Remotely controlled discharge lamp dimming module

Claim 2

An electromagnetic shielded and remotely controlled dimming circuit for a ballast-transformer operated discharge lamp lighting means comprising a ballast-transformer module of electromagnetic shielding material, said module containing a ballast-transformer circuit including a starting capacitor in the secondary windings and output leads for connection to discharge lamps, first means to supply electrical power to said ballasttransformer circuit, solid state gate means within said module for full wave control of relatively large amounts of electrical power by a relatively low level biasing electrical input signal, said gate means being capable of being biased for constant conduction in one state and for non-conduction in another state, gate trigger means in said module and connected to said gate means for biasing said gate means to one of said states, said gate means being so connected that during constant conduction full current is supplied to said ballast-transformer circuit, dimming resistor means electrically in parallel with said gate means and being so connected that during non-conduction of said gate means current passes through said dimming resistor to supply less than full current to said ballast-transformer circuit, gate trigger control means locatable externally of said module for controlling said gate trigger means, said first means also supplying power to said gate trigger means and said gate means, said gate trigger means further including neon lamp means dischargeable above a predetermined voltage to permit flow of full current in said ballast-transformer circuit subsequent to biasing said gate means to a conductive condition and at a voltage below said predetermined voltage operative in cooperation with said dimming resistor to permit flow of less than full current, and said gate trigger control means controlling at least two modules.

Claim 3

An electromagnetic shielded and remotely controlled dimming circuit for a ballast-transformer operated discharge lamp lighting means wherein said dimming circuit is a full range dimming circuit for at least two series operated discharge lamps comprising a ballast-transformer module of electromagnetic shielding material, said module containing a ballast-transformer circuit including a starting capacitor in the secondary windings and output leads for connection to discharge lamps, first means to supply electrical power to said ballast-transformer circuit, solid state gate means within said module for full wave control of relatively large amounts of electrical power by a relatively low level biasing electrical input signal, said gate means being capable of being biased for constant conduction in one state and for non-conduction in another state, gate trigger means in said module and connected to said gate means for biasing said gate means to one of said states, said gate means being so connected that during constant conduction full current is supplied to said ballast-transformer circuit, dimming resistor means electrically in parallel with said gate means and being so connected that during non-conduction of said gate means current passes through said dimming resistor to supply less than full current to said ballast-transformer circuit, gate trigger control means locatable externally of said module for controlling said gate trigger means, said gate trigger means further including neon lamp means dischargeable above a oredetermined predetermined to permit flow of full current is said ballast-transformer circuit subsequent to biasing said gate means to a conductive condition and at a voltage below said predetermined voltage operative in cooperation with said dimming resistor to permit flow of less than full current, and said gate trigger means further including phase control means operative to produce a phase shift control voltage variable between 0* and through -90* for said gate means such that at 0* phase shift the current to said lamps is at a maximum and is at a minimum at -90*, and said current being between said maximum and minimum when said phase shift is at some value between 0* and -90*.

Claim 4

An electromagnetic shielded and remotely controlled dimming circuit for a ballast-transformer operated discharge lamp lighting means wherein said dimming circuit is a full range dimming circuit for at least two series operated discharge lamps comprising a ballast-transformer module of electromagnetic shielding material, said module containing a ballast-transformer circuit including a starting capacitor in the secondary windings and output leads for connection to discharge lamps, first means to supply electrical power to said ballast-transformer circuit, solid state gate means within said module for full wave control of relatively large amounts of electrical power by a relatively low level biasing electrical input signal, said gate means being capable of being biased for constant conduction in one state and for non-conduction in another state, gate trigger means in said module and connected to said gate means for biasing said gate means to one of said states, said gate means being so connected that during constant conduction full current is supplied to said ballast-transformer circuit, dimming resistor means electrically in parallel with said gate means and being so connected that during non-conduction of said gate means current passes through said dimming resistor to supply less than full current to said ballast-transformer circuit, gate trigger control means locatable externally of said module for controlling said gate trigger means, said gate trigger means further including neon lamp means dischargeable above a oredetermined predetermined to permit flow of full current is said ballast-transformer circuit subsequent to biasing said gate means to a conductive condition and at a voltage below said predetermined voltage operative in cooperation with said dimming resistor to permit flow of less than full current, and said gate trigger means further including phase control means operative to produce a phase shift control voltage variable between 0* and through -90* for said gate means such that at 0* phase shift the current to said lamps is at a maximum and is at a minimum at -90*, and said current being between said maximum and minimum when said phase shift is at some value between 0* and -90*.

Claim 5

A circuit as defined in claim 2 wherein said ballast-transformer circuit includes inductive ballast coil means, said neon lamp means and inductive coil means so cooperating with said gate means that as the gate trigger control means is actuated to a mode of bright operation of said lamp means full lamp current starts to flow through said gate means as the lamp current wave crosses zero and lamp current continues to flow for each full wave such that full lamp current flows for each half cycle of lamp current, and said dimming resistor being operative to provide less than full lamp current flow as said trigger control means is actuated to a mode of low level operation of said lamp means.