Abstract: This compact fluorescent lamp includes a discharge tube arrangement with at least one discharge tube formed of glass and enclosing a discharge volume filled with a discharge gas. A ballast circuit is connected to the electrodes disposed at each end of a continuous arc path for controlling the current in the tube. A substantially spherical portion of an outer envelope encloses the tube arrangement and an elongated end portion encloses the ballast circuit. The end portion of the outer envelope is closed and sealed by a seal formed of the same material as the material of the outer envelope. In the associated method of manufacture, the envelope is separated by cutting along a circumferential line into an upper part and a lower part, the ballast circuit introduced into the lower part and respective lead-in wires and the lead-out wires are short and need not be insulated. The ballast circuit and the discharge tube arrangement are held and supported in the outer envelope by the connecting wires and fixing means.

Abstract: The compact fluorescent lamp comprises a bulb shaped outer envelope enclosing a discharge tube having a coiled configuration and a ballast unit for controlling the current in the tube. The lamp further comprises at least one joint mechanical support and starting aid means for positioning the discharge tube and the ballast unit and reducing a breakdown voltage path of the discharge tube. The at least one mechanical support and starting aid means is made of an electrically conducting material and connected electrically to at least one of the electrodes. The neck portion has a retaining member, and the mechanical support and starting aid means is supported by the retaining member and clamped on the discharge tube at least at a location in a vicinity of a middle section of the arc path. The mechanical support means further comprises at least one support section to provide support against an apex of the outer envelope, and at least one fixing section for fixing of the discharge tube.

Abstract: There is provided a cap and socket arrangement for compact fluorescent lamps. The lamp comprises a discharge tube arrangement made of glass and having sealed ends being positioned at one end of the lamp. A continuous arc path is formed inside the discharge tube between two electrodes disposed at one end of the lamp. At least one of the sealed ends is also provided with an amalgam fill. The sealed ends of the discharge tube arrangement are received in the cap, and the cap comprises contact members and a protruding fitting member for being received in the socket. The socket has a hollow member for receiving the fitting member of the cap, and contact elements for receiving the contact members of the cap. The fitting member and the socket are provided with matching positioning elements for determining the position of the cap with respect to the socket and thereby determining the spatial position of the electrode with respect to the amalgam.

Abstract: A bulb-shaped outer envelope for accommodating at least one lamp including a light-emitting body and a control gear is disclosed. The envelope has a substantially spherical section for receiving the light-emitting body, and an elongated end section for receiving at least a part of the control gear components. The elongated end section is provided with a neck section. A substantially tubular neck-extension portion connects to an inner surface portion of and protruding from the neck section. The neck-extension portion is suitable for accommodating a remaining part of the control gear components. In a method for the manufacture of a glass outer envelope, a flare that is normally used in the manufacture of incandescent lamps is turned around by 180°, put into a skirted bulbous envelope, melted into the envelope while the skirt is detached and the flare is formed into a neck-extension portion. A self-ballasted compact fluorescent lamp with the bulb-shaped outer envelope is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electric lamp comprises a bulb-shaped outer envelope made of a glass material with a substantially spherical portion for receiving at least a part of at least one light source and an elongated end portion for receiving at least a part of an electronic control gear for energizing the light sources. A base portion attached to the bulb-shaped envelope comprises connecting means for connecting the electronic control gear to an associated power supply. The base portion is provided with a base plate for closing the base portion and the connecting means are pin connectors embedded in the base plate of the base portion. A method of manufacturing a lamp with pin connectors is also disclosed. In this method, an outer envelope made of a glass material is connected to a base portion that has a base plate with embedded pin connectors. A lamp that comprises a bulb-shaped outer envelope made of a plastic material and has a base portion with pin connectors is also provided.

