Power supply for vehicular neon light

• US 5,675,220 A
• Filed: 07/17/1995
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ADAC Plastics Incorporated (ADAC Automotive, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADAC Plastics Incorporated (ADAC Automotive, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dault, Robert, Young, Richard T., Juengel, Richard O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US08/503,178
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77, 315/78, 315/82, 315/85, 315/94, 315/98, 315/101, 315/209 R, 315/171, 315/209 T
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/26 the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/24 in which the lamp is fed by high frequency ac, or with separate oscillator frequencyH05B41/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/28 using static converters

Abstract

A circuit for use in providing high voltage power to a neon bulb positioned on the vehicle utilizing the vehicle DC battery as the power source. The circuit includes an invertor, a transformer, and a rectifier. The invertor receives low voltage DC from the vehicle battery, converts the low voltage DC to a low voltage AC drive voltage, and delivers the AC drive voltage to the transformer primary for conversion to a high voltage AC at the transformer secondary. The rectifier receives the high voltage AC from the transformer secondary, converts the high voltage AC to high voltage DC, and delivers the high voltage DC to the neon bulb. Since the power delivered to the neon tube is DC there is less need to shield the tube with respect to electro magnetic emissions and parasitic losses in the wire runs between the battery and the neon tube are significantly reduced.

Claims

1. A circuit for use in providing power to a plasma discharge light source positioned on a vehicle utilizing the vehicle DC battery as the power source while reducing RF interference with other onboard electrical equipment, the light source including an ignition voltage circuit to fire the light source and a supply voltage circuit to operate the light source after the light source has been ignited and reaches full illumination, characterized in that:

the circuit includes a convertor operative to receive a low voltage DC from the battery, convert the low voltage DC to a high voltage DC, and deliver the high voltage DC to the supply voltage circuit of the plasma discharge light source to operate the light source after the light source has been ignited and reaches full illumination, the circuit thus functioning to power the light source with high supply voltage DC, whereby to minimize the need for shielding the light source with respect to RF interference.

2. A circuit according to claim 1 wherein the plasma discharge light source is positioned on the vehicle at a location remote from the battery, the convertor is positioned on the vehicle proximate the light source and remote from the battery, and the circuit includes line means for transmitting low voltage DC from the battery to the convertor so that the circuit functions to transmit only DC power over the line means so as to minimize parasitic line losses.

3. A circuit for use in providing power to a plasma discharge light source positioned on a vehicle utilizing the vehicle DC battery as the power source while reducing RF interference with other onboard electrical equipment, characterized in that:

the circuit includes a convertor operative to receive a low voltage DC from the battery, convert the low voltage DC to a high voltage DC, and deliver the high voltage DC to the plasma discharge light source, the circuit thus functioning to power the light source with high voltage DC, whereby to minimize the need for shielding the lamp with respect to RF interference; and

the convertor includes

a step up transformer having a low voltage primary and a high voltage secondary,

inverter means receiving low voltage DC from the battery, converting the low voltage DC to a low voltage AC drive voltage, and delivering the AC drive voltage to the transformer primary for conversion to a high voltage AC at the transformer secondary, and

rectifier means receiving the high voltage DC from the transformer secondary, converting the high voltage AC to high voltage DC, and delivering the high voltage DC to the plasma discharge light source.

4. Circuitry for use in providing high voltage supply voltage power to a plasma discharge light source positioned on a vehicle utilizing the vehicle DC battery as the power source while reducing the RF interference with other onboard electrical equipment, the circuitry including:

a convertor having an input and an output and operative to convert low voltage DC received at the convertor input to a high voltage DC at the convertor output;

line means electrically connecting the input of the convertor to the battery;

means defining an ignition voltage circuit for the light source and a supply voltage circuit for the light source; and

means operative to deliver a high voltage DC from the output of the convertor to the supply voltage circuit;

the circuitry functioning to provide high voltage DC supply voltage to the light source, whereby to minimize the need for shielding the light source with respect to RF interference, the circuitry further functioning to transmit only DC power over the line means, whereby to minimize parasitic line losses in the circuit.

5. A circuit according to claim 4 wherein the plasma discharge light source is positioned proximate the rear of the vehicle, the battery is positioned proximate the front of the vehicle, and the convertor is positioned proximate the light source so that the line means extends lengthwise of the vehicle to interconnect the battery and the convertor.

6. A circuit for use in providing high voltage power to a plasma discharge light source positioned on a vehicle utilizing the vehicle DC battery as the power source while reducing the RF interference with other onboard electrical equipment, the circuit including:

a convertor having an input and an output and operative to convert low voltage DC received at the convertor input to a high voltage DC at the convertor output;

line means electrically connecting the input of the convertor to the battery; and

means electrically connecting the output of the convertor to the plasma discharge light source;

the convertor including;

a step up transformer having a low voltage primary and a high voltage secondary;

invertor means receiving low voltage DC from the convertor input, converting the low voltage DC to a low voltage AC drive voltage, and delivering the AC drive voltage to the transformer primary for conversion to a high voltage AC at the transformer secondary; and

rectifier means receiving the high voltage AC from the transformer secondary, converting the high voltage AC to a high voltage DC, and delivering the high voltage DC to the convertor output;

the circuit functioning to power the light source with high voltage DC, whereby to minimize the need for shielding the lamp with respect to RF interference, the circuit further functioning to transmit only DC power over the line means, whereby to minimize parasitic line losses in the circuit.

7. A method of providing power to a plasma discharge light source positioned on a vehicle utilizing the vehicle DC battery as the power source while reducing RF interference with other onboard electrical equipment, the plasma discharge light source including an ignition voltage circuit to fire the light source and a supply voltage circuit to operate the light source after the light source has been ignited and reaches full illumination, the method comprising:

transferring a low voltage DC from the battery over a line, receiving the low voltage DC transferred over the line from the battery, converting the low voltage DC to a high voltage DC, and delivering the high voltage DC to the supply voltage circuit of the plasma discharge light source, the high voltage DC delivered to the supply voltage circuit of the light source minimizing the required RF shielding with respect to the light source, the transfer of low voltage DC on the line minimizing parasitic line losses.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the plasma discharge light source comprises a neon bulb.

9. A method of providing power to a plasma discharge light source positioned on a vehicle utilizing the vehicle DC battery at the power source while reducing RF interference with other onboard electrical equipment, the method comprising:

delivering a low voltage DC from the battery to an invertor over a line, whereby to minimize parasitic line losses;

converting the low voltage DC at the invertor to a low voltage AC;

delivering the low voltage AC from the invertor to the primary of a transformer;

converting the low voltage AC at the transformer primary to a high voltage AC at the transformer secondary;

delivering the high voltage AC from the transformer secondary to a rectifier;

converting the high voltage AC at the rectifier to a high voltage DC; and

delivering the high voltage DC from the rectifier to the plasma discharge light source so that the light source is powered by high voltage DC to minimize the RF shielding requirements with respect to the light source.

10. A method of providing power to a plasma discharge light source positioned on a vehicle having a DC battery while reducing RF interference with other onboard electrical equipment, the plasma discharge light source including an ignition voltage circuit to fire the light source and a supply voltage circuit to operate the light source after the light source has been ignited and achieves full illumination, the method comprising:

providing a convertor having an input and an output and operative to convert low voltage DC received at the convertor input to high voltage DC at the convertor output;

positioning the convertor on the vehicle at a location remote from the battery and proximate the light source;

electrically connecting the input of the convertor to the vehicle battery via a line; and

electrically connecting the output of the convertor to the supply voltage circuit of the plasma discharge light source, whereby to power the light source with high voltage DC to minimize RF shielding requirements with respect to the light source and whereby to transmit low voltage DC over the line to minimize parasitic losses on the line.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein the method includes the further step of shielding the convertor to further reduce electro magnetic emissions from the convertor and thereby reduce electro magnetic interference with other electric components on the vehicle.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein the plasma discharge light source comprises a neon bulb.