Fluorescent discharge lamp starting and operating circuit

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION, A FLUORESCENT DISCHARGE LAMP HAVING TWO SPACED HEATER ELECTRODES, A PAIR OF ALTERNATING CURRENT SUPPLY CONDUCTORS, AND A SERIES CIRCUIT CONNECTING SAID SUPPLY CONDUCTORS AND ELECTRODES AND INCLUDING A VOLTAGE-RESPONSIVE NON-LINEAR RESISTOR, SAID RESITOR HAVING A CURRENT VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTIC GIVEN BY I=CUK, WHERE I IS THE CURRENT THERETHROUGH, C IS A CONSTANT OF ITS MATERIAL, U IS THE VOLTAGE THEREACROSS, AND K IS A CONSTANT VALUE AT LEAST OF THE ORDER OF 5, A TEMPERATURE RESPONSIVE SWITCH, AND A BALLAST RECTOR, SAID REACTOR BEING CONNECTED BETWEEN A TERMINAL OF ONE OF SAID ELECTRODES AND ONE SUPPLY CONDUCTOR, A TERMINAL OF THE OTHER ELECTRODE BEING CONNECTED TO THE OTHER SUPPLY CONDUCTOR, AND THE NON-LINEAR RESISTOR AND THE TEMPERATURE-RESPONSIVE SWITCH BEING CONNECTED BETWEEN THE REMAINING TERMINALS OF THE ELECTRODES, SAID SWITCH HAVING A HEATING WINDING, AND MEANS ENERGIZING SAID HEATING WINDING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CURRENT FLOWING IN THE SERIES CIRCUIT, THE VOLTAGE ACROSS THE RESISTOR BEING INITIALLY HIGH AND ITS RESISTANCE LOW, WHEREBY INITIALLY A LARGE CURRENT FLOWS IN THE SERIES CIRCUIT, THEREBY ENERGIZING SAID HEATING WINDING, CAUSING THE SWITCH TO OPEN AND DISCHARGE TO START IN THE LAMP AFTER WHICH THE VOLTAGE ACROSS TE RESISTOR IS RELATIVELY LOW AND ITS RESISTANCE HIGH, REDUCING THE CURRENT IN THE SERIES CIRCUIT SUFFICIENTLY TO ALLOW THE SWITCH TO CLOSE WHILE THE LAMP DISCHARGE CONTINUES, WHEREBY THE LAMP CAN BE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED FOLLOWING AN INTERRUPTION IN ITS OPERATION.