High-frequency lighting system

Claim 2

A lighting fixture adapted to be powered from a source of AC voltage, said AC voltage being of frequency substantially higher than that of the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line comprising: a pair of input terminals operable to connect with said source of AC voltage; a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor, said series-combination being: (i) connected in circuit between said pair of input terminals, (ii) substantially resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage, and (iii) whenever not connected with an adequate load, disposed to draw an excessively large amount of current from said input terminals whenever said AC voltage is present thereacross; a gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit either across said capacitor or across said inductor, whereby, whenever connected and in operation, said lamp constitutes an adequate load for said resonant series-combination, thereby preventing said excessively large amount of current from being drawn; protection means connected in circuit with said resonant series-combination and operative to prevent, whenever said lamp is disconnected or otherwise fails to constitute an adequate load, said excessively large amount of current from being drawn; and mechanical structure means operative to support and hold together said input terminals, said gas discharge lamp, said series-combination, and said protection means.

Claim 3

The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein said protection means comprises a non-linear impedance means operative to provide an alternative load means for said resonant series-combination in the event that the lamp is disconnected or fails to operate, thereby preventing said resonant series-combination from drawing said excessively large amount of current.

Claim 4

The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein said protection means comprises a switch means that is: (i) actuated upon disconnection or operational failure of the lamp, and (ii) operative, whenever actuated, to prevent said series-combination from drawing said excessively large amount of current.

Claim 5

The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein said gas discharge lamp comprises thermionic cathodes and wherein said inductor comprises auxiliary windings operative to provide low-voltage heating power for said cathodes.

Claim 6

A lighting system comprising: a source of AC voltage, said source being disposed to become inoperative in the event of being called upon for more than a brief period of time to supply an excessively large amount of current; power distribution means connected with said source of AC voltage and operative to distribute said AC voltage to a number of different locations, each such location providing said AC voltage across a pair of power output terminals; and a plurality of series-resonant-loaded lighting fixtures, each such lighting fixture comprising: (a) a pair of input terminals operable to connect with a pair of said output terminals at one of said locations; (b) a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor, said series-combination being: (i) connected in circuit between said pair of input terminals, (ii) substantially resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage, and (iii) whenever not connected with an adequate load, disposed to draw an excessively large amount of current from said input terminals whenever said AC voltage is present thereacross; (c) a gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit either across said capacitor or across said inductor, whereby, whenever connected and in operation, said lamp constitutes an adequate load for said resonant series-combination, thereby preventing said excessively large amount of current from being drawn; (d) prevention means connected in circuit with said series-combination and operative to prevent, whenever said lamp is disconnected or otherwise fails to constitute an adequate load, said excessively large amount of current from being drawn; and (e) mechanical structure means operative to support and hold together said input terminals, said gas discharge lamp, said series-combination, and said prevention means; whereby said source of AC voltage is prevented from becoming inoperative as the result of the removal and/or failure of one or more lamps in the lighting system; thereby, in the event of removal and/or failure of one or more lamps in one or more of said series-resonant-loaded fixtures, the remaining fixtures will continue to function.

Claim 7

A lighting system comprising: a source of AC voltage, said source being disposed to become inoperative in the event of being called upon for more than a brief period of time to supply an excessively large amount of current; power distribution means connected with said source of AC voltage and operative to distribute said AC voltage to a number of different locations, each such location providing said AC voltage across a pair of power output terminals; and a plurality of series-resonant-loaded lighting fixtures, each such lighting fixture comprising: (a) a pair of input terminals operable to connect with a pair of said output terminals at one of said locations; (b) a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor, said series-combination being: (i) connected in circuit between said pair of input terminals, (ii) substantially resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage, and (iii) whenever not connected with an adequate load, disposed to draw an excessively large amount of current from said input terminals whenever said AC voltage is present thereacross; (c) a gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit either across said capacitor or across said inductor, whereby, whenever connected and in operation, said lamp constitutes an adequate load for said resonant series-combination, thereby preventing said excessively large amount of current from being drawn; (d) prevention means connected in circuit with said series-combination and operative to prevent, whenever said lamp is disconnected or otherwise fails to constitute an adequate load, said excessively large amount of current from being drawn; and (e) mechanical structure means operative to support and hold together said input terminals, said gas discharge lamp, said series-combination, and said prevention means; whereby said source of AC voltage is prevented from becoming inoperative as the result of the removal and/or failure of one or more lamps in the lighting system; thereby, in the event of removal and/or failure of one or more lamps in one or more of said series-resonant-loaded fixtures, the remaining fixtures will continue to function.

