Gas discharge lamp ballasting means
First Claim
1. An arrangement comprising:
- a source of input AC voltage;
leakage transformer means having;
(i) an input winding connected with the input AC voltage; and
(ii) an output winding having a pair of output terminals;
the output winding being coupled with the input winding in such manner as to exhibit a substantive output inductance;
the output terminals, when unloaded, provided an open circuit output AC voltage;
a tank capacitor effectively connected across the output terminals;
the tank capacitor being in approximate resonance with the output inductance at the fundamental frequency of the input AC voltage, thereby causing a Q-multiplied output AC voltage to develop across the output terminals;
the magnitude of the Q-multiplied output AC voltage being larger than that of the open circuit output AC voltage; and
gas discharge lamp connected in circuit across the output terminals;
the gas discharge lamp being characterized by having a pair of cathodes capable of electron emission without being supplied with cathode heating power from a source external of the gas discharge lamp.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A power-line-operated frequency-converting power supply provides a 30 kHz current-limited AC voltage at an output receptacle. An instant-start gas discharge or neon lamp is connected across the secondary winding of a gapped ferrite-type leakage transformer, the primary winding of which is connected with the output receptacle by way of a light-weight cord, thereby permitting the lamp-transformer combination to be located remotely from the power supply. The secondary winding is arranged to have a well defined inductance; which inductance is tuned to resonate at 30 Khz by way of a parallel-connected tuning capacitor. Tightly coupled with the secondary winding is a control winding with which is connected a protection circuit operative to place an auxiliary capacitor across the control winding in case the neon lamp fails to ignite within a few milli-seconds, thereby detuning the secondary winding enough to protect the power supply and the leakage transformer from sustained overload.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An arrangement comprising:
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a source of input AC voltage; leakage transformer means having;
(i) an input winding connected with the input AC voltage; and
(ii) an output winding having a pair of output terminals;
the output winding being coupled with the input winding in such manner as to exhibit a substantive output inductance;
the output terminals, when unloaded, provided an open circuit output AC voltage;a tank capacitor effectively connected across the output terminals;
the tank capacitor being in approximate resonance with the output inductance at the fundamental frequency of the input AC voltage, thereby causing a Q-multiplied output AC voltage to develop across the output terminals;
the magnitude of the Q-multiplied output AC voltage being larger than that of the open circuit output AC voltage; andgas discharge lamp connected in circuit across the output terminals;
the gas discharge lamp being characterized by having a pair of cathodes capable of electron emission without being supplied with cathode heating power from a source external of the gas discharge lamp. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An arrangement comprising:
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a source of input AC voltage; transformer means having a primary winding connected with the input AC voltage;
the transformer means having a secondary winding with a pair of output terminals across which is provided an output AC voltage having a magnitude;
the secondary winding being coupled with the primary winding in such a manner as exhibit a substantive output impedance;
which output impedance effectively constitutes an inductive reactance;means capacitor means effectively connected across the output terminals;
the main capacitor means having a capacitive reactance which, at the frequency of the output AC voltage, is resonant with the inductive reactance, thereby via resonant action to cause the magnitude to be substantially larger than it be in the absence of the main capacitor means; anda gas discharge lamp effectively connected in parallel with the main capacitor means;
the lamp having a pair of cathodes capable of electron emission without being supplied with cathode heating power from a source external of the lamp. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An arrangement comprising:
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AC-to-DC conversion means connected with the power line voltage of an ordinary electric utility power line and operative to provide a DC voltage at a pair of DC output terminals;
the AC-to-DC conversion means having;
(i) rectifier means connected with the electric utility power line and operative to provide a unidirectional current to the DC output terminals whenever the absolute instantaneous magnitude of the power line voltage is higher than that of the DC voltage; and
(ii) energy-storing means connected with the DC output terminals and operative to provide unidirectional current to the DC output terminals whenever the absolute instantaneous magnitude of the power line voltage is lower than that of the DC voltage;inverter means connected with the DC terminals and operative to provide an input AC voltage; transformer means having a primary winding connected with the input AC voltage;
the transformer means having a secondary winding with a pair of AC output terminals across which is provided an output AC voltage;
the secondary winding being coupled with the primary winding in a manner such as to exhibit between the output terminals an output impedance of substantive magnitude;
which output impedance effectively constitutes an inductive reactance;main capacitor means effectively connected across the AC output terminals;
the main capacitor means having a capacitive reactance which, at the frequency of the output AC voltage, is approximately resonant with the inductive reactance, thereby via resonant action to cause the magnitude of the output AC voltage to be substantially larger than it would have been in the absence of the main capacitor means; andload effectively connected across the AC output terminals;
the load including a gas discharge lamp being characterized by having a pair of cathodes capable of electron emission without having to be supplied with cathode heating power from a source external of the gas discharge lamp. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An arrangement comprising:
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a source connected with the power line voltage of an ordinary electric utility power line and operative to provide a high-frequency AC voltage at an AC output;
the high-frequency AC voltage being of frequency substantially higher than that of the power line voltage;
the maximum amount of power available from the AC output being limited such as to be considered substantially safe from fire initiation hazard;an integral combination of a gas discharge lamp and a transformer;
the integral combination being located remotely from the source;
the lamp having a pair of lamp terminals;
each lamp terminal being connected with a non-thermionic electron-emitting cathode terminal within a glass envelope;
the transformer having a pair of transformer input terminals as well as a pair of transformer output terminals connected with the lamp terminals; andflexible power cord means providing disconnectable connection between the AC output and the transformer input terminals, thereby to cause a high-magnitude high-frequency AC voltage to be provided between the lamp terminals;
the magnitude of the high-magnitude high-frequency AC voltage being substantially higher than that of the power line voltage.
