PILOT LAMP ELECTRONIC MULTI-SWITCHING CIRCUITRY

• US 3,739,334 A
• Filed: 08/04/1971
• Issued: 06/12/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Loren P. Hocking
• Original Assignee: Loren P. Hocking
• Inventors: Hocking, Loren P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US05/168,955
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 340/332X,332,33A,251,21A,225 307/252B,38,140 317/137 315/312
• US Class Current: 340/515
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/72 having more than two PN junctions; having more than three electrodes; having more than one electrode connected to the same conductivity region

Abstract

An electronic switching circuit, device and system for selective signalling or simultaneous testing of a plurality of pilot lights or lamps. In a plural system of signal or display lamps or pilot lights, connected in a common and/or individual circuits for signalling current flow or creating a display on an individual or multiple basis, the electronic switching device and circuitry performs dual functions of testing and signalling the lamp or pilot light, without modification of conventional electrical circuitry. The components of the electronic switching circuitry can be embodied into a unitary device.

Claims

1. Test and signal circuitry for a load operating on alternating current, comprising a plurality of unidirectional current rectifying means connected in parallel and to a series of resistor elements connected to the input side of the gate circuit of a triac unit, and capacitor means having one side thereof connected to a junction of said resistor elements to maintain said triac unit conducting when voltage appears across one of said rectifying means, and the other side thereof connected to the common line side of said triac unit, said load adapted to be connected to the load circuit of said triac unit on its hot line side.

2. The circuitry defined in claim 1, wherein said load comprises one or a plurality of pilot or display lamps.

3. The circuitry defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of rectifying means comprises a plurality of diode rectifiers.

4. The circuitry defined in claim 1, wherein said resistor elements comprise a pair of resistors connected in series.

5. The circuitry defined in claim 1, wherein one of said rectifying means is connected to a first or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal for said triac gate circuit, the second of said rectifying means is connected to a second or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal for said triac gate circuit, and said triac unit load circuit is connected to a terminal for said load on its hot line side and to a terminal on the common line side of said alternating current to complete said gate and load circuits.

6. Test and signal circuitry for a load operating on alternating current, comprising a pair of diode rectifiers connected in parallel and to a series of resistor elements connected to the input side of the gate circuit of a triac unit, and capacitor means having one side thereof connected to a junction of said resistor elements for holding a charge received from either of said diode rectifiers to maintain said triac unit gate circuit conducting, and the other side thereof connected to the common line side of said triac unit, said triac unit adapted to be connected on one side to said load served by said alternating current and on its other side to the common line of said alternating current, one of said diode rectifiers adapted to be connected through a first or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' switch to the hot line of said alternating current, the other of said diode rectifiers adapted to be connected through a second or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' switch to the hot line of said alternating current.

7. The circuitry defined in claim 6, wherein said load comprises one or a plurality of pilot or display lamps.

8. The circuItry defined in claim 6, wherein said resistor elements comprise a pair of resistors connected in series.

9. Test and signal circuitry for a pilot or display lamp served by a source of alternating current, comprising a first or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' diode rectifier connected in parallel to a second or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' diode rectifier, a first resistance element connected in series to a second resistance element, a capacitor, and a triac unit forming part of a gate circuit and a load circuit, said diode rectifiers being connected to said first resistance element, one side of said capacitor being connected to the junction of said first and second resistance elements and the other side thereof connected to the common line side of said triac unit, the input side of said triac unit gate circuit being connected to said second resistance element, said diode rectifiers each having a terminal adapted to be connected to the hot line of said alternating current through an external switching device, said triac unit load circuit comprising said triac unit and a first terminal adapted to be connected to said pilot or display lamp, said triac unit and a second terminal adapted to be connected to the common line of said alternating current to complete said load and gate circuits.

