Patent · US Expired

PORTABLE FLUORESCENT LAMP AND INVERTER THEREFOR

US3953768A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
3References
7Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 22, 1973
Grant dateApr 27, 1976
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 22, 1993

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S315/07
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A portable battery-operated fluorescent light with an inverter having a single transistor Class C oscillator and a gapped-core nonsaturating reactor transformer with a parallel capacitance in the secondary circuit to cause the secondary circuit to act as a resonant tank circuit for the oscillator. The lamp is capacitor-ballasted, and the batteries are rechargeable. A large capacitance is connected in parallel with the batteries to decrease effective battery impedance. The light has an automatic shutoff circuit using a zener diode to shut off the inverter when the batteries are discharged to the safe limit and a self-contained constant voltage current-taper charging circuit for the cells, with the same zener diode as a voltage reference. A jam-in lamp socket is shown which allow the lamp to be inserted straight into the socket without rotation, and a method for pulsing the filament at one end of the lamp to improve startup of aging lamps is disclosed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.