Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation

Fuminori Nakaya

Keiichi Shimizu

Tsutomu Kakitani

Kazuyuki Uratani

Shinya Hakuta

Toshiya Tanaka

Noriyuki Kitamura

Masahiko Kamata

Yusuke Shibahara

Takeo Yasuda

Kazutoshi Mita

Hajime Osaki

Tsutomu Araki

Takayuki Fujita

Toshiyuki Ikeda

Kiyoteru Kosa

Hidenori Ito

Keiji Takahashi

Junji Hasegawa

Mamoru Ikeda

A discharge lamp driving apparatus includes, a direct current power supply having a rectifier, an inverter circuit, which has stable and unstable output terminals, converting a direct current power to an alternating current power with a predetermined high frequency and driving a discharge lamp having a folded portion, a controller for being able to dim the discharge lamp, and an auxiliary conductor, arranged to the folded portion of the discharge lamp, and electrically connected to the stable potential output terminal of the inverter.

Discharge lamp driving apparatus and lighting fixture using the apparatus

Fluorescent lamp with auxiliary amalgam secured to single lead wire

A combination-type high frequency inverter connects an isolation leakage transformer, a smoothing condenser, a resonance condenser, a first field-effect transistor and a second field-effect transistor to a diode bridge and rectifies the voltage of an AC power source in a non-smoothing rectification manner. A load circuit has a secondary winding of an isolation leakage transformer, a fluorescent lamp and a condenser. The 'on' duration of the first field-effect transistor is variable. The duration of on-duty of the second field-effect transistor is fixed. Adjusting charge voltage on the smoothing condenser changes the high frequency output voltage and the load characteristics. Load characteristics, optimal for the current mode, are given to the fluorescent lamp, in accordance with whether the flourescent lamp is in either start-up or luminance mode. Since the 'on' duration of the first-field effect transistor is variable, output compensation for fluxuation in source voltage is easily conducted.

Discharge lamp lighting device and illuminating device

The present invention provides self destruct arrangements for self ballasted fluorescent lamps and lighting fixtures using them. The ballast power supply includes at least one element that breaks down at high temperature. The lamp arrangements are constructed such that there is close proximity between at least one electrode of the lamp and the breakdown element of the ballast power supply. In one embodiment the breakdown element is a FET switch. In another embodiment, the breakdown element is a capacitor.

Self-ballasted fluorescent lamp and lighting fixture

The electrodes of a discharge lamp are prevented from reaching damaging temperatures which tend to occur when the discharge lamp is near the end of its useful life. The combination of a discharge lamp and luminaire contribute to ensuring the discharge lamp remains unilluminated when nearing the end of its useful life to prevent high temperature damage. Load circuit characteristics are set to provide low release voltage and high short-circuit current during full-intensity illumination, and high release voltage and low short-circuit current during dimmed operation. The discharge lamp operating in a dimmed mode at the end of its useful life is switched to full-intensity illumination mode to ensure the discharge lamp becomes unilluminated. This configuration prevents high temperatures at the electrodes from damaging the glass bulb, base, socket and other components of the discharge lamp and luminaire.

Discharge lamp lighting device and illumination device

A discharge lamp lighting apparatus of the present invention includes an inverter to convert input DC voltage into high frequency voltage and supply the converted high frequency voltage to a discharge lamp having filaments, a preheating circuit to preheat the filaments of the discharge lamp, filament voltage detecting circuits to detect voltage applied between both ends of the filaments of the discharge lamp, and an output control circuit to control the inverter to stop or lower the output of high frequency voltage when the detected result of the filament voltage detecting circuit exceeds a specified value.

Discharge lamp lighting apparatus and lighting apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Fuminori Nakaya