Patents by Inventor Frans Slegers

Frans Slegers has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8110998
    Abstract: An ignition circuit for igniting a gas discharge lamp generates a high voltage gas breakdown pulse by building up a current through a primary winding of a transformer. After a predetermined period and thus when a predetermined current flows through the primary winding, a capacitance is switched in series with said primary winding, thereby generating said high voltage gas breakdown pulse in a secondary winding of said transformer. After generating the high voltage pulse, the capacitance is short-circuited in order to preserve energy in the primary winding. The preserved energy is employed to build up energy again for a next high voltage pulse in a short time. At a high repetition rate and high voltage of the generated pulses, the ignition circuit according to the present invention is also suitable for driving the gas discharge lamp during a take-over period following the gas breakdown of the lamp for heating the lamp electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Frans Slegers, Christofher Daniel Charles Hooijer, Thijs Oosterbaan, Johannis Antonie Amerens Toonen
  • Publication number: 20080093996
    Abstract: An ignition circuit for igniting a gas discharge lamp generates a high voltage gas breakdown pulse by building up a current through a primary winding of a transformer. After a predetermined period and thus when a predetermined current flows through the primary winding, a capacitance is switched in series with said primary winding, thereby generating said high voltage gas breakdown pulse in a secondary winding of said transformer. After generating the high voltage pulse, the capacitance is short-circuited in order to preserve energy in the primary winding. The preserved energy is employed to build up energy again for a next high voltage pulse in a short time. At a high repetition rate and high voltage of the generated pulses, the ignition circuit according to the present invention is also suitable for driving the gas discharge lamp during a take-over period following the gas breakdown of the lamp for heating the lamp electrodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.
    Inventors: Frans Slegers, Christofher Daniel Charles Hooijer, Thijs Oosterbaan, Johannis Antonie Amerens Toonen
  • Patent number: 6646392
    Abstract: During stationary operation a circuit arrangement for operating a high-pressure discharge lamp supplies a direct current to the lamp which is commutated at a low-frequency. During take-over, between ignition and stationary operation, a high frequency current is supplied to the lamp after each commutation during a time interval that is shorter than half a cycle of the commutation. By supplying the lamp in this way, it forms a smaller load during take-over, so that the requirements that the circuit arrangement has to meet are less severe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Frans Slegers
  • Publication number: 20030151377
    Abstract: During stationary operation a circuit arrangement for operating a high-pressure discharge lamp supplies a direct current to the lamp which is commutated at a low-frequency. During take-over, between ignition and stationary operation, a high frequency current is supplied to the lamp after each commutation during a time interval that is shorter than half a cycle of the commutation. By supplying the lamp in this way, it forms a smaller load during take-over, so that the requirements that the circuit arrangement has to meet are less severe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2002
    Publication date: August 14, 2003
    Inventor: Frans Slegers
  • Patent number: 6028401
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for igniting a high pressure discharge lamp includes a secondary winding of a pulse transformer which is at least partially capacitively shunted forming a tuned filter. The tuned filter preferably forms a band pass filter for passing the second harmonic of the signal produced by a pulse generator. An increase in the supply of current during take-over results thereby minimizing the time required for ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Frans Slegers, Hendrik J. Blankers
  • Patent number: 5942953
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement is provided with a controlled switch which is controlled by means of a periodic switching signal for operating an oscillation circuit at a frequency f, and with a control circuit for generating the periodic switching signal. The control circuit comprises a pulse width generator for generating a periodic square wave signal with a half cycle duration which is adjustable in steps of a value T and which has a value of at least t. The circuit arrangement is characterized in that, with 2*(t+N1*T)<1/f<2*(t+(N1+1)*T) in which N1 is an integer number, the periodic switching signal is built up from a repetitive chain of square wave signals with a repetition cycle which comprises n1 half cycles of a duration t+N1*T and n2 half cycles of a duration t+N2*T, wherein N2 is >N1 and is an integer number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Bernardus J. Ter Bogt, Frans Slegers
  • Patent number: 5841245
    Abstract: In an ignition circuit for a high-pressure discharge lamp having a pulse generating circuit in which ignition pulses are generated by a voltage-dependent breakdown element and a pulse transformer, a bandpass circuit has been inserted between the secondary winding of the pulse transformer and the discharge lamp. The bandpass filter is tuned to the fundamental frequency or a harmonic of the pulses generated by the pulse generation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Anton C. Blom, Frans Slegers
  • Patent number: 5828186
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for igniting a high pressure discharge lamp includes a secondary winding of a pulse transformer which is at least partially capacitively shunted forming a tuned filter. The tuned filter preferably forms a band pass filter for passing the second harmonic of the signal produced by a pulse generator. An increase in the supply of current during take-over results thereby minimizing the time required for ignition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Frans Slegers, Hendrik J. Blankers, Nicolaas J. De Jong
  • Patent number: 5534753
    Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for igniting a high-pressure discharge lamp (L), provided with input terminals (C,D) for connection to a commutating supply source with a square-wave supply voltage; a pulse-generating circuit (IV) provided with a voltage-dependent breakdown element (3) and with a voltage-raising network (2) formed by a network of rectifiers and capacitors; a pulse transformer (1); and an electrical connection between a secondary winding (12) of the pulse transformer and lamp connection terminals (E,F). The voltage-raising network (2) is in addition provided with inductors means (21, 22). The result of this is that a strongly increased voltage is available across the breakdown element substantially instantaneously after each commutation of the commutating supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Anton C. Blom, Frans Slegers
  • Patent number: 5406174
    Abstract: A circuit for high-frequency operation of a discharge lamp. The circuit includes a load branch provided with terminals for connection to the discharge lamp and with an electrode heating transformer having a primary winding and secondary windings. Each secondary winding is shunted by a branch comprising an electrode of the discharge lamp. At least one switching element generates a high-frequency current through the load branch from a supply voltage. A control circuit generates a control signal for rendering the switching element conducting and non-conducting at a high frequency. A dimmer circuit is coupled to the control circuit for adjusting the frequency of the control signal. Each branch shunting a secondary winding of the transformer also includes an inductive element and a capacitive element and has a resonance frequency which is different from the resonance frequency of the load branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: U. S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Frans Slegers
  • Patent number: 4660139
    Abstract: The generator comprises a ferromagnetic core (1) having a primary winding (3) and a secondary winding which comprises a number of concentric secondary coils (7A-7F), which are wound with the same winding senses and have substantially the same number of turns and are provided with a layer of insulating material (9A-9E) between every two consecutive coils. The high-voltage portion of the generator is formed by a number of sections (19A, 19B, 19C), each of which comprises at least two series-arranged secondary coils (7A-7F), the number of secondary coils being equal for all sections and the last coil of each section being arranged in series with a rectifier (13A, 13B, 13C). All sections are arranged in series such that the rectifiers have the same forward directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 1985
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1987
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes H. M. Nellen, Frans Slegers, Johannes H. B. Otten, Johannus W. G. Kole
  • Patent number: 4164775
    Abstract: A degaussing circuit for a color television receiver, in which the degaussing coil is in series with a PTC thermistor to which an NTC thermistor is thermally coupled and which is at the same time a protection resistance for a supply voltage circuit in the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 14, 1979
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Frans Slegers