Dimmer triggering circuit, dimmer system and dimmable device
First Claim
1. A dimmer triggering circuit for triggering a dimmer comprising a triac in an alternating current network comprising:
- a voltage-level detector for detecting whether an absolute value of an input voltage of the dimmer triggering circuit is below a threshold value; and
a bipolar current source circuit for providing a current if the voltage detected by the voltage-level detector is below said threshold value and to be deactivated otherwise;
wherein the dimmer triggering circuit, in operation, dissipates an average power less than 100 mW and wherein the current provided by the dimmer triggering circuit keeps a load voltage effectively zero until the triac is triggered.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a dimmer triggering circuit (12) for triggering a dimmer in an alternating current network. The dimmer has a voltage-level detector (15), and a bipolar current source circuit (18). The voltage-level detector (15) detects whether an absolute value of an input voltage of the dimmer triggering circuit is below a threshold value. The bipolar current source circuit (18) provides a current if the voltage detected by the voltage-level detector (15) is below the threshold value. If the voltage detected is not below the threshold value, the bipolar current source circuit is deactivated. The dimmer triggering circuit (12), in operation, dissipates an average power less than 100 mW.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A dimmer triggering circuit for triggering a dimmer comprising a triac in an alternating current network comprising:
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a voltage-level detector for detecting whether an absolute value of an input voltage of the dimmer triggering circuit is below a threshold value; and a bipolar current source circuit for providing a current if the voltage detected by the voltage-level detector is below said threshold value and to be deactivated otherwise;
wherein the dimmer triggering circuit, in operation, dissipates an average power less than 100 mW and wherein the current provided by the dimmer triggering circuit keeps a load voltage effectively zero until the triac is triggered. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for triggering a dimmer comprising a triac in an alternating current circuit by means of a dimmer triggering circuit, the method comprising:
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detecting whether an absolute value of an input voltage of the dimmer triggering circuit is below a threshold value; providing a current by means of a bipolar current source circuit if the voltage detected is below the threshold value and not providing a current otherwise; providing the current from the bipolar current source circuit to the dimmer; wherein the current provided by the bipolar current source keeps a load voltage effectively zero until the triac is triggered. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A dimmer triggering circuit for triggering a dimmer in an alternating current network comprising:
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a voltage-level detector for detecting whether an absolute value of an input voltage of the dimmer triggering circuit is below a threshold value; and a bipolar current source circuit for providing a current if the voltage detected by the voltage-level detector is below said threshold value and to be deactivated otherwise; wherein, when operated in combination with a dimmer comprising a triac, the dimmer triggering circuit acts complementarily to the state of the triac in the dimmer so that the bipolar current source provides current when the triac is switched off and is deactivated when the triac is switched on. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification