Patents Represented by Attorney Carlo S. Bessone
  • Patent number: 6008570
    Abstract: The invention relates to a compact low-pressure discharge lamp comprising a discharge vessel 14 having electrodes and supply leads 30, and having a mp cap 12 assembled from a cap 16, housing 18 and mounting plate 24 with a ballast arrangement. In this case, the mounting plate 24 with the ballast arrangement is fitted in the interior of the lamp cap housing 18. The mounting plate 24 also has terminals 26 for the electric connection of the supply leads 30. According to the invention, in this case the supply leads 30 are connected to the electric terminals 26 of the mounting plate 24 via an electrically conducting spring element 28 in each case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Peter Helbig, Hermann Steiner, Werner Bernhard
  • Patent number: 6008591
    Abstract: Proposed for the purpose of starting a high-pressure discharge lamp is a cuit which in the conventional way comprises a starting transformer (12) whose secondary side is connected to the lamp to be started and whose primary side is connected to a circuit triggering the starting pulse, the circuit triggering the starting pulse generating starting pulses with a pulse duration of less than 0.5 .mu.s and a repetition frequency of at least 2 kHz. An IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) (14) is preferably used as switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Andreas Huber, Peter Niedermeier
  • Patent number: 5995369
    Abstract: According to the invention, a common connecting clip (5) is used in the cse of connecting two or more power semiconductors (4) on a board (3) to a cooling plate (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluelampen mbH
    Inventors: Theodor Kiermeier, Reinhard Lecheler
  • Patent number: 5994838
    Abstract: In a mercury vapor discharge lamp having an envelope of light-transmitting vitreous material and containing an inert gas and a quantity of elemental mercury at least partially convertible to soluble mercury, and first and second electrodes disposed within the envelope for establishing an arc discharge therebetween, an improvement comprising an effective amount of a nonmetallic copper-containing compound disposed in the lamp which, when the lamp is pulverized to granules and subjected to a suitable aqueous acid solution, dissolves in the aqueous acid solution, resulting in a concentration of extracted mercury less than 0.2 mg per liter of solution; and a method for reducing the amount of mercury extracted from a mercury vapor discharge lamp when the lamp is pulverized to granules and subjected to a suitable aqueous acid solution, such that the resulting concentration of extracted mercury is less than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Keith A. Klinedinst, Dennis B. Shinn, Richard A. Fowler
  • Patent number: 5994849
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for operating a lighting system with an ncoherently-emitting radiation source, in particular a discharge lamp (14) that emits UV, IR or visible-range radiation, by means of dielectrically inhibited discharge, and to a lighting system suitable therefor. The electrodes (16-20), which are arranged side by side and separated from each other and the interior of the discharge vessel (15) by dielectric material (21), are alternatingly connected to the two poles (23, 24) of a voltage source (27). In operation, the voltage source (27) supplies a series of voltage pulses separated by quiescent periods. According to the invention, this produces inside the discharge vessel (15) a spatial discharge (26) which in the regions between electrodes of different polarity (16, 17; 17, 18; 18, 19; 19, 20) is at a distance from the surface of the inside wall of the discharge vessel (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer electrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Frank Vollkommer, Lothar Hitzscke, Klaus Stockwald
  • Patent number: 5990627
    Abstract: An electrodeless high intensity discharge lamp includes an electrodeless lamp capsule having an enclosed volume containing a mixture of starting gas and chemical dopant material excitable by high frequency power to a state of luminous emission, an applicator for coupling high frequency power to the lamp capsule, a gas nozzle directed toward the lamp capsule and a gas controller coupled to the gas nozzle. The gas controller receives gas from a gas source and supplies a gas puff of limited duration to the lamp capsule through the gas nozzle in response to termination of the state of luminous emission. The lamp capsule is rapidly cooled by the gas puff to a temperature required for restart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian J. Chen, A. Bowman Budinger, Walter P. Lapatovich
  • Patent number: 5990633
