High voltage, low power transformer for efficiently firing a gas discharge luminous display
First Claim
1. An electrical system for providing power to a load, said system including a source of current pulses and an energy efficient transformer interconnected between said source of current pulses and said load for receiving current pulses from said source and for driving said load, said transformer having primary and secondary windings and a core, said transformer being fabricated from a material which causes said transformer to have a self-resonating frequency, the widths of the current pulses that are supplied to said transformer being less than or equal to one-fourth the wavelength of the self-resonating frequency of the transformer.
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Abstract
A power system comprising a high voltage, low power transformer that utilizes self-resonance parameters and pulse control techniques for efficiently firing a gas discharge lamp of the type commonly used to form a luminous advertising display. The transformer is fabricated from a material, such that the transformer will have a characteristic self-resonating frequency. The transformer is driven by Direct Current pulses from a source of supply thereof. The widths of the current pulses are controlled so as not to exceed one fourth the wavelength of the self-resonating frequency of the transformer. Performance is optimized when the repetition rate of the current pulses is directly controlled according to the self-resonating frequency of the transformer. By virtue of the present invention, an efficient transformer of relatively low weight, size, and cost is provided by which to fire the lamp of the display and thereby produce an apparent optical intensity that is approximately equal to that available from a conventional gas discharge power transformer. However, the energy consumed by the present transformer is substantially less than that expended by presently available transformers.
103 Citations
16 Claims
- 1. An electrical system for providing power to a load, said system including a source of current pulses and an energy efficient transformer interconnected between said source of current pulses and said load for receiving current pulses from said source and for driving said load, said transformer having primary and secondary windings and a core, said transformer being fabricated from a material which causes said transformer to have a self-resonating frequency, the widths of the current pulses that are supplied to said transformer being less than or equal to one-fourth the wavelength of the self-resonating frequency of the transformer.
- 10. For interconnection in an electrical circuit including a source of Direct Current pulses, an efficient transformer for driving a load, said transformer having a primary winding to receive Direct Current pulses from said source thereof, said transformer also having a secondary winding interconnected with said load so as to provide a driving voltage to said load, and said transformer further being fabricated from a ferrite material, whereby to cause said transformer to have a characteristic self-resonating frequency, the widths of said Direct Current pulses being less than or equal to one fourth the wavelength of the self-resonating frequency of the transformer.
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14. A method for efficiently powering an electrical load by means of a transformer having primary and secondary windings and a core, said method comprising the steps of:
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forming said transformer from a material to cause said transformer to have a self-resonating frequency, driving the primary winding of said transformer by Direct Current pulses, and controlling the widths of said current pulses so as to be less than or equal to one-fourth the wavelength of the self-resonating frequency of the transformer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification