The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 04, 1989
Filed:
Jul. 07, 1986
Gary W Vest, Cleveland, OH (US);
Other;
Abstract
A ballasting circuit for fluorescent lamps includes a series-connected current limiting ballast element and an electronic assist circuit. The ballast element has a high voltage side connectable to a commercial 110 VAC/60 hertz power source and a low voltage side connected in series with the lamp. The electronic assist circuit has a full wave bridge rectifier input means connected to the low voltage side of the ballast element and a transformer output means connected in series between the ballast element and the lamp. The electronic assist circuit generates a relatively high frequency, high voltage excitation signal prior to lamp conduction to assist in starting the lamp. After lamp conduction begins, the low voltage side of the ballast element drops to the normal operating voltage of the lamp and the excitation signal amplitude correspondingly drops, but is not eliminated, so as to maintain lamp operation with low frequency power supplied from the commercial power source.