Series wired light string with unidirectional shunts
AssigneeJLJ, Inc.
InventorJohn L. Janning
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A series-connected string of light bulbs, operating on AC voltage, each having connected thereacross a voltage regulating shunting circuit which regulates the voltage across an empty or otherwise inoperative socket so as to maintain unidirectional current across each of the remaining sockets in the string during one-half of an AC cycle, thereby insuring continuous but dimmed illumination of the light string. The voltage regulating shunting circuit of the present invention is a silicon rectifier diode connected in series with a voltage regulating diode. The voltage regulating diode may be an array of silicon diodes or a Zener diode. The voltage regulating shunting circuit can be mass produced by using conventional manufacturing techniques.
Claims7
A series-wired light string that operates on AC voltage, comprising:
- a plurality of light bulbs;
- a plurality of light sockets, each light socket adapted to receive at least one light bulb of said plurality of light bulbs;
- and
- a plurality of voltage-responsive shunts, each shunt being electrically connected in parallel across a respective light socket to maintain unidirectional current during one-half of an AC cycle in the event that a corresponding light bulb is inoperative or is missing from the light socket, each shunt comprising a silicon rectifier diode connected in series with a voltage regulating diode, wherein the voltage regulating diode is a Zener diode and wherein a forward direction of the silicon rectifier diode is directly connected in series with a Zener direction of the Zener diode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.