Patent ID: 7990072

Claim:
A backlighting arrangement comprising: a driving transformer; at least one balancing transformer; and a plurality of luminaires, each of said plurality of luminaires constituted of one of a U-shaped lamp and a pair of linear lamps which are directly serially connected to each other, a first end of each of said plurality of luminaires connected to a high voltage lead of said driving transformer and a second end of each of said plurality of luminaires connected to a unique end of a winding of said at least one balancing transformer, wherein each pair of said luminaires is associated with a particular winding of one of said at least one balancing transformers, a first luminaire of said pair connected to a first end of said particular winding and a second luminaire of said pair connected to second end of said particular winding, said second end different from said first end, and wherein said first end and said second end of each of said luminaires is in physical proximity of said driving transformer and said at least one balancing transformer, said constituent lamps of said luminaires arranged in parallel and generally extending axially away from said proximity of said driving transformer.