Three-way fluorescent adapter
First Claim
1. A three-way fluorescent adapter for interfacing a three-way lamp socket with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising:
- first and second input terminals each for receiving an AC voltage with respect to a neutral input terminal having a peak magnitude;
rectifier means electrically connected to the first and second input terminals and to the neutral input terminal, for providing a DC bulk voltage from the AC voltage to positive and negative DC output terminals, comprising a voltage doubler for increasing the DC bulk voltage to a magnitude greater than the peak magnitude of the DC voltage;
control signal generating means for deriving a control signal from the AC voltage in response to the position of a three-way switch; and
ballast means powered from the DC bulk voltage provided by the rectifier means and responsive to the control signal such that the gas discharge lamp or lamps provide a plurality of light intensities according to the position of the three-way switch.
7 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control circuit and ballasting means controls the light output of a gas discharge lamp in response to switches that are external to the ballast. The invention provides 3 levels of light output with single or multiple lamps. One embodiment of the invention can be mounted in a standard three-way socket for incandescent lamps. Another embodiment can be used to control multiple lamps in a ceiling-mounted fixture, replacing an inboard/outboard configured multiple ballast circuit. Other embodiments provide circuits that allow conventional dimming ballasts which are designed to be controlled with a low-voltage DC input signal to be controlled by a pair of switches connected to an AC power source.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A three-way fluorescent adapter for interfacing a three-way lamp socket with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising:
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first and second input terminals each for receiving an AC voltage with respect to a neutral input terminal having a peak magnitude; rectifier means electrically connected to the first and second input terminals and to the neutral input terminal, for providing a DC bulk voltage from the AC voltage to positive and negative DC output terminals, comprising a voltage doubler for increasing the DC bulk voltage to a magnitude greater than the peak magnitude of the DC voltage; control signal generating means for deriving a control signal from the AC voltage in response to the position of a three-way switch; and ballast means powered from the DC bulk voltage provided by the rectifier means and responsive to the control signal such that the gas discharge lamp or lamps provide a plurality of light intensities according to the position of the three-way switch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A three-way fluorescent adapter for interfacing a three-way lamp socket with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising:
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first and second input terminals each adapted for receiving an AC voltage with respect to a neutral input terminal; rectifier means for providing a DC bulk voltage from the AC voltage; a voltage divider for deriving a control signal from the AC voltage in response to a position of a three-way switch, the voltage divider consisting of a network of resistors and capacitors directly coupled to a negative DC output terminal and to the first and second input terminals; and ballast means powered from the DC bulk voltage provided by the rectifier means and responsive to the control signal such that the gas discharge lamp or lamps provide a plurality of light intensities according to the position of a three-way switch. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A three-way fluorescent adapter for interfacing a three-way lamp socket with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising:
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input terminal means for receiving an AC voltage; rectifier means for providing a DC bulk voltage from the AC voltage; a transistor sinking network means for deriving a control signal from the AC voltage in response to rotation of a three-way switch to different positions and for independently adjusting each of a plurality of light intensities; and ballast means powered from the DC bulk voltage provided by the rectifier means and responsive to the control signal such that the gas discharge lamp or lamps provide a plurality of light intensities according to the position of the three-way switch. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A three-way fluorescent adapter for interfacing a standard three-way incandescent socket lamp switch with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising:
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a first diode having an anode and a cathode; a first input terminal connected to the anode of the first diode; a second diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the first diode connected to the cathode of the second diode; a second input terminal connected to the anode of the second diode; a third diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the third diode connected to the anode of the second diode; a fourth diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode of the fourth diode connected to the anode of the third diode and the cathode of the fourth diode connected to the anode of the first diode; a fifth diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode of the fifth diode connected to the anode of the third and fourth diode; a third input terminal connected to the cathode of the fifth diode; a sixth diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode of the sixth diode connected to the cathode of the fifth diode and the cathode of the sixth diode connected to the cathode of the first diode; a positive DC output terminal connected to the cathode of the second diode; a negative DC output terminal connected to the anode of the fifth diode, wherein a DC bulk voltage is developed at the DC output terminals when the input terminals are energized by an AC voltage; a control signal generating means consisting of; a first resistor connected between the first input terminal and a control signal output terminal; a second resistor connected between the second input terminal and the control signal output terminal; a third resistor connected between the negative DC output terminal and the control signal output terminal; a filter capacitor connected between the control signal output terminal and the negative DC output terminal, whereby the first, the second and the third resistors develop a low-power DC control signal at the control signal output terminal, the control signal having a plurality of magnitudes that vary in accordance with the three-way switch position; and ballast means powered from the DC bulk voltage supplied by the rectifier means and responsive to the low-power DC control signal such that the gas discharge lamp or lamps provide a plurality of light intensities according to the position of the three-way switch.
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12. A three-way fluorescent adapter for interfacing a standard three-way incandescent socket lamp switch with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising:
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a first diode having an anode and a cathode; a first input terminal connected to the anode of the first diode; a second diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the first diode connected to the cathode of the second diode; a second input terminal connected to the anode of the second diode; a third diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the third diode connected to the anode of the second diode; a fourth diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode of the fourth diode connected to the anode of the third diode and the cathode of the fourth diode connected to the anode of the first diode; a fifth diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode of the fifth diode connected to the anode of the third and fourth diode; a third input terminal connected to the cathode of the fifth diode; a sixth diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode of the sixth diode connected to the cathode of the fifth diode and the cathode of the sixth diode connected to the cathode of the first diode; a positive DC output terminal connected to the cathode of the second diode; a negative DC output terminal connected to the anode of the fifth diode, wherein a DC bulk voltage is developed at the DC output terminals when the input terminals are energized by an AC voltage; a first resistor connected between the first input terminal and a first transistor; a second resistor connected between the second input terminal and a second transistor; a first transistor and a second transistor being connected between the third input terminal and control output terminals; the first transistor having a third resistor and a first capacitor connected between the base and the collector of the first transistor; the second transistor having a fourth resistor and a second capacitor connected between the base and the collector of the second transistor; whereby the first and second transistors provide a DC control signal at the control signal output terminals, the control signal having a plurality of magnitudes that are substantially lower than the DC bulk voltage and that vary according to the position of the three-way switch; and ballast means powered from the DC bulk voltage supplied by the rectifier means and responsive to the DC control signal such that the gas discharge lamp or lamps provide a plurality of light intensities according to the position of the three-way switch.
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13. A three-way fluorescent adapter for interfacing a standard three-way incandescent socket lamp switch with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising:
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a first diode having an anode and a cathode; a first input terminal connected to the anode of the first diode; a second diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the first diode connected to the cathode of the second diode; a second input terminal connected to the anode of the second diode; a third diode having an anode and a cathode, the cathode of the third diode connected to the anode of the second diode; a fourth diode having an anode and a cathode, the anode of the fourth diode connected to the anode of the third diode and the cathode of the fourth diode connected to the anode of the first diode; a first capacitor and a second capacitor series connected, the series capacitor combination connected between the anode of the third diode and the cathode of the second diode; a third input terminal connected between the first and the second capacitors; a positive DC output terminal connected to the cathode of the first diode; a negative DC output terminal connected to the anode of the fifth diode, wherein a DC bulk voltage is developed at the DC output terminals when the input terminals are energized by an AC voltage, the DC bulk voltage magnitude characterized by being greater than the magnitude of the AC voltage; a first resistor connected between the first input terminal and a control signal output terminal; a second resistor connected between the second input terminal and the control signal output terminal; a third resistor connected between the negative DC output terminal and the control signal output terminal; a filter capacitor connected between the control signal output terminal and the negative DC output terminal, whereby the first, the second and the third resistors develop a DC control signal at the control signal output terminal, the control signal having a plurality of magnitudes that are each substantially lower than the DC bulk voltage and that vary according to the three-way switch position; and ballast means powered from the DC bulk voltage supplied by the rectifier means and responsive to the control signal such that the gas discharge lamp or lamps provide a plurality of light intensities according to the position of the three-way switch.
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14. A method of interfacing a three-way lamp socket with at least one gas discharge lamp comprising the following steps:
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(a) converting an AC voltage into a DC bulk voltage; (b) generating a DC control signal from the AC voltage in response to the position of a three-way switch;
the DC control signal being separate from the DC bulk voltage;(c) increasing the DC bulk voltage through the use of a voltage doubling circuit comprising a pair of voltage doubling capacitors; (d) supplying the DC bulk voltage to a ballast circuit; and (e) supplying the DC control signal to the ballast circuit such that the light intensity of the gas discharge lamp or lamps depends on the position of the three-way switch.
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15. An electronic ballast for operating a gas discharge lamp load at multiple power levels comprising:
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a neutral input terminal, a first AC voltage input terminal, and a second AC voltage input terminal; a voltage doubling rectifier means having a first rectifier AC input terminal, a second rectifier AC input terminal, and a third rectifier AC input terminal; the rectifier means further having a positive DC output terminal and a negative DC output terminal which provide a DC output voltage when an AC voltage is applied between at least two of the rectifier AC input terminals; the first rectifier AC input terminal connected to the neutral input terminal; the second rectifier AC input terminal connected to the first AC voltage input terminal; the third rectifier AC input terminal connected to the second AC voltage input terminal; inverter means having a first DC input terminal, a second DC input terminal, a control input terminal, and output means for coupling power to the gas discharge lamp load; control means having a first control input terminal connected to the negative DC output terminal, a second control input terminal connected to the first AC voltage input terminal, and a third control input terminal connected to the second AC voltage input terminal; and the control means having an output terminal connected to the inverter means control input terminal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. An interface circuit for using first and second switches to control one or more dimmable electronic ballasts each having a pair of control input terminals, comprising:
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a dimming control circuit having a first AC input terminal, a second AC input terminal, a neutral input terminal, a first control output terminal, and a second control output terminal; the first AC input terminal connected to the first switch, the second AC input terminal connected to the second switch, the first and second control output terminals providing a dimming control signal to the control input terminals of each electronic ballast in response to an AC voltage present between at least one of the AC input terminals and the neutral input terminal, the dimming control signal having a magnitude that varies in response to operation of the first and second switches. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An electronic ballast for operating a gas discharge lamp load at multiple power levels comprising:
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a neutral input terminal, a first AC voltage input terminal, and a second AC voltage input terminal; rectifier means having a first rectifier AC input terminal, a second rectifier AC input terminal, and a third rectifier AC input terminal; the rectifier means further having a positive DC output terminal and a negative DC output terminal which provide a DC output voltage when an AC voltage is applied between at least two of the rectifier AC input terminals; the first rectifier AC input terminal connected to the neutral input terminal; the second rectifier AC input terminal connected to the first AC voltage input terminal; the third rectifier AC input terminal connected to the second AC voltage input terminal; inverter means having a first DC input terminal, a second DC input terminal, a control input terminal, and output means for coupling power to the gas discharge lamp load; control means for generating a lamp intensity control signal, the control means having a first control input terminal directly connected to the neutral input terminal, a second control input terminal directly connected to the first AC voltage input terminal, and a third control input terminal connected to the second AC voltage input terminal; the control means further comprising a resistive voltage divider; and the control means having an output terminal connected to the inverter means control input terminal. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification