Abstract: A cold cathode mercury vapor discharge lamp includes a bulb, a support wire within the bulb, and a cathode electrode having a pair of V-shaped electrode portions mounted in spaced, end to end relationship along the support wire. The electrodes include exterior surfaces facing towards the bulb walls, and interior surfaces facing towards the support wire. Getters are mounted on the exterior surfaces, and mercury discharge units are mounted on the interior surfaces. The two electrode portions are non-overlapping along the support wire.

Abstract: A discharge lamp includes a bulb in which a pair of electrodes are installed and mercury and a rear gas are sealed. A heater unit is tightly attached to the outer surface of the bulb by a heat-shrinkable tube fitted over the bulb. The heater unit includes a thin flexible heater for heating the bulb to promote the evaporation of the mercury, and a pair of film members fixed on both sides of the heater so as to reinforce the heater.

Abstract: A gas discharge lamp has a discharge gas sealed in a light-transmissive, cylindrical tube in which an internal electrode is provided as a first receiving end. An external electrode having predetermined widths along the axis of the tube is provided on the outer surface of the tube as a second receiving end. A shielding film is also provided on the outer surface of the tube excluding where a slit with a predetermined width is formed. The widths of the external electrode can be changed in accordance with the luminance distribution of the gas discharge lamp. The internal and external electrodes are connected to a high frequency power source and are applied with high frequency power therefrom, thereby causing discharge within the tube.

Abstract: In a gas discharge lamp of this invention, an internal electrode is provided in a tube bulb and an external electrode is provided on the outer surface of the bulb so as to cover it. A fluorescent material film is formed inside the bulb and is excited to emit visible light by a glow discharge, which is caused by applying a voltage between these electrodes. The fluorescent material film in the bulb has different thicknesses in the tube axial direction of the bulb to average the surface luminance of the gas discharge lamp.

Abstract: In a glow switch starter comprising an airtight envelope in which a dischargeable gas is contained, and an electrode assembly hermetically sealed in one end of the envelope and having a stem in which a pair of electrodes are set, one or both of which are movable electrodes, a film formed of a mixture of 40% to 90% (by weight) metal barium and 60% to 10% (by weight) metal oxide is deposited on that region of the inner surface of the envelope, which is spaced apart from the stem, at a rate of 0.4 mg to 12.5 mg per cubic centimeter of the envelope capacity.