Claim 8

A lighting system adapted to be powered from an ordinary electric utility power line and comprising: a central frequency converter means connected with said power line and operative to provide a central output of high-frequency AC voltage, said frequency converter means being disposed to become inoperative in case of being called upon for more than a brief period of time to supply an excessively large amount of current, said AC voltage being of a frequency that is substantially higher than that of the voltage on said power line; a distribution means connected with said central output and operative to distribute said AC voltage to a number of different locations, each such location having a pair of output terminals across which said AC voltage is provided; a plurality of series-resonant-loaded lighting units, each such lighting unit comprising: (a) a pair of fixture input terminals operable to connect with a pair of said output terminals at one of said locations; (b) a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor. said series-combination being: (i) connected in circuit between said pair of input terminals, (ii) substantially resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage, and (iii) whenever not connected with an adequate load, disposed to drawing an excessively large amount of current from said input terminals whenever said AC voltage is present thereacross; (c) a gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit either across said capacitor or across said inductor, whereby, whenever connected and in operation, said lamp constitutes an adequate load for said resonant series-combination, thereby preventing said series-combination from drawing said excessively large amount of current; (d) means to prevent, whenever said lamp is disconnected or otherwise fails to constitute an adequate load, said resonant series-combination from drawing said excessively large amount of current from said input terminals; and (e) mechanical structure means operative to support and hold together said input terminals, said gas discharge lamp, said series-combination, and said protection means; whereby said central frequency converter means is prevented from becoming inoperative as the result of the removal and/or failure of one or more lamps in the lighting system; thereby, in the event of lamp removal from and/or lamp failure in one or more of said series-resonant-loaded lighting units, the remaining lighting units will remain in operation.

Claim 9

A lighting system adapted to be powered from an ordinary electric utility power line and comprising: a central frequency converter means connected with said power line and operative to provide a central output of high-frequency AC voltage, said frequency converter means being disposed to become inoperative in case of being called upon for more than a brief period of time to supply an excessively large amount of current, said AC voltage being of a frequency that is substantially higher than that of the voltage on said power line; a distribution means connected with said central output and operative to distribute said AC voltage to a number of different locations, each such location having a pair of output terminals across which said AC voltage is provided; a plurality of series-resonant-loaded lighting units, each such lighting unit comprising: (a) a pair of fixture input terminals operable to connect with a pair of said output terminals at one of said locations; (b) a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor. said series-combination being: (i) connected in circuit between said pair of input terminals, (ii) substantially resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage, and (iii) whenever not connected with an adequate load, disposed to drawing an excessively large amount of current from said input terminals whenever said AC voltage is present thereacross; (c) a gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit either across said capacitor or across said inductor, whereby, whenever connected and in operation, said lamp constitutes an adequate load for said resonant series-combination, thereby preventing said series-combination from drawing said excessively large amount of current; (d) means to prevent, whenever said lamp is disconnected or otherwise fails to constitute an adequate load, said resonant series-combination from drawing said excessively large amount of current from said input terminals; and (e) mechanical structure means operative to support and hold together said input terminals, said gas discharge lamp, said series-combination, and said protection means; whereby said central frequency converter means is prevented from becoming inoperative as the result of the removal and/or failure of one or more lamps in the lighting system; thereby, in the event of lamp removal from and/or lamp failure in one or more of said series-resonant-loaded lighting units, the remaining lighting units will remain in operation.

