Abstract: A fuzzy controller is provided which enables even an unskilled operator to easily adjust various conditions in a glass pipe sealing process. The fuzzy controller has a fuzzy control processor including an image processing unit for processing and calculating image information as a softened state change value of the glass pipe and a combustion state value of burner flame, and a fuzzy control processing unit for calculating and outputting, by receiving a result of this calculation, a suitable control value for controlling parameters relating to the burner flame by fuzzy inference. The fuzzy controller may further has a fuzzy diagnosis support processor which, if there is an abnormality in the sealed portion of the glass pipe and if the state of the glass pipe after sealing is input to the manipulation instruction data input support processor by the operator, automatically ascertains the cause of the abnormality by using fuzzy inference and displays it on a CRT.

Abstract: A metal vapor discharge lamp has a luminous tube constituted by a translucent ceramic tube member, end caps hermetically fixed to both ends of the translucent ceramic tube member, and electric supporting tubes hermetically inserted into respective end caps. One of the electrode supporting tubes serves also as an exhaust tube for evacuation and also as a reservoir for a metal charged in the luminous tube. The outer end extremity of this electrode supporting tube is hermetically sealed through fusion by application of heat. This hermetic seal is formed by fusing the end of the electrode supporting tube by application of heat thereto, while keeping a heat-shielding/absorbing plate held in close contact with the electrode supporting tube.

Abstract: A metal vapor discharge lamp has a luminous tube constituted by a translucent ceramic tube member, end caps hermetically fixed to both ends of the translucent ceramic tube member, and electrode supporting tubes hermetically inserted into respective end caps. One of the electrode supporting tubes serves also as an exhaust tube for evacuation and also as a reservoir for a metal charged in the luminous tube. The outer end extremity of this electrode supporting tube is hermetically sealed through fusion by application of heat. This hermetic seal is formed by fusing the end of the electrode supporting tube by application of heat thereto, while keeping a heat-shielding/absorbing plate held in close contact with the electrode supporting tube.

Abstract: In a high pressure discharge lamp device provided with an inductive stabilizer and a starting circuit consisting of a serial circuit of a resistor and a bimetal switch, a pulse waveform conversion circuit is arranged therein to reduce the pulse peak of the starting voltage and also broaden the pulse width of the starting voltage. The pulse waveform conversion circuit comprises a serial circuit of a resistor and a switching element, such as micro-gap element, which operates at a voltage lower than the starting voltage of the discharge lamp but higher than the secondary load-free voltage of the stabilizer.

Abstract: A high pressure discharge lamp with a starting circuit contained therein includes an arc tube provided with a pair of opposed electrodes at the hermetically sealed opposite ends thereof. The interior of the arc tube is filled with at least a luminous metal and gas. The discharge lamp further includes a series circuit consisting of a thermo-responsive switch and a resistor and shunted to the electrodes of the arc tube, and an outer envelope for containing therein the series circuit and the arc tube. The resistance value of the resistor is set such that a sufficient current to induce a pulse of higher voltage than the starting voltage flows through the series circuit while, on the other hand, the current flowing through the series circuit is substantially equal to or less than the lamp current during the stable state of the lamp.