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:
Mar. 09, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 17, 1996
Hiroshi Niimi, Chita-gun, JP;
Yukihide Shibata, Kariya, JP;
Nippondenso Co., Ltd., Kariya, JP;
Abstract
A preheating device for an illuminating unit comprises a cold cathode fluorescent tube, a heater for heating the cold cathode fluorescent tube at the time of low temperature and ensuring the brightness, a temperature sensor, a door-unlocking detector, and a CPU controlling the heater. When a driver of a vehicle unlocks a door of a vehicle with a key to get it in, the door-unlocking detector detects unlocking of the door and sends the detected signal to the CPU. The CPU starts electric supply to the heater to preheat the cold cathode fluorescent tube when a detected signal of the unlocking of the door is input by the door-unlocking detector and a cold temperature signal is input by the temperature sensor.