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Circuit for detecting and diverting an electrical arc in a glow discharge apparatus

  • US 5,241,152 A
  • Filed: 03/23/1990
  • Issued: 08/31/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An arc diverter for extinguishing an arc in a glow discharge apparatus comprising:

  • a detector adapted to detect an arc between two electrodes of a glow discharge apparatus;

    a resonant diverting circuit adapted to discharge a stored charge along one of two resonant diverting paths to divert electrical current from said electrodes to extinguish the arc and restore said charge for subsequent discharge along the other of the two resonant diverting paths, said resonant diverting circuit including a capacitor for holding said stored charge, the capacitor being dischargeable and rechargeable in two directions and lying in both of said resonant diverting paths; and

    a switching network actuated by the detector to trigger the resonant diverting circuit to divert the electrical current along a first of the resonant diverting paths upon an initial actuation by the detector, along a second of the paths upon a subsequent actuation by the detector, and to alternate current diversion between the two paths thereafter upon subsequent arc detections.

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