Fluorescent lamp with conductive coating
First Claim
1. A fluorescent lamp comprising:
- a glass envelope having an exterior surface;
a first electrode and a second electrode located within the glass envelope;
and a transparent electrically conductive material affixed to the exterior surface of the glass envelope, the transparent electrically conductive material extending between the vicinity of the first electrode and the vicinity of the second electrode and providing a path for an electric current to pass between the first electrode and the second electrode so as to reduce the open circuit voltage required to start the fluorescent lamp, and wherein the transparent electrically conductive material absorbs less than approximately two percent of the light emitted by the fluorescent lamp.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Fluorescent lamps that comprise a glass envelope with an exterior surface and first and second electrodes located within the glass envelope include a transparent electrically conductive material affixed to the exterior surface of the glass envelope. The transparent electrically conductive material extends between the vicinity of the first electrode and the vicinity of the second electrode, thereby providing a path for an electric current to pass between the first and second electrodes and reduce the open circuit voltage required to start the fluorescent lamp. The transparent electrically conductive material affixed to the exterior surface of the glass envelope can comprise one or more stripes of the material so that less than the total exterior surface area of the glass envelope is covered by the transparent electrically conductive material.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A fluorescent lamp comprising:
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a glass envelope having an exterior surface; a first electrode and a second electrode located within the glass envelope; and a transparent electrically conductive material affixed to the exterior surface of the glass envelope, the transparent electrically conductive material extending between the vicinity of the first electrode and the vicinity of the second electrode and providing a path for an electric current to pass between the first electrode and the second electrode so as to reduce the open circuit voltage required to start the fluorescent lamp, and wherein the transparent electrically conductive material absorbs less than approximately two percent of the light emitted by the fluorescent lamp. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A fluorescent lamp comprising:
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a glass envelope having an exterior surface; a first electrode and a second electrode located within the glass envelope; and a transparent electrically conductive material affixed to the exterior surface of the glass envelope, the transparent electrically conductive material extending between the vicinity of the first electrode and the vicinity of the second electrode and providing a path for an electric current to pass between the first electrode and the second electrode so as to reduce the open circuit voltage required to start the fluorescent lamp; and wherein the open circuit voltage required to start the fluorescent lamp increases as the electrical resistance of the transparent electrically conductive material increases over a range of resistances, with there being an abrupt increase in the open circuit voltage required to start the fluorescent lamp over a portion of the range of resistances, and the resistance of the transparent electrically conductive material affixed to the exterior surface of the glass envelope is equal to a resistance within the portion of the range of resistances.
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Specification