JP2651764B2 - Electronic switching device for controlling the brightness of gas discharge lamps - Google Patents

Abstract

A method and device for controlling gas discharge lamps having electronic ballasts uses a bistable changeover switching system in the circuit such that the bistable changeover switching system moves into a first switching state when the lamp is switched on and moves into a second switching state in the event of a short interruption in the circuit for supplying power to the lamp. In this way, it is possible to reduce the brightness of the lamp from a first brightness level to a second, lower brightness level. Such a "dimmer" is used in fluorescent lamps. <IMAGE>

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic switching device for controlling the brightness of a gas discharge lamp having front electronics .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Gas discharge lamps with front electronics have the advantage that less current is required when compared with conventional incandescent lamps when the brightness is the same. An example is that the same brightness is obtained with a current consumption of about 20% in the case of fluorescent lamps.

In many cases, so-called "light intensity adjusters" are additionally used to suppress the brightness of the lamp.
This is used not only to save energy, but also to reduce the illumination at night, for example.

[0004]

Such a "light intensity adder" is problematic in that it is costly and requires additional equipment, especially when it is additionally provided in an existing lighting system. . It is therefore an object of the present invention to be able to select a suppressed illuminance in a simple way besides the maximum illuminance.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a bistable switching system (flip-flop) is provided in a current circuit, and the bistable switching system switches on a lamp. To the first switching state,
The second switching state is reached when the current circuit is interrupted for a short time, and 2 times immediately when the current circuit is interrupted for a short time.
The switching between the two switching states is performed.

According to the invention, the two switching states correspond to different lamp currents and thus different brightness values.
If the current is interrupted for a long time, for example for more than 1 second, the bistable switching system returns to its original state. Such a flip-flop system has the advantage that it can be installed in front electronics in a simple manner.

Normally, a large illuminance is preferred at the time of turning on. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is desirable that the current value is always maximum at the time of turning on, and that the suppression of the illuminance can be obtained only by interrupting the current for a short time.

In some cases, various suppressed current values are often preferred. Therefore, according to the present invention,
A control element capable of setting a suppressed current value is provided. From a saving point of view, it is also preferred that the bistable switching system controls a plurality of front electronics in groups.

[0009] In larger devices, it may be desirable in front-end electronics, possibly controlled in groups, to allow the suppressed current values to be set individually or in groups by means of control elements.

In order to eliminate the need to turn off the lamp for a short time when transitioning to another switching state, according to the invention, a short-time switch, for example in the form of a push button, is also put into the circuit, and this switches the lamp on. A device is proposed in which the bistable switching system is interrupted for the shortest time possible without quenching.

The objects of the invention derive not only from the subject matter of the individual claims but also from the combinations of the individual claims. Abstracts / Published data and materials containing features, particularly the designs shown in the drawings, are not material to the invention as long as they are novel, alone or in combination, in view of known technology when combined. Claimed to be.

[0012]

In constructed equipment as [action] above, act to correspond to two switching states different lamp current and therefore different brightness of the bistable switching system.

[0013]

FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention. The gas discharge lamp 1 is connected to the power sources R 1 , S via the front electronics 2. And between these,
A bistable switching system 6 and an illumination switch 8 for turning on the lamp 1 are provided. When the switch 8 is first turned on and then briefly opened, the above bistable switching system:
It switches from its first switching position to the second switching position and thus controls the lamp current flowing through the lamp 1 via the front electronics 2.

In order to avoid or at least suppress an undesired interruption of the lighting, the circuit R is provided with a short-term interruption device in the form of a button 13 and this device has, for example, the form of a push button. Can be done. When this button 13 is pressed, the current is interrupted on the order of milliseconds. That is, it is interrupted for a time short enough to avoid unpleasant extinguishing of the lamp 1 but long enough to trip the bistable switching system 6.

A control element 10 is provided for setting the illuminance of the lamp 1 to a low value, and this allows the lamp current to be reduced as desired in a "light adder" manner.

FIG. 2 shows a group arrangement with, for example, three lamps 1 and this is a combination of front electronics 3, 4 and 5
Powered by The bistable switching system 7 covers all three front electronics 3, 4 and 5, while
For the front electronic device 3, a separate control element 11 is provided for setting the illuminance.

In contrast, the control element 12 covers the front electronics 4 and 5 as a group. 2 above
The two arrangements can of course be varied arbitrarily, but this is especially true, for example, in that the bistable switching system 6, 7 is integrated into the front electronics 2, 3, 4, 5, or one of them. Where applicable.

The control elements 10, 11, 12 can also be integrated in the front electronics.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the bistable switching system described in FIGS.
8 is shown. This embodiment shows the principle of operation of the switching system 6, 7 to the front electronics 27 with a stray field transformer 30.

It should be understood that this embodiment is provided by way of example only. That is, it is understood that, according to modern technology, the entire front electronics 27 is replaced by a suitable capacitive element connected to a solid state switch, and thus the present invention provides a stray field transformer 30. It applies not only to the front electronics 27, but also to any kind of front electronics irrespective of its individual structure.

Reference numeral 21 designates a lighting casing having a translucent closing plate 22. The casing is provided with a fluorescent lamp 23 having preheatable electrodes 24, 25 and a reflector 26. This lamp 23 is connected to the wiring via the front electronic device 27 and the switch 39.

To turn on the fluorescent lamp 23 whose illuminance is suppressed, a coil 29 inserted in a current circuit of the lamp is used. In the case of newly established is within an illumination casing, secondary heating windings 33 and 34 as well as stray electric fields for the primary winding 31,2 winding 32 and the lamp electrodes 24, 25 for the lamp 23 stray field transformer 30 having a winding 29 provided on the secondary winding in series with the transformer 30 is provided et the.

The winding of the stray field transformer 30 is provided in the covered core, and, in this case, the primary winding 31 and the winding connected to the input terminal _E 1, _{E 2} 32,3
Leakage current paths 36 and 37 are provided between the first and second current paths 3 and 34. Terminal of the heating coil 33 is connected from the terminal _{H 1} to _{H 4,} and these terminals themselves are connected to the fluorescent lamp electrodes 24 and 25 by conductors. It is desirable to provide a power plug 28 for electrical wiring to the lighting casing.

In particular, winding 29 is a secondary winding 32 for the lamp.
And the terminals of the heating windings, and
Over-bridge can be performed by the switch 38. The winding 29 is designed as a choke 41 with a covered magnet core, and
7 is desirable. In this case the end of the winding of Chi ® over click 41 is connected to the terminal S _1, S _2. End of the secondary winding of the further stray field transformer 30 to the terminal S ₁ is also the terminal S ₂ ends of the heating winding 33 are respectively connected through the terminal H _3. A switch 28 mounted on the lighting casing is closed to maintain maximum brightness,
Therefore, the inductance 29 is overbridged.

When the plug 28 is inserted into the energized socket and the switch 39 is turned on, the lamp electrodes 24, 25 are significantly preheated. After the fluorescent lamp 23 is sufficiently preheated, it is automatically ignited by the stray field transformer. In this case, the time required for preheating depends on the outside air temperature at that time. After the ignition of the lamp, the heating current decreases. When the lamp is lit at maximum brightness, the heating current is reduced to the extent that the life of the lamp is not compromised.
When the brightness is suppressed, the preheating automatically rises again, so that the electrodes are sufficiently heated even during lighting with a small load.

It is reiterated that the system of the embodiment of FIG. 3, previously described as a bistable switching system 6, 7, is symbolized by a single switch. The above-described device can be arbitrarily modified in terms of circuit technology as long as its purpose is achieved.

It is particularly important to use the ideas of the present invention in fluorescent lamps. This is because fluorescent lamps usually cannot be controlled in their illuminance by "light adders" or similar measures.

[0028]

As described above, according to the present invention, with the extremely simple structure of providing the bistable switching system,
There is an effect that the lamp can be switched to different brightness according to the two switching states.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention arranged in a group.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a third embodiment of the present invention together with detailed data.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Gas discharge lamp 3 Front electronic device 4 Front electronic device 5 Front electronic device 6 Switching system 7 Bistable switching system 8 Switch 10 Control element 11 Control element 12 Control element 13 Short interruption device 21 Lighting casing 22 Closing plate 23 Fluorescent lamp 24 electrode 25 electrode 26 reflector 27 front electronic device 28 power plug 29 winding 30 stray electric field transformer 31 primary winding 32 secondary winding 33 secondary heating winding 34 secondary heating winding 36 leakage current path 37 Leakage current path 38 switch 39 switch 41 choke

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. An on / off switch and a front electronic device
At least one gas discharge connected to a current source via
An electronic switching device for controlling the brightness of a lamp, wherein the current source is supplied for a short time without turning off the gas discharge lamp.
Interrupting device for providing an interruption, reducing the level of current supplied to the gas discharge lamp
Device and a bistable switch having a first switching state and a second switching state
A bistable switching system is provided,
The gas discharge lamp in response to the
Gas discharge lamp when the on / off switch is in the on position
Said first cutoff corresponding to a first current level supplied to
The current supplied by the interruption device
Current level lowering device when short interruption is detected
And supplied to the gas discharge lamp
State to the second switching state corresponding to the second current level.
And this bistable switching system
Each time a short interruption of flow is sensed, the first state
Characterized by switching between state and second state
Switching device for controlling the brightness of a gas discharge lamp
Place . 2. The electronic device for controlling the brightness of a gas discharge lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the bistable switching system returns to its original state when the current is interrupted for a long time, for example for more than one second.
Switching device . 3. The bistable switching system 6 comprises a front electronic device 2.
3. The gas according to claim 1 , wherein the gas is a part of
An electronic switching device that controls the brightness of the discharge lamp . 4. As always the maximum current flowing during lighting
Any one moth of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the
An electronic switching device that controls the brightness of the discharge lamp . 5. One of the bistable switching system 7 according to claim 1 to 4 of any one of the gas discharge lamp and controlling the plurality of pre置電Ko devices 3, 4, 5 groups form
An electronic switching device that controls the brightness of the camera . 6. When a plurality of front electronic devices are controlled in a group, the suppressed current value is controlled by the control element 1.
1,12 sole or be set to a group like any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it
An electronic switching device that controls the brightness of a gas discharge lamp . 7. An electronic switching device for controlling the brightness of any one of the gas discharge lamp of claims 1 to 6 in a short time disconnection device 13 is characterized in that provided in the current circuit.