JP4766633B2 - Electronic ballast - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to an electronic ballast having a function of controlling power on / off of a fluorescent lamp and suppressing power consumption by intermittently outputting an output power waveform during lighting. More specifically, The present invention relates to an improvement in control of an output power waveform when power is turned on.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As is well known, an electronic ballast can output an intermittent power output waveform as well as a continuous power output waveform with 100% output. By adjusting the pause period, for example, the output can be set to 70%, 60%, 50%, and the like. Thus, by setting the output to less than 100%, the power consumption per unit time can be reduced, resulting in energy saving. Of course, the illuminance also decreases as the power consumption decreases, but there are many practical problems even if it is somewhat dark. Furthermore, the lifetime of a fluorescent lamp can be extended by suppressing power consumption. Therefore, there is an advantage that the cycle period of replacement of the fluorescent lamp becomes longer.
[0003]
As an example of the control for switching the output described above, there is an invention disclosed in JP-A-10-172784. In the present invention, the output is switched based on ON / OFF of a power switch connected to the electronic ballast. That is, as the power switch is turned on, the electronic ballast operates to cause the fluorescent lamp to emit light. As the power switch is turned off, the electronic ballast stops outputting and turns off the fluorescent lamp. In addition to such normal control, when ON / OFF of the power switch is repeated in a short time, it is determined as an output change request, and the period of temporary stop is adjusted. For example, when switching between two steps of a continuous power waveform and an intermittent power waveform, when it is determined that the output change request described above, control is performed so that the two states described above are switched alternately.
[0004]
As described above, since a normal power switch is used, a special switch for switching is not necessary, and there is an advantage that the existing electrical equipment can be used as it is.
[0005]
Further, there is an operation condition that stores the operation condition when the light is turned off, that is, the temporary stop time, and is turned on under the stored operation condition when the light is turned off the next time the power is turned on. In this way, once the user adjusts the brightness to the desired brightness, the user can always obtain the desired brightness simply by operating the power switch ON / OFF.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the electronic ballast described above has the following problems. That is, when the power is turned on in an energy saving mode with reduced power consumption in a cold district or in an atmosphere where the room is chilled in the morning and evening, there are problems such as that it takes time until the lamp is completely lit and lighting cannot be performed.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described background, and the object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems, efficiently save energy, and can be reliably lit even in cold regions. Is to provide a vessel.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an electronic ballast according to the present invention includes an electronic ballast body and a control device that sets operating conditions of the electronic ballast body, and the control device turns on a power switch. An electronic ballast having a function of receiving a / OFF signal and controlling a pause time of a power waveform output from the electronic ballast body according to the reception status of the signal is assumed.
[0009]
Here, the ambient temperature may be the ambient temperature of the electronic ballast or the ambient temperature of the electronic ballast body. Alternatively, it may be the ambient temperature of a lighting fixture to which an electronic ballast is attached. Preference is given to the ambient temperature of the electronic ballast body.
[0010]
The pause time includes “0”, that is, continuous operation. Further, the pause time is controlled in three stages in the embodiment, but it may be two stages or four stages or more, and the pause time may be changed continuously instead of stepwise. .
[0011]
Then, the control device, depending on the ambient temperature, Ru provided with a function of determining the pause time at power-on. That is, the temporary stop time is set so that a predetermined illuminance can be obtained at room temperature (for example, 24 ° C.). If the operation is started in the energy saving mode when the ambient temperature is low, sufficient illuminance may not be obtained, and it may remain dark, or in the worst case, may not be lit. Therefore, in the present invention, the pause time when the power is turned on is determined according to the ambient temperature. Therefore, when the ambient temperature is low, the pause time is shortened regardless of the set target pause time. The desired illuminance is reached in a relatively short time. Since the electronic ballast main body has a heat source such as a regulator, for example, by continuing lighting, the ambient temperature rises and the illuminance becomes bright regardless of the room temperature.
