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:
Nov. 25, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 07, 1995
Kelvin B Belle, Willoughby Hills, OH (US);
Leon F Chamberlain, Palm Springs, CA (US);
Raymond A Fillion, Schenectady, NY (US);
Jozsef Fulop, Budapest, HU;
David J Kachmarik, North Olmsted, OH (US);
Donald W Kuk, Albany, NY (US);
Robert S McFeely, Valley View, OH (US);
Ferenc Papp, Budapest, HU;
Istvan Wursching, Budapest, HU;
General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);
Abstract
A fluorescent lamp includes a lamp tube having first and second ends and containing fill materials for causing light generation when provided with electrical power. The lamp further includes first and second power-transferring means at the first and second ends of the lamp tube, respectively, for providing the fill materials in the lamp tube with electrical power. Also included is a thermal heat shield separating the first power-transferring means from ballast circuitry which supplies power to the first power-transferring means and which has a lifetime that becomes substantially less as its operating temperature increases. The thermal heat shield is constructed so that it reflects back to the first power-transferring means and any adjacent portion of the lamp tube sufficient radiant energy to reduce the operating temperature of the ballast circuitry by more than about one degree Celsius compared with the absence of the heat shield.