Claims
- 1. A system for powering a gas discharge lamp having a a first and a second pair of cathode terminals, comprising:
- a source having a pair of source terminals between which there is available an inductively limited AC current;
- load circuit comprising a pair of load terminals with a capacitor means connected in circuit therebetween, one of said load terminals and one of said source terminals constituting a first pair of ballast terminals, the other load and source terminals constituting a second pair of ballast terminals;
- non-linear voltage-limiting impedance means connected across at least one of said pairs of ballast terminals; and
- means for connecting said first and second pairs of cathode terminals respectively with said first and second pairs of ballast terminals.
- 2. An arrangement comprising:
- a ballast circuit connected with a source of DC power and operative to supply an alternating current to a gas discharge lamp; the ballast circuit having a first pair and a second pair of ballast output terminals; a non-linear impedance means being connected between the pairs of ballast output terminals; and
- a gas discharge lamp having a first and a second pair of cathode terminals operable to connect with said first and second pair of ballast output terminals, respectively, thereby to be supplied with said alternating current.
- 3. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals which, when connected with a proper load circuit, will supply a load current to this load circuit; the ballast circuit being characterized by drawing no current from the DC source except when the proper load circuit is connected with the ballast terminals; and
- a lamp circuit assembly operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute said proper load circuit; the lamp circuit being characterized by including a gas discharge lamp and a resistor connected in parallel therewith.
- 4. The arrangement of claim 3 wherein a capacitor is connected in parallel with the resistor.
- 5. The arrangement of claim 3 wherein a non-linear impedance means in connected in circuit with the gas discharge lamp.
- 6. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals which, when connected with a proper load circuit, will supply a load current to this load circuit; the ballast circuit being further characterized by providing an output voltage across the ballast terminals only when connected with said proper load circuit; and
- a lamp circuit assembly operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute said proper load circuit; the lamp circuit being characterized by including a gas discharge lamp and a resistor.
- 7. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals across which is at times provided an AC voltage; the ballast circuit being further characterized by providing the AC voltage only when a proper load circuit is connected with the ballast terminals; and
- a lamp circuit assembly operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute said proper load circuit; the lamp circuit being characterized by including a gas discharge lamp and a resistance means operative to provide for a resistive path between the ballast terminals as long as the lamp circuit assembly is indeed connected with the ballast terminals.
- 8. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals across which is conditionally provided an AC voltage; the ballast circuit being further characterized by providing the AC voltage only having received a trigger signal; the trigger signal being automatically supplied, but only after a proper load circuit is connected with the ballast terminals; and
- a lamp circuit assembly operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute said proper load circuit; the lamp circuit being characterized by including a gas discharge lamp and a capacitor.
- 9. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals which, when connected with a proper load circuit, will supply a load current to this load circuit; the ballast circuit being characterized by drawing no current from the DC source except when the proper load circuit is connected with the ballast terminals; the proper load circuit, when indeed so connected, being required to cause a resistive path to exist between the ballast terminals; and
- a lamp circuit assembly operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute said proper load circuit; the lamp circuit being further characterized by including a gas discharge lamp.
- 10. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals which, when connected with a proper load circuit, will supply a load current to this load circuit; the ballast circuit being further characterized by providing an output voltage across the ballast terminals only when connected with said proper load circuit; and
- an assembly operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute said proper load circuit; the assembly being characterized by including a gas discharge lamp and a resistance means functional to cause a resistive path to exist between the ballast terminals whenever the assembly is indeed connected thereto.
- 11. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals which, when connected with a proper load circuit, will supply an alternating current to this load circuit; the ballast circuit being further characterized by: (i) including a periodically conductive transistor; and (ii) providing an AC voltage across the ballast terminals, but only when connected with the proper load circuit; and
- a lamp assembly having a pair of assembly terminals operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute the proper load circuit; the lamp assembly being additionally characterized by: (i) being disconnectable; (ii) including a gas discharge lamp; and (iii) having a resistive path between the assembly terminals.
- 12. An arrangement comprising:
- a DC source operative to provide a DC voltage at a set of DC terminals;
- a ballast circuit connected with the DC terminals; the ballast circuit having a pair of ballast terminals which, when connected with a proper load circuit, will supply an alternating current to this load circuit; the ballast circuit being further characterized by providing an AC voltage across the ballast terminals, but only when connected with the proper load circuit; and
- a lamp circuit assembly having a pair of assembly terminals operable to connect with the ballast terminals and, when indeed so connected, to constitute the proper load circuit; the lamp circuit assembly being further characterized by including: (i) a gas discharge lamp; and (ii) a resistance means connected between the assembly terminals, the resistance means being characterized by being functional to conduct current even under conditions when the gas discharge lamp is non-ionized.
Parent Case Info
This is a Continuation of Ser. No. 07/158,104 filed Feb. 16, 1988, now abandoned; which is a Continuation of Ser. No. 06/541,489 filed Oct. 13, 1983, now abandoned; which is a Continuation of Ser. No. 06/342,107 filed Jan. 25, 1982, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (23)
Related Publications (2)
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Number |
Date |
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541489 |
Oct 1983 |
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342107 |
Jan 1982 |
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Continuations (1)
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Number |
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158104 |
Feb 1988 |
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