Patent US4532456A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4532456A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Output circuit for an electronic ballast system

Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc
•
Filing: 1984-08-31
•
Granted: 1985-07-30
•
Expires: 2004-08-31
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract The above and other objects, advantages and capabilities are achieved in one aspect of the invention by an output circuit for an electronic ballast system. The circuit includes N sets of output connections for accepting N lamps. The lamps are driven by an output autotransformer coupled to the lamps through a feedback winding that is used to apply a feedback signal to an inverter drive circuit. Capacitive impedances are coupled across the lamps so that the capacitances, the lamp filaments, the feedback winding, and the output transformer form a circuit loop. The capacitances are chosen to have an impedance, at the inverter operating frequency, less than the pre-ignition impedance of the lamps and greater than the post-ignition impedance.

Inventors

  • 👤 William C. Knoll
  • 👤 David L. Bay

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 14:36
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B41/00; H05B41/14; H05B41/26; H05B41/28; H05B41/282; H05B41/2825; H02; H02M; H02M7/00; H02M7/42; H02M7/44; H02M7/48; H02M7/53; H02M7/537; H02M7/5383; H02M7/53832; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S315/00; Y10S315/07

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 138 words
An electronic ballast circuit having a high frequency push-pull inverter and an output circuit, said inverter providing an oscillatory drive signal to said output circuit and said output circuit including an interstage transformer with series-connected primary and secondary windings and a center tap coupled by a series-connected inductor and parallel-connected resistor and capacitor to said inverter, a feedback network having a winding in series connection with said primary and secondary windings of said interstage transformer and coupled to said inverter, a set of first, second, third and fourth terminals formed for connection to a discharge lamp with said first and fourth terminals coupled to said primary winding of said interstage transformer and said winding of said feedback network respectively, and an impedance element coupled to said second and third terminals to provide an impedance shunting said discharge lamp.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 138 words
An electronic ballast circuit having a high frequency push-pull inverter and an output circuit, said inverter providing an oscillatory drive signal to said output circuit and said output circuit including an interstage transformer with series-connected primary and secondary windings and a center tap coupled by a series-connected inductor and parallel-connected resistor and capacitor to said inverter, a feedback network having a winding in series connection with said primary and secondary windings of said interstage transformer and coupled to said inverter, a set of first, second, third and fourth terminals formed for connection to a discharge lamp with said first and fourth terminals coupled to said primary winding of said interstage transformer and said winding of said feedback network respectively, and an impedance element coupled to said second and third terminals to provide an impedance shunting said discharge lamp.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 18 words
The electronic ballast circuit of claim 1 wherein said impedance element is in the form of a capacitor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 42 words
The electronic ballast circuit of claim 1 wherein said impedance element provides an impedance less than the impedance presented by an associated discharge lamp prior to lamp ignition and greater than the impedance presented by said discharge lamp subsequent to lamp ignition.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2291355A Cited
US3080503A Cited
US3753071A Cited
US3778677A Cited
US4109307A Cited
US4188661A Cited
US4259614A Cited
US4353010A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1988-07-29 1989-01-28 1989-07-30 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1992-07-29 1993-01-28 1993-07-30 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1996-07-29 1997-01-28 1997-07-30 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag