Discharge tube lighting transformer with protective circuit against non-grounding of ground terminal

• US 7,199,988 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lecip Corp. (New) (Lecip Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lecip Corp. (New) (Lecip Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hideki, Matsui, Yoshihiro, Komori, Hitoshi, Kobayashi, Kazuhifo
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/871,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20050002213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 363/50, 363/55, 363/56.01, 363/56.09, 323355-359, 361/42, 361/45, 361/49, 361/88, 361/91.1
• US Class Current: 361/42
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2851 for protecting the circuit against abnormal operating conditions

Abstract

An arrangement is made in a transformer such that voltages induced on the opposite sides of a mid-point 17 of a secondary winding 16 are unbalanced by an amount on the order of 5%. When a ground terminal 18 is not grounded while a mid-point of a load is grounded, a voltage V_UE is developed between the mid-point 17 and a non-active line terminal 15 and is rectified to provide a rectified output which turns a transistor 28 on, causing a light emitting element 33L to emit light. The resulting light renders a light receiving element 33P conductive, whereby a relay 37 is operated to turn a switch 13 off. When a ground fault occurs on one side of the secondary winding 16 while the ground terminal 16 is not grounded, a ground fault detection circuit 38 fails to detect the ground fault, but the non-grounding protection circuit 30 detects the ground fault and turns the switch 13 off.

Claims

1. A discharge tube lighting transformer apparatus with a protection circuit against non-grounding of a ground terminal comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding with a mid-point and unbalancing means for causing voltages induced across windings disposed on the opposite sides of the mid-point of the secondary winding to be unbalanced relative to each other;

a ground fault detection circuit connected between the mid-point of the secondary winding and a ground terminal of the transformer for detecting, if one occurs, a ground fault in a connection wiring which connects discharge tubes across the secondary winding while the ground terminal is grounded as normal state, to thereby generate a detection output;

a hot line terminal and a non-active line terminal to be connected to a non-grounded side and a ground side of A.C. power source, respectively;

a non-grounding protection circuit connected between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal for detecting if a voltage appearing between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal is larger than A.C. voltage of the A.C. power source applied across the non-active line terminal and the hot line terminal, to thereby generate a detection output; and

power source interrupting means controlled operatively by one of the detection outputs from the non-grounding protection circuit and the ground fault detection circuit to operatively interrupt the supply of the A.C. power from the hot line terminal and the non-active line terminal to the primary winding.

2. A discharge tube lighting transformer apparatus with a protection circuit against non-grounding of a ground terminal comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding with a mid-point and unbalancing means for causing voltages induced across windings disposed on the opposite sides of the mid-point of the secondary winding to be unbalanced relative to each other;

a ground fault detection circuit connected between the mid-point of the secondary winding and a ground terminal of the transformer for detecting, if one occurs, a ground fault in a connection wiring which connects discharge tubes across the secondary winding while the ground terminal is grounded as normal state, to thereby generate a detection output;

a hot line terminal and a non-active line terminal to be connected to a non-grounded side and a ground side of A.C. power source, respectively;

a non-grounding protection circuit connected between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal for detecting if a voltage appearing between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal is larger than an A.C. voltage of the A.C. power source applied across the non-active line terminal and the hot line terminal, to thereby generate a detection output; and

power source interrupting means controlled operatively by one of the detection outputs from the non-grounding protection circuit and the ground fault detection circuit to operatively interrupt the supply of the A.C. power from the hot line terminal and the non-active line terminal to the primary winding, wherein

the non-grounding protection circuit comprises

a rectifier circuit having an input end which is formed by one end of a capacitor connected to the ground terminal of the transformer,

a resistor element connected between an output terminal of the rectifier circuit and the non-active line terminal, and

a switching element having its input connected across the resistor element and adapted to be rendered conductive by an input voltage which is equal to or larger than a threshold voltage given by threshold means to control the power source interrupting means operative by its conduction.

3. The discharge tube lighting transformer apparatus according to claim 2 in which

a threshold voltage V_TSE for the detection by the ground fault detection circuit is greater than the threshold voltage V_TNE for the detection by the non-grounding protection circuit,

said threshold voltage V_TSE is larger than a voltage which is applied to the ground fault detection circuit as a result of a voltage developed at the mid-point when the ground fault occurs in the connection wiring across the secondary winding while the ground terminal is not grounded as abnormal state, and

said threshold voltage V_TNE is less than a voltage which is applied to the non-grounding protection circuit.

