Patent US4486691A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4486691A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Sequential capacitive discharge circuit for flash lamps
Assignee: MIL-SYS Corp
•
Filing: 1982-08-06
•
Granted: 1984-12-04
•
Expires: 2002-08-06
Abstract
Abstract A method of reliably operating flashlamps with most of the stored energy charged to a voltage below the minimum specified electrode voltage is also disclosed. The flashlamp discharge control method allows reliable operation of the same variable voltage energy storage capacitors with more than a ten-to-one selectable variation of lamp Effective Candella Power for visual signalling. The disclosed dynamic impedance matching method matches the energy storage capacitors to the lamp after the three terminal flashlamp is triggered to its manufacturers' specified "on" state in the conventional fashion. When the lamp's main discharge voltage becomes lower than the voltage of the more principal energy storage capacitors, discharge of those capacitors is begun, usually through a semi-conductor rectifier operated within its integrated limits. The more principal energy storage capacitors may be charged with constant energy rather than at constant voltage, so that, for a constant Effective Candella Power, varying capacitances such as are found in electrolytic capacitors may be used with significant savings in size, weight and cost.
Inventors
- 👤 William C. Beggs
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 15:54
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B41/00; H05B41/14; H05B41/16; H05B41/18; H05B41/19; H05B41/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
232 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium, comprising, in combination, an energy storage circuit adapted to store all of the energy to be transferred into said arc during one cycle thereof, including a first capacitive means coupled directly across said electrode means and adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficiently high to condition said arc for striking thereof and a second capacitive means and rectifier means in series directly across said electrodes and adapted to store electrical energy at a lower potential for sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy and for a predetermined duration, means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage circuit into the arc, and a charging circuit for said second capacitive means including reactance means for receiving fixed and successive increments of energy during each discharge cycle of the arc, means for successively transferring said increments of energy from said reactance element to said second capacitive means between successive activations of said arc so that the total amount of energy received by said second capacitive means during each arc cycle is an accumulation of said increments of energy developed on said reactance means; and controlled switching means for controlling the number of said increments of energy received by said reactance means during each arc cycle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
232 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium, comprising, in combination, an energy storage circuit adapted to store all of the energy to be transferred into said arc during one cycle thereof, including a first capacitive means coupled directly across said electrode means and adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficiently high to condition said arc for striking thereof and a second capacitive means and rectifier means in series directly across said electrodes and adapted to store electrical energy at a lower potential for sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy and for a predetermined duration, means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage circuit into the arc, and a charging circuit for said second capacitive means including reactance means for receiving fixed and successive increments of energy during each discharge cycle of the arc, means for successively transferring said increments of energy from said reactance element to said second capacitive means between successive activations of said arc so that the total amount of energy received by said second capacitive means during each arc cycle is an accumulation of said increments of energy developed on said reactance means; and controlled switching means for controlling the number of said increments of energy received by said reactance means during each arc cycle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
53 words
A circuit according to claim 1 for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium wherein said reactance means includes capacitors adapted to successively receive their maximum charge content to define said increments of energy to be transferred.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
109 words
A circuit according to claim 1 for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaeseous medium wherein said reactance means includes at least one foil-and-film capacitor and said second capacitive means includes at least one electrolytic capacitor selectively coupled to said foil-and-film capacitor, said foil-and-film capacitor being adapted to repetitively receive its full charge content and then discharge that content into said electrolytic capacitance between successive arcs, the charge of said electrolytic capacitance at the initiation of said arc being directly proportional to the number of charge-discharge cycles of said foil-and-film capacitance between successive arcs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
76 words
A circuit according to claim 1 for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium wherein said controlled switching means is adjustable so that the number of increments of energy transferred to said second capacitive means through said reactance means during each arc cycle may be varied so that the intensity of the arc occurring across said electrodes is correspondingly varied.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
228 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium, comprising, in combination, an energy storage circuit adapated to store all of the energy to be transferred into said arc during one cycle thereof, including a first capacitive means coupled directly across said electrode means and adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficiently high to condition said arc for striking thereof and a second capacitive means and rectifier means in series directly across said electrodes and adapted to store electrical energy at a lower potential for sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy and for a predetermined duration, means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage circuit into the arc, and a charging circuit for developing a controlled amount of charge in said second capacitive means between successively occuring arcs, said charging circuit including an AC source, reactance means adapted to receive a substantially fixed increment of energy during each cycle of said AC source, means for controlling the transfer of said fixed increment of energy from said reactance means to said second capacitive means during each cycle of said AC source, and controlled switching means for controlling the number of cycles of the AC source for which said increments of energy are transferred between successively occuring arcs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
