Electronic candle simulator

Abstract

Apparatus for simulating a candle flame in which the current through the filament of a bulb is varied from a first value to a second value and back to the first value during spaced periods that vary from a period of maximum duration to a period of minimum duration that produces no observable flicker in an apparently random manner.

I claim:  
     
       1. Apparatus  An apparatus for simulating a candle comprising: 
       a power supply;  
       means for forming a control signal by combining first and second waveforms, whereby said control signal is provided at times that the first and second waveforms have the same polarity; 
       light emitting means coupled in series with said power supply;  
       control means for varying the brightness of light emitted by said light emitting means in response to said control signal ;  
       means for generating a control signal;  
       means for coupling said control signal to said control means; and  
       said control signal being such that it changes the brightness of the light within a visible range so as to produce flickers during successive spaced periods that gradually increase to a maximum duration and then gradually decrease to a minimum duration, the minimum duration being such as to make no apparent change in brightness.  
     
     
       2. A method for simulating a flickering candle with a bulb having a filament comprising the steps of: 
       forming a control signal by combining first and second waveforms, whereby said control signal is provided at times that the first and second waveforms have the same polarity; 
       causing current to flow through the filament in response to said control signal  so that it emits visible light;  
       changing the current flowing in the filament so as to change the brightness of the light it emits within a visible range during successive spaced periods that gradually increase in duration;  
       changing the current flowing in the filament during following successive spaced periods that gradually decrease in duration; and  
       the duration of said following successive spaced periods decreasing to a value such that they cause no noticeable change in brightness of light emitted by the filament.  
     
     
       3. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed as set forth in claim  1  wherein said periods occur at a given frequency. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  3  wherein said given frequency is between 4.5 and 6 times a second inclusive. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  1  wherein the control signal is such that the time between maximum and minimum durations of said periods lies between seven and thirty seconds inclusive. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  1  wherein said light emitting means has a filament in an upper portion, a dark lower portion, and at least one dark line extending from said lower portion toward said filament so as to appear as a wick. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  1  wherein: 
       said power supply provides a D.C. voltage; and  
       said control means is comprised of a resistor connected in series with said light emitting means and a transistor in shunt with said resistor.  
     
     
       8. Apparatus  An apparatus for generating a control signal for means in circuit with a light emitting means and a power supply so as to control the amount of light emitted by said light emitting means in such manner so to simulate a candle comprising: 
       a first oscillator for producing an output having a first frequency;  
       a second oscillator for producing an output having a second frequency that has a predetermined nominal difference with respect to said first frequency and that is other than an harmonic or subharmonic relationship to said first frequency; and means for producing said control signal only during times when the outputs of both of said first and second oscillators have the same polarity.  
     
     
       9. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  8  wherein said first and second oscillators are multivibrators. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus  An apparatus for controlling current through a light emitting means so as to simulate a candle comprising: 
       a D.C. power supply;  
       a resistor and a filament connected in series with said power supply;  
       a transistor coupled in shunt with said resistor;  
       a first oscillator producing a first waveform of a first frequency;  
       a second oscillator producing a second waveform of a second frequency that is different from said first frequency and is other than harmonically related thereto;  
       means for combining said first and second waveforms together so as to produce a control signal only when both of said first and second waveforms have the same polarity; and  
       means for coupling the control signal to said transistor so as to cause it to conduct only when said control signal is present.  
     
     
       11. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  10  wherein: 
       said first and second oscillators and said means for producing a control signal are connected so as to receive voltage from said D.C. power supply;  
       said means for coupling the control signal to the transistor includes a resistor; and  
       a resistor connected between said power supply and said means for coupling a  the control signal to said transistor—  whereby the voltage said first and second oscillator receives  oscillators receive from said D.C. power supply is not altered when said control signal causes said transistor to conduct.  
     
     
       12. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  10  wherein said first and second oscillators are multivibrators. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus as set forth  The apparatus as claimed in claim  10  wherein the first and second frequencies are between 2 and 10 Hz. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus  An apparatus for simulating the flame of a candle comprising: 
       a first triac having a control electrode and first and second output electrodes;  
       an A.C. power supply and a light emitting means connected in series between said first and second output electrodes;  
       a resistor and a capacitor connected in series in the order named between said first and second output electrodes, said resistor and said capacitor meeting at a junction;  
       a trigger diac connected between said junction and said control electrode of said first triac;  
       a second triac having a control electrode, a first output electrode connected to said first output electrode of said first triac and a second output electrode connected to said control electrode of said first triac;  
       means for generating a control signal;  
       means for coupling said control signal to said control electrode of said second triac;  
       said control signal being such that it changes the brightness of the light emitting means during successive periods that gradually increase to a maximum duration and then gradually decreases  decrease to a minimum duration, the minimum duration being such as to produce no apparent change in brightness.  
     
     
       15. A method for simulating a flickering candle flame comprising the steps of: 
       forming a control signal by combining first and second waveforms, whereby said control signal is provided at times that said first and second waveforms have the same polarity;  
       causing a light emitting means to emit light of a given brightness in response to said control signal;  
       changing the brightness of the emitted light within a visible range in response to the control signal in a given direction during successive spaced periods that gradually increase in duration;  
       changing the brightness of the emitted light within a visible range in response to the control signal in the said given direction during following successive spaced periods that gradually decrease in duration; and  
       decreasing the duration of said following successive periods to a value such as to produce no noticeable change in the brightness of the emitted light.  
     
     
       16. An apparatus for simulating a candle comprising: 
       
         a power supply;  
       
       light emitting means coupled in series with said power supply;  
       
         control means for varying the brightness of light emitted by said light emitting means in response to a control signal;  
       
       
         means for generating a control signal such that it causes variations in the brightness of the light emitted by said light emitting means within a visible range when applied to said control means, said control signal having spaced pulses that gradually increase in duration to a maximum value and then gradually decrease in duration to a minimum value, said spaced pulses occurring between  4 . 5  and  6 . 0  times a second inclusive and the time between a pulse of maximum duration and a pulse of minimum duration being between  7  and  30  seconds inclusive; and  
       
       
         means for coupling said control signal to said control means whereby the brightness of the light changes during successive periods that gradually increase to a maximum duration and then decrease to a minimum duration, the minimum duration being such as to make no apparent change in brightness. 
       
     
     
       17. A method for simulating a flickering candle with a bulb having a filament comprising the steps of: 
       
         causing current to flow through the filament so that it emits visible light;  
       
       
         changing the current flowing in the filament so as to change the brightness of the visible light it emits during successive spaced periods occurring between  4 . 5  and  6 . 0  times a second inclusive that gradually increase in duration to a maximum value;  
       
       
         changing the current flowing in the filament so as to change the brightness of the visible light it emits during following successive spaced periods occurring between  4 . 5  and  6 . 0  times a second inclusive that gradually decrease in duration to a minimum value;  
       
       
         the duration of said following successive spaced periods decreasing to a value such that they cause no noticeable change in brightness of light emitted by the filament; and  
       
       
         the time between a period of maximum duration and a period of minimum duration being between  7  and  30  seconds inclusive. 
       
     
     
       18. A method for simulating a flickering candle with an electrical light emitting means comprising the steps of: 
       
         causing the light emitting means to emit visible light of a given brightness;  
       
       
         changing the brightness of the light emitted by said light emitting means so as to produce spaced flickers within a visible range that gradually decrease in duration;  
       
       
         subsequently changing the brightness of the light emitted by said light emitting means so as to produce spaced flickers within a visible range that gradually increase in duration; and  
       
       
         causing the light being emitted by said light emitting means to produce an absence of noticeable flickers between the flickers that decrease in duration and the flickers that increase in duration. 
       
     
     
       19. A method for simulating a flickering candle with an electrical light emitting means comprising the steps of: 
       
         causing the light emitting means to emit light of a given brightness;  
       
       
         causing spaced changes in the brightness to produce flickers within a visible range in the light emitted by said light emitting means, the changes having durations that gradually decrease;  
       
       
         causing spaced changes in the brightness to produce flickers within a visible range in the light emitted by said light emitting means, the changes having durations that gradually increase; and  
       
       
         causing the light being emitted by said light emitting means to produce an absence of flickering between the changes in brightness having durations that gradually decrease and the changes in brightness having durations that gradually increase.