Electronic control circuit

• US 6,437,521 B1
• Filed: 12/07/2000
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Innoware Oy
• Original Assignee: Innoware Oy
• Inventors: Pienisaari, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US09/719,293
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 315/276, 315/244, 315/219, 315/209.R, 315/291, 315/277, 315/278, 315/263
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 3/18 using Zener diodes

Abstract

An electronic control circuit for adjusting the control voltage of a device to be controlled, the control circuit comprising a primary coil, a control bus comprising means for adjusting the control voltage, parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the paralleling being further series-connected with the first secondary coil and a first control diode, and a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor. The primary coil is connected between a first node and a second node of the device to be controlled, and the nodes in the connection are selected such that the current in an electric circuit between them at least momentarily reaches the value zero.

Claims

1. An electronic control circuit for adjusting a control voltage of a device to be controlled, the device comprising a first node and a second node, the control circuit comprising:

a primary coil,

a control bus comprising a first secondary coil, a first control diode, a first capacitor and a means for adjusting the control voltage, the means being parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the means and the first capacitor being further series-connected with the first secondary coil and the first control diode,

a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor,

the primary coil being connected between the first node and the second node of the device to be controlled, such that the primary coil receives, from the device to be controlled, a current that at least momentarily reaches a first value of zero.

7. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device to be controlled comprises a phase angle controller.

8. A control circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device to be controlled comprises a lamp transformer.

2. An electronic control circuit for adjusting a control voltage of a device to be controlled, the device comprising a first node and a second node, the control circuit comprising:

a primary coil, wherein the primary coil comprises an inductive element having one turn of winding,

a control bus comprising a first secondary coil, a first control diode, a first capacitor and a means for adjusting the control voltage, the means being parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the means and the first capacitor being further series-connected with the first secondary coil and the first control diode,

a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor,

the primary coil being connected between the first node and the second node of the device to be controlled, and the first node and the second node being selected such that a current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a first value of zero.

4. A control circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the means for adjusting the control voltage comprises an adjustable zener diode.

3. An electronic control circuit for adjusting a control voltage of a device to be controlled, the device comprising a first node and a second node, the control circuit comprising:

a primary coil,

a control bus comprising a first secondary coil, a first control diode, a first capacitor and a means for adjusting the control voltage, the means being parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the means and the first capacitor being further series-connected with the first secondary coil and the first control diode, wherein the means for adjusting the control voltage comprises an adjustable zener diode,

a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor,

the primary coil being connected between the first node and the second node of the device to be controlled, and the first node and the second node being selected such that a current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a first value of zero.

5. An electronic control circuit for adjusting a control voltage of a device to be controlled, the device comprising a first node and a second node, the control circuit comprising:

a primary coil,

a control bus comprising a first secondary coil, a first control diode, a first capacitor and a means for adjusting the control voltage, the means being parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the means and the first capacitor being further series-connected with the first secondary coil and the first control diode,

a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor,

the primary coil being connected between the first node and the second node of the device to be controlled, and the first node and the second node being selected such that a current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a first value of zero,

wherein the first node and the second node are further selected such that the current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a second value of approximately 0.1 A.

6. An electronic control circuit for adjusting a control voltage of a device to be controlled, the device comprising a first node and a second node, the control circuit comprising:

a primary coil,

a control bus comprising a first secondary coil, a first control diode, a first capacitor and a means for adjusting the control voltage, the means being parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the means and the first capacitor being further series-connected with the first secondary coil and the first control diode,

a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor,

the primary coil being connected between the first node and the second node of the device to be controlled, and the first node and the second node being selected such that a current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a first value of zero,

the first secondary coil having a first number of windings, the second secondary coil having a second number of windings where the first number of windings is approximately equal to the second number of windings.

9. An electronic control circuit of r adjusting a control voltage of a fluorescent lamp, the lamp being connected to a ballast circuit having a first node and a second node, comprising:

a primary coil,

a control bus comprising a first secondary coil, a first control diode, a first capacitor, an adjustable zener diode, the adjustable zener diode being parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the adjustable zener diode and the first capacitor being further series connected with the first secondary coil and the first control diode,

a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor,

the primary coil being connected between the first node and the second node of the ballast circuit such that a current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a first value of zero.

10. A control circuit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the primary coil comprises an inductive element having one turn of winding.

11. A control circuit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first node and the second node are further selected such that the current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a second value of approximately 0.1 A.

12. A control circuit as claimed in claim 9, the first secondary coil having a first number of windings, the second secondary coil having a second number of windings where the first number of windings is approximately equal to the second number of windings.

13. An electronic control circuit for adjusting a control voltage of a lamp, the lamp being connected to a lamp control circuit having a first node and a second node, comprising:

a primary coil,

a control bus comprising a first secondary coil, a first control diode, a first capacitor, an adjustable zener diode, the adjustable zener diode being parallel-connected with the first capacitor, the adjustable zener diode and the first capacitor being further series connected with the first secondary coil and the first control diode,

a control voltage supply circuit comprising a series-connected second secondary coil, a second control diode and a second capacitor,

the primary coil being connected between the first node and the second node of the lamp control circuit such that a current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a first value of zero.

14. A control circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the primary coil comprises an inductive element having one turn of winding.

15. A control circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first node and the second node are further selected such that the current in the primary coil at least momentarily reaches a second value of approximately 0.1 A.

16. A control circuit as claimed in claim 13, the first secondary coil having a first number of windings, the second secondary coil having a second number of windings where the first number of windings is approximately equal to the second number of windings.