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:
May. 29, 2007
Filed:
Oct. 27, 2005
Applicants:
Hiroshi Maeda, Tokyo, JP;
Katsunori Imai, Tokyo, JP;
Terumasa Toyoda, Tokyo, JP;
Inventors:
Assignee:
TDK Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H05B 41/24 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract
Discharge lamps are respectively aligned and arranged, and a first alternating voltage output from an inverter circuit is supplied to one electrode of each discharge lamp, whilst a second alternating voltage output from the inverter circuit is supplied to the other electrode of the same. A signal processor compares a first voltage signal with a second voltage signal, and generates a current-limit signal when a difference in amplitude between these signals is not smaller than a predetermined value. The current-limit signal is supplied to the inverter circuit to help reduce the chance on an accidental electric shock.