Inductive-resistive fluorescent apparatus and method

A fluorescent illuminating apparatus comprising:

• (a) a fluorescent lightbulb including:
• a translucent housing having a chamber for supporting a fluorescent medium, said housing having first and second ends;
• electrical connections on said housing to provide an electrical potential across said chamber, said connections being in the form of first and second electrical terminals;
• a fluorescent medium supported in said chamber;
• and
• first and second electrodes located respectively at said first and second ends of said translucent housing, said first and second electrodes being respectively electrically interconnected with said first and second electrical terminals;
• (b) an inductive-resistive structure fixed sufficiently proximate said housing of said lightbulb to induce fluorescence in said fluorescent medium when an electric current is passed through said inductive-resistive structure while an electric potential is applied across said housing, said inductive-resistive structure having third and fourth electrical terminals thereon;
• and
• (c) a source of rippled/pulsed direct current (DC) voltage including:
• a first transistor;
• a first capacitor;
• and
• a step-up transformer having a primary and a secondary winding, said secondary winding being electrically interconnected with said first and second electrical terminals of said fluorescent lightbulb, said primary winding being electrically interconnected with said first transistor, said first capacitor, and said inductive-resistive structure to form an oscillator, such that when a source of substantially steady direct current is electrically interconnected with said oscillator, said first capacitor charges during a first repeating time period when said first transistor is off and said first capacitor discharges during a second repeating time period when said first transistor is active, said oscillator producing a time-varying voltage waveform across said primary winding of said transformer in accordance with said charging and discharging of said first capacitor during said first and second repeating time periods, whereby a stepped-up rippled/pulsed DC voltage is produced across said secondary winding.

A fluorescent illuminating apparatus comprising:

• a translucent housing having a chamber for supporting a fluorescent medium and having electrical connections thereon to provide an electrical potential across said chamber, said housing generally having the size and shape of an ordinary incandescent lightbulb, said electrical connect ions being in the form of first and second electrical terminals adapted to mount into an ordinary light socket;
• a fluorescent medium supported in said chamber;
• first and second spaced electrodes located within said chamber;
• a first inductive-resistive structure located within said chamber;
• and
• a source of rippled/pulsed DC voltage, said source having first and second AC input voltage terminals electrically interconnected with said first and second electrical terminals, said source having first and second output terminals, said first electrode being electrically interconnected with said second output terminal, said second electrode being electrically interconnected with said first output terminal through said first inductive-resistive structure.