Abstract: In order to operate a discharge apparatus, a first voltage having a first frequency is applied to electrodes. Moreover, a second voltage having a second frequency higher than the first frequency is applied to the first voltage. The waveform of the voltage having the second frequency may be an attenuated one which is synchronized with the first frequency. As a result of this voltage superposition, the electrons, ions, or plasma in the already established discharge fluctuate with the change in the electric field. If the second frequency is selected to be equal or close to the resonance frequency of the electrons, ions, or plasma existing in the already established discharge, there occurs the resonance phenomenon of the electrons, ions, or plasma. This phenomenon raises the temperature of those particles. As a result, the electron temperature approaches to a value preferable for emission of visible light or ultraviolet rays so that the luminous efficiency is improved.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus employs a liquid crystal display and a fluorescent lamp for backlighting the screen of the liquid crystal display. A lighting circuit for supplying alternating current lighting power to the fluorescent lamp receives input power from either a commercial alternating current power source or from a direct current battery. The level of the lighting power supplied to the fluorescent lamp is determined based upon a determination of whether the input power is being supplied from the commercial power source or from the battery.

Abstract: As the most important characteristic feature of the invention, in a radiator support apparatus for a vehicle, a radiator is allowed to effectively serve as a dynamic damper with respect to both a vertical flexural vibration in the back-and-forth direction of a vehicle, and a torsional vibration caused by a vibration in the widthwise direction of the vehicle. The invention relates to a radiator support apparatus for a vehicle, for mounting and supporting the lower end of a radiator on a vehicle body via mount members formed of elastic members at a plurality of support positions including two side positions in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body so as to cause the radiator to serve as a dynamic damper at the front end portion of the vehicle in a low-engine speed state, and is characterized in that the mount members located at the two side positions, in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, of the lower end of the radiator have different spring constants.

Abstract: A lighting device for a hot cathode fluorescent lamp used for a back light of a liquid crystal display or the like attempts to prolong the life of a lamp in a lighting device for a low consumption wattage fluorescent lamp. More specifically, the hot cathode fluorescent lamp is started while being pre-heated, and even after starting, a pre-heat current keeps flowing. The pre-heat current value after starting is set to be smaller than that at the time of starting for the purpose of optimizing the hot spot temperature. With employment of the configuration as described above, the lifetime of the hot cathode fluorescent lamp when used as a back light can extend to 10,000 hours or more.

Abstract: An engine cooling system includes an engine body or block having a plurality of cylinder banks, a plurality of water jackets communicated with each other for individually cooling the cylinder banks, a cooling water passage including a plurality of branch portions respectively connected to the water jackets and a joining portion convergently continued from the branch portions, and a cooling water filler provided on the joining portion at a position near one of the cylinder banks. Accordingly, the height of an engine hood of a vehicle can be effectively reduced, and in the case of filling cooling water into the filler, air in the water jackets can be smoothly expelled, thus improving water filling ability by a simple and low-cost construction.

Abstract: A discharge lamp lighting system including at least one switch device connected between a d.c. power supply and a discharge lamp which is turned on by a high frequency power generated through turning-on and -off of the switching device. In the discharge lighting system, the discharge lamp lighting operation is allowed to start when the d.c. power supply voltage reaches a predetermined voltage value A or over, and the discharge lamp lighting operation is stopped when the d.c. power supply voltage lowers smaller than a predetermined voltage value B, where the values A and B take a relation that B is smaller than A.

Abstract: In order to make the brightness approximately uniform over a diffusion board, a back-light device is provided with a light transmission controlling film having a planar form in a shape of a projection of the lamp on the diffusion board. The film is disposed in parallel to the lamp axis between the lamp and the diffusion board.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fluorescent lamp arrangement for uniformly illuminating a display panel wherein a fluorescent lamp having a glass tube is provided with electrodes at opposite sides thereof, a fluorescent layer is formed over an inner surface of the glass tube, and mercury and a rare gas are sealed in the glass tube; and a light-shading patterned layer is formed along a surface of the glass tube so as to make luminance on a display panel substantially uniform when the fluorescent lamp and the display panel are parallelly disposed to a plane which includes a longitudinal axis of the glass tube.

Abstract: A back light device for uniformly illuminating a liquid crystal display plate comprises a fluorescent lamp having a luminous tube formed by being turned up through a coupling in the same plane, a liquid crystal display plate to be illuminated by the light radiated from the fluorescent lamp, a diffused plate interposed between the liquid crystal display plate and the fluorescent lamp in parallel to the plane, and a reflector for reflecting the light radiated from the fluorescent lamp toward the diffused plate.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp operating device having a power supply, a circuit for converting the output power from the power supply into a high-frequency power, a lighting circuit connected to a secondary side of a transformer of the high-frequency power converter circuit to light a fluorescent lamp, a circuit for preheating the filament of the fluorescent lamp, a switch circuit including diodes and at least one transistor connected in series with the fluorescent lamp in the lighting circuit, and a control circuit for turning off the transistor for a predetermined period when the power supply is turned on thereby turning off the lighting circuit to actuate the preheating circuit during this period. The control circuit turns on the transistor at the end of the predetermined period to thereby actuate the lighting circuit.

Abstract: A discharge lamp operating device having a high frequency inverter is discharged. Connected to a secondary winding of an oscillation transformer of the high frequency inverter is a discharge current supply circuit having a switch for controlling supply of a discharge current to dim a fluorescent lamp. An electrode heating circuit is connected to secondary windings of the transformer to continuously heat electrodes. An oscillation frequency of the inverter is controlled such that it increases as a dimming factor is high and decreases as the dimming factor is low. A capacitor is connected in series with a path of an electrode heating current in the electrode heating circuit so that the heating current is increased when the dimming factor is high and decreased when it is low by utilizing a frequency dependency of an impedance of the capacitor.

Abstract: A high-pressure discharge lamp has a starting circuit consisting of a bimetallic switch and a resistor, which is connected in parallel with the arc tube, and is turned on via a mercury lamp ballast. The current which flows into the starting circuit is limited by the current that flows into the arc tube and by the output of the ballast. Therefore, the extinguishing voltage phenomenon that hitherto had developed immediately after the lamp was turned on no longer takes place.