Abstract:
A gas lamp system and method for lighting the system which utilizes a sparkless flame starter in close proximity to the torch to create a flame. The system further includes a safety control circuit which activates the sparkless flame starter and subsequently activates a gas valve to deliver the gas to the torch after the sparkless flame starter has been energized. The sparkless flame starter is a low-voltage device such as a glow coil which is also arcless.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a gas lamp system, and, more particularly, to an automatic gas lamp system which is utilizes a sparkless flame starter such as a glow coil and a safety control circuit that is AC powered.  
           [0003]    2. General Background  
           [0004]    External gas-powered lamps are designed to be automatically lit at the beginning of night, burn through the night and subsequently automatically extinguished at daybreak. Typically, the external gas-powered lamps are lit by means of opening a gas valve to allow the gas to flow to the burner or torch and creating a spark in close proximity to the burner or torch to start a flame. The sparks are created by high voltage producing devices, which consume relatively large amounts of electrical energy and can be hazardous.  
           [0005]    Several systems have been patented which are aimed at gas lighting systems.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 3,723,045, issued to Reese, entitled “LIGHTING SYSTEM” discloses a gas lighting system having a gas lamp equipped with a burner connected to a source of gas. The system includes a selectively operable igniter energized by an electrical circuit, which has a photo cell and a timer for controlling a solenoid valve. The system, when in an active mode, is designed to detect when a flame is extinguished to attempt to re-light the flame.  
           [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,978, issued to Elco Company, Ltd., of Japan, on the application of Sasaki, entitled “COMBUSTION APPARATUS,” discloses a gas lighting system, having a gaslight equipped with a burner connected to a source of gas. A selectively operable igniter is energized by an electrical circuit having a flame detection circuit and a timer circuit for controlling a solenoid valve. The flame detection circuit detects when the flame has gone out half-way.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,232, issued to Trimble House Corporation, of Norcross, Georgia, on application to B. R. Dillinger, entitled “AMBIENT LIGHT CONTROLLED OUTDOOR GAS LIGHT” discloses an outdoor lamp which includes a photocell array, which causes an electrical circuit to open a valve at dawn and to close a valve at night. A sensor is provided to detect when the lamp is lighted to discontinue the spark.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,549, issued to Iasella, entitled “ULTRA LOW POWER VALVE FOR THE CONTROL OF GAS FLOW”, disclose a gas lamp having a “popper” valve in a gas line. The valve is controlled by an electromagnet activated by a photo-voltaic solar cells, which control the flow of gas to the burner.  
           [0010]    Other patents in the art include U.S. Pat. No. 5,980.238, issued to J. C. Collins, Sr., entitled “GAS LIGHT ASSEMBLY”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,142, issued to Modern Home Products Corp., of Antoich, Ill., on application to W. Koziol, entitled “GAS LIGHT CONTROL APPARATUS”; U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,188,836 and 3,330,133, issued to D. V. Knieves, entitled “GAS CONTROL MECHANISM” all of which describe various gas-powered lamps and means for turning on and off such lamps.  
         SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION  
         [0011]    The preferred embodiment of automatic gas lamp system of the present invention solves the aforementioned problems in a straight forward and simple manner.  
           [0012]    Broadly, the present invention contemplates an AC powered gas lamp system which utilizes a sparkless flame starter in close proximity to the torch to create a flame. The system further includes a safety control circuit which activates the sparkless flame starter and subsequently activates a gas valve to deliver the gas to the torch.  
           [0013]    The present invention further contemplates a sparkless and arcless flame starter, such as a glow coil.  
           [0014]    Additionally, the present invention contemplates a method of lighting a gas lamp system comprising the steps of: (a) determining night; (b) when the night is determined, turning “on” the gas lamp system and activating a sparkless flame starter; and, (c) after step (b), opening a gas valve to light a torch after a pre-set delay.  