228 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium, comprising, in combination, an energy storage circuit adapated to store all of the energy to be transferred into said arc during one cycle thereof, including a first capacitive means coupled directly across said electrode means and adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficiently high to condition said arc for striking thereof and a second capacitive means and rectifier means in series directly across said electrodes and adapted to store electrical energy at a lower potential for sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy and for a predetermined duration, means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage circuit into the arc, and a charging circuit for developing a controlled amount of charge in said second capacitive means between successively occuring arcs, said charging circuit including an AC source, reactance means adapted to receive a substantially fixed increment of energy during each cycle of said AC source, means for controlling the transfer of said fixed increment of energy from said reactance means to said second capacitive means during each cycle of said AC source, and controlled switching means for controlling the number of cycles of the AC source for which said increments of energy are transferred between successively occuring arcs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
191 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium in repetitive arc cycles, comprising first and second capacitive storage means coupled to said electrodes and adapted to store all of the energy to be transferred into said arc during each arc cycle, said first capacitive means being adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficiently high to condition said arc for striking thereof, said second capacitive means being adapted to store electrical energy at a lower potential for sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy and for a predetermined duration during each arc cycle, means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage means into said arc, and a charging circuit for said second capacitive means comprising a source of energy in repetitive cycles operating at a frequency at least an order of magnitude greater than the repetition rate of said arc, and means for repetitively transferring fixed increments of said energy from said source to said second capacitive means during a predetermined portion of each arc cycle between successive arc discharges.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
191 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined amount of energy to create an electrical arc across a pair of electrodes in a gaseous medium in repetitive arc cycles, comprising first and second capacitive storage means coupled to said electrodes and adapted to store all of the energy to be transferred into said arc during each arc cycle, said first capacitive means being adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficiently high to condition said arc for striking thereof, said second capacitive means being adapted to store electrical energy at a lower potential for sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy and for a predetermined duration during each arc cycle, means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage means into said arc, and a charging circuit for said second capacitive means comprising a source of energy in repetitive cycles operating at a frequency at least an order of magnitude greater than the repetition rate of said arc, and means for repetitively transferring fixed increments of said energy from said source to said second capacitive means during a predetermined portion of each arc cycle between successive arc discharges.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
The circuit according to claim 6 wherein said energy transferring means of the charging circuit includes a reactance element which is repetitively charged to its full energy content and then discharged into said second capacitive means in a plurality of cycles of said energy source between successive arcs.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The circuit of claim 7 wherein said reactance element is a foil-and-film capacitor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
27 words
The circuit of claim 7 wherein said reactance element is repetitively charged and discharged into said second capacitive means at least fifteen times between successive arc discharges.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
180 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined precise amount of charge to create an electrical arc, comprising: electrode means providing an arc path for dissipating said predetermined amount of energy, a storage circuit adapted to store all of the energy to be discharged into said arc, including a first capacitive means coupled directly across said electrode means and adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficient to condition said electrode means for creating an arc and a second capacitive means and a rectifier means coupled in series directly across said electrode means and adapted to store additional electrical energy at least one lower potential for transfer to said arc when the potential across said first capacitive means falls below said lower potential, thus sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy for a predetermined short duration, and means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage circuit means into the arc, wherein said second capacitive means includes a plurality of capacitors at different capacitances and successively lower initial voltages for sustaining said arc at successively lower voltages.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
180 words
A circuit for controlling the transfer of a predetermined precise amount of charge to create an electrical arc, comprising: electrode means providing an arc path for dissipating said predetermined amount of energy, a storage circuit adapted to store all of the energy to be discharged into said arc, including a first capacitive means coupled directly across said electrode means and adapted to store electrical energy at a potential sufficient to condition said electrode means for creating an arc and a second capacitive means and a rectifier means coupled in series directly across said electrode means and adapted to store additional electrical energy at least one lower potential for transfer to said arc when the potential across said first capacitive means falls below said lower potential, thus sustaining said arc at a predetermined energy for a predetermined short duration, and means for initiating the flow of energy from the storage circuit means into the arc, wherein said second capacitive means includes a plurality of capacitors at different capacitances and successively lower initial voltages for sustaining said arc at successively lower voltages.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-12-04 | 1988-06-04 | 1988-12-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-12-04 | 1992-06-04 | 1992-12-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-12-04 | 1996-06-04 | 1996-12-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |