Dimming circuit and apparatus for gaseous discharge lamps

Claim 1

A DIMMING CONTROL SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A HOT CATHODE FLUORESCENT LAMP AT VARIOS BRIGHTNESS LEVELS FROM AN ALTERNATING POWER SUPPLY INCLUDING A LOW AND A HIGH SIDE, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND INPUT LEADS CONNECTED TO SAID LOW AND HIGH SIDE RESPECTIVELY, A HIGH LEAKAGE REACTANCE TRANSFORMER HAVING A PRIMARY CONNECTED ACROSS SAID INPUT LEADS AND A HIGH LEAKAGE REACTANCE SECONDARY, A LINEAR REACTOR, A FLUORESCENT LAMP, A NONLINEAR TRANSFORMER HAVING A PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY, A PAIR OF TRANSFORMER OUTPUT LEADS, ONE OF SAID OUTPUT LEADS CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID HIGH LEAKAGE REACTANCE SECONDARY WITH ONE END OF SAID LAMP AND THE OTHER OF SAID OUTPUT LEADS CONNECTING SAID PRIMARY TO THE OTHER END OF SAID LAMP, SAID LINEAR REACTOR AND SAID PRIMARY OF THE NONLINEAR TRANSFORMER BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES ACROSS SAID INPUT LEADS, AND CIRCUIT MEANS CONNECTING SAID SECONDARY OF THE NONLINEAR TRANSFORMER, SAID HIGH LEAKAGE REACTANCE SECONDARY AND SAID LAMP IN SERIES CIRCUIT RELATIONSHIP ACROSS SAID ADJUSTABLE TAP AND SAID FIRST INPUT LEAD.