4. A discharge tube lighting transformer apparatus comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding with a mid-point and unbalancing means for causing voltages induced across windings disposed on the opposite sides of the mid-point of the secondary winding to be unbalanced relative to each other;

a ground fault detection circuit connected between the mid-point of the secondary winding and a ground terminal of the transformer for detecting, if one occurs, a ground fault in a connection wiring which connects discharge tubes across the secondary winding occurs while the ground terminal is grounded as normal state, to thereby generate a detection output;

a hot line terminal and a non-active line terminal to be connected to a non-grounded side and a ground side of A.C. power source, respectively;

a non-grounding protection circuit connected between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal for detecting if a non-grounding fault of the ground terminal occurs, to thereby generate a detection output; and

power source interrupting means controlled by one of the detection outputs from the non-grounding protection circuit and the ground fault detection circuit to interrupt the supply of the A.C. power from the hot line terminal and the non-active line terminal to the primary winding,

wherein the non-grounding protection circuit comprises

a rectifier circuit having an input end which is formed by one end of a capacitor connected to the ground terminal of the transformer,

a resistor element connected between an output terminal of the rectifier circuit and the non-active line terminal,

a switching element having its input connected across the resistor element and adapted to be rendered conductive by an input voltage generated across the resister element which is equal to or larger than a threshold voltage determined by threshold means, and

output means for generating a detection signal in response to conduction of the switching element,

wherein when the ground terminal is not grounded as abnormal state, and the ground fault occurs in the connection wiring,

the ground fault detection circuit and the non-grounding protection circuit are connected in series between the mid-point of the secondary winding and the non-active line terminal,

the transformer generates at the mid-point of the secondary winding a voltage V_US, which is divided into two partial voltages V_SES and V_NES corresponding to the respective impedances of the ground fault detection circuit and the non-grounding protection circuit, respectively,

one of the two partial voltages V_SES obtained and applied to the ground fault detection circuit is determined to render the ground fault detection circuit inoperative,

the other partial voltage VNES obtained and applied to the non-grounding protection circuit is rectified by the rectifier circuit and divided into two partial rectified voltages corresponding to the respective impedances of the rectifier circuit and the resister element, respectively, and

the input voltage of the switching element generated across the resister element is determined to be larger than the threshold voltage,

whereby the switching element of the non-grounding protection circuit is rendered conductive when the ground fault occurs in the connection wiring.

5. A discharge tube lighting transformer apparatus comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding with a mid-point and unbalancing means for causing voltages induced across windings disposed on the opposite sides of the mid-point of the secondary winding to be unbalanced relative to each other;

a ground fault detection circuit connected between the mid-point of the secondary winding and a ground terminal of the transformer for detecting, if one occurs, a ground fault in a connection wiring which connects discharge tubes across the secondary winding while the ground terminal is grounded as normal state, to thereby generate a detection output;

a hot line terminal and a non-active line terminal to be connected to a non-grounded side and a ground side of A.C. power source, respectively;

a non-grounding protection circuit connected between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal for detecting if occurs a non-grounding fault of the ground terminal, to thereby generate a detection output; and

power source interrupting means controlled by one of the detection outputs from the non-grounding protection circuit and the ground fault detection circuit to interrupt the supply of the A.C. power from the hot line terminal and the non-active line terminal to the primary winding,

wherein the non-grounding protection circuit comprises

a rectifier circuit having an input end which is formed by one end of a capacitor connected to the ground terminal of the transformer,

a resistor element connected between an output terminal of the rectifier circuit and the non-active line terminal,

a switching element having its input connected across the resistor element and adapted to be rendered conductive by an input voltage generated across the resister element which is equal to or larger than a threshold voltage determined by threshold means, and

output means for generating a detection signal in response to conduction of the switching element,

wherein when the ground terminal is not grounded as an abnormal state, and no ground fault occurs in the connection wiring,

the ground fault detection circuit and the non-grounding protection circuit are connected in series between the mid-point of the secondary winding and the non-active line terminal,

the transformer generates at the mid-point of the secondary winding a voltage V_UH which is determined not to be larger than an A.C. voltage when a mid point between discharge tubes connected across the secondary winding is not grounded as a normal state, so that the voltage V_UH is divided into two partial voltages corresponding to the respective impedances of the ground fault detection circuit and the non-grounding protection circuit, respectively,

one of the two partial voltages V_NEH obtained from the voltage V_UH and applied to the non-grounding protection circuit is rectified by the rectifier circuit and divided into two partial rectified voltages corresponding to the respective impedances of the rectifier circuit and the resister element, respectively, and

the input voltage of the switching element generated across the resister element is determined to be less than the threshold voltage,

whereby the switching element is not rendered conductive.