[0012]
Here, according to the present invention, as a function when the power is turned on, the control device operates in the maximum energy saving mode in which the pause time is the longest in the control range, and the ambient temperature is low, and the controller is appropriately operated in the maximum energy saving mode. If it does not work, start operation with a pause time shorter than the maximum energy saving mode pause time according to the ambient temperature, and when the current pause time is shorter than the maximum energy saving mode pause time, As the ambient temperature rises, a function of controlling the pause time so as to approach the pause time of the maximum energy saving mode is provided. Here, the maximum energy saving mode refers to the longest set pause time. That is, although the illuminance decreases, the power consumption is minimized. In this maximum energy saving mode, a necessary and sufficient minimum illuminance is ensured.
[0013]
With this configuration, normally, regardless of the operation condition when the lamp is turned off, when the power switch is turned on and the lamp is lit, the operation is performed in the maximum energy saving mode, so that the energy saving effect is increased. And as human psychology, if the switch is operated once and the light is turned on, it is often used in its initial state without operating the switch again, and the necessary and sufficient brightness is ensured. Therefore, there is no practical problem. And in winter and cold regions, there is a risk that it will take time until it is fully lit in the maximum energy saving mode. Completed.
[0016]
Furthermore, the control device, if the current pause times shorter than the target pause time (pause time of the maximum power saving mode), with increasing ambient temperature, close the pause time to the target pause time Thus, since the ambient temperature increases when the lighting state continues, the desired illuminance can be maintained even if the pause time is extended. Thus, if desired illuminance in a short time by shortening the pause time is obtained, a longer pause time, to be the target pause time (pause time of the maximum power saving mode). At this time, the target pause time may be set at a time, or may be lengthened in steps. Thereby, the illuminance and energy saving desired by the user can be realized quickly.
[0017]
Furthermore, the ambient temperature may be a temperature within a housing in which the electronic ballast body is housed. The electronic ballast body is usually housed in a housing. Since the electronic ballast body itself also generates heat, the temperature inside the casing is higher than that outside the casing. Therefore, it is preferable to operate based on the ambient temperature in the housing.
[0018]
In the present invention, the temperature detection means (temperature sensor) is not an essential component. For example, the temperature detection unit (temperature sensor) can acquire separately detected temperature information, and can execute the above-described processes based on the acquired temperature information. It should be.
[0019]
Of course, it is preferable to attach the temperature sensor integrally because it is easy to manufacture and adjust. In this case, the type and installation position of the temperature sensor are arbitrary as long as the ambient temperature can be measured. Preferably, the temperature detecting means is installed in the same casing as the electronic ballast body. That is, as described above, the electronic ballast body is usually housed in the housing. Since the electronic ballast body itself also generates heat, the temperature inside the casing is higher than that outside the casing. Therefore, it is preferable to install a temperature sensor in the casing because the ambient temperature of the electronic ballast body can be accurately measured.
[0020]
Here, storing the temperature sensor in the housing includes not only storing the entire temperature sensor but also including a part of the temperature sensor. In this case, it is preferable that at least the temperature detection portion is arranged in the housing.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, an electronic ballast body 10 and a control device 20 are provided. The electronic ballast body 10 is inserted in series between the power switch 30 and a lighting fixture 31 such as a fluorescent lamp. The electronic ballast body 10 is connected in series with a filter 11, a rectifier 12, a power factor controller 13, a logic controller 14, and an oscillator 15 in order from the input side. A protection circuit 16 is connected between the logic controller 14 and the oscillator 15. The logic controller 14 controls the output voltage of the power factor controller 13 based on the dimming instruction given from the control device 20, and the continuous output waveform as shown in FIG. ) And (c) function to output an intermittent output waveform. As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 2B and 2C, the power consumption and the illuminance can be changed by changing the pause times T1 and T2. Naturally, the longer the pause time, the lower the power consumption and the lower the illuminance. In addition, since the function of each processing unit is the same as the conventional one, detailed description thereof is omitted.
[0022]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, two types of intermittent output waveforms are prepared by changing the pause time. Thereby, three steps of dimming are possible: 68 W high mode (H), 58 W medium mode (M), and 48 W energy saving mode (L). If the medium mode is also regarded as the energy saving mode, the 48 W energy saving mode is the maximum energy saving mode in this embodiment.
[0023]
This mode switching is performed based on the ON / OFF signal from the power switch 30 as in JP-A-10-172784. That is, when “OFF” and “ON” are performed within a certain time (for example, 2 seconds) in the lighting state, it is determined as a mode switching command. Further, in this embodiment, when power is turned on, the light is turned on in the energy saving mode (L), and when the mode switching command is received by performing “OFF” → “ON” within 2 seconds, the medium mode (M) → Switches in the order of high mode (H). When a mode switching command is received in the high mode (H), the mode is switched to the energy saving mode (L). That is, it starts from a mode with low power consumption, sequentially shifts to a mode with high power consumption, and returns to the mode with minimum power consumption again.
[0024]
This determination and the dimming instruction to the logic controller 14 are performed by the control device 20. That is, the control device 20 has a mode storage unit that stores the current mode. The mode storage unit is volatile, and the stored mode is erased when the power is turned off. Then, the ON / OFF state of the power switch 30 is monitored. Actually, the determination is made based on whether or not a voltage is applied.
[0025]
As a result of the monitoring, if the power switch 30 is operated from “OFF” to “ON” within a certain time, the current mode stored in the mode storage unit is acquired, and the switching rule described above is obtained. Then, the next mode is determined, and a dimming instruction to be operated in the determined mode is output.
[0026]
In the example shown in the figure, the output of the power switch 30 (commercial power) is written as it is, but this indicates that the “ON / OFF” state is one of the input information. Are described for convenience. That is, since the control device 20 is composed of a CPU or the like, an input signal of a predetermined level is generated and given by various methods such as smoothing, stepping down, or extracting a separate signal. The monitoring position is not limited to immediately after the power switch 30.
[0027]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, a temperature sensor 32 is provided, and the output of the temperature sensor 32 is given to the control device 20. The temperature sensor 32 is mounted in the same housing as the electronic ballast body 10, but may be provided outside. Then, when the ambient temperature is low, the control device 20 operates in the high mode regardless of the set mode, reliably turns on, and controls the desired brightness in a short time. Normally, if the lighting continues, the ambient temperature increases due to the heat generated by the electronic ballast body 10 itself. Therefore, the control at the low temperature is performed when the power is turned on.
[0028]
That is, FIG. 3 shows an example of the correlation between the illuminance and the temperature when operating in each mode. Here, the lower part of the illuminance at each temperature of 0 ° C. or higher is the ratio when 93.7 lux is set as 100%. The power consumption when the illuminance is 100% is 47.3 W in the energy saving mode (L). This is the power consumption at 20 ° C., and when it reaches 24 ° C., it is 48 W as described above. become. The same applies to other modes.
[0029]
As is clear from the figure, the lower the temperature, the lower the illuminance. Even with the same illuminance, the lower the temperature, the higher the power consumption. That is, for example, in the energy saving mode (L) at 15 ° C., the illuminance is 80.8% and the power consumption is 44.9 W, but the medium mode (M) can obtain almost the same illuminance at 10 ° C. Then, it took 49.0W at 79.8%. Of course, the high mode is brightest at the same temperature. Furthermore, the higher the power consumption, the greater the amount of heat generated, and the ambient temperature can be raised in a short time.
[0030]
Therefore, for example, when focusing on the temperature of 0 ° C., the illuminance is as dark as 29.5% in the energy saving mode (L), the brightness required for illumination cannot be obtained, and the power consumption is as low as 39.0 W. The ascending curve also becomes gentle. On the other hand, in the high mode (H), the illuminance has already reached nearly 47.7%, and the power consumption is as high as 50.9W. Therefore, the temperature rise curve becomes steep and the temperature rises in a short time. When the temperature increases in this way, sufficient brightness can be obtained in any mode as is apparent from the figure.
[0031]
Therefore, when the temperature is low, the system is operated in the high mode. For example, if the illuminance rises to 10 ° C (12.5 ° C for safety) exceeding 100%, the operation is switched to the medium mode that is one step lower. Let In the case of such a temperature, although the illuminance once decreases due to the mode switching, the power consumption is about 50%, so that the temperature is further increased and the illuminance also increases. Even in the medium mode, if the illuminance rises to 15 ° C. (17.5 ° C. for safety) exceeding 100%, the mode is switched to the energy saving mode. By performing such processing, the temperature can be increased in a short time and the mode can be shifted to the energy saving mode. Moreover, it can be lit relatively brightly immediately after the power is turned on.
[0032]
And the concrete function of the control apparatus 20 for performing the above-mentioned process is as the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, FIG. That is, when the power is turned on (ST1), the ambient temperature is acquired from the output of the temperature sensor 32, and it is determined whether or not the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than a threshold value (ST2). Whether or not the power is turned on is determined to be turned on when the elapsed time from the previous power-off has exceeded a predetermined time. Specifically, as will be described later, even when the power is turned off, the CPU operates for a certain period due to an off delay or the like. Therefore, when the off-delay time has elapsed and power is supplied when the CPU, that is, the control device 20 itself is stopped, it is determined that the power is turned on. Moreover, as a threshold value, 0 degreeC etc. can be set, for example.
[0033]
If the ambient temperature is higher than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 3 to perform normal operation. In other words, the logic controller 14 is instructed in the energy saving mode as a dimming instruction, and the “energy saving mode” that is the current operation mode is stored in the mode storage unit (ST3, ST4).
[0034]
Then, it waits for the power switch 30 to be turned off (ST5). When the power switch 30 is turned off, a timer is started to determine whether or not the power switch 30 is turned on until the time is up (2 seconds have passed) (ST6, ST7). If the time is up, the process ends. That is, the illumination is turned off.
[0035]
On the other hand, if the power switch is turned on before the time is up, the process proceeds to step 8 to acquire the current mode. Then, the next mode is determined in accordance with the mode switching rule (in order of L → M → H, and after H is returned to L) (ST9). Since the energy saving mode (L) is started first, the medium mode (M) is set next. Next, the determined mode is instructed to the logic controller 14 as a dimming instruction (ST10).
[0036]
Thereafter, the process returns to step 4 to store the designated mode in the mode storage unit. Thereafter, the above process is repeatedly executed to perform dimming according to the operation of the power switch 30.
[0037]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step 2 that the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than the threshold value, the process jumps to step 11 to instruct the logic controller 14 in the high mode as a dimming instruction. Then, the ambient temperature is monitored to wait for the first reference temperature (for example, 12.5 ° C.) to be exceeded (ST12). When the temperature is equal to or higher than the first reference temperature, the medium controller is instructed as a dimming instruction to the logic controller 14 (ST13).
[0038]
Next, the ambient temperature is monitored, and it is waited for the second reference temperature (for example, 17.5 ° C.) to be exceeded (ST14). When the temperature is equal to or higher than the second reference temperature, the process returns to step 3 to shift to a normal operation. That is, the energy controller mode is instructed as a dimming instruction to the logic controller 14. The subsequent processing is the same as described above.
[0039]
6 and 7 show the main part of the second embodiment of the present invention. That is, in the first embodiment described above, the power saving mode is started when the power is turned on. However, in this embodiment, the mode when the power is turned off is stored, and the operation is started in the stored mode. I am doing so.
[0040]
Specifically, a nonvolatile memory is used as the mode storage unit, or power supply is continued to the mode storage unit even after the light is turned off. The functions of the control device 20 are as shown in the flowcharts of FIGS.
[0041]
That is, if the power is turned on, the mode storage unit is accessed to acquire the stored mode, that is, the mode that was operating when the light was turned off (ST20, ST21). Next, it is determined whether or not the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than a threshold value (ST22). The threshold value used as the determination criterion may be set according to the current mode, for example, but in the present embodiment, a constant value is set according to the energy saving mode as in the first embodiment. That is, if the current mode is the high mode and the current ambient temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold for the high mode, the result is No in step 22 and the control shifts to the normal control. If it is switched to the energy saving mode by operating, the user will remain in the energy saving mode unless the user switches to the high mode again. Therefore, when the temperature is lower than the temperature that can be operated in the energy saving mode, the control is not shifted to the normal control.
[0042]
On the other hand, if the ambient temperature is higher than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step 23, and the current mode acquired as the dimming instruction is instructed to the logic controller 14 (ST23). Thereafter, as in the first embodiment described above, it is determined whether or not “OFF” and “ON” switch operations have been performed within a certain time (ST24 to ST26). A dimming instruction for switching is given to the logic controller 14, and the designated mode is stored in the mode memory (ST27 to ST30).
[0043]
On the other hand, if the ambient temperature at power-on is less than or equal to the threshold value, the process jumps to step 31 to instruct the logic controller 14 in the high mode as a dimming instruction. Then, the ambient temperature is monitored to wait for the first reference temperature (for example, 12.5 ° C.) to be exceeded (ST32). And when it becomes more than 1st reference temperature, the mode stored in the mode memory | storage part will be acquired and it will be judged whether it is a high mode (ST33). If the mode is not the high mode, the medium controller is instructed to the logic controller 14 as the dimming instruction (ST34).
[0044]
Next, the ambient temperature is monitored, and it is waited for the second reference temperature (for example, 17.5 ° C.) to be exceeded (ST35). If the mode stored in the mode storage unit is the high mode, it waits for the second reference temperature (for example, 17.5 ° C.) to be exceeded without switching the mode (ST35). And when it becomes more than 2nd reference temperature, it will return to step 23 and will transfer to a normal operation | movement. That is, it instructs the logic controller 14 the current mode stored in the mode storage unit as a dimming instruction. The subsequent processing is the same as described above.
[0045]
It should be noted that the electronic ballast of the present invention may be one in which one electronic ballast is connected to one power switch 30, or, as shown in FIG. It is also possible to connect the device 40 and adjust a number of lighting fixtures 31 at the same time based on a dimming instruction given from the power switch 30 to perform dimming control all at once.
[0046]
In addition, in the above-described embodiment, switching is performed in three stages, but the present invention is not limited to this, and arbitrary switching is possible. Furthermore, the wattage at the time of switching is also arbitrary.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the electronic ballast according to the present invention, the output signal from the temperature sensor is received, and when the temperature is low, the pause time is shortened. But it can be lit reliably.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an electronic ballast according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a logic controller.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operating principle of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a part of a flowchart illustrating functions of the control device.
FIG. 5 is a part of a flowchart illustrating functions of the control device.
FIG. 6 is a part of a flowchart illustrating functions of a control device that is a main part of the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a part of a flowchart illustrating functions of a control device that is a main part of the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating simultaneous dimming control using the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electronic ballast body 11 Filter 12 Rectifier 13 Power factor controller 14 Logic controller 15 Oscillator 16 Protection circuit 20 Control device 30 Power switch 31 Lighting fixture 32 Temperature sensor 40 Electronic ballast

Claims (2)

An electronic ballast body, and a control device for setting the operating conditions of the electronic ballast body,
The control device is an electronic ballast having a function of receiving an ON / OFF signal of a power switch and controlling a suspension time of a power waveform output from the electronic ballast body according to the reception status of the signal. There,
The control device operates as a power- on function in the maximum energy saving mode in which the pause time is the longest within the control range, and when the ambient temperature is low and does not operate properly in the maximum energy saving mode, When the operation is started with a pause time shorter than the pause time of the maximum energy saving mode according to the ambient temperature, and the current pause time is shorter than the pause time of the maximum energy saving mode, the ambient temperature increases. In addition, an electronic ballast comprising a function of controlling the pause time so as to approach the pause time of the maximum energy saving mode .   The electronic ballast according to claim 1, wherein the ambient temperature is a temperature inside a housing in which the electronic ballast body is housed.

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