    Abstract: The invention relates to circuitry for the operation of a high-pressure dharge lamp including a voltage transformer (T1, T2), preferably a push-pull transformer, a transformer (TR1) connected to the output of the voltage transformer (T1, T2), a pulse ignition device, and a load circuit designed as a ocrial resonance circuit (L1, C1) into which the high-pressure discharge lamp (LP) is switched. The transformer (TR1) possesses at least two secondary windings (w1c, w1d), wherein the first secondary winding (w1c) switches into the load circuit and the second secondary winding (w1d) is connected to the pulse ignition device at the voltage input. The ignition voltage output of the pulse ignition device is designed to be connected to an auxiliary ignition electrode (ZE) of the high-pressure discharge lamp (LP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gessellschaft fur elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Guenther Hirschmann, Stefan Mueller, Matthias Mengele, Christian Wittig, Bernd Lewandowski
  • Patent number: 5962987
    Abstract: The invention relates to an operating circuit for an electrodeless low-prure gas discharge lamp designed for power between some watts and some kilowatts having a switching system which operates at high frequency in a freewheeling mode close to resonance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 5, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventor: Eugen Statnic
  • Patent number: 5939832
    Abstract: A circuit is proposed for the AC voltage operation of a discharge lamp by ans of a coupling capacitor (C3) with a safety disconnection device, connected in series with the lamp for DC current separation, which is characterized by the fact that the safety disconnection device responds to a DC voltage (UC3) at coupling capacitor (C3) by means of a DC current component flowing through the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventor: Felix Franck
  • Patent number: 5932961
    Abstract: A closed-loop, tubular lamp envelope and methods of manufacturing closed-loop, tubular lamp envelopes are disclosed. A dome is formed at one end of a light-transmissive tube. A blister is molded on the dome, and a hole is formed in the molded blister. Next, a dome is formed at the other end of the light-transmissive tube. A blister is formed on the dome, and a second hole is formed in the molded blister. Each of the molded blisters includes a rim which defines the respective hole. A second tube is processed in the same way. The respective rims at the ends of the first and second tubes are fused together to form a sealed, closed-loop lamp envelope. Each tube may be bent to provide a desired shape of the lamp envelope. The molding of the rims insures that the sealing surfaces match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1999
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Wentzel, Gregory Zaslavsky, Joseph V. Lima
  • Patent number: 5925984
    Abstract: The invention relates to a circuit arrangement for operating a lamp (EL), particular a low-pressure discharge lamp, with a load circuit which has at least one inductor (L2) and at least one capacitor (C7, C8, C9), and with an invertor which may be configured as a half-bridge arrangement with two switching elements (T1, T2), and with a drive circuit (AS) for driving the switching elements (T1, T2). The invention provides that the drive circuit (AS) has at least one LC parallel tuned circuit (L3C3, L4C4). The circuit arrangement according to the invention can be produced without separate cost-intensive wound parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Klaus Fischer, Harald Schmitt, Ludwig Reiser, Peter Haeussinger, Walter Hirschmann
  • Patent number: 5923121
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp having an attachment mounted therein for reduction of soluble mercury contained in the lamp, and to act as a fail-safe at the end of lamp life, comprises a collar of iron mesh providing an iron surface area sufficiently large to reduce a portion of the soluble mercury to elemental mercury when the lamp is pulverized to granules and subjected to a suitable aqueous acid solution, such that a remaining portion of soluble mercury leachable is less than 0.2 milligram per liter of the aqueous acid solution, whereby to provide a substantially non-soluble mercury leachable lamp. The attachment is adapted for disposition around an electrode mount in the lamp and is electrically isolated from lead-in contacts in the mount, such that upon exhaustion of a cathode coating in the lamp, an electrical arc stream impinges on the attachment, causing the mount within the attachment to crack, whereby to provide for safe termination of operation of the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Craig S. Boyce, Tyra N. Evans, Dennis B. Shinn, Michael D. Sweetland, Billy W. Tuttle
  • Patent number: 5917287
    Abstract: The circuit for operating a high-pressure gas discharge lamp (HID) has a ice (ZZU) for ignition-time bridging by switching in a second lamp (GL), the ignition-time bridging device (ZZU) being driven by a signal (S) indicating the operating state of the high-pressure discharge lamp (HID), and the drive signal (S) being an output signal of a power controller (R) of the circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Markus Haederle, Josef Osterried
  • Patent number: 5900700
    Abstract: A first intermediate direct voltage is generated from a current source or board voltage, and a second sinusoidal intermediate alternating voltage is generated with a current inverter. This intermediate alternating voltage is transformed by one or more transfer systems to the various triggering and maintaining voltages of different cold cathode discharge lamps. Frequency-synchronous dimming is regulated by the pulse-pause ratio of a pulse group regulator in a broad frame by optically commanded triacs which are triggered in the zero crossing. The preconditions for the starting and maintenance characteristics of the lamps are thus always ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur elektrische Gluhlampen mbH
    Inventors: Joachim Arndt, Gunter Kullik
  • Patent number: 5896288
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a converter housing 10, in particular for n electronic converter for halogen lamps. The converter housing 10 in this case has a basic housing body 12 for holding electronic components, and a terminating element 14 with a cable support for supporting at least one electric connecting cable. The basic housing body 12 and the terminating element 14 are arranged perpendicular to one another in this case. At the end opposite the terminating element 14, the basic housing body 12 additionally has an end face 18 rounded off towards its underside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Reinhard Lecheler, Theodor Kiermeier
  • Patent number: 5886472
    Abstract: An electric lamp assembly includes an electrodeless lamp having an electrodeless lamp envelope enclosing a fill material for supporting a low pressure discharge, a driving inductor including a magnetic core disposed in proximity to the lamp envelope and an input winding disposed on the magnetic core, a compensation loop disposed in proximity to the lamp envelope, a radio frequency power source and a compensation loop network. The compensation loop network has an input coupled to the radio frequency power source and outputs coupled to the input winding and to the compensation loop. The radio frequency power source and the compensation loop network supply radio frequency energy to the electrodeless lamp to produce a discharge in the lamp envelope and supply radio frequency energy to the compensation loop to generate a magnetic field that substantially counteracts a magnetic field produced by the discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Alexandrovich, Valery A. Godyak, Robert B. Piejak
  • Patent number: 5883469
    Abstract: Halogen bulb without additional safety device for high-volt/intermediate-t operation with a bulb pinched on one side produces an inherent safety effect by producing a current lead segment that is pinched from an uncoiled wire with a diameter of 130 .mu.m at most and the distance between the two current leads is suitably selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Thomas Noll, Roland Stark, Josef Bauer
  • Patent number: 5883472
    Abstract: The invention concerns a circuit for operating a discharge lamp with a habridge generator (T1, T2) wherein a turn-off transistor (T3) can stop the half-bridge generator The energy source for the base current of the turn-off transistor (T3) is formed by starter capacitor (C3) which starts the half-bridge generator (T1, T2), In addition, the collector-emitter section of the turn-off transistor (T3) is directly between the base of the lower transistor (T2) of the half-bridge generator and earth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventor: Franz Raiser
  • Patent number: 5880937
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement (4) for the operation of electrical lamps, with a printed circuit board (5), on which electrical components (14) and conductor strips (7; 19; 20) are arranged, whereby potential changes that are rapid over time occur on printed circuit board (5), has an equipotential surface (6) for reducing the radio interference caused by these potential changes. For this purpose, equipotential surface (6) with resting potential relative to the rapid potential changes is connected onto printed circuit board (5). In particular, the equipotential surface is produced by a copper layer (6) on the upper side of printed circuit board (5). The advantage is a simple-to-produce arrangement that can be automated for reducing radio interference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Klaus Schadhauser, Stefano Baggio
  • Patent number: D407069
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: OSRAM Gesellschaft mit bechrankter Haftung, a limited liability company
    Inventors: Reinhard Lecheler, Theodor Kiermeier