Abstract: A motor vehicle headlight module includes a lens and reflector assembly and a capsule-connector assembly. The reflector comprises an elongated neck portion forming a substantially rectangular chamber opening into the lens and reflector assembly and extending rearwardly therefrom, the rear of the chamber terminating in a groove of defined width extending around the periphery of the chamber. The capsule-connector assembly is provided with a forwardly projecting lighting capsule and a flange having a forwardly facing tongue of less thickness than the groove width and aligned for mating engagement in the groove. A plurality of spaced ribs are disposed on the outer surface of the rectangular chamber to contact the capsule-connector flange at their rearward ends. At least two of the rib ends are tacked to the capsule-connector flange to maintain the lighting capsule in proper location during the setting of an adhesive material disposed in the reflector groove.

Abstract: An improved lamp construction and associated method of manufacture of a lamp that includes a sealed capsule with lead-in wires and a ceramic base. A pair of sleeves each defining a lamp contact pin at one end thereof are swaged at the other end thereof to the lead-in wires to secure the sleeves thereto. The ceramic base has a bottom wall with a pair of holes therein for receiving respective sleeves with the contact pin ends thereof depending from the base bottom wall and with the swaged ends thereof defining a limiting wall for positioning of the sleeves in proper relation relative to the ceramic base. The cement is disposed in the ceramic base and cured to secure the sleeves and lead-in wires in the ceramic base.

Abstract: A motor vehicle headlight module is provided which is compact in design having a plastic reflector with a protruding rear portion forming a chamber from which a lighting capsule extends. A heat shield of thermal insulative material is disposed above the capsule and in spaced relation with the capsule and reflector to inhibit the reflector from reaching its heat deflection temperature.

Abstract: For far-reaching reduction of cataphoresis of a fluorescent lamp for unipolar mode of operation, the anode thereof is such that in order to decrease anode current density its surface effective for the formation of the electric field of discharge amounts to 60-100 % of the maximal cross-sectional area of the discharge envelope, measured vertically to the discharge axis. Suitably the anode is provided with heat dissipators to thereby obtain a still greater temperature gradient. A permanent external heating of the cathode permits a particularly good igniting behaviour and a simple luminosity regulation which are advantageous when the lamp is used for reproduction of alphanumeric characters and images e.g. in a matrix, a display or the like.

Abstract: A multi-planar, one-piece wire insert for supporting a coil filament body in an electric incadescent lamp in which the wire insert includes a top leg disposed in a plane out of the main plane of the insert so as to permit the coil filament body, as wound, to fit (match) the insert directly without requiring alteration to the ends of the coil filament body and/or changing of the wound coil geometry.

Abstract: The apparatus is used for detecting the proper conductivity of a conductive film enclosed within a nonconductive substrate or envelope such as a fluorescent lamp without requiring physical contact with the fluorescent lamp. The conductive film detector comprises a capacitive proximity switch mounted close to but spaced from the lamp as the lamp passes the inspection station. At the inspection station there is also provided a feeler switch for sensing lamp presence and a cam switch for inspection initiation when the lamp is instantaneously properly positioned. A control unit powers the capacitive proximity switch and receives the proximity switch output to control a lamp rejection mechanism for rejecting lamps having resistance that is too high. The set up procedure involved adjustment of the capacitive proximity switch sensitivity by using test lamps of alternately acceptable resistance and unacceptable resistance, along with adjustment of lamp-to-proximity switch spacing.

Abstract: A light source including a spiral line pulse generator having an output coupled to one electrode of a high pressure discharge lamp and having an input for coupling to a source of lamp operating power for providing high voltage lamp starting pulses. The pulse generator includes, in addition to a spiral line circuit, a solid state electronic switch for discharging the spiral line pulse generator and a ballast capacitor connected in series with the solid state switch. The spiral line pulse generator preferably has a magnetic core associated therewith for increasing the spiral line inductance.

Abstract: Starting and operating apparatus for high intensity discharge lamps includes first and second pairs of terminals formed for connection to an AC source and a discharge lamp respectively, a series connect ballast means and inductor connected to one of said first pair and one of said second pair of terminals a bilateral switch shunted by a capacitor and in series with an AC impedance coupled to the inductor and to the other one of said first and second pair of terminals whereby relatively wide high voltage, high frequency pulse potentials for starting the discharge lamps are provided.

Abstract: The device includes two detectors of overvoltage (8, 9) each connected between a respective one of a pair of power line conductors (1, 2) and a respective input of an arrester (7). The outputs of the detectors are connected to an OR-gate (10) the output signal of which is applied to a threshold gate (12). The output of gate (12) is connected to a first monostable trigger (13) having a first time constant and controlling, through a latch gate (14), a bipolar insulating device (3, 4) isolating the load (90) from the power network. In order to achieve the automatic reconnection of the load after each perturbance, the output of the latch gate (14) is also connected to a second monostable trigger (16) having a second time constant higher than the first, and to the clock input of a counter (15) having its return-to-zero terminal connected at the output of the second monostable trigger. Preferably, an integrator (11) is connected between the OR-gate (10) and the threshold gate ( 12).

Abstract: A method of forming a sealed capsule containing a submilligram quantity of mercury or the like, the capsule being constructed from a hollow glass tube, by placing a globule or droplet of the mercury in the tube. The tube is then evacuated and sealed and is subsequently heated so as to vaporize the mercury and fill the tube therewith. The tube is then separated into separate sealed capsules by heating spaced locations along the tube with a coiled heating wire means to cause collapse spaced locations therealong and thus enable separation of the tube into said capsules.