Abstract: An electric lamp comprises an inner assembly including a light source and a control gear circuit. An outer envelope encloses the light source and at least a part of the control gear and has a predetermined wall thickness and an end portion. The outer envelope is comprised of two parts separated along a circumferential line. The two parts of the envelope are connectable and sealable to form a uniform outer envelope with a seal region. The seal region has a wall thickness and is merged in a surface portion of the two parts of the envelope so that the surface unevenness of the seal region is not greater than 0.5 millimeters, and the maximum difference of the wall thickness of the seal region with respect to the wall thickness of the outer envelope is not greater than 0.3 millimeters. A method for manufacturing an electric lamp as described above is also disclosed.

Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp comprises a discharge tube arrangement with at least one discharge tube. The tube is formed of glass, encloses a discharge volume filled with a discharge gas and has a fluorescent phosphor coating disposed on the inner surface of the tube. The tube forms a continuous arc path and has electrodes disposed at each end of the arc path. The lamp also comprises a ballast circuit connected to the electrodes by lead-in wires and to a supply voltage by lead-out wires for controlling the current in the tube. A bulb shaped outer envelope comprises a substantially spherical portion, which encloses the tube arrangement and an elongated end portion, which encloses the ballast circuit. The end portion of the outer envelope has a neck portion with an open end on a base side for receiving a base shell.

Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp comprises a discharge tube arrangement with at least one discharge tube. The tube is formed of glass, encloses a discharge volume filled with a discharge gas and has a fluorescent phosphor coating disposed on the inner surface of the tube. The tube forms a continuous arc path and is provided with electrodes disposed at each end of the arc path. The lamp also comprises a ballast circuit connected to the electrodes by lead-in wires and to a supply voltage by lead-out wires for controlling the current in the tube. A bulb shaped outer envelope has a substantially spherical portion enclosing the tube arrangement and an elongated end portion enclosing the ballast circuit. The end portion of the outer envelope having an open end on a base side is closed and terminated by a closing means of the same material as the outer envelope. The closing means is provided with a tubular opening.

Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp comprises a discharge tube arrangement with at least one discharge tube. The tube is formed of glass, encloses a discharge volume filled with a discharge gas and has a fluorescent phosphor coating disposed on the inner surface of the tube. The tube forms a continuous arc path and is provided with electrodes disposed at each end of the arc path. The lamp also comprises a ballast circuit mounted on a printed circuit board, which is oriented in a plane substantially parallel to the principal axis of the lamp. The ballast circuit is connected to the electrodes by lead-in wires and to a supply voltage by lead-out wires and controls the current in the tube. A bulb shaped outer envelope has a substantially spherical portion enclosing at least a part of the tube arrangement and an elongated end portion enclosing at least the ballast circuit.

Abstract: There is provided a low pressure discharge lamp, which comprises a discharge tube, a lamp base holding the discharge tube, and a base cap (6) for covering the lamp base. The base cap (6) also provides mechanical support to the discharge tube. The base cap (6) comprises tube openings (10) for receiving end parts of the discharge tube. The base cap (6) further comprises an adhesive space (14) adjacent to a tube opening (10), the adhesive space containing an amount of adhesive. The adhesive space (14) is open toward the discharge tube. The adhesive contained in the adhesive space (14) adheres to an end part of the discharge tube and thereby fixes the discharge tube to the base cap (6). The base cap comprises at least one upper transversal member (31) and at least one lower transversal member (32). The transversal members (31,32) extend substantially in a plane parallel to a plane of the tube opening (10) adjacent to the adhesive space (14).

Abstract: This invention concerns a compact fluorescent lamp with a double helix shaped discharge tube in which the two strands of the helix are constituted by two helix shaped tube portions. These tube portions define a central axis of the discharge tube. The double helix formed by the discharge tube has a central section and a first end section. These sections are defined along the central axis, and the lamp base for receiving ends of the tube portions is disposed at the first end section. An inner diameter of the central section of the helix is larger than an inner diameter of the first end section. The invention further relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing coiled shaped discharge tubes, in particular the above described discharge tube of the discharge lamp. A radially segmented molding core is used for manufacturing the discharge tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a low-pressure discharge lamp (1) including a discharge tube (20) and a base (5) providing for mechanical and electrical connection of the discharge lamp (1). The discharge tube (20) sealed in a gas-tight manner at its both ends is bent substantially in one plane so that the discharge tube (20) has straight (2) and arc-shaped portions (3), and the base (5) connected to the ends of the discharge tube (20) includes at least cathode leads of the discharge tube (20) and electrical connectors (15) connected to said leads. At least one component ensuring mechanical connection to a lampholder is formed on the base (5). The components of the discharge lamp (1) ensuring mechanical connection to the lampholder (16) are placed in a space bordered by the discharge tube (20). A lampholder (16) of the discharge lamp (1) includes components ensuring electrical and mechanical connection to the discharge lamp (1).