           [0015]    The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the description given herein, and the appended claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0016]    For a further understanding of the nature and objects of the present invention, reference should be had to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are given like reference numerals and, wherein:  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 1 illustrates the automatic gas lamp system of the present invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 2 illustrates the general block diagram of the control circuit of the present invention; and,  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 3 illustrates a general schematic diagram of the gas lamp system of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]    Referring now to the drawings and in particular FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic gas lamp system of the present invention is generally referenced by the numeral  10 . The gas lamp system  10  of the present invention is generally comprised of a gas lamp  15  and a safety control circuit  40  controlling a low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60 . The low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  are sparkless flame starting means used to create the flame  35 . Furthermore, the flame starting means does not create an arc. The gas lamp system  10  further includes a flame sensor  58 .  
         [0021]    The gas lamp  15  includes a lamp housing  20  and lamp post  22  which supports the lamp housing  20  at the top thereof. However, the lamp housing  20  may be mounted to an external wall of a building or dwelling. The lamp housing  20  houses a torch  30  fed by gas source  5  via gas line  36 . The gas line  36  is coupled to gas valve  32  which in turn is coupled to gas cock  35 . In the exemplary embodiment, the gas valve  32  and the gas cock  35  are housed in the lamp post  22 . Moreover, the gas valve  32  is a 24 Volt AC operated gas valve.  
         [0022]    Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the control circuit  40  functions in a plurality of operating modes. The operating modes include an automatic turn-on cycle, an automatic startup re-lighting cycle, an automatic lighting failure shut-down cycle, an automatic re-lighting cycle and an automatic turn-off cycle to minimize hazards associated with gas powered lamps, as will be described in more detail below.  
         [0023]    The general block diagram and schematic diagram of the control circuit  40  includes an ignition module  42 , gas valve relay or solenoid  44 , a transformer  46  and a timer or day/night discriminator  48 . The timer or day/night discriminator  48  is powered by power source  52  and determines whether it is day or night. In the preferred embodiment the power source  52  is AC power. When the timer or day/night discriminator  48  determines that it is night, the system  10  is activated to an “active” or “on” state.  
         [0024]    When it is night, power is delivered on lines L 1  and L 2  to power transformer  46  via lines L 3  and L 4  and the ignition module  42 . Furthermore, power (110 Volts) from line L 1  is sent to gas valve relay or solenoid  44  via line L 4 .  
         [0025]    The transformer  46  transforms the 110 Volts to  24  Volts which is sent to the ignition module  42  on lines L 5  and L 6 . The ignition module  42  is programmed to activate the gas valve relay or solenoid  44  after a selected or pre-set delay via lines L 7  and L 8 . In other words, when the gas valve relay or solenoid  44  is activated by the ignition module  42 , the 110 Volts from line L 4  is sent to the gas valve  32 .  
         [0026]    Furthermore, when the night is determined, the control circuit  40 , the ignition module  42  is programmed to power the low-voltage flame starter or the glow coil  60  positioned over or in close proximity to torch  30  via lines H 1  and H 2 . Once the flame  35  is started, the ignition module  42  is programmed to deactivate the low-voltage flame starter or the glow coil  60 . The ignition module  42  receives a detection signal on line H 3  from the flame sensor  58  positioned near torch  30 . The sensor path is complete, then the flame sensor  58  is powered from ignition module  42 .  
         [0027]    In the exemplary embodiment, the ignition module  42  provides ground on line H 4  which is coupled to the lamp housing  20 .  
         [0028]    Referring now to the operation of the control circuit  40 , the automatic turn-on cycle will now be described in detail. The gas cock  40  is manually set in an “open” position. When the timer or day/night discriminator  48  determines when dusk (night) and dawn (day) are nearing to turn on and off the control circuit  40  and thus, system  10 . The control circuit  40  is turned on during the night mode and off during a day mode. For example, the day/night discriminator may be an ambient light detector to turn on and off the control circuit  40  as the ambient light changes.  
         [0029]    When the control circuit  40  is turned on power is delivered to the transformer  46  which in turn activates the ignition module  42 . After a first pre-set delay (such as, 30 seconds, in the preferred embodiment), the ignition module  42  activates the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  so that it begins to glow. Furthermore, after a second pre-set delay, the ignition module  42  activates the gas valve relay or solenoid  44  to open gas valve  32 . Thereby, the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  has a sufficient amount of time to heat up before the gas is supplied to the torch  30 . Hence, metering of gas-prior to staring the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  is eliminated.  
         [0030]    In the preferred embodiment, the flame sensor  58  is continuously powered when the system  10  is “active” or “on” and serves to sense the heat of flame  35  from torch  30 . The detection signal from the flame sensor  58  is sent to the ignition module  42  or control circuit  40  on line H 3 . If the detection signal identifies the presence of the flame  35 , the ignition module  42  deactivates (turns off) the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60 . The gas valve  32  remains “open.” 
         [0031]    However, if the automatic turn-on cycle is unsuccessful the automatic start-up re-lighting cycle will commence. The automatic start-up re-lighting cycle is initiated if a flame  35  at torch  30  is not sensed by the flame sensor  58  within 6 seconds or other pre-set time. After the 6 seconds or other pre-set time, if the detection signal identifies the absence of a flame  35 , the ignition module  42  deactivates the gas valve relay or solenoid  44  to close gas valve  32  and the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60 . The control circuit  40  reinitializes after a third pre-set delay, such as 90 seconds. At such time, the ignition module  42  is reactivated to activate the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  so that it begins to glow. Furthermore, after the second pre-set delay, the ignition module  42  activates the gas valve relay or solenoid  44  to open gas valve  32 . Again, the detection signal from the flame sensor  58  is sent to the ignition module  42  or control circuit  40 . If the detection signal identifies the presence of the flame  35 , the ignition module  42  deactivates (turns off) the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60 . The gas valve  32  remains “open.”  
         [0032]    However, if during the automatic start-up re-lighting cycle the flame  35  remains extinguished, the control circuit  40  may repeat the automatic startup re-lighting cycle again. As can be appreciated, repeating the automatic start-up re-lighting cycle is optional and may be repeated several times.  
         [0033]    However, if the detection signal identifies the absence of the flame  35  again, the control circuit  40  transitions to the automatic lighting failure shut-down cycle where the ignition module  42  is “locked out” as a safety measure, which in turn shuts down the gas lamp system  10 . When the ignition module  42  is “locked out,” the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  remains de-energized and the gas valve  32  remains “closed.” 
         [0034]    When the gas lamp system  10  is shut down, the gas torch  30  of the gas lamp  10  will not emit gas without a flame  35  and therefore, minimizes metering of gas when the system  10  has failed.  
         [0035]    After the time has expired or day is detects by the timer or day/night discriminator  48 , the control circuit  40  transitions into an automatic turned-off cycle whereby the system  10  is turned-off or shut-down until the next night.  
         [0036]    In summary, the automatic turn-on cycle includes the following steps: (1) power is applied to ignition module  42  by timer or day/night discriminator  48 ; (2) after a 30 second delay, low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  is energized; (3) After a 15 second delay, the gas valve  32  is opened; and, (4) if the torch  30  is lit and the flame  35  is sensed by flame sensor  58 , the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  is de-energized.  
         [0037]    In summary, the automatic startup re-lighting cycle includes the following steps: (5) if the flame  35  is not detected or sensed within  6  seconds or other pre-set delay, the gas valve  32  is shut-off or de-energized, stopping the flow of gas to the torch  30 ; and, (6) after 90 seconds, the ignition module  44  will try to re-light the flame  35  by recycling through steps 2-5 or 2-6.  
         [0038]    In the exemplary embodiment, the automatic startup re-lighting cycle can be repeated twice. However, if the automatic startup re-lighting cycle is unsuccessful, the system  10  will be “locked out” until the next “on” cycle.  
         [0039]    Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, flame sensor  58  continuously monitors for the presence or absence of the flame  35 . Thereby, if the flame  35  is extinguished during the “on” cycle, such as the result of wind, the automatic re-lighting cycle commences. During the automatic re-lighting cycle, after 90 seconds or other pre-set delay, the ignition module  44  will try to re-light the flame  35  by recycling through steps 2-5 or 2-6. As can be appreciated, the automatic startup re-lighting cycle and the automatic re-lighting cycle differ in that during automatic startup re-lighting cycle the ignition module  44  is not re-initialized immediately since the low-voltage flame starter or glow coil  60  is on or activated.  
         [0040]    Because many varying and differing embodiments may be made within the scope of the inventive concept herein taught and because many modifications may be made in the embodiment herein detailed in accordance with the descriptive requirement of the law, it is to be understood that the details herein are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.