# US 7,746,211 B2 · Lamp transformer assembly

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- Number: US 7,746,211 B2
- Document ID: US7746211B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/645,879
- Filed: 2006-12-27
- Published: 2008-07-03
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2006-12-27
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Rajendra K. Pokharna; Viktor K. Varga; Tony Aboumrad
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746211B2

## CPC

- H05B 41/04: Starting switches
- H01F 27/306: {Fastening or mounting coils or windings on core, casing or other support}
- H01F 38/08: High-leakage transformers or inductances
- H01F 41/08: Winding conductors onto closed formers or cores, e.g. threading conductors through toroidal cores
- H05B 41/042: {using semiconductor devices}
- F21S 41/192: {Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors}
- H01F 3/14: Constrictions; Gaps, e.g. air-gaps (in magnetic shunt paths H01F3/12)
- H01F 30/16: Toroidal transformers
- Y10T 29/49073: by assembling coil and core
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Disclosed is a lamp transformer assembly, transformer winding arrangement and method of assembling a transformer assembly and lamp igniter transformer core. The lamp transformer assembly comprises a transformer core comprising two or more core members, wherein the core members ends are adapted to provide a transformer core with axially distributed air gaps. Furthermore, the transformer assembly comprises a primary and secondary winding, wherein one or more core members and the secondary winding are adapted to provide insertion of the one or more core members within the interior of the secondary winding. The transformer core members are attached to complete the core.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lamp transformer assembly comprising: a transformer core comprising:
two or more core members; and
two or more gaps; and
a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding comprising one or more winding turns and the secondary winding comprising a plurality of turns, wherein the secondary winding covers the first gap and does not cover the second gap; and
wherein the secondary winding covers an angular distance less than or equal to 270 degrees as measured from the center of the transformer core, and the primary winding is located substantially near a low voltage end of the secondary winding relative to a high voltage end of the secondary winding; and wherein at least one or more core members are adapted to be inserted within the interior of one or both of the primary and secondary windings, and the two or more core members and
two or more gaps are positioned to operatively provide a continuous core, wherein the two or more core members and their respective ends are adapted to be operatively connected after one or more core members have been inserted within the interior of one or both of the primary and secondary windings.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lamp transformer according to claim 1, further comprising:
a nonmagnetic gap material disposed within the gap.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The lamp transformer according to claim 2, wherein the material disposed within the gap has adhesive properties which provide bonding of the gap to each core member end.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The lamp transformer according to claim 2, wherein the gap material comprises glass beads.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The lamp transformer according to claim 2, further comprising:
a primary winding wound around a first portion of the transformer core; and
a secondary winding wound around a second portion of the transformer core.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The lamp transformer according to claim 5, wherein the transformer comprises first and second gaps offset an angular distance of 180 degrees as measured from the center of the transformer core.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The lamp igniter transformer according to claim 1, wherein the primary winding comprises two turns around the transformer core and the secondary winding comprises 180 turns around the transformer core.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transformer core is toroidal shaped.

### Claim 9

A lamp transformer assembly comprising:
a transformer core comprising:
two or more core members; and
two or more gaps interposed between the two or more core members; and
a primary winding and secondary winding operatively connected to the transformer core, wherein the secondary winding comprises a flat insulated conductor having a defined width and thickness, and the flat insulated conductor is operatively connected to the transformer core to align the width in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the transformer core, wherein at least a portion of the primary winding is wound over the secondary winding; and wherein the secondary winding covers an angular distance less than or equal to 270 degrees as measured from the center of the transformer core, covers the first gap and does not cover the second gap, and the primary winding is located substantially near a low voltage end of the secondary winding relative to a high voltage end of the secondary winding.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 9, wherein the flat insulated conductor comprises coating material with a dielectric strength of 6 kV's or more.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 9, the core further comprising an insulating material deposited on the surface of the core.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 11, the core insulating material and the flat insulated conductor providing approximately 30,000 volts or more of insulation between the core and flat conductor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 11, wherein the insulating material comprises silicone.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 11, wherein the insulating material comprises layers.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 9, wherein the primary winding comprises two turns around the core and the secondary winding comprises 180 turns around the core.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 9, wherein the lamp transformer assembly is potted within a lamp igniter housing.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 16, wherein the lamp transformer assembly is electrically connected to a pc board.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 16, wherein the lamp transformer assembly is electrically connected to a lamp.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The lamp transformer assembly according to claim 9, wherein the transformer core is toroidal.

### Claim 20

A method of assembling a lamp transformer assembly, the lamp transformer assembly comprising: a transformer core comprising first and second core members;
and a helically wound conductor;
the method comprising:
inserting a first end of the first core member into a first end of the helically wound insulated conductor; inserting a first end of the second core member into a second end of the helically wound conductor; attaching the first end of the first core member to the first end of the second core member with a nonmagnetic gap material; and
attaching the second end of the first core member to the second end of the second core member with a nonmagnetic material; and positioning the helically wound insulated conductor on the transformer core at a location which covers the first gap; and
positioning the secondary winding so as to cover an angular distance less than or equal to 270 degrees as measured from the center of the transformer core, positioning the secondary winding to cover the first gap and not cover the second gap, and placing the primary winding location substantially near a low voltage end of the secondary winding relative to a high voltage end of the secondary winding.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of assembling a lamp transformer assembly according to claim 20, wherein the transformer core is toroidal shaped.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of assembling a lamp transformer assembly according to claim 21, wherein the first and second gaps are symmetrically distributed.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of assembling a lamp transformer assembly according to claim 21, wherein the transformer core comprises three or more core members and three or more gaps, each core member end abutting an adjacent core member end.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The method of assembling a lamp transformer according to claim 21, wherein the helically wound insulated conductor comprises a flat insulated conductor, the flat insulated conductor comprising a width and a thickness, the width greater than the thickness, and the flat insulated conductor positioned on the transformer core to align the flat insulated conductor width in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the core.

### Claim 25

A lamp transformer assembly comprising:
a transformer core comprising:
two or more core members; and
two or more gaps; and
a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding comprising one or more winding turns and the secondary winding comprising a plurality of turns, wherein at least a portion of the primary winding is wound over the secondary winding and the number of turns of the secondary winding is greater than the number of turns of the primary winding; and wherein the secondary winding covers an angular distance less than or equal to 270 degrees as measured from the center of the transformer core, covers the first gap and does not cover the second gap, and the primary winding is located substantially near a low voltage end of the secondary winding relative to a high voltage end of the secondary winding; and wherein one or more core members are adapted to be inserted within the interior of one or both of the primary and secondary windings, and the two or more core members and two or more gaps are positioned to operatively provide a continuous core, wherein the two or more core members and their respective ends are operatively connected after one or more core members have been inserted within the interior of one or both of the primary and secondary windings.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The lamp igniter transformer according to claim 25, further comprising:
a nonmagnetic gap material disposed within the gap.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The lamp igniter transformer according to claim 26, wherein the transformer comprises first and second gaps offset an angular distance of 180 degrees as measured from the center of the transformer core.

### Claim 28 (depends on 25)

The lamp igniter transformer according to claim 25, wherein the material disposed within the gap has adhesive properties which provide bonding of the core member end to an adjacent core member end.

### Claim 29 (depends on 25)

The lamp igniter transformer according to claim 25, wherein the gap material comprises glass beads.

### Claim 30 (depends on 25)

The lamp igniter transformer according to claim 25, further comprising:
a primary winding wound around a first portion of the transformer core; and
a secondary winding wound around a second portion of the transformer core.