Abstract: A light emitting device wherein one of a plurality of juxtaposed discharge tubes which is to remain not emitting light is prevented from being caused to emit light by induction by an adjacent one of the discharge tubes which is to emit light, thereby enabling fully independent control of light emission by the discharge tubes. In the light emitting device, trigger electrodes of each adjacent ones of a plurality of juxtaposed discharge tubes are located at opposite positions to each other with respect to the adjacent discharge tubes.

Abstract: An automatic lighting system comprises a bypass circuit bypassing a manual lighting switch. During operation in an automatic lighting mode, headlamps and a clearance lamp of the automobile automatically turn on when the engine operation becomes stable upon completion of start-up operation. The stability in operation of the bypass circuit in the automatic lighting mode is increased by the provision of a delay circuit via which a voltage appearing at an alternator driven by the engine is applied to a base of a transistor that is used to close and open the bypass circuit. Closing a cranking motor switch to activate a cranking motor causes the bypass circuit to be inoperable so that the headlamps and clearance lamp will not turn on during engine cranking.

Abstract: An offset correction circuit is disclosed in a digital-to-analog coder (10) comprising a delta coder (18) providing a serial bit string at a high frequency F in response to digital words supplied at a low frequency F, and an analog integrator (22) providing an analog output signal (24) which is an analog representation of the digital words. The offset correction circuit avoids introducing an offset in the analog output of the integrator (22) when a PLO correction is taken to slow down or to speed up the clock controlling the input of the digital words. Such a circuit is implemented by a state generator which provides a corrected pulse in place of the sigma-delta data which lasts half the duration of the offset.

Abstract: In a flat, vacuum-enclosed picture-reproducing device having a phosphor-coated glass faceplate and a shallow tray-shaped rear housing in which a cathode consisting of a periodic array of oxide-coated heating wires is located in front of a counterelectrode, and which contains a control arrangement between the cathode and the faceplate, a perforated anode is present between the heating wires and the control arrangement, which consists of two layers of electrodes, and the counterelectrode has segments arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal dimension of the oxide-coated heating wires.

Abstract: A discharge tube arrangement, for example, a thyratron, in accordance with the invention has a first electrode arranged co-axially about a second electrode. Thus, in a thyratron, the anode may surround the cathode or vice versa. The envelope may be tubular having an aperture at its center. The discharge tube arrangement is constructed such that it is capable of being added to another such arrangement. A plurality of such arrangements may be added together to produce, for example, a thyratron capable of large current conduction.

Abstract: An ignitor disabler for disabling an ignitor in a high intensity discharge lamp monitors the operating or characteristic voltage of the lamp. When the characteristic voltage of the lamp exceeds an AC threshold established by the disabler, the ignitor disabler disables the ignitor to prevent spurious pulses. In this manner, the ignitor is effectively disabled during periods when the lamp is operating abnormally. The ignitor disabler includes a timing network which is reset only when an excessive voltage is detected. The reset portion of the disabler includes a field effect transistor for discharging the timing network.

Abstract: A combination lamp includes a first light and a second light. The first light includes a discharge lamp and serves to generate light. The second light serves to generate light and also heat, and thereby serves to heat the discharge lamp. Accordingly, the second light can preheat the discharge lamp. This preheating allows the discharge lamp to produce adequate luminous energy immediately when the discharge lamp is turned on.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp operating system for a skin treatment apparatus comprises: (i) a plurality of pairs of fluorescent lamps for providing luminous radiation, each pair of lamps being adapted to be powered from 30 kHz/120 Volt by way of a high-Q series-resonant L-C ballasting circuit; (ii) a relatively low-power frequency converter connected with the power line and operable to provide power for heating the cathodes in these fluorescent lamps, thereby conditioning the lamps for easy starting; (iii) a relatively high-power frequency converter also connected with a power line and operable to provide the 30 kHz/120 Volt required for operating the plurality of pairs of fluorescent lamps by way of the high-Q series-resonant L-C ballasting circuit; and (iv) delay means operable to prevent the 30 kHz/120 Volt provided by the high-power frequency converter from being applied to the fluorescent lamps until after power has been applied to heat the lamp cathodes for at least one second.

Abstract: A cathode structure comprises a substrate including a porous sinter of a metal having a high melting point, which is impregnated with electron emitting material, a metal cup for receiving the substrate, a layer of solder disposed between the substrate and the metal cup, a covering layer disposed between the substrate and the solder layer and made of a metal having a melting point higher than that of the solder, a metal sleeve for supporting the metal cup, and a heater.

Abstract: A drive circuit for a thin-film electroluminescent (EL) matrix display panel includes an odd side N-ch high voltage MOS driver, and an odd side P-ch high voltage MOS driver connected to odd number scanning electrodes of the thin-film electroluminescent (EL) matrix display panel. Even number scanning electrodes of the thin-film electroluminescent (EL) matrix display panel are connected to an even side N-ch high voltage MOS driver and an even side P-ch high voltage MOS driver. The four MOS drivers are effectively controlled to perform an alternating current driving of the thin-film electroluminescent (EL) matrix display panel.

