US4373146A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and circuit for operating discharge lamp
Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc
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Filing: 1980-10-20
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Granted: 1983-02-08
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Expires: 2000-10-20
Abstract
Abstract A method of operating a high intensity discharge lamp having a pair of electrodes hermetically sealed within an arc tube, the method comprising frequency modulation of a carrier waveform in the kilohertz range to provide a variable frequency AC output, and applying the AC output across the electrodes of the lamp to thereby operate the lamp in a manner which minimizes or avoids acoustic resonance effects within the arc tube. The circuit includes an inverter having a first input provided by a DC power source and a drive input coupled to a square wave carrier generator which is frequency modulated by a ramp generator. The resulting variable frequency AC output of the inverter is then coupled across the lamp electrodes.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert P. Bonazoli
- 👤 Fredrick W. Paget
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 16:55
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B41/00; H05B41/14; H05B41/26; H05B41/28; H05B41/288; H05B41/292; H05B41/2928; Y; Y02; Y02B; Y02B20/00; Y10; Y10S; Y10S315/00; Y10S315/07
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of operating a high intensity discharge lamp having a pair of electrodes hermetically sealed within an arc tube, the method comprises frequency modulating a carrier waveform in the Kilohertz range to provide an AC output having a continuously varying frequency, and applying said AC output across the electrodes of said lamp to thereby operate said lamp in a manner which minimizes or avoids acoustic resonance effects within said arc tube.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of operating a high intensity discharge lamp having a pair of electrodes hermetically sealed within an arc tube, the method comprises frequency modulating a carrier waveform in the Kilohertz range to provide an AC output having a continuously varying frequency, and applying said AC output across the electrodes of said lamp to thereby operate said lamp in a manner which minimizes or avoids acoustic resonance effects within said arc tube.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said carrier waveform has a frequency of at least 20 kilohertz.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said carrier is approximately a squarewave.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 2 wherein said carrier waveform is frequency modulated by periodically sweeping the frequency of said carrier in the manner of a ramp function, the ramp period being in the range of 1 to 10 milliseconds with a flyback of less than 1 microsecond.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the frequency of said carrier is swept from about 20 to 30 kilohertz.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the frequency of said carrier is swept from about 25 to 50 kilohertz.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said carrier waveform is frequency modulated by periodically sweeping the frequency of said carrier in the manner of a ramp function.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
123 words
A circuit for operating a high intensity discharge lamp having a pair of electrodes sealed within an arc tube, said circuit comprising in combination: A DC power source having an output; an inverter having a DC input coupled to the output of said DC source; a generator for developing a carrier waveform in the Kilohertz range having an output coupled to drive said inverter; means for frequency modulating said carrier waveform coupled to said generator whereby said inverter is provided with an AC output continuously varying in frequency; and means for coupling said AC output of said inverter across the electrodes of said lamp to thereby operate said lamp in a manner which minimizes or avoids acoustic resonance effects within said arc tube.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
123 words
A circuit for operating a high intensity discharge lamp having a pair of electrodes sealed within an arc tube, said circuit comprising in combination: A DC power source having an output; an inverter having a DC input coupled to the output of said DC source; a generator for developing a carrier waveform in the Kilohertz range having an output coupled to drive said inverter; means for frequency modulating said carrier waveform coupled to said generator whereby said inverter is provided with an AC output continuously varying in frequency; and means for coupling said AC output of said inverter across the electrodes of said lamp to thereby operate said lamp in a manner which minimizes or avoids acoustic resonance effects within said arc tube.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The circuit of claim 8 wherein said carrier waveform has a frequency of at least 20 kilohertz.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The circuit of claim 9 wherein said carrier waveform generator is a square wave generator having a voltage controlled frequency.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The circuit of claim 10 wherein said frequency modulating means comprises a ramp generator having a voltage output coupled to said square wave generation for controlling the frequency thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
The circuit of claim 11 wherein the voltage output of said ramp generator has a ramp period in the range of 1 to 10 milliseconds with a flyback of less than 1 microsecond, and the frequency of said carrier waveform is swept from about 20 to 30 kilohertz.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The circuit of claim 11 wherein the output of said ramp generator upon application to said square wave generator is operative to sweep the frequency of said carrier from about 25 kilohertz to 50 kilohertz.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The circuit of claim 8 further including a starter circuit coupled to said lamp.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The circuit of claim 8 wherein said frequency modulating means comprises a ramp generator having a voltage output coupled to said carrier waveform generator for periodically sweeping the frequency thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE1128041B
Cited
US4060752A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-02-07 | 1986-08-09 | 1987-02-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-02-07 | 1990-08-09 | 1991-02-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-02-07 | 1994-08-09 | 1995-02-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |