Electronic blast with remote capacitor placement

• US 7,656,670 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lord, Jeffrey, Muthu, Subramanian, Perkins, Seymour III, Clauberg, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYET THI
• Application Number:
  US11/718,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20080012505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 361/15, 361/16, 361/17, 361/124, 361/117, 361/120, 361/271, 361/274.1, 361/274.3, 361/282, 361/310, 361/600, 361/621, 361/618, 361/713, 361/734, 361/765, 361/763, 361/821, 361/521, 361/517, 361/535, 361/534, 361/541, 361/301
• US Class Current: 361/734
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/245 for a plurality of lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/28 using static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/282 with semiconductor devices H05B41/2806, H05B41/288, H05B41/295 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

An electronic ballast with remote capacitor placement includes a first housing (34); a second housing (36); an AC/DC converter (22); a DC bus (24) operably connected to the AC/DC converter (22); a lamp driver (26) operably connected to the DC bus (24); and a storage capacitor (32) connected to the DC bus (24) with capacitor wires (30). The AC/DC converter (22), the DC bus (24), and the lamp driver (26) are disposed in the first housing (34); the storage capacitor (32) is disposed in the second housing (36); and the first housing (34) is thermally isolated and physically separated from the second housing (36).

Claims

1. An electronic ballast, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

an AC/DC converter;

a DC bus operably connected to the AC/DC converter;

a lamp driver operably connected to the DC bus;

a storage capacitor operably connected to the DC bus with capacitor wires; and

a filter electrically connected between the DC bus and the capacitor wires, the filter being disposed at the first housing,

wherein the AC/DC converter, the DC bus, and the lamp driver are disposed in the first housing;

the storage capacitor is disposed in the second housing; and

the first housing is thermally isolated and physically separated from the second housing; and

wherein the filter comprises;

a filter capacitor;

a differential mode EMI coil; and

a common mode EMI coil, the common mode EMI coil having a first EMI coil magnetically coupled to a second EMI coil;

wherein the filter capacitor is connected in parallel across the DC bus;

the differential mode EMI coil and the first EMI coil are connected in series between a first side of the DC bus and a first conductor of the capacitor wires; and

the second EMI coil is connected in series between a second side of the DC bus and a second conductor of the capacitor wires.

2. The electronic ballast of claim 1, wherein the storage capacitor comprises a plurality of capacitors.

3. The electronic ballast of claim 1, wherein the capacitor wires are a shielded conductor pair with a shield electrically connected to common.

4. The electronic ballast of claim 1, wherein the second housing is a grounded metal housing.

5. The electronic ballast of claim 1, wherein the the first housing and the second housing are spaced apart.

6. The electronic ballast of claim 1, further comprising a third housing disposed between the first housing and the second housing.

7. The electronic ballast of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises metal or plastic.

8. The electronic ballast of claim 1, wherein the second housing comprises metal or plastic.

9. An electronic ballast, comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

an AC/DC converter, the AC/DC converter being operably connected to a mains input;

a DC bus operably connected to the AC/DC converter;

a lamp driver operably connected to the DC bus, the lamp driver being operably connected to a lamp output;

a filter operably connected across the DC bus; and

a storage capacitor operably connected to the filter with capacitor wires;

wherein the AC/DC converter, the DC bus, the filter, and the lamp driver are disposed in the first housing;

the storage capacitor is disposed in the second housing; and

the first housing is thermally isolated and physically separated from the second housing, and

wherein the filter comprises;

a filter capacitor;

a differential mode EMI coil; and

a common mode EMI coil, the common mode EMI coil having a first EMI coil magnetically coupled to a second EMI coil;

wherein the filter capacitor is connected in parallel across the DC bus;

the differential mode EMI coil and the first EMI coil are connected in series between a first side of the DC bus and a first conductor of the capacitor wires; and

the second EMI coil is connected in series between a second side of the DC bus and a second conductor of the capacitor wires.

10. The electronic ballast of claim 9, wherein the capacitor wires are a shielded conductor pair with a shield electrically connected to common.

11. The electronic ballast of claim 9, wherein the first housing and the second housing are spaced apart.

12. The electronic ballast of claim 9, further comprising a third housing disposed between the first housing and the second housing.

13. An electronic ballast comprising:

a first housing;

an AC/DC converter;

a DC bus operably connected to the AC/DC converter;

a lamp driver operably connected to the DC bus;

a storage capacitor operably connected to the DC bus with capacitor wires; and

a filter electrically connected between the DC bus and the capacitor wires, the filter being disposed at the first housing

wherein the AC/DC converter, the DC bus, and the lamp driver are disposed in the first housing; and

the first housing is thermally isolated and physically separated from the storage capacitor; and

wherein the filter comprises;

a filter capacitor;

a differential mode EMI coil; and

a common mode EMI coil, the common mode EMI coil having a first EMI coil magnetically coupled to a second EMI coil;

wherein the filter capacitor is connected in parallel across the DC bus;

the differential mode EMI coil and the first EMI coil are connected in series between a first side of the DC bus and a first conductor of the capacitor wires; and

the second EMI coil is connected in series between a second side of the DC bus and a second conductor of the capacitor wires.

14. The electronic ballast of claim 13, wherein the storage capacitor comprises a plurality of capacitors.

15. The electronic ballast of claim 13, wherein the capacitor wires are a shielded conductor pair with a shield electrically connected to common.