Claim 10

A lighting system adapted to be powered from an ordinary electric utility power line and comprising: central frequency converter means connected with said power line and operative to provide a central output of high-frequency AC voltage, said AC voltage being of frequency substantially higher than that of the voltage on said power line; distribution means connected with said central output and operative to distribute said AC voltage to a number of different locations, each such location having output terminal means at which said AC voltage is provided; and a plurality of lighting units, each lighting unit having input terminal means for connection with the output terminal means at one of said locations, at least one of said lighting units having: (i) a gas discharge lamp, and (ii) a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor connected between said input terminals; with said series-combination being substantially series-resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage; with said gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit across said inductor or said capacitor; with said gas discharge lamp, when connected and operative, constituting a load for said series-resonant series-combination, thereby preventing the magnitude of the voltage across either the inductor or the capacitor from becoming destructively high; said series-combination having a power dissipated circuit protection means non-disconnectably connected in circuit therewith; with said circuit protection means being operative to prevent, in case of removal or non-operation of said gas discharge lamp, the magnitude of the voltage across said inductor or said capacitor from becoming destructively high.

Claim 11

A lighting system adapted to be powered from an ordinary electric utility power line and comprising: central frequency converter means connected with said power line and operative to provide a central output of high-frequency AC voltage, said AC voltage being of frequency substantially higher than that of the voltage on said power line; distribution means connected with said central output and operative to distribute said AC voltage to a number of different locations, each such location having output terminal means at which said AC voltage is provided; and a plurality of lighting units, each lighting unit having input terminal means for connection with the output terminal means at one of said locations, at least one of said lighting units having: (i) a gas discharge lamp, and (ii) a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor connected between said input terminals; with said series-combination being substantially series-resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage; with said gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit across said inductor or said capacitor; with said gas discharge lamp, when connected and operative, constituting a load for said series-resonant series-combination, thereby preventing the magnitude of the voltage across either the inductor or the capacitor from becoming destructively high; said series-combination having a power dissipated circuit protection means non-disconnectably connected in circuit therewith; with said circuit protection means being operative to prevent, in case of removal or non-operation of said gas discharge lamp, the magnitude of the voltage across said inductor or said capacitor from becoming destructively high.

Claim 12

A lighting fixture adapted to be powered from a source of AC voltage, said AC voltage being of frequency substantially higher than that of the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line, said lighting fixture comprising: a pair of input terminals operative to connect with said sources of AC voltage; a gas discharge lamp; and a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor connected between said input terminals; with said series-combination being substantially series-resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage; with said gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit across said inductor or said capacitor; with said gas discharge lamp, when connected and operative, constituting a load for said series-resonant series-combination, thereby preventing the magnitude of the voltage across either the inductor or the capacitor from becoming destructively high; said series-combination having a power dissipated circuit protection means non-disconnectably connected in circuit therewith; with said circuit protection means being operative to prevent, in case of removal or non-operation of said gas discharge lamp, the magnitude of the voltage across said inductor or said capacitor from becoming destructively high.

Claim 13

A lighting fixture adapted to be powered from a source of AC voltage, said AC voltage being of frequency substantially higher than that of the voltage on an ordinary electric utility power line, said lighting fixture comprising: a pair of input terminals operative to connect with said sources of AC voltage; a gas discharge lamp; and a series-combination of an inductor and a capacitor connected between said input terminals; with said series-combination being substantially series-resonant at the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage; with said gas discharge lamp disconnectably connected in circuit across said inductor or said capacitor; with said gas discharge lamp, when connected and operative, constituting a load for said series-resonant series-combination, thereby preventing the magnitude of the voltage across either the inductor or the capacitor from becoming destructively high; said series-combination having a power dissipated circuit protection means non-disconnectably connected in circuit therewith; with said circuit protection means being operative to prevent, in case of removal or non-operation of said gas discharge lamp, the magnitude of the voltage across said inductor or said capacitor from becoming destructively high.

Claim 14

The lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein said circuit protection means comprises a non-linear impedance means.

Claim 15

The lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein the fundamental frequency of said AC voltage is on the order of 30 kHz.