Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7884552 | Electrical discharge tube, illumination apparatus for display device, liquid crystal display device, and liquid crystal display television A backlight device includes a hot cathode fluorescent tube having a pair of electrodes, a power source arranged to apply voltage having an alternating component to at least one of the pair of electrodes, and an electrode heating circuit arranged to supply heating cu... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7310123 | Liquid crystal display module including thermoelectric device A liquid crystal display device includes a backlight unit having a lamp, wherein the lamp includes opposing ends and electrodes at respective ones of the opposing ends; at least one thermoelectric device operably proximate to the lamp; and a liquid crystal (LC) pane... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7284878 | Lumen regulating apparatus and process The present invention is a fluorescent light lumen regulating apparatus. More specifically, in one aspect, the present invention is a fluorescent lighting assembly for mounting at least one fluorescent lamp. In this aspect, the lighting assembly comprises a lamp hou... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7227394 | Signal synchronizer system and method A signal synchronizer according to embodiments herein uses a delay register that receives a feedback signal. The delay register has many delay circuits, each of which are adapted to delay the feedback signal at different time intervals. A storage register made up of... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7176636 | Circuit arrangement for operating a lamp In an electronic ballast circuit equipped with lamp presence detection means that generate a current flowing through one of the lamp electrodes the detection means are periodically switched off. The power dissipated by the lamp presence detection means is thereby re... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7122946 | Light source device having high limit-emitting efficiency There is provided a light source device, used in a display device and the like, having a high light emitting efficiency. The light source device has an electric discharge tube containing mercury and electrodes at both ends. A heat conducting member is attached to an... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7108399 | Light source unit A light source unit includes a substrate mounting a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED's) for irradiating beam to an object. The substrate is formed of a material having high heat conductivity and the unit includes a chip resistor mounted on the substrate and h... | 09/19/2006 |
| 7088057 | Apparatus, system, and method for inducing an electrical current for use by an electronic device An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for inducing an electrical current for use by an electronic device. The apparatus includes an inductor and an interface coupling the inductor to an electronic device. The inductor comprises a continuous wire looped spir... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7088058 | Image display An image display device which has a display element that optically modulates an incident light for displaying an image. A lamp is a light source of the incident light to the display element. A lamp driver drives the lamp. A lamp power level calculator calculates a d... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7045972 | Lighting method of ultra-high pressure mercury lamp A lighting device for an ac-lighting type ultra-high pressure mercury lamp includes: a stepdown chopper for converting dc voltage that is supplied from the outside to voltage of a prescribed level; a full-bridge switch circuit for generating either dc or ac voltage ... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7036939 | Digital projector control method and apparatus A method and apparatus to control a digital projector. After receiving a turn-on request, the temperature associated with the light source is sensed and compared to a predetermined threshold. If the temperature is below the threshold, then the digital projector's li... | 05/02/2006 |
| 7009329 | Thermally optimized cold cathode heater Systems and methods for providing a thermally optimized cold cathode heater in which a heater wire is disposed in a plurality of turns are shown. Turns of the plurality of turns are closely spaced to concentrate heat in an area of a host cathode device corresponding... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6914369 | Quick temperature-raising structure of cold cathode fluorescent lamp A quick temperature-raising structure of cold cathode fluorescent lamp comprises a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, a soft electric heating component, an insulating tube and two insulating components. The soft electric heating component adheres onto the surface of the... | 07/05/2005 |
| 6837589 | Heater module of rapid thermal processing apparatus Disclosed herein is a heater module of a rapid thermal processing apparatus. The heater module comprises a heater reactor provided with reflectors, lamps, a cooling gas inlet unit, a quartz window, a quartz window fixing unit, and a cooling gas outlet unit. Accordin... | 01/04/2005 |
| 6798142 | Flash emitting device and radiant heating apparatus In a flash emitting device, a flash from the plurality of flash discharge lamps is emitted on a work piece. The flash emitting device has a plurality of flash discharge lamps arranged in parallel including side flash discharge lamps located on sides of the flash emi... | 09/28/2004 |
| 6597118 | High-pressure mercury lamp luminescent device and means of ignition To provide a high-pressure mercury lamp capable of shortening the light output rise time and of preventing glow discharge that occurs when the lamp is lighted, a high-pressure mercury lamp (1) luminescent device with a pair of electrodes (6, 7) placed opp... | 07/22/2003 |
| 6411042 | Display cold spot temperature regulator An apparatus and method is disclosed for regulating the cold spot temperature of a light emitting enclosure. A cold spot regulation system defines and controls the temperature of the cold spot. The cold spot regulation system includes an interface housing... | 06/25/2002 |
| 6088513 | Method of processing data by performing a predetermined operation between a current and preceding raster and compressing the resultant data At a data output apparatus side, raster image information, which is obtained by means of performing an exclusive OR operation between raster image information on the preceding line and raster image information on the current line, is compression-processed... | 07/11/2000 |
| 5898275 | Fluorescent lamp system including light blocking members to create uniform illumination along a florescent lamp A fluorescent light source includes a fluorescent lamp, lamp bases attached to opposite ends of the fluorescent lamp, and an electrically insulating substrate connected to the fluorescent lamp. A heating element is positioned on the fluorescent lamp, and ... | 04/27/1999 |
| 5834908 | Instant-on vapor lamp and operation thereof Operation of a vapor lamp light source for instrumentation utilizes a lamp manager controller for instant-on and precise temperature control to enhance and control output at specified wavelengths by monitoring and discriminating the spectral output of the... | 11/10/1998 |
| 5808418 | Control mechanism for regulating the temperature and output of a fluorescent lamp Disclosed is a control mechanism for regulating the temperature of a fluorescent lamp tube located within a housing. The control mechanism includes a cold spot mechanism defining the cold spot of the lamp tube, a heating mechanism, a power supply and a te... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5767934 | Liquid-crystal display with foil heater and PTC sensor for backlight A liquid-crystal display arrangement consisting of a liquid-crystal display, a light source constructed as a fluorescent lamp and a heat source which is thermally coupled to the fluorescent lamp. The heat source is formed as an essentially flat sheet on t... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5406172 | Light source intensity control device A light source device having a controlled current source that maintains a constant intensity of light from the source during changes in light source temperature, particularly at warm-up. The light source is heated to speed up warm-up and to maintain const... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5095247 | Plasma discharge apparatus with temperature sensing A plasma discharge apparatus has a first electrode, a counter electrode, and a power source for supplying power to the first and counter electrodes for initiating and sustaining plasma discharge therebetween. An isolated heater is provided for heating onl... | 03/10/1992 |
| 5079681 | Illuminating apparatus An illuminating apparatus including a casing having an open side, a light reflective surface formed on the interior of the casing, a light diffusive transmission member on the casing and covering the open side, a discharge lamp mounted in the casing under... | 01/07/1992 |
| 5051649 | Arc discharge lamp with liquid metal and heating means A ballastless high pressure discharge lamp includes an arc tube, electrodes disposed in the arc tube, a column of mercury disposed in the arc tube and having a volume less than the volume of the arc tube, and cushion material disposed in the arc tube adja... | 09/24/1991 |
| 4899085 | Igniting device for a high-pressure discharge lamp capable of battery voltage compensation In an operating apparatus of a high-pressure discharge lamp of the invention, power is supplied to a heater provided in a high-pressure discharge lamp from a battery. The battery is charged by a charger which is driven by a power section. The power sectio... | 02/06/1990 |
| 4884009 | Color selectable source for pulsed arc discharge lamps The present invention is directed to a novel system for producing selectable color bands from a single emission source. More particularly, this invention is directed to a small emission source consisting of a gas discharge means. The emission source in th... | 11/28/1989 |
| 4812712 | Plasma processing apparatus A plasma processing apparatus wherein a means is provided to apply the proper negative DC voltage through a filter circuit to an electrode for generating the low-temperature plasma through the feed of the high-frequency power. When the high-frequency powe... | 03/14/1989 |
| 4798997 | Lighting device A discharge tube adapted to produce a light by an extraneous high frequency electromagnetic field is heated before discharge to thereby improve the rising-up of the discharge and achieve uniformization of emitted light. Further, the discharge tube is heat... | 01/17/1989 |
| 4797598 | Illumination apparatus An illumination apparatus includes a discharge tube for emitting light upon an application of an external high frequency wave electromagnetic field, an electrode, arranged outside the discharge tube, for applying the high frequency wave electromagnetic fi... | 01/10/1989 |
| 4737895 | Low temperature starting fluorescent fixture A fluorescent lighting fixture adapted for low temperature conditions which is fitted with a relatively high wattage fluorescent lamp and a lower wattage fluorescent lamp whereby said lower wattage lamp is lighted at lower temperature and provides heat to... | 04/12/1988 |
| 4692655 | Plasma display having heater and method of making same A gas discharge display device comprises upper and lower substrates having anodes and cathodes thereon. An envelope is formed between the upper and lower substrates and includes an ionizable gas therein. A resistance heater element is placed on the lower ... | 09/08/1987 |
| 4645974 | Discharge tube lighting system for use in a vehicle In a discharge tube lighting system for use in a vehicle, a heat generating element, which is made of metal material, is formed on an outer surface of a tube element of the discharge tube along the longitudinal direction of the tube element, and a tempera... | 02/24/1987 |
| 4533853 | Mechanism and method for controlling the temperature and output of a fluorescent lamp The light output of a fluorescent lamp is controlled and optimized. Both the light output and the lamp voltage peak at nearly the same value of mercury cold spot temperature. Controlling the lamp voltage therefore controls the light output. Thus, when the... | 08/06/1985 |
| 4533854 | Mechanism and method for controlling the temperature and output of a fluorescent lamp The light output of a fluorescent lamp is controlled and optimized. The light output of a lamp peaks at some optimum value of mercury cold spot temperature. During operation the lamp output is continually monitored, any drop in peak light output is detect... | 08/06/1985 |
| 4529912 | Mechanism and method for controlling the temperature and light output of a fluorescent lamp The phosphor light output of a fluorescent lamp is controlled and optimized. The phosphor light output of the lamp corresponds to a particular level of either the vapor mercury or rare fill gas contained within the lamp envelope. This gas emission level i... | 07/16/1985 |
| 3961222 | Sodium vapor lamp configuration In a sodium vapor lamp, a means for rapid warm-up and/or maintaining the temperature of the discharge tube in order to quickly achieve and maintain the sodium vapor pressure at a desired level is disclosed. The discharge tube is surrounded with a resistiv... | 06/01/1976 |
