Circuit for detecting and diverting an electrical arc in a glow discharge apparatus
First Claim
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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Accused Products
Abstract
An arc diverter detects an arc between the cathode and the anode of a glow discharge apparatus and in response to arc detection, actuates a switching network that triggers a pair of switches to allow a capacitor to discharge toward the cathode along a resonant diverting path and recharge the capacitor for subsequent discharge in an opposite direction. This discharge current effectively short circuits the power supply and extinguishes the arc. The resonant diverting circuit includes two resonant diverting paths and four switches configured in an "H" to hold the capacitor in a charged condition. Alternate triggering of the diagonally situated pairs of switches enables the charged capacitor to discharge in one direction along one of the resonant diverting paths and recharge for subsequent discharge in the opposite direction, along the other of the resonant paths. Both resonant diverting paths provide discharge toward the cathode.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An arc diverter for extinguishing an arc in a glow discharge apparatus comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An arc diverter for extinguishing an arc in a glow discharge apparatus comprising:
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a detector adapted to detect an arc between two electrodes of a glow discharge apparatus; a switching network actuated by the detector upon detection of an arc; and a resonant diverting circuit including a capacitor and four switches, the capacitor adapted to be electrically isolated in a charged condition between said electrodes by said four switches; a first pair of said four switches forming part of a first resonant diverting path and adapted to be triggered simultaneously by the switching network upon initial detection of an arc to enable discharge of the capacitor in a first direction to divert electrical current from the electrodes and extinguish the arc and to recharge the capacitor for subsequent discharge in an opposite direction; and a second pair of said switches forming part of a second resonant diverting path and adapted to be triggered simultaneously by the switching network upon the next detection of an arc to enable discharge of the capacitor in a second direction along the second resonant diverting path to divert electrical current from the electrodes and extinguish the arc and to recharge the capacitor for subsequent discharge in said first direction, said first and second pairs of switches being alternately triggered by said switching network upon subsequent actuations. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for extinguishing an arc in a glow discharge apparatus comprising the steps of:
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detecting an arc between two electrodes of a glow discharge apparatus; discharging, in response to said detection, a stored charge in a first direction along one of two resonant diverting paths to divert electrical current from the electrodes and extinguish the arc and restore a charge for subsequent discharge in an opposite direction along the other of the two resonant diverting paths; and alternating the direction of discharge and the path of current diversion upon each subsequent detection of an arc between said electrodes.
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23. A method for extinguishing an arc in a glow discharge apparatus comprising the steps of:
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detecting an arc between two electrodes of a glow discharge apparatus; discharging, in response to an initial detection, a charged capacitor in a first direction to divert electrical current from the electrodes and extinguish the arc therebetween and recharge the capacitor for subsequent discharge in an opposite direction; and discharging, in response to the next detection of an arc, the recharged capacitor in said opposite direction to divert electrical current from the electrodes and extinguish the arc therebetween and to again recharge the capacitor for subsequent discharge in said first direction. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. The combination comprising:
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a glow discharge apparatus including two electrodes; a detector adapted to detect an arc between the electrodes; 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; 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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27. The combination comprising:
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a glow discharge apparatus including two electrodes; a detector adapted to detect an arc between the electrodes; a switching network actuated by the detector upon detection of an arc; a resonant diverting circuit including a capacitor and four switches, the capacitor adapted to be electrically isolated in a charged condition between said electrodes by said four switches; a first pair of said four switches forming part of a first resonant diverting path and adapted to be triggered simultaneously by the switching network upon initial detection of an arc to enable discharge of the capacitor in a first direction to divert electrical current from the electrodes and extinguish the arc and to recharge the capacitor for subsequent discharge in an opposite direction; and a second pair of said switches forming part of a second resonant diverting path and adapted to be triggered simultaneously by the switching network upon the next detection of an arc to enable discharge of the capacitor in a second direction along the second resonant diverting path to divert electrical current from the electrodes and extinguish the arc and to recharge the capacitor for subsequent discharge in said first direction, said first and second pairs of switches being alternately triggered by said switching network upon subsequent actuations.
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Specification