Patent ID: 9629218
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: H05B,Y02B

Claim:
1. A bleeder circuit for use with a driver circuit, the driver circuit including input circuitry that receives an ac input signal and outputs a rectified voltage signal at a positive terminal, the driver circuit further including converter and output circuitry operably coupled to a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the bleeder circuit comprising: a first resistor coupled to the positive terminal; a heat sensor positioned to detect an increase in temperature of the first resistor, the heat sensor producing a heat sense signal in response thereto; a bleeder heat controller coupled to receive the heat sense signal and produce a heat control signal in response thereto, a switching device coupled to receive the heat control signal, the switching device controlling a first bleeder current flowing through the first resistor, the switching device turning off in response to the temperature of the first resistor exceeding a predetermined threshold, thereby decoupling the bleeder circuit from the driver circuit.