Apparatus for simulating the light produced by a fire
AssigneeFBW Enterprises
InventorsHaven E. Bergeson, Mark W. Fuller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fire simulating apparatus includes a random number generator, a digital-to-analog converter for converting the output of the random number generator to an analog signal, a lamp coupled to a power source, a switching device coupled in series with the lamp and power source, and a control circuit for controlling the conductivity of the switching device in accordance with the magnitude of the analog signal.
Claims20
Apparatus for controlling the application of electrical current from a power source to a lamp to simulate the light output of a fire comprising
- random number generating means for successively producing randomly varying digital signals in response to an oscillatory signal, with the rate of producing the digital signals being determined by the frequency of the oscillatory signal,
- oscillator means for applying an oscillatory signal to said random number generating means, said oscillator means including manually adjustable means by which the frequency of the oscillator signal may be varied,
- digital-to-analog converter means coupled to said random number generating means for producing an analog signal whose magnitude is generally proportional to the value of the digital signals produced by the random number generating means,
- lamp means coupled to the power source for producing light when current is applied thereto,
- a switching device having a pair of power electrodes connected in series with the lamp means and power source, and having a control electrode, and
- control means responsive to said analog signal for applying a control signal to the control electrode of said switching device to thereby cause the switching device to conduct current between the power electrodes thereof to apply current to the lamp means, the amount of current conducted being determined by the magnitude of said analog signal
Apparatus for controlling the application of power from an A.C. source to a lamp to simulate the light output of a fire comprising
- random number generating means for successively producing digital signals which randomly vary in value,
- digital-to-analog converter means coupled to said random number generating means for producing an analog signal whose magnitude is generally proportional to the value of the digital signals produced by the random number generating means,
- lamp means for producing light when current is applied thereto,
- a switching device having a pair of power electrodes connected in series with the lamp means and A.C. source, and having a control electrode,
- zero voltage crossing detector means coupled to the A.C. source for producing a crossover signal each time the power from the A.C. source crosses the zero voltage point, and
- control means coupled to said digital-to-analog converter means and said zero voltage crossing detector means for applying a control signal to the control electrode of said switching device to thereby cause the switching device to conduct current, said control means being adapted to terminate application of the control signal to the control electrode of said switching device each time a crossover signal is produced and to apply the control signal to the control electrode a period of time thereafter, which period varies with variation in the magnitude of said analog signal.
Apparatus for controlling the application of power from a D.C. source to a lamp to simulate the light output of a fire comprising
- random number generating means for successively producing digital signals which randomly vary in value,
- digital-to-analog converter means coupled to said random number generating means for producing an analog signal whose magnitude is generally proportional to the value of the digital signals produced by the random number generating means,
- lamp means for producing light when current is applied thereto,
- a switching device coupled in series with the lamp means and D.C. source for applying current to the lamp means in response to a received control signal, and
- control means for periodically applying a control signal to said switching device, the time during which said control signal is applied to the switching device being determined by the magnitude of said analog signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.