Ultraviolet fluorescent lamp with unique drive circuit
OwnerDonald Ellis Newsomeinventor
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OwnerDonald Ellis Newsomeinventor
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A unique drive circuit for a fluorescent lamp, as well as a housing for such lamp and drive circuit, are designed for mineral museum displays. The drive circuit comprises a ballast subcircuit, a separate filament transformer subcircuit for pre-heating the lamp cathodes, and a relay between the subcircuits. The separate filament transformer subcircuit obviates the need for a conventional starter circuit for the fluorescent lamp. This way of pre-heating the cathodes prolongs the useful life of the lamp by making it possible for the lamp to undergo thousands of “on-off” cycles without the heretofore usual deterioration of the cathodes. The relay prevents the high voltage of the ballast from “hitting” the lamp cathodes before the cathodes have been pre-heated by the transformer subcircuit. Also a method is designed for using such a lamp, drive circuit, and housing to irradiate fluorescent minerals in a display case.
A drive circuit for a user operating a fluorescent lamp from a power source comprising:
A drive circuit for a user operating a fluorescent lamp from two separate power sources comprising:
A method for a user to operate a drive circuit for a fluorescent lamp, such lamp being generally tubular and defining an interior space and having cathode filaments and anodes extending into such interior space, and such drive circuit comprising a transformer subcircuit including a transformer connected to the lamp cathodes, a separate ballast subcircuit including a Rapid Start High Output wound ballast connected to the lamp cathodes, and a lock-out relay, consisting of coil and armature, situated between the transformer subcircuit and the ballast subcircuit, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.