Pacific Scientific Company

Mark E Martich

Mihail S Moisin

John M Ossenmacher

Thomas E Beling

Stephen C McLeod

Thomas Tedham

A compact dimmable fluorescent lamp includes a dimming control ballast within a base which installs directly on an existing incandescent or other lighting fixture. The lamp mounts a fluorescent illumination element and includes an accessible dimmer control member connected to the dimming control ballast. In the preferred embodiment, a rotatable lamp globe both covers the fluorescent lamp and is coupled to the control element. The globe thus provides the dual functions of decoratively covering the fluorescent lamp tubes and serving as the dimmer control by rotating the globe to vary the amount of power that is supplied to the lamp. In other embodiments, a rotatable external annular ring extends substantially around the circumference of the lamp base and is connected to the dimming ballast control to serve as the dimmer control.

Fluorescent lamp with globe activated dimmer switch

An improved ballast circuit for use with a compact fluorescent lamp includes an EMI filter, a rectifier and voltage amplification stage, an active resonant circuit and power factor correction stage which is connected in parallel to a lamp load. The ballast circuit includes a feedback capacitor which provides a feedback path for a portion of the high frequency current to the rectifier and voltage amplification stage. The feedback capacitor of the improved ballast circuit reduces the non-linear characteristics of the diode, thus providing almost a linear load on the input power supply and therefore achieving an improved power factor, on the order of 0.95 or greater. The improved ballast circuit may also include a dimming stage which works with the active resonant circuit to vary the amount of power that is supplied to the lamp load. The dimming stage does not require the addition of parasitic active stages and thus provides a lamp with high electrical efficiency.

Ballast circuit for fluorescent lamp

Dimmable fluorescent lamp apparatus includes a dimming control element housed in an integral adapter having a base which installs directly on an existing incandescent or other lighting fixture. The adapter mounts a fluorescent illumination element either fixedly or removably and replaceably. The lamp apparatus includes a manually accessible adjustment element connected with the control element and mounted on the adapter. The adjustment element can be an electrical adjustment element or an optical adjustment element.

Fluorescent lamp apparatus with integral dimming control

A compact dimmable fluorescent lamp apparatus that connects with at least one fluorescent lamp and with an input power source that supplies an AC input voltage. The lamp includes a rectification stage for rectifying the AC input voltage, a dimming stage for generating a dimming signal indicative of lamp brightness, and a ballast circuit that is in electrical communication with the rectification stage and the dimming stage. The ballast circuit is arranged for connection with the lamp for applying power variably to the lamp and includes a resonant circuit stage that electrically connects with the lamp and that generates a high frequency voltage in response to the input voltage. The resonant circuit varies the level of power supplied to the lamp in response to the dimming signal, thereby attaining a selected level of lamp brightness. The ballast circuit also includes a voltage feedback element in electrical series with the lamp for generating a selected high frequency voltage signal and for applying this signal to the rectification stage. The feedback element superimposes the ballast circuit high frequency voltage signal over the input voltage.

Ballast circuit for compact fluorescent lamp

Compact dimmable fluorescent lamps with central dimming ring

Fluorescent lamp

A fluorescent lamp dissipates heat from the lamp tube to a vented air stream within a lamp globe and to ambient air outside of the lamp. The lamp apparatus includes a base that mounts and provides electric current to a fluorescent illumination tube, a vented lamp globe and a thermally conductive heat dissipater engaged with the illumination tube. The heat dissipater thermally conducts heat from the illumination tube and transfers the heat to an air current within the lamp globe. A mounting element mounts the lamp globe and the heat dissipater with the base.

Fluorescent lamp heat-dissipating apparatus

An outdoor lighting control circuit for operation with a variable input voltage and with an electrical lamp, the circuit including a first resistive impedance element for protecting the circuit from excessive current, and a photosensitive element for presenting a first impedance when actuated by light and a different second impedance in the absence of light. The photosensitive element is electrically in series with the first resistive impedance element, to form a first series combination. An electrical relay in the circuit has contacts for selectively connecting the load to the input voltage and has a relay coil. A second resistive impedance element of the circuit controls the current in the relay coil. The second resistive impedance element is electrically in parallel with the relay coil, to form a first parallel combination. The first parallel combination is electrically in series with the first series combination, all elements being between the input terminals that receive the operating voltage.

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Hanover, MA, United States of America

Mark E Martich