Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Two-wire dimmer switch for low-power loads
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Application No.: US12952920Application Date: 2010-11-23
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Publication No.: US08664881B2Publication Date: 2014-03-04
- Inventor: Robert C. Newman, Jr. , Christopher James Salvestrini
- Applicant: Robert C. Newman, Jr. , Christopher James Salvestrini
- Applicant Address: US PA Coopersburg
- Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
- Current Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US PA Coopersburg
- Agency: Ostrolenk Faber LLP
- Main IPC: H05B37/02
- IPC: H05B37/02

Abstract:
A two-wire load control device (such as, a dimmer switch) is operable to control the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load (such as, a high-efficiency lighting load) and has substantially no minimum load requirement. The dimmer switch includes a bidirectional semiconductor switch, which is operable to be rendered conductive each half-cycle and to remain conductive independent of the magnitude of a load current conducted through semiconductor switch. The dimmer switch comprises a control circuit that conducts a control current through the load in order to generate a gate drive signal for rendering the bidirectional semiconductor switch conductive and non-conductive each half-cycle. The control circuit may provide a constant gate drive to the bidirectional semiconductor switch after the bidirectional semiconductor switch is rendered conductive each half-cycle. The bidirectional semiconductor switch may comprise, for example, a triac or two field-effect transistors coupled in anti-series connection.
Public/Granted literature
- US20110121752A1 TWO-WIRE DIMMER SWITCH FOR LOW-POWER LOADS Public/Granted day:2011-05-26
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