a fluorescent lamp tube and an electronic ballast circuit for illuminating said lamp tube; and

a dimmer switch adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between said AC power source and said dimmable compact fluorescent lamp for generating a phase-control voltage characterized by a duty cycle defining a target intensity level of said lamp tube of said dimmable compact fluorescent lamp;

wherein said electronic ballast circuit receives said phase-control voltage and illuminates said lamp tube in response to said phase-control voltage, said ballast circuit comprising an inverter circuit for generating a variable frequency square-wave output signal from a DC bus voltage and an output filter circuit receiving said square-wave output signal and generating a substantially sinusoidal lamp current through said lamp tube at said frequency, said electronic ballast circuit further comprising a control circuit for producing a drive control signal that is provided to a control input of said inverter circuit to control the frequency of said square-wave output signal and thus the intensity level of said lamp tube; and

wherein said DC bus voltage defines an envelope for said sinusoidal lamp current, and said control circuit operates in a frequency range such that said control circuit adjusts the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit to reduce variation in said envelope of said sinusoidal lamp current.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said control circuit receives a first signal related to a target intensity level of said lamp tube and a second signal related to the actual intensity level of said lamp tube, and comprises an error amplifier circuit for comparing said first and second signals to produce said drive control signal to cause said inverter circuit to operate at a frequency to illuminate said lamp tube at said target intensity level.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said error amplifier circuit operates in a frequency range such that said error amplifier circuit is responsive to said second signal at the frequency of said second signal thereby to adjust the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit to reduce variation in said envelope of said sinusoidal lamp current.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said error amplifier circuit of said ballast circuit operates to spread the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit at a set intensity level of said lamp tube into a spread spectrum of frequencies thereby to reduce the time average of peaks of said spectrum of frequencies and reduce peak EMI levels.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein said dimmer switch comprises a semiconductor switch adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between said AC power source and said dimmable compact fluorescent lamp and to be rendered conductive and non-conductive for generating said phase-control voltage.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said electronic ballast circuit further comprises an artificial load circuit coupled to said AC power source to ensure that adequate current is drawn from said AC power source to enable said semiconductor switch of said dimmer switch to latch on and remain conductive.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein said semiconductor switch of said dimmer switch comprises an SCR or a triac.

39. A dimmable ballast circuit for a fluorescent lamp comprising:

an inverter circuit generating a variable frequency square-wave output signal, said inverter circuit having a control input provided with a drive control signal that determines the frequency of operation of said inverter circuit and thus the frequency of said square-wave output signal;

an output filter circuit receiving said square wave output signal and generating a substantially sinusoidal lamp current through said lamp at said frequency;

a non-linear amplifier circuit amplifying a lamp-current-feedback signal representative of the magnitude of said lamp current through said lamp; and

a control circuit producing said drive control signal provided at said control input of said inverter circuit to control the frequency of said square-wave output signal and thus the intensity level of said lamp, said control circuit receiving a target-intensity signal related to a target intensity level of said lamp, said control circuit comparing said target-intensity signal and said lamp-current-feedback signal to produce said drive control signal, said control circuit operating at a bandwidth greater than approximately 10 kHz to cause said inverter circuit to operate at a frequency in order to illuminate said lamp at said target intensity level;

wherein, for first values of said lamp current that are below a current threshold, said lamp-current-feedback signal is amplified by a first amount, and for second values of said lamp current that are above said current threshold, said lamp-current-feedback signal is amplified by a second, smaller amount, thereby increasing responsiveness of said control circuit to changes in lamp intensity levels at low lamp intensity levels.

40. A dimmable compact fluorescent lamp adapted to receive a phase-control voltage from a dimmer switch, said dimmable fluorescent lamp comprising:

a fluorescent lamp tube filled with a fill-gas mixture having a pressure of approximately 2 Torr and a fill-gas ratio of approximately 85;

15 argon to neon; and

an electronic ballast circuit for receiving said phase-control voltage from said dimmer switch and illuminating said lamp tube in response to said phase-control voltage, said ballast circuit comprising an inverter circuit for generating a variable frequency square-wave output signal and an output filter circuit for receiving said square wave output signal and generating a substantially sinusoidal lamp current through said lamp tube at said frequency, said electronic ballast circuit further comprising a control circuit for producing a drive control signal that is provided to a control input of said inverter circuit to control the frequency of said square-wave output signal and thus the intensity level of said lamp tube, said control circuit receiving a first signal related to a target intensity level of said lamp tube and a second signal related to the actual intensity level of said lamp tube, and comparing said first and second signals to produce said drive control signal;

wherein said control circuit operates at a bandwidth greater than approximately 10 kHz to cause said inverter circuit to operate at a frequency in order to illuminate said lamp tube at said target intensity level.