10. A switching unit embodying test and signal circuitry for a pilot or display lamp operating on alternating current comprising a pair of diode rectifiers connected in parallel and to a series of resistance elements connected to the input side of the gate circuit of a triac unit, capacitor means having one side thereof connected to the junction of said resistance elements and the other side thereof connected to the common line side of said triac unit for holding a charge recieved from either of said diode rectifiers to maintain said triac unit conducting, said pilot or display lamp adapted to be connected to the load circuit of said triac unit on its hot line side, said diode rectifiers each having a terminal adapted to be connected to the hot line of said alternating current through a switching device, said triac load circuit comprising said triac unit and a terminal adapted to be connected to said pilot or display lamp and a terminal adapted to be connected to the common line of said alternating current to complete said load and gate circuits.

11. The switching unit defined in claim 10, wherein one of said diode rectifier terminals comprises a first or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal for testing the functionality of said pilot or display lamp by passing a signal current to said triac unit gate circuit, the second of said diode rectifier terminals comprises a second or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal for passing a signal current to said triac unit gate circuit to close the same and pass current to said pilot or display lamp.

12. Test and signal circuitry for a plurality of pilot lamps operating on alternating current comprising a plurality of pilot lamps, a source of alternating current operating through a hot line and a common line, a plurality of test and signal switching units each connected to one or more said pilot lamps, each said switching unit comprising a pair of diode rectifiers connected in parallel and to a series of resistor elements connected to the input side of the gate circuit of a triac unit, capacitor means having one side thereof connected to a junction of said resistor elements for holding a charge received from either of said diode rectifiers to maintain said triac unit conducting, and the other side thereof connected to the common line side of said triac unit, said diode rectifiers each having a terminal adapted to be connected to the hot line of said alternating current, said triac unit gate circuit having a first or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and a second or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal on its hot line side, said triac unit having a load circuit ending on its hot line side in a third terminal connected to a pilot lamp and ending on its common line side in a fourth terminal connected to the common line of said alternating current, first switch means connected to the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminals of said switching units and to said hot line for simultaneously testing the functionality of all said pilot lamps, and second switch means and time delay devices connected to the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminals of said switching units and to said hot line for selectively closing a circuit for each of said one or more pilot lamps through said triac unit.

13. Test and signal circuitry for a plurality of display lamps operating on alternating current comprising a plurality of display lamps connected in a display pattern, a source of alternating current operating through a hot line and a common line, a plurality of test and signal switching units each connected to one or more display lamps, each said switching unit comprising a pair of diode rectifiers connected in parallel and to a series of resistor elements connected to the input side of the gate circuit of a triac unit, capacitor means having one side thereof connected to a junction of said resistor elements for holding a charge received from either of said diode rectifiers to maintain said triac unit conducting, and the other side thereof connected to the common line side of said triac unit, said diode rectifiers each having a terminal adapted to be connected to the hot line of said alternating current, said triac unit gate circuit having a first or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' and a second or '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal on its hot line side, said triac unit having a load circuit ending on its hot line side in a third terminal connected to said one or more display lamps and ending on its common line side in a fourth terminal connected to the common line of said alternating current, first switch means connected to the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'test'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminals of said switching units and to said hot line for simultaneously testing the functionality of all said display lamps, and second switch means connected to the '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal of said switching units and to said hot line for selectively closing a circuit for each of said one or more display lamps through said triac unit.

14. The test and signal circuitry defined in claim 13, wherein said first switch means comprises a manually operable push button switch.

15. The test and signal circuitry defined in claim 13, and including a diode rectifier connected to and between said second switch means and said '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'signal'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' terminal to prevent feedback in said circuitry when said second switch means is closed.

16. The test and signal circuitry defined in claim 15, wherein said second switch means comprises a manually operable push button switch.

17. The test and signal circuitry defined in claim 15, wherein said second switch means comprises a plurality of manually operable push button switches each connected to a switching unit through said diode rectifier.

18. The test and signal circuitry defined in claim 15, wherein said second switch means comprises an automatic switching device for energizing said display lamps according to a predetermined display pattern.