General Electric Company

William R Walters

Edward J Collins

Laszlo V Lieszkovszky

Walter R Chapman, Jr

Gerald A Johnson

Joseph Feldman

Benton A Lee

Daniel L Connell

A plurality of lamps are connected in series. A plurality of burnout detector mechanisms are provided where one of the burnout detector mechanisms from the plurality is connected across a corresponding lamp of the plurality of serially connected lamps. When a lamp in the series enters a failure state, the burnout detector mechanism is activated providing an indication as to the burned out lamp. Depending upon the values provided in the burnout detector mechanism and the type of lamps, the remaining lamps will either enter an OFF state, or a low-light glow state.

Burnout protection for lamps wired in series

A lamp inlead assembly for a light source having a lamp envelope with at least one end region in which the lamp inlead assembly is sealably disposed includes and outer lead wire member to which power to the light source is coupled, an inner lead wire member to which the light generating device is connected, whether incandescent or discharge, and a thin foil member disposed therebetween on which the inner and outer lead wire members are fixedly secured. The thin foil member is constructed of molybdenum and is essentially uniform in thickness throughout. At least one trough is formed in the foil member and is effective so as to: increase the surface area of the foil member and thus improve its current carrying properties without increasing the dimensional space within the end region of the lamp area to accommodate such increased surface area, provide increased rigidity for the foil member so that such foil member can be adapted for handling by high speed automated manufacturing equipment, and, with one trough centrally disposed along the width dimension of the foil member, insure that the positioning of the lead wire members relative to the foil member is maintained throughout the manufacture of both the lamp inlead assembly itself as well as the manufacture operations involving the insertion of the inlead assembly and sealing thereof into the light source.

Lamp inlead assembly having a formed foil arrangement

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Hudson, OH, United States of America

William R Walters