Abstract: A light source system includes a heat sink. A base connector receives electrical power. A housing is secured to the base connector. A ballast unit is secured within the housing and electrically connected to the base connector. At least one electrical component is both mechanically and electrically connected to the ballast unit. The at least one electrical component is driven by the electrical power received by the base connector. A lamp unit is secured to the housing and electrically connected to the ballast unit. An additional electrical component includes a portion which contacts an inside wall of the housing. The additional electrical component is electrically connected to the ballast unit and has a life span which decreases as an operating temperature of the additional electrical component increases. The inside wall of the housing acts as the heat sink for the additional electrical component.

Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp system includes a housing and an external base connector mounted in the housing. The external base connector receives electrical power from an external source. A ballast unit is secured within the housing and is electrically connected to the external base connector. The ballast unit controls the electrical power received from the external source. A lamp unit defines an interior volume. The lamp unit includes first and second lamp electrodes extending into the lamp unit. The lamp unit contains a gas which breaks-down permitting electrical current to pass through the lamp unit. An interior of the lamp unit is coated with a material which fluoresces when the gas within the sealed lamp unit ionizes. An electrically conductive hollow cylinder is located within the interior volume. A breakdown voltage path within the lamp unit is modified by the electrically conductive hollow cylinder.

Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp system includes a housing. An external base connector is mounted in the housing. The external base connector receives electrical power from an external source. A ballast unit is secured within the housing and electrically connected to the external base connector. The ballast unit controls the electrical power received from the external source. The compact fluorescent lamp system also includes a lamp unit. The lamp unit includes an amalgam ball pellet within the lamp unit, first and second lamp electrodes extending into the lamp unit, and a gas which breaks-down, permitting an electrical current to pass through the lamp unit. An inside wall of the lamp unit is coated with a material which fluoresces when the gas within the sealed lamp unit ionizes. The lamp unit also includes an extended wire connection having a first end electrically connected to one of the first and second lamp electrodes and a second end located near another point on the lamp unit.

Abstract: An inverter circuit having a pair of transistors connected to alternately and repetitively apply electrical energy to an inductive load. Short duration turn-off pulses are alternately applied to the transistors, and means are connected so that when each transistor is turned off, fly-back current induced in the load is applied to the other transistor to create a stored charge for turning it on and keeping it on until it receives its next turn-off pulse. Thus, no externally supplied repetitive forward base current is required.

Abstract: A push-pull inverter circuit for an inductive load such as a fluorescent lamp. A pair of transistors alternately and repetitively apply energy to the load, and are alternately rendered conductive by stored charges produced by flyback induced voltage in the load, in cooperation with a single mutual control circuit which repetitively renders the push-pull transistors nonconductive and removes their stored charges.

Abstract: An inverter circuit having two pairs of transistors, the transistors of each pair thereof being connected in series to alternately and repetitively apply electrical energy to an inductive load such as a fluorescent lamp. A square wave voltage is applied in opposite phase to electrodes of a first transistor of each pair thereof for rendering them alternately in condition for conduction and nonconduction. Each time a first transistor of one pair thereof becomes nonconductive, current in the inductive load reduces and an inductively induced flyback voltage is generated therein, which voltage is applied to the base electrode of the second transistor of the other pair thereof for creating a stored charge which turns on this transistor and keeps it on during the half-cycle, whereby the pairs of transistors are alternately turned on and off for applying alternating current through the load. Rapid discharge circuits are provided for the removal of residual stored charges.