Inductively-powered gas discharge lamp circuit
First Claim
1. An inductive power supply system for an inductively powered gas discharge lamp assembly comprising:
- a primary having a tank circuit operable at a pre-heat frequency and an operating frequency, said primary having a resonant frequency controller for selectively varying a resonant frequency of said tank circuit;
a lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart within a gas;
a secondary coil electrically connected to said first electrode and said second electrode;
a first capacitor connected in series between said first electrode and said second electrode; and
wherein said first capacitor has characteristics selected such that an electrical flow path through said first capacitor has a lesser impedance than an electrical flow path through said gas when power is applied to the secondary circuit at a pre-heat frequency, and such that said electrical flow path through said first capacitor has a greater impedance than said electrical flow path through said gas when power is applied to the secondary circuit at an operating frequency.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inductively powered gas discharge lamp assembly having a secondary circuit with starter circuitry that provides pre-heating when power is supplied to the secondary circuit at a pre-heat frequency and that provides normal operation when power is supplied to the secondary circuit at an operating frequency. In one embodiment, the starter circuitry includes a pre-heat capacitor connected between the lamp electrodes and an operating capacitor located between the secondary coil and the lamp. The pre-heat capacitor is selected so that the electrical flow path through the pre-heat capacitor has a lesser impedance than the electrical flow path through the gas of the lamp when power is applied to the secondary circuit at the pre-heat frequency, and so that the electrical flow path through the pre-heat capacitor has a greater impedance than the electrical flow path through the gas when power is applied the operating frequency. The primary circuit may include a tank circuit for which the resonant frequency can be adjusted to match the pre-heat frequency and the operating frequency.
52 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An inductive power supply system for an inductively powered gas discharge lamp assembly comprising:
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a primary having a tank circuit operable at a pre-heat frequency and an operating frequency, said primary having a resonant frequency controller for selectively varying a resonant frequency of said tank circuit; a lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart within a gas; a secondary coil electrically connected to said first electrode and said second electrode; a first capacitor connected in series between said first electrode and said second electrode; and wherein said first capacitor has characteristics selected such that an electrical flow path through said first capacitor has a lesser impedance than an electrical flow path through said gas when power is applied to the secondary circuit at a pre-heat frequency, and such that said electrical flow path through said first capacitor has a greater impedance than said electrical flow path through said gas when power is applied to the secondary circuit at an operating frequency.
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2. An inductive power supply system for an inductively powered gas discharge lamp assembly comprising:
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a primary having a tank circuit operable at a pre-heat frequency and an operating frequency, said primary having a resonant frequency controller for selectively varying a resonant frequency of said tank circuit; a lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart within a gas; a secondary coil electrically connected to said first electrode and said second electrode; a first capacitor connected in series between said first electrode and said second electrode; a second capacitor connected in series between said secondary coil and said first electrode; and wherein said pre-heat frequency is approximately equal to a resonant frequency of said secondary coil, said first capacitor and said second capacitor.
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3. An inductive power supply system for an inductively powered gas discharge lamp assembly comprising:
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a primary having a tank circuit operable at a pre-heat frequency and an operating frequency, said primary having a resonant frequency controller for selectively varying a resonant frequency of said tank circuit; a lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart within a gas; a secondary coil electrically connected to said first electrode and said second electrode; a first capacitor connected in series between said first electrode and said second electrode; a second capacitor connected in series between said secondary coil and said first electrode; and wherein said operating frequency is approximately equal to a resonant frequency of said secondary coil and said second capacitor.
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4. A gas discharge lamp assembly comprising:
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a primary circuit having a frequency controller and a tank circuit, said frequency controller selectively operable at a pre-heat frequency and at an operating frequency, said primary circuit further including a means for selectively varying a resonant frequency of said tank circuit; and a secondary circuit having a secondary coil, a gas discharge lamp, and a pre-heat capacitor, said gas discharge lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart within a gas, said pre-heat capacitor being connected in series between said first electrode and said second electrode, said pre-heat capacitor prohibiting flow of electricity from said first electrode to said second electrode through said gas when power is supplied to said secondary circuit at said pre-heat frequency, said pre-heat capacitor permitting flow of electricity from said first electrode to said second electrode through said gas when power is applied to said secondary circuit at said operating frequency. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for starting and operating a gas discharge lamp having first and second electrodes spaced apart in a gas, comprising the steps of:
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providing a primary circuit having a tank circuit and a tank circuit resonant frequency controller; providing a secondary circuit having a secondary coil connected to the lamp and a pre-heat capacitor connected in series between the first electrode and the second electrode; applying power to a secondary circuit at a pre-heat frequency at which an impedance of the electrical flow path through the pre-heat capacitor is lesser than the impedance of the electrical flow path through the gas; adjusting a resonant frequency of the tank circuit to approximately correspond with the pre-heat frequency during said step of applying power to a secondary circuit at a pre-heat frequency; applying power to a secondary circuit at an operating frequency at which an impedance of the electrical flow path through the pre-heat capacitor is lesser than the impedance of the electrical flow path through the gas; and adjusting the resonant frequency of the tank circuit to approximately correspond with the operating frequency during said step of applying power to a secondary circuit at an operating frequency. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for starting and operating a gas discharge lamp having a pair of electrodes spaced apart within a gas, comprising the steps of:
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providing a primary having a tank circuit; providing a secondary circuit having a pre-heat capacitor connected electrically between the electrodes of the gas discharge lamp; adjusting a resonant frequency of the tank circuit to substantially match a pre-heat frequency; applying power to a secondary circuit at the pre-heat frequency, the pre-heat frequency selected to permit the flow of electricity from one of the electrodes to the other of the electrodes through the pre-heat capacitor; adjusting the resonant frequency of the tank circuit to substantially match an operating frequency; and applying power to a secondary circuit at the operating frequency, the operating frequency selected to permit the flow of electricity from one of the electrodes to the other of the electrodes through the gas. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification