Rapid start fluorescent lamp having quick hot restarting
First Claim
1. A rapid start fluorescent lamp comprising:
- a lamp envelope;
an end cap disposed on one end of said lamp envelope;
a lamp stem having an upper surface disposed within said envelope;
first and second conductive feedthroughs extending through the upper surface of said lamp stem to said endcap for electrical connection thereto;
filament means, said filament means being electrically connected to one of said conductive feedthroughs;
thermally activated switch means, said switch means being electrically connected between said first and second feedthroughs when cold and being disconnected from said first and second feedthroughs when heated; and
said switch means being positioned within said lamp envelope at a level below that of the upper surface of the lamp stem.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rapid start fluorescent lamp having an improved hot restarting time. The lamp includes the standard envelope and end cap through which electrical connection is made by conductive feedthroughs which extend through the lamp stem to the interior of the lamp. One of the feedthroughs is connected to the cathode, and the other is connected to the leads of a fuse element which is contained within an envelope to isolate the fusible element from the lamp environment. A thermally activated bimetallic element is disposed across the leads of the fuse. The other lead of the fusible element is connected to the other end of the cathode. When the bimetal element is cold, it will bridge the connection between the other feedthrough to the other end of the cathode to permit rapid starting. When the bimetal heats up, the connection of both ends of the cathode to the heating current is broken. The location of the bimetallic element within the lamp envelope but not in the fuse container permits it to open and close more rapidly. Additionally the fuse assembly is utilized as part of the supporting structure for the filament assembly.
21 Citations
5 Claims
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1. A rapid start fluorescent lamp comprising:
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a lamp envelope; an end cap disposed on one end of said lamp envelope; a lamp stem having an upper surface disposed within said envelope; first and second conductive feedthroughs extending through the upper surface of said lamp stem to said endcap for electrical connection thereto; filament means, said filament means being electrically connected to one of said conductive feedthroughs; thermally activated switch means, said switch means being electrically connected between said first and second feedthroughs when cold and being disconnected from said first and second feedthroughs when heated; and said switch means being positioned within said lamp envelope at a level below that of the upper surface of the lamp stem. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification