Repair device for decorative light shunt
AssigneeIntegrated Power Components, Inc.
InventorW. Richard Frederick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A repair device for fixing a malfunctioning shunt across a failed filament in a light bulb in a group of series-connected miniature decorative bulbs includes a piezoelectric pulse generator producing one or more pulses of a magnitude greater than the standard AC power line voltage. A connector receives the pulses from the pulse generator and supplies them to the group of series-connected miniature decorative bulbs.
Claims11
The combination of (1) a decorative light string comprising series-connected miniature decorative bulbs, each bulb having a filament and a shunting device connected across the filament of the bulb for actuation by an increase in the voltage across the bulb when the filament fails, and (2) a repair device for fixing a malfunctioning shunting device across a failed filament in one of said bulbs, said repair device comprising a piezoelectric high-voltage pulse generator connected to said light string for supplying said string with electrical pulses of a magnitude greater than the standard AC power line voltage and containing sufficient energy to cause a malfunctioning shunting device to conduct.
A method of fixing a malfunctioning shunting device across a failed filament in a bulb in a decorative light string comprising series-connected miniature decorative bulbs, each bulb having a filament and a shunting device connected across the filament of the bulb for actuation by an increase in the voltage across the bulb when the filament fails, said method comprising
- connecting a piezoelectric high-voltage pulse generator to said light string, and actuating said generator to supply said light string with electrical pulses of a magnitude greater than the standard AC power line voltage and containing sufficient energy to cause the malfunctioning shunting device to conduct.
A device for initiating the operation of a shunt connected in parallel with a failed filament of a light bulb in a group of series-connected bulbs, said device comprising:
- a piezoelectric element and means for striking said element to produce a voltage pulse;
- and
- means for applying said voltage pulse to said group of series-connected bulbs to cause said shunt material to become conductive in any bulb having a burned-out filament.
A method of initiating the operation of a shunt connected in parallel with a failed filament of a light bulb in a group of series-connected bulbs, said method comprising:
- providing a piezoelectric source of high voltage in excess of ordinary power line voltage at limited current;
- and
- connecting said high voltage source in series with said series-connected bulbs to apply a voltage to said series-connected bulbs.
A device for initiating the operation of a shunt connected in parallel with the filament of a light bulb in a group of series-connected bulbs, said shunt including a pair of wires separated only by a non-conductive coating that is intended to be eliminated in response to a failure of the filament connected in parallel therewith, said device comprising:
- a piezoelectric source for applying a high-voltage pulse to said group of series-connected bulbs to cause said shunt to become conductive in any bulb having a burned-out filament.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.