Abstract: An excimer optical display includes a plasma panel device having therein a mixture of gas comprising xenon and molecular fluorine and a selected amount of other gases forming XeF excimer molecules such that the color of fluorescence is adjustable over a broad spectrum by selection of the gas mixture constituents.

Abstract: A device for connecting in series between a source of electric power and an appliance which, without modifying the normal power connections or other parts of the appliance, isolates the capacitance to ground characteristic of the appliance from the power supply and allows the flow of electrical power to the appliance to be regulated by a mere touch, usually by a human finger, to a surface of the appliance.

Abstract: A current fed high frequency oscillator-inverter ballast circuit includes a parallel resonant tank circuit for driving a pair of series connected discharge lamps via a series ballast capacitor. A regenerative power supply switches on when a fluctuating main DC supply voltage drops below a given level thereby providing a constant level auxiliary DC supply voltage to the oscillator inverter to maintain oscillation and lamp operation. When the main DC supply voltage exceeds said given level, the regenerative power supply switches out. The oscillation frequency is f.sub.2 during operation of the main supply and automatically switches to a frequency f.sub.1 when the regenerative power supply takes over. The frequency shift is automatic during each half cycle of a 60 Hz AC supply and is in a direction so as to maintain lamp current relatively constant.

Abstract: An optical write device is disclosed which is capable of being driven according to a dynamic drive system. The device uses, as an optical printer head, a vacuum fluorescent tube which includes a plurality of stripe-like anode conductors arranged on a substrate, a plurality of control electrodes formed with slits extending obliquely across the anode conductors and phosphor layers deposited on the anode conductors and defined by the slits to form luminous dots. The device is adapted to successively scan the anode conductors in a such manner that one scanning of the anode conductors is completed while a photosensitive drum is moved by a distance corresponding to a height of the luminous dot.

Abstract: An optical beam modulation and deflection device having a semiconductor laser mounted on a rotator which employs a rotating transformer so as to supply electrical power to the rotator in a contactless manner.

Abstract: A second lamp is connected to power terminals upon each alternate switching off of a first lamp so that, upon each alternate switching on of the first lamp, the second lamp is illuminated. A magnetic latching relay switches the second lamp into and out of the circuit. The relay is powered by the discharge of one of two capacitors. One capacitor powers a set circuit of the latching relay, and another capacitor powers a reset circuit. Only one of the capacitors is charged at any one time. While power is applied to the power terminals to illuminate the first light, one capacitor is held discharged while the other capacitor is charged in preparation for powering the latching relay. The discharge of the charged capacitor through the latching relay is controlled electronically by a triac having a control terminal which is brought to control voltage by a fourth capacitor after a third capacitor has been discharged over a predetermined short time.

Abstract: A high frequency ballast circuit powered by a dc input voltage source for starting and operating a gas discharge lamp load, comprising: a means for providing drive signals, each the drive signal having a first and second state, a series switch having a conduction channel having a first and second terminal, the series switch having a control terminal responsive to the drive signals, the conduction channel is on (conductive) in responsive to the interval characterized by the first state of the drive signal and off (non-conductive) in response to a drive signal having a second state, and an inductor. A clamp diode is included. The inductor is coupled to the clamp diode cathode and to the series switch. A ballast reactance is included with a a power oscillator circuit, the power oscillator circuit has a transformer having, a primary winding having a first, a second and a center-tap terminal, a drive winding having a first and a second and a center-tap terminal, and an output winding.

Abstract: A variable high-frequency ballast circuit for igniting and operating energy saver discharge lamps includes a high frequency inverter that energizes the lamps with a given high frequency voltage at which reliable lamp ignition is assured. The lamp current is monitored so as to automatically increase the lamp operating frequency to an optimum value as soon as the lamps ignite.

Abstract: A flourescent lamp lighting circuit comprising a rectifying circuit and an oscillatory circuit. The rectifying circuit comprises a rectifier bridge, capacitors and coils to rectify the local alternating power supply to direct power supply and provide rectified electrical power to the oscillatory circuit. The oscillatory circuit comprises two transistors and an L-C circuit which, taken together, form an astable circuit which generates and maintains oscillations. The frequency of the oscillations is determined by the nature of L-C circuits. The ON's and OFF's of the transistors are controlled by induction coils within which currents are induced by the variation of magnetic flux in the inductor coil of the L-C circuit. The high frequency oscillations in the oscillatory circuit induce high frequency electrical signals on a secondary coil which then lights the fluorescent lamp.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for generating and controlling the electric field within the cavity of a particle beam accelerator. A power splitter divides a common drive signal into separate branches each driving separate RF amplifiers. The output of each amplifier is coupled, through a circulator, to a separate input launcher within the cavity. The high Q of the cavity causes the signal from each launcher to combine to form an undistorted field pattern within the cavity regardless of small amplitude and phase differences at each launcher. Total power control is maintained by changing the phase in one or more of the separate branches, or by chopping the power applied to the amplifiers in the controlled branches. To improve efficiency, the input launchers in branches which are turned off by the chopping technique may be shorted to ground during the turned off interval.

Abstract: A room lighting control system which controls the electrical power supplied to the artificial lighting in an area based on the ambient light available. A photocell controlled digital lamp dimming circuit with particularly high stability for time and temperature is combined with a slow response time to avoid short term adjustments. A digital counter is used to determine a large number of steps over the adjustment range and the driving clock operates at a very low frequency, so that changes in light level take a relatively long time, and it takes an exceptionally long time to span the entire adjustment range.

