Gas tube tester
AssigneeReliable Electric Company
InventorRonald J. Japenga
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is directed to a gas tube tester which provides a pair of terminals for connection to the external electrodes of a cold cathode gas discharge tube. The tester includes one circuit for applying a progressively increasing voltage across the discharge tube so that the breakover voltage of the tube can be determined, this breakover voltage being registered on a meter. A second circuit is provided for testing the leakage current of the gas discharge tube within predetermined limits. A leakage current corresponding to a one megohm internal resistance is sufficient to render conductive a programmable silicon controlled rectifier to give an indication of excessive leakage current.
Claims12
A gas tube tester comprising in combination:
- terminal means for connection to the external terminals of a cold cathode gas discharge tube to be tested, a first circuit arrangement selectively connected to said terminal means for applying a progressively increasing voltage to said terminal means, said progressively increasing voltage ultimately reaching a breakover voltage of the gas tube being tested, first detector means for sensing said breakover voltage, indicating means connected to said first detector means for indicating said breakover voltage, a second circuit arrangement selectively connected to said terminal means for applying a fixed voltage of predetermined value to establish a static leakage current through the gas discharge tube being tested, and a second detector means for sensing said static leakage current flowing through said gas tube being tested, said detector means including switching means for producing a discharge current therethrough when the static leakage current through said gas tube being tested exceeds a predetermined minimum value.
A gas tube tester comprising in combination:
- terminal means for connection to the external terminals of a cold cathode gas discharge tube to be tested, a circuit arrangement selectively connected to said terminal means for applying a fixed voltage of predetermined value to establish a leakage current through the gas discharge tube being tested, detector means for sensing a predetermined static leakage current flowing through said gas tube being tested, said detector means including a solid state switching device to be rendered conductive when said predetermined leakage current through the gas tube is sensed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.