Systems and methods for a voltage snubber circuit utilized with light fixtures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10244602-B2
Application number	US-201715691805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2017
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Examples of the present disclosure are related to systems and methods for a voltage snubber circuit utilizing with light fixtures. More particularly, embodiments disclose a voltage snubber that is configured to prevent higher voltages being applied to a light emitting diode (LED) string.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A voltage snubber circuit for a light source comprising:
a constant current power supply that is configured to dynamically change a voltage based on a load;
a first diode coupled with the constant current power supply, the first diode including a first breakdown voltage and a first IV curve;
a second diode coupled with the constant current power supply, the second diode including a second breakdown voltage and a second IV curve, wherein the first breakdown voltage is higher than the second breakdown voltage and portions of the first IV curve overlap with the portions of the second IV curve;
a light emitting diode string with a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled with the constant current power supply, the light emitting diode string having a turn on voltage, wherein the first breakdown voltage and the second breakdown voltage are higher than the turn on voltage, the light emitting diode string being positioned in parallel with the first diode and the second diode, wherein the voltage supplied by the constant current power supply bypasses the light emitting diode string if the voltage supplied to the first diode or the second diode is greater than the a first voltage threshold, the turn on voltage being less than the first voltage threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transistor, wherein the first diode, second diode, and the light emitting diode string being coupled to a source of the transistor.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a time delay circuit coupled to the constant current power supply and a gate of the transistor, the time delay circuit being configured to delay the conductance of the transistor by a first time delay.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the transistor does not conduct during the first time delay.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the first diode conducts during the first time delay.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage threshold is associated with a knee voltage threshold of the first diode.

7. A voltage snubber circuit for a light source comprising:
a constant current power supply that is configured to dynamically change a voltage based on a load;
a first diode coupled with the constant current power supply, the first diode including a first breakdown voltage and a first IV curve;
a second diode coupled with the constant current power supply, the second diode including a second breakdown voltage and a second IV curve, wherein the first breakdown voltage is higher than the second breakdown voltage and portions of the first IV curve overlap with the portions of the second IV curve;
a light emitting diode string with a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled with the constant current power supply, the light emitting diode string having a turn on voltage, wherein the first breakdown voltage and the second breakdown voltage are higher than the turn on voltage, the light emitting diode string being positioned in parallel with the first diode and the second diode, wherein the voltage supplied by the constant current power supply bypasses the light emitting diode string when the voltage supplied to the first diode or the second diode is greater than a first voltage threshold, wherein the voltage supplied by the constant current power supply is applied to the light emitting diode string when the first diode and the second diode stop conducting.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the constant current power supply is configured to dynamically change the voltage supplied by the constant current power supply based on the load caused by the light emitting diode string.

9. A method for a voltage snubber circuit for a light source comprising:
supplying a voltage from a constant current power supply that is configured to dynamically change a voltage based on a load;
coupling a first diode with the constant current power supply, the first diode including a first breakdown voltage and a first IV curve;
coupling a second diode with the constant current power supply, the second diode including a second breakdown voltage and a second IV curve, wherein the first breakdown voltage is higher than the second breakdown voltage and portions of the first IV curve overlap with the portions of the second IV curve;
coupling a light emitting diode string with a plurality of light emitting diodes with the constant current power supply, the light emitting diode string having a turn on voltage, wherein the first breakdown voltage and the second breakdown voltage are higher than the turn on voltage, the light emitting diode string being positioned in parallel with the first diode and the second diode;
bypassing the voltage supplied by the constant current power supply around the light emitting diode string if the voltage supplied to the first diode or the second diode is greater than a first voltage threshold, wherein the turn on voltage is less than the first voltage threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first diode, second diode, and the light emitting diode string are coupled in parallel to a source of a transistor.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
delaying, by a first time delay, a conductance of the transistor by a time delay circuit coupled to the constant current power supply and a gate of the transistor.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the transistor does not conduct during the first time delay.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first diode conducts during the first time delay.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first voltage threshold is associated with a knee voltage threshold of the first diode.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
applying the voltage supplied by the constant current power supply to the light emitting diode string when the first diode and the second diode are stop conducting.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
dynamically changing the voltage from the constant current power supply based on the load caused by the light emitting diode string.

Assignees

• Fluence Bioengineering
• Fluence Bioengineering Inc

Inventors

• Morganstern Paul
• Johnson Randall

Classifications

• H02H9/005 Primary

  avoiding undesired transient conditions · CPC title

• H05B45/44

  with an active control inside an LED matrix · CPC title

• H05B33/0824

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/089 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B20/30

  Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED] · CPC title