Claims
- 1. A rapid-start fluorescent lamp power-reducing system comprising:
- a plurality of rapid-start fluorescent lamps each having a pair of spaced filaments;
- a ballast formed for connection to an energizing source and including a plurality of filament windings for energizing said filaments of said lamps; and
- a power-reducing means shunting one of said filament windings and including a relay having a plurality of N/O switches each coupled to a respective one of said filament windings, said power-reducing means responsive to energization from said source for operating said relay closing said N/O switches and connecting said filament windings to aid filaments of said lamps for a given period of time sufficient to effect ionization of said lamps and de-energizing said relay, opening said N/O switches and disconnecting said filament windings from said filaments of said lamps after said given period of time required to effect ionization of said lamps.
- 2. The power-reducing system of claim 1 said plurality of rapid-start fluorescent lamps includes a pair of lamps each having a pair of spaced filaments.
- 3. The power-reducing system of claim 2 wherein said power-reducing means includes a relay having a N/O switch coupling a filament of each of said pair of lamps to a filament winding of said ballast and a N/O switch coupling a filament of both of said pair of lamps to a filament winding of said ballast.
- 4. The power-reducing system of claim 2 wherein said power-reducing means including a charging circuit for controlling the time period said filaments are connected to and disconnected from said filaments windings of said ballast.
- 5. A power-reducing system for rapid-start fluorescent lamps comprising:
- a pair of fluorescent lamps each having a pair of spaced filaments;
- a ballast connectable to an energizing source and having a plurality of filament windings; and
- a power-reducing means shunting one of said plurality of filament windings and including a relay having a plurality of normally-open (N/O) switch contacts each coupled to a respective one of said plurality of filament windings of said ballast, said relay formed for activating said N/O switches contacts to couple said filament windings to said lamp filaments for a period of time sufficient to effect ionization of said lamps and for decoupling said filament windings from said filaments upon ionization of said lamps.
- 6. The power-reducing system of claim 5 wherein said ballast includes a first and third filament winding each connectable by a N/O switch to a filament of one of said pair of fluorescent lamps and a second filament winding connectable by a N/O switch to a pair of parallel connected filaments of both of said pair of fluorescent lamps.
- 7. The power-reducing system of claim 5 wherein said power-reducing means includes a charging circuit for controlling said time period of said coupling and decoupling of said filament windings and filaments.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 576,795 filed on Feb. 6, 1984, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
576795 |
Feb 1984 |
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