Discharge lamp having light-transmissive conductive coating for RF containment and heating

摘要

A discharge lamp, such as a neon lamp or a subminiature fluorescent lamp, includes an elongated tubular lamp envelope containing a fill material for supporting a light-emitting discharge and electrodes mounted at opposite ends of the lamp envelope. A light-transmissive conductive coating on the lamp envelope substantially attenuates emission of RF energy. A conductor in electrical contact with the conductive coating couples the conductive coating to a reference potential, such as ground. The conductor may be a metal or conductive silicone strip in electrical contact with the conductive coating along the length of the lamp envelope. The discharge lamp may be connected to a ballast circuit by coaxial cables. The outer conductor of each coaxial cable is connected to the conductive coating to form a continuous RF shield. The conductive coating and/or the metal strip may be used for heating of the discharge lamp.