Abstract: A circuit for switching a current in an inductive load comprising at least one transistor (1) which switches through its collector-emitter path the current in the load (7). The base is coupled to the emitter through a voltage-stabilizing element (5) for stabilizing the voltage supplied to the base. A dissipation device is usually added to the circuit for dissipating currents or voltages occurring in a sense opposite to the sense of conduction of the transistor (1). A simplification of the circuit and hence a decrease in the cost thereof is achieved in that the voltage-stabilizing element (5) also serves as the dissipation device.

Abstract: A traveling wave tube made in accordance with this invention wherein the folded waveguide interaction circuit and the input/output transitions to standard waveguides are made of a single piece of metal such as oxygen-free, high conductivity copper. By manufacturing the folded waveguide circuit and the input/output circuit-to-standard waveguide transition out of one piece of material, VSWR on the order of 1.1:1 is expected for traveling wave tubes intended to operate at 94 GHz. Furthermore, this invention minimizes expensive tooling and labor while providing a higher yield of traveling wave tubes.

Abstract: To reliably attach a connection lead (12) to a screw-in sleeve (9) fitted er a connection portion (3) of a base body (1) which retains parallel legs of a compact fluorescent lamp (5), the current supply lead is bent over in a groove (13) formed at an end face of the connection portion (3) and carried along parallel thereto at the inside of the screw-in sleeve, to provide for reliable electrical and mechanical connection, and retained in position by a punch retention of the screw-in sleeve on the connection portion (3) of the base body.

Abstract: A heat flow detector for protecting against overheating of a lamp fixture energized from a voltage source, even when a dimmer is used for operating the lamp fixture. The detector includes a temperature sensitive switch electrically coupled to the lamp fixture. The switch disconnects the lamp fixture from the voltage source in response to a predetermined temperature. A biasing heater is thermally coupled to the temperature sensitive switch for raising the temperature of the switch sufficiently to operate the switch upon overheating of the lamp. A regulating circuit maintains the required voltage across the heater even upon reduction of the voltage from the source through use of the dimmer. The heat flow detector is placed in the vicinity of the lamp fixture so as to be subject to the same heat flow environmental conditions as the lamp fixture whereby as the lamp fixture gets overheated, the resistor heated up will be sufficient to operate the switch.

Abstract: In order to facilitate the initiation of plasma discharge inside a gaseous discharge tube, some form of pre-ionizing the gas is required. This invention describes a technique whereby a small but intense discharge region is created near the cathode of a d.c. discharge in order to generate the necessary electrons to initiate the formation of the main electrical discharge. It makes use of the high negative voltage that is applied on the discharge cathode with respect to the discharge anode. A third auxiliary pin electrode near the cathode is introduced into the discharge tube. It is connected on the outside to the anode through a resistor of a suitable value. In the presence of a high voltage across the main electrodes, corona discharge occurs near the auxiliary electrode. This leads to the formation of a small region of intense discharge between it and the cathode. The electron generated in this small discharge region would drift towards the anode under the high electric field between the main electrodes.

Abstract: A power consumption of a plasma discharge cells arranged in columns and lines is reduced by, while applying a scan pulse to the cell lines sequentially, applying a high voltage pulse and a low voltage pulse to those of cell columns, which are connected to plasma display cells to be illuminated, prior to and after an initiation of gas discharge in those cells, respectively. Display signal including the high voltage pulse and the low voltage pulse is derived from a circuit comprising a first transistor, a second and third transistors having sources connected directly or through a diode to a drain of the first transistor, means for applying the high voltage to a drain of the second transistor and means for applying the low voltage to a drain of the third transistor, the second and third transistors being operated alternatively to provide the display signal at the drain of the first transistor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for forming special color effects wth at least an electrical lamp which is supplied with a pulsed current and moved by a relative movement into space. The device supplies the electrical lamp with an electrical current which is pulsed during a time T1 in accordance with a pulsating period T, the cyclic ratio T1/T varying between 0 and 1 and the frequency 1/T varying from 1 to 500 Hz.

Abstract: A circuit status indicating device is used to monitor separate circuits to indicate their on/off status. Each circuit conducts an AC operating signal when switched to "on" status and an AC non-operating signal when switched to "off" status. The AC non-operating signal can be zero or some fraction of the AC operating signal, depending on the type of contact switches used in the circuit being monitored. A separate LED is provided for each circuit monitored. A separate AC input signal corresponding to one of the AC operating and non-operating signals in each monitored circuit is received and compared with a modified AC reference signal to produce an AC comparison output signal. A DC reference signal is compared with the AC comparison output signal and produces a DC output signal when the AC comparison output signal exceeds the DC reference signal.

Abstract: An optical cleaning system for removing matter from underwater surfaces comprising the high energy strobe lamp, a capacitor electrically connected to the strobe lamp, a power supply electrically connected to the capacitor, and a trigger circuit electrically interactive with the capacitor. The strobe lamp is either a xenon or krypton lamp. Stainless steel reflectors are arranged about the strobe lamp so as to reflect and direct light. The power supply is a generator having a capacity of less than 5 kilovolts. The optical cleaning system may further comprise a cooling fluid and a cooling fluid circulation system in heat exchange relationship with the strobe lamp. The trigger circuit is a transformer electrically connected in series with the capacitor and a switch for actuating the transformer. The optical cleaning system further includes a remotely controlled manipulator arm for positioning the strobe lamp in position about the area to be cleaned.