Abstract: An improved dark field material for use in a thin film electroluminescent display device that typically includes a transparent electrode layer, a segmented electrode layer and an electroluminescent phosphor layer between the electrode layers. The improved dark field layer is of a composition of a dielectric material such as the preferred magnesium oxide and a noble metal, which is preferably gold co-evaporated by way of an electron beam deposition technique. The preferred range of noble metal by volume is 6%-10%. By varying the noble metal content within this range, there is provided control of the operating temperature of the electroluminescent display device.

Abstract: An automatic domestic power line breaker comprising a current-to-voltage converter to which is applied an input signal obtained from the secondary of a differential transformer coupled to the power line. The converter output is coupled through a low pass filter to a rectifier, the output of which is connected to a function generator, which provides an output signal comprising a voltage having a slope proportional to the peak amplitude of the rectifier output signal. The function generator output is applied to a first input of a comparator having a second input to which is applied a d.c. threshold voltage. The comparator output signal is applied through an amplifier to control the state of a set of normally open relay contacts series connected in the power line conductors. A feed-back diode shunts the first input and output of the comparator to lock the relay contacts in the open state if the breaker has controlled opening of the contacts.

Abstract: In an electroluminescent display device, an integral thin film resistor means including a plurality of discrete thin film resistors formed by thin film deposition and having a resistor in series and associated with each driven segment. In the preferred device the thin film resistors are deposited in a predetermined pattern on the back glass in conjunction with back glass electrode deposition whereby electrical connection is made to the electroluminescent device at the back glass.

Abstract: An evaporation heater having a wire wound into a coil and a support wire which extends from one arm of the wire outside of the coil, in spaced proximity therewith, to a central position within the coil but out of electric contact therewith is disclosed. An annular pellet of evaporant material is positioned over the wire support arm within the heater coil but out of contact therewith.The atmosphere around the heater coil and pellet is substantially evacuated and current is directed through such coil to apply radiant heat to the pellet to evaporate same.Because the heater coil is in spaced proximity with the pellet of evaporant material and not in contact therewith, chemical reaction therebetween or erosion is avoided, and a durable evaporation heater of uncomplex construction is provided.

Abstract: A tungsten-halogen lamp for use in an automobile headlight comprises a tubular sealed glass capsule containing two coiled tungsten filaments for high and low beam operation, respectively. The low beam filament is disposed substantially orthogonal to a vertical plane containing the lamp axis, with the center of that filament length having a predetermined offset from that vertical plane and being disposed at or near the focal point of the reflector. The high beam filament is disposed substantially parallel to the lamp axis on the opposite side of the vertical plane from at least a major portion of the low beam filament. The filaments are spaced apart with the high beam filament lying in a horizontal plane spaced below the low beam filament, and the axis of the high beam filament orthogonally intersects a plane containing in the axis of the low beam filament.

Abstract: A photoflash unit comprising a plurality of 2n flashlamps attached to a printed circuit board and disposed in a linear array with the longitudinal axes of respective lamps aligned in parallel. Circuit patterns on the circuit board include a plurality of n selective terminal means, each associated with a respective pair of the lamps and connected to one lead-in wire of each of the lamps of the associated pair, and a common terminal associated with all of the 2n lamps but directly connected to the other lead-in wire of one lamp of each pair. Groups of circuit pattern extensions are located behind alternate lamps of the array, the first group comprising two spaced apart segments and the remaining groups each comprising three spaced apart segments. Each group of segments is covered with a mass of radiation sensitive switch material to thereby provide respective solid state switches between bridged segment gaps which are activated upon receiving radiant energy emitted by an adjacent lamp.

Abstract: A sputtering cathode apparatus for the deposition of thin films which are produced at a relatively high deposition rate. A relatively large planar magnetron sputtering system or apparatus is provided with a preferred single convoluted electron path so as to obtain high geometric efficiency. The target is larger than the substrate and the substrate motion is confined to an area within the defined target area. The cathode system requires a vacuum system of relatively small dimension due to the increase in target size in comparison with substrate size along with the provision for multiple plasma legs separated by non-emissive regions therebetween. This construction enables minimized substrate motion relative to the target.

Abstract: A process for forming lamp capsules such as in the manufacture of miniature arc lamps wherein the bulb portion of the capsule is formed by blowing molten glass into a mold while simultaneously press sealing the lead assembly. The molding and sealing process is accomplished with heat application by means of a press foot assembly closed for a predetermined period of time such as one second to press seal the blank capsule against the lead assembly with one portion of the press foot assembly, and simultaneously to blow mold the blank capsule into another preformed portion of the press foot assembly to form the bulb portion of the lamp capsule.

Abstract: The deposition of thin films is carried out by a co-sputtering cathode technique particularly suited for deposition of doped thin films on large area substrates. A relatively large planar magnetron sputtering apparatus having a rectangular (picture frame shaped) plasma region is provided to obtain efficient sputtering of the host material. A vacant center area defined by the plasma region is provided for diode sputtering of the dopant. In RF sputtering, co-excitation of the power source is desired to prevent RF mode beating.

Abstract: In an incandescent lamp having a glass envelope joined to a base member and a filament mounted within the envelope, an improved fuse wire comprises a portion of one or both of the lead-in wires connecting the filament to the base member. The fuse wire is made of an Aluchrom alloy containing Chromium, Nickel and Iron, or is made of a Cronifer alloy containing Chromium, Iron and Aluminum. The Aluchrom or Cronifer fuse wire, upon lamp failure and fuse burnout, exhibits reduced arcing melt-through of the lamp base compared with lamps having prior art fuse wires, for improved safety thereof.Further the Aluchrom or Chronifer fuse wires have an I.sup.2 t energy rating which permits the use of larger diameter fuse wires which can more readily be processed by lamp production machinery than the smaller diameter lamp fuse wires of prior art materials.