Abstract: Electron sources for a cathodoluminescent lighting system are disclosed. An electron source is a broad-beam reflecting-type electron gun having a cathode for emitting electrons and a reflector and/or secondary emitter electrode and no grids. An alternative electron gun has a cathode having a heater welded to a disk, the disk having an emissive surface on a side facing a dome-shaped defocusing grid and an anode. A lighting system incorporating the electron sources has an envelope with a transparent face, an anode with a phosphor layer to emit light through the face and a conductor layer. The system also has a power supply for providing from five to thirty thousand volts of power to the light emitting device to draw electrons from cathode to anode and excite a cathodoluminescent phosphor, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for lighting a room is described. The device has an envelope with a transparent face, the face having an interior surface coated with a cathodoluminescent screen and a thin, reflective, conductive, anode layer. There is a broad-beam electron gun mounted directly to feedthroughs in a base of the envelope with a heated, button-on-hairpin, cathode for emitting electrons in a broad beam towards the anode, and a power supply mounted on the feedthroughs at the base of the envelope that drives the cathode to a multi-kilovolt negative voltage. A two-prong snubber serves as an anode contact to permit the power supply to drive the anode to a voltage near ground. A method of manufacture of the anode uses a single step deposition and lacquering process followed by a metallization using a conical-spiral tungsten filament coated with aluminum by a thermal spray coating process.

Abstract: Electron sources for a cathodoluminescent lighting system are disclosed. An electron source is a broad-beam reflecting-type electron gun having a cathode for emitting electrons and a reflector and/or secondary emitter electrode and no grids. An alternative electron gun has a cathode having a heater welded to a disk, the disk having an emissive surface on a side facing a dome-shaped defocusing grid and an anode. A lighting system incorporating the electron sources has an envelope with a transparent face, an anode with a phosphor layer to emit light through the face and a conductor layer. The system also has a power supply for providing from five to thirty thousand volts of power to the light emitting device to draw electrons from cathode to anode and excite a cathodoluminescent phosphor, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cathodoluminescent lighting system has a light emitting device having an envelope with a transparent face, a cathode for emitting electrons, an anode with a phosphor layer and a conductor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the transparent face of the envelope. The system also has a power supply for providing at least five thousand volts of power to the light emitting device, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. Additional embodiments responsive to triac-type dimmers with intensity and color-changes in response to dimmer control. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A light emitting device has a cathode-ray tube and power supply. The cathode-ray tube in an embodiment is optimized for emitting a broad electron beam, in one variation a dome-shaped diffusing grid is used to spread the beam. In another embodiment, the device has a base adapted for attachment to a standard lighting fixture.

Abstract: Electron sources for a cathodoluminescent lighting system are disclosed. An electron source is a broad-beam reflecting-type electron gun having a cathode for emitting electrons and a reflector and/or secondary emitter electrode and no grids. An alternative electron gun has a cathode having a heater welded to a disk, the disk having an emissive surface on a side facing a dome-shaped defocusing grid and an anode. A lighting system incorporating the electron sources has an envelope with a transparent face, an anode with a phosphor layer to emit light through the face and a conductor layer. The system also has a power supply for providing from five to thirty thousand volts of power to the light emitting device to draw electrons from cathode to anode and excite a cathodoluminescent phosphor, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A device for lighting a room is described. The device has an envelope with a transparent face, the face having an interior surface coated with a cathodoluminescent screen and a thin, reflective, conductive, anode layer. There is a broad-beam electron gun mounted directly to feedthroughs in a base of the envelope with a heated, button-on-hairpin, cathode for emitting electrons in a broad beam towards the anode, and a power supply mounted on the feedthroughs at the base of the envelope that drives the cathode to a multi-kilovolt negative voltage. A two-prong snubber serves as an anode contact to permit the power supply to drive the anode to a voltage near ground. A method of manufacture of the anode uses a single step deposition and lacquering process followed by a metallization using a conical-spiral tungsten filament coated with aluminum by a thermal spray coating process.

Abstract: A cathodoluminescent lighting system has a light emitting device having an envelope with a transparent face, a cathode for emitting electrons, an anode with a phosphor layer and a conductor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the transparent face of the envelope. The system also has a power supply for providing at least five thousand volts of power to the light emitting device, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. Additional embodiments responsive to triac-type dimmers with intensity and color-changes in response to dimmer control. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cathodoluminescent lighting system has a light emitting device having an envelope with a transparent face, a cathode for emitting electrons, an anode with a phosphor layer and a conductor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the transparent face of the envelope. The system also has a power supply for providing at least five thousand volts of power to the light emitting device, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. Additional embodiments responsive to triac-type dimmers with intensity and color-changes in response to dimmer control. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A light emitting device has a cathode-ray tube and power supply. The cathode-ray tube in an embodiment is optimized for emitting a broad electron beam, in one variation a dome-shaped diffusing grid is used to spread the beam. In another embodiment, the device has a base adapted for attachment to a standard lighting fixture.

Abstract: A light emitting device has an enclosure with a face portion, a cold cathode within the enclosure, a phosphor layer disposed on an interior surface of the face portion, an extracting grid between the cold cathode and the phosphor layer and a defocusing grid between the extracting grid and the phosphor layer. Electrons emitted from the cold cathode are defocused by the defocusing grid and impact the phosphor layer when an electric field is created between the cold cathode and the phosphor layer due to applied voltages at the cold cathode, extracting grid, defocusing grid and phosphor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the face portion in response to electrons incident thereon. Secondary electron emission may also occur resulting in increased electron impact upon the phosphor layer, thereby increasing light output. A mirror layer may be included to reflect light toward the face portion of the light emitting device.

Abstract: A cathodoluminescent lighting system has a light emitting device having an envelope with a transparent face, a cathode for emitting electrons, an anode with a phosphor layer and a conductor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the transparent face of the envelope. The system also has a power supply for providing at least five thousand volts of power to the light emitting device, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. Additional embodiments responsive to triac-type dimmers with intensity and color-changes in response to dimmer control. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cathodolumineseent lighting system has a light emitting device having an envelope with a transparent face, a cathode for emitting electrons, an anode with a phosphor layer and a conductor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the transparent face of the envelope. The system also has a power supply for providing at least five thousand volts of power to the light emitting device, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. Additional embodiments responsive to triac-type dimmers with intensity and color-changes in response to dimmer control. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.

Abstract: Electron sources for a cathodoluminescent lighting system are disclosed. An electron source is a broad-beam reflecting-type electron gun having a cathode for emitting electrons and a reflector and/or secondary emitter electrode and no grids. An alternative electron gun has a cathode having a heater welded to a disk, the disk having an emissive surface on a side facing a dome-shaped defocusing grid and an anode. A lighting system incorporating the electron sources has an envelope with a transparent face, an anode with a phosphor layer to emit light through the face and a conductor layer. The system also has a power supply for providing from five to thirty thousand volts of power to the light emitting device to draw electrons from cathode to anode and excite a cathodoluminescent phosphor, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed.