Patrick E Troy

US Patent:

56169906, Apr 1, 1997

Filed:

Aug 23, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/518405

Inventors:

Glenn D. Garbowicz - Rosemont IL
Patrick E. Troy - Chicago IL
Janis L. Wetterich - Newark IL

Assignee:

Philips Electronics North America Corporation - New York NY

International Classification:

H05B 3700

US Classification:

315103

Abstract:

A ballast for powering a fluorescent lamp with filaments requiring preheating. Control circuitry within the ballast delays an ignitor from being turned on until the filaments have been sufficiently preheated. The control circuitry is isolated and thereby protected from the high voltage pulses of the ignitor by an optocoupler. A SIDAC employed in the generation of the high voltage pulses is not relied upon for sensing full arc discharge of the lamp. The breakover voltage of the SIDAC can therefore be set at a much lower than conventional level resulting in the generation of more high voltage pulses over a prefixed period of time.

US Patent:

53270487, Jul 5, 1994

Filed:

Feb 26, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/023534

Inventors:

Patrick E. Troy - Chicago IL

Assignee:

North American Philips Corporation - New York NY

International Classification:

H05B 4142

US Classification:

315240

Abstract:

A bi-level control system includes a plurality of slave units, each for connection to a respective ballast and HID lamp of a plurality of HID lighting fixtures, and a common control unit. Each slave unit includes a switched capacitor and a slave relay which has one input connectable to a common line of an AC power supply branch circuit powering the fixtures and another input adapted for receiving a line voltage signal. The control unit includes an output connected to the control inputs of each of the slave units by a single control line and switchably connected to line voltage. Dimming of the HID lamp is accomplished by switching line voltage to the output of the control unit which causes the slave relay to switch the slave capacitor into circuit with the HID lamp and ballast. Use of a single control line connecting each of the slave units to the control unit greatly reduces wiring over known systems. The control unit is also adapted to receive a control input from a sensor via a single input line, further reducing wiring.