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. 16, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 27, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:
Minoru Myojo, Osaka, JP;
Hideki Yamauchi, Kyoto, JP;
Tsutomu Takemura, Osaka, JP;
Akio Kitada, Osaka, JP;
Assignee:
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 6/130 ; H01J 6/132 ; H01J 6/136 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 6/130 ; H01J 6/132 ; H01J 6/136 ;
Abstract
In a fluorescent lamp having a plurality of glass tubes that are connected with each other to form a discharge path, spacers that do not drop off even with insufficient accuracy of a gap between the glass tube are provided in a gap between the connected glass tubes, so as to improve the gap compression resistance and the torsion resistance. Each spacer is composed of a plurality of tonguelets and a bridge. The tonguelets are in contact with surfaces of the glass tubes and are connected by the bridge that is directed in an axial direction of the glass tubes.