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:
Dec. 28, 1993
Filed:
Jun. 08, 1992
Klaas Vegter, Eindhoven, NL;
North American Philips Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A low pressure gas discharge lamp (such as a fluorescent lamp) which includes a wire mesh grid disposed within the lamp envelope so as to intercept the electrons flowing between the lamp electrodes. A lead wire extends from the grid to the outside of the lamp envelope, when the grid is provided with a negative voltage with respect to the surrounding plasma the lamp may switched off. The grid controlled lamp eliminates the need for a solid state power switch in the lamp driving circuitry. As such, the lamp current flows only through the lamp not through the electronic ballast/lamp driving circuitry. With the lamp current removed from the ballast circuitry, power dissipation problems in the driver circuitry is eliminated. The grid controlled lamp design greatly facilitates circuit design.