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:
Oct. 27, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 20, 1996
Kiyoshi Nishio, Yokosuka, JP;
Kazuhisa Ogishi, Yokosuka, JP;
Takeo Yasuda, Yokohama, JP;
Toshiya Tanaka, Yokohama, JP;
Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A fluorescent lamp unit includes a fluorescent lamp having a bulb constituting one discharge path, said bulb including three U-shaped tube portions, a lighting circuit operatively connected to the fluorescent lamp for lighting the fluorescent lamp, and a cover part having a cap at one end thereof and having a globe at other end thereof for containing the lighting circuit and the fluorescent lamp. Each of the three U-shaped tube portions has a pair of straight tube portions provided straight in a direction along to a basic center axis of the fluorescent lamp unit and has a bent portion being bent so as to be convexly curved toward the globe side opposite to the cap side thereby to form substantially U-shape and linking the glove side ends of the pair of straight tube portions. The straight tube portions are arranged equidistantly on a circumference of a certain radius from the basic center axis. The three U-shaped tube portions are formed so that minimum gaps c1, c2a, and c2b between the inner surface of the globe and each of the outer surfaces of the globe side ends of the three U-shaped tubes have substantially a same length.