Abstract: A low pressure arc discharge lamp with an end-of-life structure is described. The lamp has a discharge tube with sealed ends, and the sealed ends contain a filament for forming a discharge arc. The filament is supported by lead-in wires. The discharge lamp further comprises a connecting element made of an insulating material which transversely connects the lead-in wires within the discharge tube. The transverse dimension of the connecting element is chosen so as not to allow the discharge arc beyond the connecting element upon end-of-life of the discharge lamp.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp comprises a discharge tube disposed substantially in a plane and shaped at least in part to define a substantial portion of the boundary of a zone in the plane. The part of the tube defining the boundary includes at least one straight portion. The discharge tube has a central axis and sealed ends provided with electrodes and at least two tube sections running substantially parallel to each other. Each tube section has at least one blind-sealed end and the tube sections are connected in series through bridges in the vicinity of the blind-sealed ends to define a single continuous discharge space to be excited by electrical power supplied to the electrodes. A lamp support housing is positioned within the zone and the ends of the discharge tube as well as the blind-sealed ends of the tube sections are re-entrant into the zone. The ends of the discharge tube are received in the lamp support housing.

Abstract: An electrode-to-ballast interconnect is provided in combination with a fluorescent lamp including a discharge tube bent substantially in a plane. The discharge tube is shaped at least in part to define a substantial portion of the boundary of a zone in the plane. The part of the tube defining the boundary includes at least one straight portion. The discharge tube has a symmetry axis in the plane and sealed tube ends provided with electrodes, and the tube ends re-enter said zone. A base housing is laid within said zone and receives the tube ends. The base housing includes a ballast circuit which is located at least partly on a circuit board positioned substantially parallel to the plane. The electrode-to-ballast interconnect comprises electrode-in-leads which are connected to each electrode and embedded in the tube ends. Terminals are anchored in and protruding from the circuit board. The electrode-in-leads are pre-formed to a shape suitable for connecting to the terminals.

Abstract: A compact fluorescent lamp comprises at least one discharge tube (2) convoluted to have discharge tube legs substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis. At least two of the discharge tube legs include lead-in-wires (6). The lamp also comprises a plastic cap (4) which is a hollow body defined by a cover wall (42) receiving the discharge tube legs through holes (26) formed therein and a side wall (44). A bonding material is applied between the discharge tube legs and an inside portion of the cover wall (42) of the plastic cap (4). The bonding material requires a heat treatment for setting. A ballast circuitry is located at least partly on a circuit board (22). A plastic insert piece (12) is disposed in the plastic cap for holding the circuit board (22) substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis at a distance from the discharge tube legs. The lamp further comprises a base housing (28) which includes a base shell (30) and connects to the side wall (44) of the plastic cap (4).

Abstract: The invention relates to a base for compact fluorescent lamp comprising a body and a cap which are fixed to each other along an outside connection surface, a discharge tube is fixed in the cap and metal pins ensuring a releasable electrical contact are fixed in the body Electrode inleads of the discharge tube are connected to the metal pins, and a connection hollow ensuring an also releasable mechanical joint is formed in the body Extensions as elongations of the wall of the connection hollow are formed inside the base where at least one opening is formed in the extensions and some of the electrode inleads are connected to the metal pins through the opening. Another aspect of the invention is that the extensions are formed inside the base as an elongation of the wall of the connection hollow, and some of the electrode inleads are passed through between the extensions and then are connected to the metal pins.