Circuit for driving cold cathode tubes
AssigneeDesign Rite, LLC
InventorGilbert Fregoso
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The subject invention is a circuit for driving a cold cathode tube using a 110V power supply. Power is provided to the cold cathode tube through a direct current converter circuit. A resonance capacitor works in conjunction with the inductive storage device until the start resonance of the tube is attained as directed by a resistor/capacitor (R/C) network. Once the tube starts conducting, another R/C network maintains and controls the circuit at a run resonance. The main driver is an oscillator with a high side and low side MOSFET driver.
Claims12
A circuit for driving cold cathode tubes comprising:
- an oscillator having a high side MOSFET driver and a low side MOSFET driver;
- two high voltage MOSFETs;
- a resistor/capacitor network;
- and
- a set of resonance elements comprising a single wound inductive storage device, a resonance capacitor and a cold cathode tube, wherein said resistor/capacitor network directs said oscillator to achieve a first resonance frequency to drive said resonance elements and causes said cold cathode tube to conduct and thereafter said resistor/capacitor network directs said oscillator to achieve a second resonance frequency to drive said resonance elements and illuminate said cold cathode tube.
A circuit for driving cold cathode tubes comprising:
- a full wave direct current power converter;
- a low direct current voltage power source;
- an oscillator having a high side MOSFET driver and a low side MOSFET driver;
- two high voltage MOSFETs;
- a direct current blocking capacitor;
- a resistor/capacitor network;
- a set of resonance elements comprising a single wound inductive storage device, a filter capacitor, a resonance capacitor and a cold cathode tube, and
- a current sensor, wherein said resistor/capacitor network directs said oscillator to achieve a first resonance frequency to drive said resonance elements and causes said cold cathode tube to conduct and thereafter said resistor/capacitor network directs said oscillator to achieve a second resonance frequency to drive said resonance elements and illuminate said cold cathode tube.
A circuit for driving cold cathode tubes comprising:
- a split voltage direct current power converter;
- a low direct current voltage power source;
- an oscillator having a high side MOSFET driver and a low side MOSFET driver;
- two high voltage MOSFETs;
- a resistor/capacitor network;
- and
- a set of resonance elements comprising a single wound inductive storage device, a resonance capacitor and a cold cathode tube, wherein said resistor/capacitor network directs said oscillator to achieve a first resonance frequency to drive said resonance elements and causes said cold cathode tube to conduct and thereafter said resistor/capacitor network directs said oscillator to achieve a second resonance frequency to drive said resonance elements and illuminate said cold cathode tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.