Patents by Inventor Ronald J. Bezdon
Ronald J. Bezdon 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: 7728528Abstract: A ballast circuit for controlling preheating, ignition or performing dimming of a gas discharge lamp such as a compact fluorescent lamp is disclosed. The ballast circuit has an inverter connected to a pair of input terminals for receiving a supply voltage, a base drive transformer connected to the switching transistor inverter to provide a drive signal, a resonant circuit connected to the switching transistor inverter, and a loading circuit connected to the base drive transformer. The base drive transformer includes a primary winding and a secondary winding set. The loading circuit is adapted for at least temporarily saturating the base drive transformer and thus effecting in the resonant circuit an oscillating frequency different from a natural resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2005Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: Century Concept LtdInventors: Cho Sing Chan, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 6177769Abstract: A microprocessor controlled ballast includes a single front end and a plurality of inverters separately controlled by a single microprocessor. Lamps are operated in groups according to separate line inputs to the ballast. Total power is reduced to fifty percent or less if a line input is off.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 1999Date of Patent: January 23, 2001Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Bezdon, Ming Liang Wu, Donald G. Huvaere, Jr., Peter W. Shackle
-
Patent number: 6023132Abstract: An ballast includes a variable frequency boost circuit and a driven half-bridge inverter having a series resonant, direct coupled, parallel output. A control circuit includes a variable frequency driver section, a multivibrator section, and a sensing section. The variable frequency driver changes frequency smoothly, i.e. without discontinuities. The multivibrator section acts as a switch that is enabled or disabled by the sensing section for controlling the frequency of the inverter. Lamp current is required for continued operation of the control circuit. The multivibrator section controls starting by causing the inverter to produce an output signal having a trapezoidal envelope. In the event of an arc, the control circuit quenches the arc and the multivibrator periodically pulses the lamp to attempt to re-start the lamp.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 1998Date of Patent: February 8, 2000Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Kent E. Crouse, Peter W. Shackle, Patrick J. Keegan, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 5982113Abstract: An instant start ballast includes a variable frequency boost circuit and a driven half-bridge inverter having a series resonant, direct coupled, parallel output. A control circuit includes a variable frequency driver section, a multivibrator section, and a sensing section. The variable frequency driver changes frequency smoothly, i.e. without discontinuities. The multivibrator section acts as a switch that is enabled or disabled by the sensing section for controlling the frequency of the inverter. Lamp current is required for continued operation of the control circuit. The multivibrator section controls starting by causing the inverter to produce an output signal having a trapezoidal envelope. In the event of an arc, the control circuit quenches the arc and the multivibrator periodically pulses the lamp to attempt to re-start the lamp.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 1997Date of Patent: November 9, 1999Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Kent E. Crouse, Peter W. Shackle, Patrick J. Keegan, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 5973455Abstract: An electronic ballast for a gas discharge lamp includes an AC to DC converter for changing alternating current at power line voltage to direct current and an inverter powered by the converter and having a series resonant, direct coupled output coupled to the lamp. The inverter includes an AC switch having a diode bridge defining an AC diagonal and a DC diagonal and a transistor connected across the DC diagonal. The primary winding of a filament transformer is connected across the AC diagonal of the bridge and the transistor is coupled to the microprocessor for controlling current through the primary winding. The microprocessor is programmed to close the AC switch while the lamp is starting and to open the switch after the lamp is started, thereby cutting off the filaments from a source of power and reducing the power consumed by the ballast during normal operation. A resistor in series with the transistor is used to detect filament resistance and provide an indication of lamp type.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 1998Date of Patent: October 26, 1999Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Grigoriy Mirskiy, William L. Keith, Kent E. Crouse, Peter W. Shackle, Patrick J. Keegan, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 5936357Abstract: A microprocessor controlled, electronic ballast operates a lamp at nominal settings and shifts the operation of the ballast away from nominal settings to reduce interference. The shift is randomized by a test--flip--?shift! routine that prevents all ballasts from attempting the same correction at the same time. On DC input voltage, the frequency of the boost controller is varied to reduce EMI. The ballast operates in bands according to the input voltage. Some bands correspond to full brightness, some to a fixed amount of dimming, and some to a variable amount of dimming. In the event of an abrupt change in load, the microprocessor changes the frequency of the inverter, thereby reducing output power and gradually unloading the boost circuit and maintaining power to the microprocessor.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 1998Date of Patent: August 10, 1999Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Kent E. Crouse, Patrick J. Keegan, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 5925990Abstract: An electronic ballast includes an AC to DC converter for power factor correction, a bulk capacitor for storing energy from the converter, and a microprocessor controlled, half-bridge inverter including a series resonant, direct coupled output. Input ports of the microprocessor are coupled to several locations within the ballast to monitor the operation of the ballast or the operation of a gas discharge lamp coupled to the ballast. An analog voltage limiter overrides the microprocessor to limit output voltage under fault conditions. A storage capacitor, connected in series with the bulk capacitor, stores energy at low voltage for powering the microprocessor. The microprocessor is programmed to provide lamp protection features, lumen maintenance, and a warm-up period for a lamp. The microprocessor is also programmed to meet the operating requirements of world markets and of different lamp types.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1997Date of Patent: July 20, 1999Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Kent E. Crouse, Ronald J. Bezdon, Michael W. Bandel, Patrick J. Keegan, Boyko Boykov, Peter W. Shackle, William L. Keith
-
Patent number: 5747941Abstract: An electronic ballast includes an inverter producing pulses having a DC component, an output circuit connecting the filaments of one or more lamps in series, and a control circuit for detecting direct current through the filaments. The control circuit includes a capacitor charged by the DC component. When the voltage on the capacitor reaches a predetermined value, the ballast applies a high voltage to the lamps. The predetermined value is not reached unless a direct current passes from the output of the inverter through all lamp filaments to the capacitor. If a lamp filament is not intact, the inverter will not apply high voltage to the lamp.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1995Date of Patent: May 5, 1998Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Peter W. Shackle, Randy G. Russell, Kent E. Crouse, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 5539281Abstract: An electronic ballast includes a converter coupled to a variable frequency inverter and a series resonant, parallel loaded output coupled to the inverter. The frequency of the inverter increases when the supply voltage from the converter decreases. The converter includes a full wave rectifier producing a first voltage and an unregulated boost circuit producing a second voltage which is combined with the first voltage to produce the supply voltage. The amount of boost, and therefore the magnitude of the supply voltage, is varied to provide dimming. Dimming is controlled mechanically, via a potentiometer, or electrically, via a control input. Dimming also occurs in response to changes in the first voltage, i.e. from changes in the voltage on an AC power line or from changes in the voltage provided by a capacitive dimmer coupled between the ballast and an AC power line.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 1995Date of Patent: July 23, 1996Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Peter W. Shackle, Randy G. Russell, Kent E. Crouse, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 5500576Abstract: An electronic ballast has a high voltage portion and a low voltage portion. The high voltage portion includes a converter, having a variable frequency boost circuit, and a half-bridge, driven inverter having a series resonant, direct coupled output. The low voltage portion of the ballast includes a control circuit and fault detectors for shutting off the boost circuit and the inverter circuit. The fault detectors consume very little power when the ballast and lamp are functioning normally. Separate magnetics are used for boost, inverter, and output. Each magnetic is essentially cubic in shape and carries as little current as possible.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 1994Date of Patent: March 19, 1996Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Randy G. Russell, Kent E. Crouse, Peter W. Shackle, Ronald J. Bezdon
-
Patent number: 5493180Abstract: A lamp protective, electronic ballast includes a lamp voltage detector having a capacitor and resistor series connected across a discharge lamp. The junction of the resistor and capacitor is coupled to a voltage sensitive switch for detecting DC offset on the lamp and excessive AC voltage on the lamp. The switch is more sensitive to DC offset than to excessive AC voltage and is disabled while the lamp is started.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 1995Date of Patent: February 20, 1996Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc., a Delaware CorporationInventors: Ronald J. Bezdon, Randy G. Russell, Peter W. Shackle
-
Patent number: 5396155Abstract: A self-dimming electronic ballast for a gas discharge lamp includes a converter having an unregulated boost circuit coupled to a variable frequency inverter having a series resonant, parallel loaded output. The inverter includes a variable frequency driver circuit having a timing circuit for determining the frequency of the driver. A transistor in the timing circuit operates as an inverting amplifer and is controlled by a signal proportional to the voltage of the AC line. The frequency of the inverter increases with decreasing voltage on the AC line. The ballast can be on the same circuit as incandescent lamps and powered by a triac or variac dimmer for dimming both the incandescent and gas discharge lamps.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 1994Date of Patent: March 7, 1995Assignee: Energy Savings, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Bezdon, Peter W. Shackle, Randy G. Russell, Kent E. Crouse