Electric circuit

• US 8,508,902 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IDEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: IDEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamano, Hitoshi, Hinamoto, Sumiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARK, CHRISTOPHER JAY
• Application Number:
  US12/865,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 361/58, 361/93.9, 361/88, 361/93.1
• US Class Current: 361/93.9
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A functional element is prevented from breakdown and deterioration because of mounting and demounting of the functional element immediately after cut-off of driving power from a constant-current power supply or during supply of the driving power.

An electric circuit is configured to electrically connect a constant-current power supply 1 having a capacitance between an output terminal and a reference potential terminal and a detachable functional element 2 to each other. The electric circuit has an element breakdown prevention circuit 10 having a first circuit terminal connected to an output terminal of the constant-current power supply 1 through the functional element 2, and a second circuit terminal connected to the reference potential terminal of the constant-current power supply 1 through the functional element 2. The element breakdown prevention circuit 10 increases an impedance between the circuit terminals to a disconnected state impedance in response to a transition from a connected state, in which the functional element 2 is mounted, to a disconnected state, in which the functional element 2 is removed. The element breakdown prevention circuit 10 decreases the impedance between the circuit terminals to a connected-state impedance in response to a connection state transition.

Claims

1. An electric circuit for electrically connecting a constant-current power supply and a detachable functional element to each other, the constant-current power supply having a capacitance between an output terminal and a reference potential terminal, and the detachable functional element being configured to exhibit a predetermined function based on electric power from the constant-current power supply, comprising:

an element breakdown prevention circuit having a first circuit terminal connected to the output terminal of the constant-current power supply via the functional element and a second circuit terminal connected to the reference potential terminal of the constant-current power supply,

the electric circuit being characterized in that;

the electric circuit has a disconnected state in which the first circuit terminal and the output terminal of the constant-current power supply are electrically disconnected by demounting of the functional element and a connected state in which the first circuit terminal and the output terminal are electrically connected to each other by mounting of the functional element;

the element breakdown prevention circuit increases an impedance between the first circuit terminal and the second circuit terminal self-adjustingly to a disconnected state impedance in response to a state transition from the connected state to the disconnected state; and

the element breakdown prevention circuit decreases the impedance between the first circuit terminal and the second circuit terminal self-adjustingly to a connected-state impedance that is lower than the disconnected-state impedance in response to a state transition from the disconnected state to the connected state.

2. The electric circuit according to claim 1, wherein:

the element breakdown prevention circuit comprises;

a switching element having a current entering terminal connectable to the functional element, a current exiting terminal connectable to the reference potential terminal of the constant-current power supply, and a control terminal for changing a resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal; and

a voltage-dependent type switching-control circuit for controlling the voltage of the control terminal based on a voltage change of the current entering terminal of the switching element; and

wherein

the switching-control circuit is configured to;

change a resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal from a predetermined connected-state resistance value in the connected state to a predetermined disconnected-state resistance value that is greater than the connected-state resistance value, based on a voltage change of the current entering terminal of the switching element in response to the state transition to the disconnected state; and

change the resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal from the disconnected-state resistance value to the connected-state resistance value, based on a voltage change of the current entering terminal of the switching element in response to the state transition to the connected state.

3. The electric circuit according to claim 1, wherein:

the element breakdown prevention circuit comprises;

a switching element having a current entering terminal connectable to the functional element, a current exiting terminal connectable to the reference potential terminal of the constant-current power supply, and a control terminal for controlling a resistance value between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal; and

a current-dependent type switching-control circuit for controlling the voltage of the control terminal based on a change of the current entering the current entering terminal of the switching element,

the switching-control circuit being configured to;

change a resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal from a predetermined connected-state resistance value in the connected state to a predetermined disconnected-state resistance value that is greater than the connected-state resistance value, based on a change of the current entering the first circuit terminal in response to the state transition to the disconnected state; and

change the resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal from the disconnected-state resistance value to the connected-state resistance value, based on a change of the current entering the first circuit terminal in response to the state transition to the connected state.

4. The electric circuit according to claim 2, wherein the element breakdown prevention circuit further comprises an impedance decrease accelerating circuit for changing an impedance between the first circuit terminal and the second circuit terminal to an impedance lower than the connected-state impedance in response to the state transition to the connected state.

5. The electric circuit according to claim 2, wherein the element breakdown prevention circuit further comprises an impedance increase accelerating circuit for accelerating a change of the impedance between the first circuit terminal and the second circuit terminal that accompanies the state transition to the disconnected state.

6. The electric circuit according to claim 3, wherein the element breakdown prevention circuit further comprises an impedance increase accelerating circuit for accelerating a change of the impedance between the first circuit terminal and the second circuit terminal that accompanies the state transition to the disconnected state.

7. The electric circuit according to claim 4, wherein the element breakdown prevention circuit further comprises an impedance increase accelerating circuit for accelerating a change of the impedance between the first circuit terminal and the second circuit terminal that accompanies the state transition to the disconnected state.

8. The electric circuit according to claim 1, wherein:

the element breakdown prevention circuit further comprises;

a switching element having a current entering terminal connectable to the functional element, a current exiting terminal connectable to the reference potential terminal of the constant-current power supply, and a control terminal for changing a resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal; and

an additional circuit terminal connectable to the output terminal of the constant-current power supply in a process of mounting the functional element, and wherein

the element breakdown prevention circuit changes a resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal from a predetermined connected-state resistance value in the connected state to a predetermined disconnected-state resistance value that is greater than the connected-state resistance value, based on a voltage change of the additional circuit terminal in response to the state transition to the disconnected state; and

the element breakdown prevention circuit changes the resistance between the current entering terminal and the current exiting terminal from the disconnected-state resistance value to the connected-state resistance value, based on a voltage change of the additional circuit terminal in response to the state transition to the connected state.

9. An electric circuit for electrically connecting a constant-current power supply and a detachable functional element to each other, the constant-current power supply having a capacitance between an output terminal and a reference potential terminal, and the detachable functional element being configured to exhibit a predetermined function based on electric power from the constant-current power supply, comprising:

an element breakdown prevention circuit provided between the constant-current power supply and the functional element, and wherein;

a state in which the functional element is demounted is defined as a disconnected state, and a state in which the functional element is mounted is defined as a connected state;

an impedance between a first circuit terminal and a second circuit terminal of the element breakdown prevention circuit is increased self-adjustingly to a disconnected state impedance in response to a state transition from the connected state to the disconnected state; and

an impedance between the first circuit terminal and the second circuit terminal is decreased self-adjustingly to a connected-state impedance that is lower than the disconnected-state impedance in response to a state transition from the disconnected state to the connected state.