Abstract: A gas discharge lamp having a discharge vessel, for example composed of a base plate, front plate (2) and frame (3), has at least one closure element (6) which closes a discharge vessel opening in a gas-tight fashion by virtue of the fact that the closure element (6) was inserted into the discharge vessel opening and subsequently fused. The closure element (6) consists of a material which is low-melting by comparison with the remainder of the discharge vessel, for example sintered glass. It is possible to dispense with an additional connecting means between the closure element (6) and the adjacent wall of the discharge vessel (2).

Abstract: The discharge tube (1) of a dielectric barrier discharge lamp is closed off in a gas-tight manner with the aid of a disk-like closure element (7) but without the use of joining elements. For this purpose, the discharge tube (1) has a constriction (10), which surrounds the edge of the disk-like closure element (7) in the form of a ring.

Abstract: Electronic transformers with a self-excited half bridge can be destroyed by high-voltage pulses from the mains supply lead. This can happen by the high-voltage pulse initiating a starting operation which leads to cross currents. This destruction mechanism is suppressed by specifically discharging a starting capacitor.

Abstract: An electronic converter having an input circuit and an output circuit which, in addition to the converter function, carries out power-factor correction. A control circuit opens and closes an electronic switch as a function of the output voltage from the converter circuit and the voltage which is dropped across a current measurement sensor. The circuit has a logic ground LM and a power ground PM at different electrical potentials.

Abstract: The invention relates to an operating method and an operating device for at least one electric lamp (11), which device has a control input (13, 14) for prescribing a setpoint for the brightness control of the lamp (11), and a transformer (15) for transmitting the voltage impressed on the control input (13, 14) to an evaluation device (16) which serves to evaluate the voltage impressed on the control input (13, 14).

Abstract: A method for recycling thoriated tungsten objects such as thoriated tungsten scrap resulting from the fabrication of electrodes for lamps. The thoriated tungsten objects are oxidized, homogenized by mixing and chemically reduced under a hydrogen gas atmosphere to form thoriated tungsten. This method eliminates the need to separate the tungsten from its dopants. The thoriated tungsten obtained as the end product is returned to the production process and is preferably used as a raw material for the production of welding electrodes or thoriated tungsten discharge lamp electrodes.

Abstract: The invention improves an operating method, already described in the prior application 198 39 329.6, for a silent discharge lamp L, in which, using the forward transformer principle, a voltage pulse effecting a forward ignition is impressed from a primary circuit P via a transformer T into a secondary circuit S containing the silent discharge lamp L, and the secondary circuit S thereafter executes a half wave which, as a consequence of the polarization, leads to a back ignition in the discharge lamp L. The improvement consists essentially in that an inductance of the transformer T which governs a transformer current is temporally varied.

Abstract: The reflector high-pressure discharge lamp unit has a reflector (2), a high-pressure discharge lamp (3) arranged on the axis of the reflector (2), a first base part (4) connected to the neck (16) of the reflector (2), and a second base part (5), arranged in front of the radiation/light exit opening of the reflector (2) and in the form of a mechanical auxiliary part. The end of the second supply lead (18), led to the second lamp shank (10), of the high-pressure discharge lamp (3) is electrically connected directly to the end of the second high-voltage cable (7), and this free connecting region is embedded in the second base part (5). The result of this is a high degree of shock resistance and strain relief with this lamp connection.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the sampling of biphase coded digital signals by reception means which have at least one signal input having switchable signal edge sensitivity or at least two signal inputs having different signal edge sensitivity for the reception of such signals. The signals to be received are sampled precisely once per data bit, namely during the transmission of the first half-bit. The signal edges (F1-F5) of each bit are utilized for synchronizing the signal input with the control signal and for detecting transmission errors. Each signal sampling (S1-S5) is followed by a time window (&Dgr;t) within which the reception of the signal edge of the present bit is expected and evaluated as permissible. The signal edge sensitivity of the at least one signal input is set as a function of the sampled logic level of the first half-bit of the respectively transmitted bit of the signal.

Abstract: Disconnection device for an electronic operating device for gas discharge lamps. The DC component is evaluated at a coupling capacitor (C5) specifically via a filament. Disconnection is performed in the event of filament breakage. In addition, the AC component of the generator output (O) can be monitored via a second filament, and disconnection can therefore also be performed in the event of breakage of the second filament.

Abstract: A discharge lamp, suitable for operating by means of a dielectrically impeded discharge, and having metal electrodes arranged on the wall of the discharge vessel has at least one dielectric impeding layer which covers at least a portion of the electrodes. According to the invention, the electrodes are additionally covered directly with a barrier layer, in particular made from sintered glass ceramic, that is to say the barrier layer is, if appropriate, respectively arranged between the electrode and the dielectric impeding layer. The result of this is to prevent metal ions from diffusing out of the electrodes into the dielectric impeding layer and undesirably influencing the properties thereof. Moreover, it is possible in this way to prevent the electrode tracks from evaporating or being sputtered away during operation of the lamp.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electric incandescent lamp having a lamp vessel (12), at least one filament (14) which is arranged in the lamp vessel (12) and comprises at least a filament element (15) for generating radiation in the infrared region and in the visible region, and at least one filter (35), which is applied at least partially to the light vessel (12), reflects radiation in the infrared region and is transparent in the visible region, at least for selected wavelengths of radiation, at least one filament element (15) being of flat, in particular strip-shaped construction. It also relates to a method for producing such an electric incandescent lamp. FIG. 5.

Abstract: The phosphor according to the invention has the following composition: (RE1−x−yPrxCey)3(Al,Ga)5O12, where RE=Y, Sc, Tb, Gd, La and/or Lu; 0.00001<x<0.05; 0.01<y<0.2.

Abstract: A discharge lamp for dielectrically impeded discharges, having a discharge vessel filled with a discharge medium and having discharge electrodes which are at least partly separated from the discharge medium by a dielectric layer, wherein the discharge vessel is elongated at least in a longitudinal direction, characterized by a thermal device for controlling the heat transport into and out of the lamp nonhomogeneously in the longitudinal direction, which is designed such that in operation, the temperature in the lamp is made homogeneous in the longitudinal direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a flat reflector lamp for dielectrically inhibited discharges (14). Greater configuration flexibility is achieved in electrode design (11, 12) while simultaneously ensuring stability of the discharge vessel (1, 2) and preserving the possibility of minimum light reflection impairment by mounting the spacers (3) separated from the flat reflector frames (15) between the base plate (1) and the cover plate (2), the latter being arranged between the electrode strips (11, 12).

Abstract: Circuit arrangement for controlling an analog voltage signal comprising an input connection for applying the analog voltage signal (UE), a digitizer unit (10) which uses the analog voltage signal (UE) to produce a digital signal (UED) which has a predetermined duty ratio when the analog voltage signal (UE) is at a nominal value, a PI regulator (12) to which, as the input signal, a nominal signal (USD) and an actual signal which is correlated with the digital signal (UED) can be supplied and at whose output a control signal (UST) for controlling the analog voltage signal (UE) can be produced, in such a manner that the control signal (UST) allows the analog voltage signal to be increased if the duty ratio is less than the predetermined duty ratio, allows the analog voltage signal to remain unchanged if the duty ratio corresponds to the predetermined duty ratio, and allows the analog voltage signal to be reduced if the duty ratio is greater than the predetermined duty ratio.

Abstract: A description is given of an operating method for a discharge lamp with dielectrically impeded discharges and also a corresponding ballast and illumination system. The invention is directed at withdrawing the external lamp voltage across the discharge lamp in order to produce a back ignition in the lamp by virtue of an internal counterpolarization. The back ignition improves the efficiency of the lamp operation and makes it possible to construct a very small, lightweight ballast.

Abstract: A drive circuit for an LED array, comprising at least two clusters of LEDs, in which one cluster comprises a number of LEDs arranged in series which are connected to a supply voltage (UBatt), with a semiconductor switch (T) being arranged in series between each LED cluster and the associated supply voltage, which semiconductor switch (T) allows the LED current to be supplied in a pulsed manner, with a measurement resistor (RShunt) being arranged in series with the LEDs in the path for the forward current IF between the LEDs and ground. A control loop controls the semiconductor switch (T1) in a first LED cluster, referred to as the master cluster in the following text, such that a constant mean value of the LED current is achieved, wherein the master cluster has a predetermined number X of LEDs in its cluster, and with this control loop also driving at least the semiconductor switch (T2) in a further, LED cluster, referred to in the following text as the slave cluster.

Abstract: An elongate light source (1) having at least one elongate lamp (3) with two ends, which has a light-guiding element (2; 4; 5) at at least one end.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling light sources (30-35) having a ballast (20-23) includes a set point generator for prescribing a brightness set point for the light sources (30-35), and having means for generating a control signal, dependent on the set point of the set point generator, for the purpose of brightness control of the light sources (30-35). According to the invention, the device has means for adapting the control signal to different types of light sources. The device according to the invention renders possible uniform dimming of different types of light sources which are installed in a lighting system.