Patent ID: 8035289

Claim:
A flat discharge lamp transmitting radiation in the ultraviolet or visible spectrum, comprising: first and second substantially flat glass elements substantially parallel to each other and defining an internal space filled with gas, the first or second glass elements being made of a material that transmits the radiation; at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode that are supplied with an AC voltage, the first and second electrodes being associated with one or more main faces of the first glass element, the first and second electrodes being elongate and substantially parallel to one another, and forming an interelectrode space of a substantially constant width d 1 between each adjacent electrode; and at least one third electrode at a given DC potential, associated with a main face of the second glass element and at least partly occupying, in projection, each interelectrode space, wherein the projection of the third electrode occupies at least 50% of each of the interelectrode spaces wherein the first and second electrodes are made of transparent conducting films or are overall transparent.