Driver for cooperating with a wall dimmer
First Claim
1. A driver for driving a dimmable load, the driver being powered from phase-cut input mains for determining a dimming state of the dimmable load on the basis of a phase cutting angle of the input mains, the driver comprising:
- a load current generating device configured to generate load current having an adjustable duty cycle by cycling between to an active state for outputting the load current and a blocking state for blocking the load current, in response to the phase-cut input mains, the load current generating device having an output coupled to an output of the driver connected to the dimmable load;
a controllable auxiliary load connected to an input of the load current generating device; and
a control device configured to control operation of the auxiliary load, the control device comprisingan input coupled to receive a signal indicating a momentary voltage at an input of the driver;
wherein an average of the output current corresponds to a dimming command reflected by the phase cutting angle of the input mains; and
wherein the control device is configured to switch the auxiliary load on during time periods of the adjustable duty cycle when the output current generated by the load current generating device is zero.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A driver (100; 200) for driving a dimmable load (L) is powered from phase-cut mains (U1) and determines the dimming state of the load on the basis of the phase of the cutting of the mains. The driver comprises: a load current generating device (130; 230) generating load current; a controllable auxiliary load (170; 270) connected to an input (131; 231) of the load current generating device; a control device (140; 240) controlling the auxiliary load. The control device has an input (141; 241) receiving a signal indicating the momentary voltage at the driver input. The load current generating device generates interrupted current pulses, so that the average output current corresponds to the dim command reflected by the phase cutting angle of the input mains. The control device switches the auxiliary load on during those time periods when the output current generated by the load current generating device is zero.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A driver for driving a dimmable load, the driver being powered from phase-cut input mains for determining a dimming state of the dimmable load on the basis of a phase cutting angle of the input mains, the driver comprising:
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a load current generating device configured to generate load current having an adjustable duty cycle by cycling between to an active state for outputting the load current and a blocking state for blocking the load current, in response to the phase-cut input mains, the load current generating device having an output coupled to an output of the driver connected to the dimmable load; a controllable auxiliary load connected to an input of the load current generating device; and a control device configured to control operation of the auxiliary load, the control device comprising an input coupled to receive a signal indicating a momentary voltage at an input of the driver; wherein an average of the output current corresponds to a dimming command reflected by the phase cutting angle of the input mains; and wherein the control device is configured to switch the auxiliary load on during time periods of the adjustable duty cycle when the output current generated by the load current generating device is zero. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A driver for driving a dimmable load, comprising:
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a rectifier configured to receive phase-cut input mains from a mains dimmer and to output rectified mains; a load current generating device configured to output a load current having an adjustable duty cycle by cycling between to a conductive state for outputting the load current and a non-conductive state for outputting no load current in response to the rectified mains, the duty cycle corresponding to a dimming level of the mains dimmer; a controllable auxiliary load comprising a resistance and a switch configured to selectively connect the resistance to an input of the load current generating device; and a control device configured to generate a switch control signal for controlling operation of the controllable auxiliary load in response to one of the phase-cut input mains and the rectified mains, such that the resistance is connected to the input of the load current generating device when the load current generating device is in the non-conductive state, while cycling between the conductive state and the non-conductive state, to assure a minimum current is drawn from the mains dimmer. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification