Three terminal inverter for electroluminescent lamps
AssigneeDurel Corporation
InventorRobert A. Kimball
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inverter for powering an electroluminescent lamp has a direct current supply terminal, a ground terminal, and a single output terminal. A high frequency pumping circuit stores electrical energy in an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal. A switching circuit alternately connects the first and second terminals of the inductor to the output terminal at a low frequency. The output from the inverter is a high voltage, low frequency, alternating current.
Claims15
An inverter for powering an electroluminescent lamp, said inverter including a supply terminal, a ground terminal, a high voltage terminal, and an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein said inverter further comprises:
- a first switching circuit connected to said supply terminal and said inductor, said first switching circuit pumping electrical energy from said supply terminal to said inductor;
- a second switching circuit connected to said first terminal, said second terminal, and to said high voltage terminal, said second switching circuit alternately connecting said first terminal and said second terminal to said high voltage terminal.
A display comprising:
- an electroluminescent lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode;
- and
- an inverter for powering said electroluminescent lamp, said inverter including:
- (i) a supply terminal,
- (ii) an output terminal connected to said first electrode,
- (iii) a ground terminal connected to said second electrode, and
- (iv) an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal,
- (v) a first switching circuit connected to said supply terminal and said inductor, said first switching circuit pumping electrical energy from said supply terminal to said inductor, and
- (vi) a second switching circuit connected to said first terminal, said second terminal, and to said output terminal, said second switching circuit alternately connecting said first terminal and said second terminal to said output terminal.
An inverter for powering an electroluminescent lamp, said inverter comprising:
- an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal;
- a first switching circuit connected to said inductor for conducting high frequency electrical pulses through said inductor;
- an output terminal;
- a second switching circuit connected to said inductor for alternately connecting said first terminal and said second terminal to said output terminal at a low frequency.
A method for powering an electroluminescent lamp having a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein said first electrode is connected to a circuit ground, said method comprising the steps of:
- (i) intermittently passing a direct current through an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal while connecting only said first terminal to said second electrode of said lamp;
- then
- (ii) intermittently passing a direct current through said inductor while connecting only said second terminal to said second electrode of said lamp;
- and
- (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) to produce an alternating current through said lamp.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.