Sparkle suppression circuit to protect the contact terminals of operation light bulbs

• US 6,469,456 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2001
• Issued: 10/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mediline Enterprise Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mediline Enterprise Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Cheng-Chuah
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): A, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US09/813,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: 315/387, 315/371, 315/411, 315/127, 315/209, 315/224, 315/291, 315/295, 313/318, 362/260
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/10 Circuits providing for substitution of the light source in case of its failure changing to a reserve current source H02J9/00

Abstract

A sparkle suppression circuit to protect the contact terminals of operation light bulbs contains at least a power supply, a driving circuit, a sensor circuit, and a control circuit. The power supply provides the power needed for the suppression circuit. The sensor circuit detects sensor signals of the operation light bulb and to output the sensor signals. The control circuit receives and processes the sensor signals and thereby generates a driving signal to a driving circuit so as to control the switch of the operation light bulb. When the control circuit detects abnormal sensor signals, it sends out a driving signal to turn off the switch of the operation light bulb, terminating the power output.

Claims

1. A sparkle suppression circuit for protecting contact terminals of operation light bulbs, which comprises:

a power supply to provide power for the suppression circuit;

a driving circuit to drive a switch of a load loop;

a sensor circuit to detect sensor signals of the load loop and to output the sensor signals;

a control circuit including a microprocessor for receiving and processing the sensor signals and generating and transmitting a driving signal to the driving circuit to control the switch of the load loop; and

wherein when the control circuit detects abnormal sensor signals, indicating that the load loop is not functioning correctly, the driving signal is sent out to shut off the switch of the load loop, terminating the power output, the load being the operation light bulb.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit can further adjust power.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit is a semiconductor controlled rectifier (SCR).

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit is a TRIAC.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit is a Relay.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the driving circuit is an MOSFET.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit uses the pulse width modulation method for detection.

8. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit uses the voltage drop method for detection.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit uses the current detection method for detection.

10. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the control circuit further contains a system state indicator to indicate the illumination state of the operation light bulb.

11. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising a switch to transmit the sensor signals to the sensor circuit.