Patent ID: 7327102

Claim:
A portable hand held fluorescent task lamp, comprising: at least first and second compact fluorescent lamp (“CFL”) bulbs removably supported in an elongated housing; a transformerless electrical drive circuit disposed within the elongated housing, and connected at a first input to a common return node of a power supply connected to a line cord and connected via a common output node to the at least first and second CFL bulbs; a first series connection between the common return node and the common output node including a first current limiting inductor, a first node, a first single pole single throw (SPST) switch and the first CFL bulb; and a second series connection between the common return node and the common output node including a second current limiting inductor, a second node, a second SPST switch and the second CFL bulb; wherein the at least first and second CFL bulbs are ignited and sustained in illumination in parallel as determined by a respective ON or OFF condition of each respective first and second SPST switches, independent of the starting characteristics of the first and the second CFL bulbs.