Mercury vapor lamp with auxiliary light source

Claim 1

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of either a cold start or hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being activated to full illumination substantially immediately after energizing voltage being applied thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, switch means having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting tHe auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, said switch means including control circuitry activating the switch means in response to the amplitude of the voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, said control circuitry including means for activating the switch means to an open circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being energized by the a.c. source to full illumination and to a closed circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being supplied by the a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of hot and cold start conditions, said last named means comprising: first voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp for closing the switch means in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp being less than a first predetermined level, said first predetermined level being less than the mercury vapor lamp voltage during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp, and second voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor for closing the switch means in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor dropping below a second predetermined level, said second predetermined level being less than the voltage across the capacitor during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp, and means for providing a substantially open circuit to the flow of current through the first voltage detection means in response to a hot start condition being sensed.

Claim 2

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of either a cold start or hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being activated to full illumination substantially immediately after energizing voltage being applied thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, switch means having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting tHe auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, said switch means including control circuitry activating the switch means in response to the amplitude of the voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, said control circuitry including means for activating the switch means to an open circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being energized by the a.c. source to full illumination and to a closed circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being supplied by the a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of hot and cold start conditions, said last named means comprising: first voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp for closing the switch means in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp being less than a first predetermined level, said first predetermined level being less than the mercury vapor lamp voltage during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp, and second voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor for closing the switch means in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor dropping below a second predetermined level, said second predetermined level being less than the voltage across the capacitor during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp, and means for providing a substantially open circuit to the flow of current through the first voltage detection means in response to a hot start condition being sensed.

Claim 9

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to illumination because of either a cold start or a hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being energized to full illumination substantially immediately after application of power thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, switch means having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting the auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, said switch means including a control terminal for activating the switch means into a conducting state in response to the amplitude of the voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, a first neon bulb circuit connected in parallel with said mercury vapor lamp, a second neon bulb circuit connected in parallel with the ballast circuit capacitor, the neon bulbs of said first and second neon bulb circuits being triggered into an ionized condition in response to the a.c. voltages across the mercury vapor lamp and ballast capacitor, respectively, exceeding predetermined voltage levels, and means responsive to ionization of either one of said neon bulbs for enabling a voltage exceeding the predetermined level to be applied to the control electrode of the switch means.

Claim 10

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to illumination because of either a cold start or a hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being energized to full illumination substantially immediately after application of power thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, switch means having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting the auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, said switch means including a control terminal for activating the switch means into a conducting state in response to the amplitude of the voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, a first neon bulb circuit connected in parallel with said mercury vapor lamp, a second neon bulb circuit connected in parallel with the ballast circuit capacitor, the neon bulbs of said first and second neon bulb circuits being triggered into an ionized condition in response to the a.c. voltages across the mercury vapor lamp and ballast capacitor, respectively, exceeding predetermined voltage levels, and means responsive to ionization of either one of said neon bulbs for enabling a voltage exceeding the predetermined level to be applied to the control electrode of the switch means.

Claim 21

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to illumination because of either a cold start or a hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being energized to full illumination substantially immediately after application of power thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, switch means having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting the auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, said switch means including a single control terminal for activating the switch means into a conducting state in response to the amplitude of the voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, means for normally maintaining the control terminal bias at a voltage less than the predetermined level, means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp for increasing the bias level applied to the control terminal above the predetermined level in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp dropping below a predetermined level associated with cold start conditions, and means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor for increasing the bias leveL applied to the control terminal above the predetermined level in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor dropping below a predetermined level associated with hot start conditions.

Claim 22

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to illumination because of either a cold start or a hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being energized to full illumination substantially immediately after application of power thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, switch means having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting the auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, said switch means including a single control terminal for activating the switch means into a conducting state in response to the amplitude of the voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, means for normally maintaining the control terminal bias at a voltage less than the predetermined level, means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp for increasing the bias level applied to the control terminal above the predetermined level in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp dropping below a predetermined level associated with cold start conditions, and means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor for increasing the bias leveL applied to the control terminal above the predetermined level in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor dropping below a predetermined level associated with hot start conditions.

Claim 23

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of either a cold start or hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being activated to full illumination substantially immediately after energizing voltage being applied thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, an a.c. activated switch having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting the auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, control circuitry for said switch responsive to both polarities of the a.c. source for activating the switch in response to the amplitude of the a.c. voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, said control circuitry including means for activating the switch means to an open circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being energized by the a.c. source to full illumination and to a closed circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being supplied by the a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of hot and cold start conditions, said last named means comprising: first a.c. voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp for closing the switch in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp being less than a first predetermined level, said first predetermined level being less than the mercury vapor lamp voltage during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp, and second a.c. voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor for closing the switch in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor dropping below a second predetermined level, said second predetermined level being less than the capacitor voltage during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp.

Claim 24

A system for activating an auxiliary lamp to illumination in response to a mercury vapor lamp being supplied with power from an a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of either a cold start or hot start condition thereof, said mercury vapor lamp being energized from said a.c. source by a ballast circuit including a capacitor connected between the a.c. source and mercury vapor lamp, said auxiliary lamp being activated to full illumination substantially immediately after energizing voltage being applied thereto, comprising an energization circuit for connecting said auxiliary lamp to said a.c. source, an a.c. activated switch having a path in said energization circuit in series between the source and auxiliary lamp for selectively connecting the auxiliary lamp to the a.c. voltage source, control circuitry for said switch responsive to both polarities of the a.c. source for activating the switch in response to the amplitude of the a.c. voltage applied thereto exceeding a predetermined level, said control circuitry including means for activating the switch means to an open circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being energized by the a.c. source to full illumination and to a closed circuit condition in response to the mercury vapor lamp being supplied by the a.c. source but not energized to full illumination because of hot and cold start conditions, said last named means comprising: first a.c. voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp for closing the switch in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the mercury vapor lamp being less than a first predetermined level, said first predetermined level being less than the mercury vapor lamp voltage during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp, and second a.c. voltage detection means responsive to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor for closing the switch in response to the a.c. voltage magnitude across the capacitor dropping below a second predetermined level, said second predetermined level being less than the capacitor voltage during full illumination of the mercury vapor lamp.