Abstract: A circuit arrangement for adjusting the operating voltage of high-pressure gas discharge lamps to a given nominal value, comprises a controllable current limiter connected in series with the lamp and an adjustment circuit (3) for controlling the latter. The output signal of the adjustment circuit is determined by the difference between a given desired value determining the nominal lamp operating voltage and an actual value dependent upon the instantaneous lamp operating voltage. In parallel with the lamp (1) a heating element (5) is arranged which is in thermal contact with a temperature-dependent electrical element (6), which produces the actual voltage dependent upon the instantaneous lamp operating voltage.

Abstract: An adapter for gas discharge lamps has a housing comprising a socket for connection to the mains and a holder for the gas discharge lamp or low voltage lamp, wherein the series reactor, choke, transformer and/or transmitter with coil and magnetic circuit are arranged to surround the holder for the gas discharge lamp in the housing. To provide an adapter in compact form with small dimensions and low weight which can be simply made, the coil is wound as a circular toroidal coil or a polygon toroidal coil around the longitudinal axis of the adapter, while the magnetic circuit is made to surround the circular toroidal coil or the polygon toroidal coil on all sides and form locked on the exteriors of said coil.

Abstract: A thyratron includes a grid structure in which a grid element has a plurality of apertures therethrough, each of the apertures comprising two arcuate portions at different distances from the center of the grid which are connected by a radial portion. Thus a large grid area may be provided without detrimentally affecting voltage hold-off, jitter or mechanical soundness.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a miniature traveling wave tube which will have most of the advantages of solid state circuitry but with higher efficiency and without being highly sensitive to temperature and various types of electromagnetic radiation and subatomic particles as are solid state devices.The traveling wave tube which is about 2.5 cm in length includes a slow wave circuit (SWS) comprising apertured fins with a top cover which is insulated from the fins by strips or rungs of electrically insulating, dielectric material.Another object of the invention is to construct a SWS of extremely small size by employing various grooving or etching methods and by providing insulating strips or rungs by various deposition and masking techniques.

Abstract: A high-power switch network includes a laser fiber optically coupled to a network including light-initiated glow discharge switches in a Marx configuration. A low pressure gas source is used to replenish gas within the switches lost due to ionization. Each switch has a cylindrical insulating envelope with conductive end caps at each end. The end caps are electrically coupled, respectively, to a cup-shaped anode and a cup-shaped cathode. Apertures are formed centrally in closely spaced plates of the respective cup-shaped electrodes. Optical fiber cables extend through vacuum sealed ports of the switches so that the unfocused laser light is directed about the aperture of the cathode so as to close the switch, thus providing a high power output from the network.

Abstract: A high leakage reactance transformer especially for current limited control of gas discharge lamps and other electrical discharge loads has a core with three legs defining two magnetic loops. A first leg has an air gap with a fixed reluctance, a second leg is common to both loops and has a primary winding, and the third leg has a supply winding for connection to the discharge device as well as a control winding connected to a control circuit. The control winding has an adjustable load to vary the reluctance of the third leg and control the current limit of the supply winding. Linear and proportional control circuits are shown.

Abstract: In a magnetron, two rods are supported by a stem in cantilever fashion and a filament (cathode) is connected between two end hats attached to two free ends of the rods. Therefore, these two rods are apt to be vibrated by an external force (e.g. an air screwdriver) during assembly or in transit. To suppress relative displacement of the two rods of magnetron due to external force, the natural frequency of the first vibration system composed of a first rod and a first end hat is determined substantially equal to that of the second vibration system composed of a second rod and a second end hat.

Abstract: Ignition of high intensity discharge (HID) lamps can be enhanced by the application of ultrahigh frequency (UHF) electric fields at modest power levels. The implementation of UHF power assisted starting offers considerable advantage over known prior art lower frequency power starting methods. Solid state circuits and coupled means can be utilized as described therein.

Abstract: An operating system for a sun tanning apparatus comprises an array of multiple parallel-oriented fluorescent lamps and an electronic frequency converter adapted to convert ordinary 60 Hz power line voltage into a 350 Volt/30 kHz sinusoidal voltage provided between a pair of bus conductors and suitable for directly powering each fluorescent lamp by way of a simple capacitive or inductive current-limiting reactance means. The fluorescent lamp cathodes are heated by way of individual transformers, with one transformer for each pair of lamp cathodes. Only two pairs of conductors are required for powering the complete array of mutually parallel-disposed fluorescent lamp pairs regardless of the number of lamps involved, with one pair running along the one side of the array, and the other pair running along the other side of the array. Of each pair of fluorescent lamps, one lamp is powered by way of an inductive reactance means and one lamp is powered by way of a capacitive reactance means.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a driving circuit of a thin film electroluminescent (EL) display, wherein a high withstand-voltage driver IC composed of a bi-directional switching element having push/pull function is connected with one or both of the scanning electrodes and the data electrodes of EL display, the bi-directional switching circuit for applying the writing voltage or the modulation voltage is applied with the pull up common line of each of the drivers IC and the pull down common line, a switch for extremely recovering, after the thin film EL element has emitted its light, the electric charge accumulated on the thin film EL display element, and a capacitor for accumulating the drawn out electric charge are disposed in the bi-directional switching circuit, and the modulation accumulation electric charge accumulated on the film EL display element after the light emission is accumulated on the capacitor, so that the modulation consumption power occupying the majority of the driving power without the