Patent ID: 6809483
Filing Date: 2004-10-26
Classification: H05B,Y02B

Abstract:
An electronic ballast circuit for a lamp with arc detection comprising:a DC/AC inverter; a ballast output lamp connector; a low pass signal filter having an input electrically connected to the DC/AC inverter; a rectifier electrically connected to the low pass signal filter; an energy storage element electrically connected to receive a rectified output of the low pass signal filter; a switching device electrically connected to the energy storage element and to a disable terminal of the electronic ballast circuit; wherein the electronic ballast circuit is configured so that during normal operation of the lamp, the energy storage element is charged to a voltage less than a voltage required to close the switching device, and wherein under a condition of electrical arcing from the lamp connector of the electronic ballast, the energy storage element is charged to a voltage at least as high as the voltage required to close the switching device and activate the disable terminal.