6. A discharge tube lighting transformer apparatus comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding with a mid-point and unbalancing means for causing voltages induced across windings disposed on the opposite sides of the mid-point of the secondary winding to be unbalanced relative to each other;

a ground fault detection circuit connected between the mid-point of the secondary winding and a ground terminal of the transformer for detecting, if one occurs, a ground fault in a connection wiring which connects discharge tubes across the secondary winding while the ground terminal is grounded as a normal state, to thereby generate a detection output;

a hot line terminal and a non-active line terminal to be connected to a non-grounded side and a ground side of A.C. power source, respectively;

a non-grounding protection circuit connected between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal for detecting, if one occurs, a non-grounding fault of the ground terminal, to thereby generate a detection output; and

power source interrupting means controlled by one of the detection outputs from the non-grounding protection circuit and the ground fault detection circuit to interrupt the supply of the A.C. power from the hot line terminal and the non-active line terminal to the primary winding,

wherein the non-grounding protection circuit comprises

a rectifier circuit having an input end which is formed by one end of a capacitor connected to the ground terminal of the transformer,

a resistor element connected between an output terminal of the rectifier circuit and the non-active line terminal,

a switching element having its input connected across the resistor element and adapted to be rendered conductive by an input voltage generated across the resister element which is equal to or larger than a threshold voltage determined by threshold means, and

output means for generating a detection signal in response to conduction of the switching element,

wherein when the ground terminal is not grounded as an abnormal state, and no ground fault occurs in the connection wiring,

the ground fault detection circuit and the non-grounding protection circuit are connected in series between the mid-point of the secondary winding and the non-active line terminal,

the transformer generates at the mid-point of the secondary winding a voltage V_UE which is determined to be larger than an A.C. voltage, when the mid point of the discharge tubes is grounded as an abnormal state, so that the voltage V_UE is divided into two partial voltages corresponding to the respective impedances of the ground fault detection circuit and the non-grounding protection circuit, respectively,

one of the two partial voltages V_NEE obtained from the voltage V_UE and applied to the non-grounding protection circuit is rectified by the rectifier circuit and divided into two partial rectified voltages corresponding to the respective impedances of the rectifier circuit and the resister element, respectively, and

the input voltage of the switching element generated across the resister element is determined to be larger than the threshold voltage,

whereby the switching element is rendered conductive.

7. A discharge tube lighting transformer apparatus comprising:

a transformer having a primary winding, a secondary winding with a mid-point and unbalancing means for causing voltages induced across windings disposed on the opposite sides of the mid-point of the secondary winding to be unbalanced relative to each other;

a ground fault detection circuit connected between the mid-point of the secondary winding and a ground terminal of the transformer for detecting, if one occurs, a ground fault in a connection wiring which connects discharge tubes across the secondary winding while the ground terminal is grounded as normal state, to thereby generate a detection output;

a hot line terminal and a non-active line terminal to be connected to a non-grounded side and a ground side of A.C. power source, respectively;

a non-grounding protection circuit connected between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal for detecting a non-grounding fault of the ground terminal, to thereby generate a detection output; and

power source interrupting means controlled by one of the detection outputs from the non-grounding protection circuit and the ground fault detection circuit to interrupt the supply of the A.C. power from the hot line terminal and the non-active line terminal to the primary winding,

wherein the non-grounding protection circuit comprises

a rectifier circuit having an input end which is formed by one end of a capacitor connected to the ground terminal of the transformer,

a resistor element connected between an output terminal of the rectifier circuit and the non-active line terminal,

a switching element having its input connected across the resistor element and adapted to be rendered conductive by an input voltage generated across the resister element which is equal to or larger than a threshold voltage determined by threshold means, and

output means for generating a detection signal in response to conduction of the switching element,

wherein when the hot line terminal and the non-active line terminal are connected to the A.C. power source in reverse polarities while the ground terminal is grounded as normal state,

the A.C. voltage applied between the non-active line terminal and the ground terminal is rectified by the rectifier circuit of the non-grounding protection circuit and divided into two partial rectified voltages corresponding to the respective impedances of the rectifier circuit and the resister element, respectively, and

the input voltage of the switching element generated across the resister element is determined to be less than the threshold voltage,

whereby the switching element of the non-grounding protection circuit is not rendered conductive.