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24. An arrangement comprising:
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a source connected with the substantially non-current-limited power line voltage of an ordinary electric utility power line and operative to provide a manifestly current-limited AC voltage at an AC output;
the AC voltage being of frequency substantially higher than that of the power line voltage; anda gas discharge lamp having a pair of lamp terminals;
each lamp terminal being connected with a non-thermionic electron-emitting cathode terminal within a glass envelope; anda transformer having a pair of transformer input terminals connected with the AC output as well as a pair of transformer output terminals connected with the lamp terminals;
an AC voltage of magnitude substantially higher than that of the power line voltage being provided across the transformer output terminals.
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25. An arrangement comprising:
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a frequency-converting power supply connected with the substantially non-current-limited power line voltage of an ordinary electric utility power line and operative, by way of a first transformer means, to provide a manifestly current-limited high-frequency AC voltage at a pair of AC output terminals; a neon sign having AC input terminals and being operative to emit light in response to receiving the current-limited high-frequency AC voltage at these AC input terminals;
the neon sign being characterized by comprising;
(i) a neon lamp having a pair of lamp terminals, each lamp terminal being connected with a non-thermionic electron-emitting cathode terminal within a glass envelope; and
(ii) voltage step-up transformer having a pair of primary terminals connected with the AC input terminals and a pair of secondary terminals connected with the lamp terminals; andelectrical cord means operative to provide connection between the AC output terminals and the AC input terminals; such that the neon sign may be located remotely from the frequency-converting power supply and connected therewith by way of a flexible light-weight electrical cord while being considered substantially safe from fire initiation hazard. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A sign comprising:
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power input terminals; a transformer having a primary winding connected with the power input terminals and a secondary winding connected with a pair of output terminals; and a gas discharge lamp having a pair of non-thermionic electron-emitting cathodes connected with the output terminals;
the gas discharge lamp requiring a certain amount of lamp power for proper ignition and operation;the sign being properly operable only when being supplied at its power input terminals from a source of AC voltage wherefrom is available power no more than that sufficient to properly ignite and power the gas discharge lamp.
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29. A sign of a type suitable for placement in a window or similar location, the sign constituting a substantially rigid mechanically integral entity and:
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(a) having power input terminals accessible from the outside of the sign;
the power input terminals being adapted to be disconnectably connected by way of an electrical plug means;(b) including transformer means with a primary winding connected with the power input terminals and a secondary winding connected with a pair of output terminals; (c) including a gas discharge lamp connected with the output terminals;
the gas discharge lamp being characterized by having a pair of non-thermionic electron-emitting cathodes; and(d) being operable to be powered properly only when being supplied at its power input terminals with a manifestly current-limited AC voltage of frequency substantially higher than that of the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line.
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30. An arrangement comprising:
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a sign;
(i) including a transformer with a primary winding connected with a set of input terminals and a secondary winding connected with a set of output terminals;
(ii) winding a gas discharge lamp connected with the output terminals, the gas discharge lamp being characterized by having a pair of non-thermionic electron-emitting cathodes disposed with a glass envelope; and
(iii) being operable to be properly powered only when a high frequency voltage is provided at the input terminals;a power supply operative to provide an AC voltage at an AC output;
the frequency of this AC voltage being substantially higher than that of the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line;
the maximum amount of power available from the AC output being manifestly limited such as to be considered substantially safe from fire initiation hazard;
the magnitude of this AC voltage being substantially lower than that required for powering the gas discharge lamp;
the AC voltage, when provided to the input terminals, being suitable for properly powering the sign; andpower cord means operable to provide connection between the AC output and the input terminals. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A sign comprising:
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power input terminals; a transformer having a primary winding connected with the power input terminals and a secondary winding connected with a pair of output terminals; and a gas discharge lamp having a pair of electron-emitting cathodes connected with the output terminals;
the gas discharge lamp being characterized by;
(i) not requiring any form of external cathode heating; and
(ii) requiring a certain amount of lamp power for proper ignition and operation;the sign being properly operable only when supplied at its power input terminals from a source of AC voltage characterized by;
(i) causing the AC voltage to have a frequency at least 100 times higher than that of the power line voltage normally present at an ordinary electric utility power line; and
(ii) being manifestly operative to limit the maximum amount of power available therefrom to a level no higher than that sufficient to properly ignite and power the neon lamp.
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34. A sign of a type suitable for placement in a window or similar location, the sign constituting a substantially rigid mechanically integral entity and:
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(a) having power input terminals accessible from the outside of the sign;
the power input terminals being adapted to be disconnectably connected by way of an electrical plug means;(b) including transformer means with a primary winding connected with the power input terminals and a secondary winding connected with a pair of output terminals; (c) including a gas discharge lamp connected with the output terminals;
the gas discharge lamp being characterized by having a pair of non-thermionic electron-emitting cathodes; and(d) being operable to be powered properly only when being supplied at its power input terminals with a manifestly current-limited AC voltage of frequency substantially higher than that of the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line.
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Specification