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:
Sep. 05, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 02, 1998
Mark D Winsor, Seattle, WA (US);
Winsor Corporation, Tumwater, WA (US);
Abstract
A planar fluorescent lamp having a resistive trace and optically transmissive cover electrodes is described. In one embodiment, the lamp includes an insulative lamp body with the transparent cover electrodes supported by the lamp cover. The resistive trace is supported by the base, either as an exterior resistive trace or within the lamp. The resistive trace acts as a heating element by producing heat in response to an electric current passed through the resistive trace. Because the resistive trace is in thermal contact with the lamp body, heat produced by the resistive trace heats the lamp, improving cold starting. The cover electrodes and, in some embodiments, the resistive trace, are used to control electric fields within the lamp body by applying voltage potentials between discrete cover electrodes or between the cover electrodes and the resistive trace. The controllable electric fields improve cold starting and uniformity of light during low light operation. In an alternative embodiment, the lamp includes an insulatively coated metal lamp body with a glass cover soldered thereto. In another alternative embodiment, the lamp includes two lamp covers with a fluorescent material sandwiched therebetween.