Solid state resonance igniter for control of the number of high voltage pulses for hot restrike of discharge lamps

• US 6,191,537 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quality Light Electronics SAS
• Original Assignee: Quality Light Electronics SAS
• Inventors: Celso, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, DAVID HUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/396,208
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 315/307, 315/224, 315/DIG.7, 315/209.R, 315/219, 315/276
• US Class Current: 315/219
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/042 using semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2883 the controlled element being a DC/AC converter in the final stage, e.g. by harmonic mode starting
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/384 in case of hot-restriking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A solid state igniter device for hot restrike of discharge lamps with an associated supply circuit. The ignitor device comprises a primary circuit with at least one solid state switch element controlled to switch to induce in the primary circuit a controlled oscillation phenomenon at a frequency greater than a megahertz and a secondary circuit including a resonant circuit with a high quality factor Q (at least 100), capable of resonating and producing a pulse signal for striking the discharge of the lamp, controlled through the controlled oscillation phenomenon produced in the primary circuit. A control unit acting on the switch element controls the oscillation phenomenon in a pulse mode as a function of the characteristics of the lamp and the power supply, wherein the control unit induces the controlled oscillation phenomenon for a predetermined time duration a programmable number of times in a predetermined time interval.

Claims

1. An igniter device for hot restrike of a discharge lamp having an associated supply circuit for providing a supply signal to the lamp, the igniter device comprising:

a primary circuit comprising oscillator means for inducing in the primary circuit a controlled oscillation phenomenon at a frequency greater than one megahertz, said oscillator means comprising at least one switch element;

a secondary circuit for resonating said controlled oscillation phenomenon and generating an ignition pulse signal which is provided to said lamp;

electromagnetic coupling means interposed between said primary circuit and said secondary circuit, for transferring said controlled oscillation phenomenon to said secondary circuit inducing resonance in said controlled oscillation phenomenon to strike the discharge in the lamp; and

control means coupled to said oscillator means for selectively controlling said oscillation phenomenon in a pulse mode as a function of the characteristics of the lamp and a power supply for the lamp, said control means controllably inducing said controlled oscillation phenomenon for a predetermined time duration a programmable number of times in a predetermined time interval.

2. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said secondary circuit includes at least one inductive component and a capacitive component connected together to form a resonant circuit having a high quality factor Q.

3. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein sad predetermined time duration is of several tens of microseconds.

4. An igniter device according to claim 2, wherein said secondary circuit has a quality factor Q at least equal to 100.

5. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said control means are arranged to activate said controlled oscillation phenomenon by inducing the resonance in said secondary circuit in correspondence with a predetermined phase angle of said supply signal.

6. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said control means are arranged to adjust the frequency of oscillation in said oscillator means as a function of the resonant frequency of said secondary circuit.

7. An igniter device according to claim 2, in which said coupling means comprise a primary winding of a transformer which is coupled to a respective secondary winding, said secondary winding being formed as a coil wound on a dielectric core.

8. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said control means are arranged to activate said igniter device when said supply signal has reached a predetermined threshold value.

9. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said control means induce said oscillation phenomenon for a predetermined minimum time as a function of physical parameters or a particular cooling stage of said lamp.

10. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a dedicated logic circuit.

11. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a microprocessor control unit.

12. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one switch element comprises a FET transistor.

13. An igniter device according to claim 1, wherein said oscillator means comprises first and second switch elements connected in a phase opposition configuration.

14. An igniter device according to any of claims 1-13, further comprising operating means associated with said control means, said operating means comprising a remote-controlled receiver device for activating said igniter device from a distance.