Abstract: A long-life hot cathode fluorescent lamp can include a pair of parallel lead wires that can be arranged at each end of a tube. A coiled filament can be connected at its opposite end portions to the lead wires. The coiled filament can have two long pitched regions in which a coil pitch is longer than regions outside of the long pitched regions. Emitter can be located in a region defined between the two long pitched regions. Shape characteristics and intensive current flow obtained by the presence of the long pitched regions can form the origins of discharge near the boundaries between long and short pitched regions. Accordingly, stable discharge can be achieved with the origins of discharge located at ends of the emitter. As a result, the hot cathode fluorescent lamp is allowed to have a long life and stable light emission characteristics.

Abstract: A long-life hot cathode fluorescent lamp can include a pair of parallel lead wires that can be arranged at each end of a tube. A coiled filament can be connected at its opposite end portions to the lead wires. The coiled filament can have two long pitched regions in which a coil pitch is longer than regions outside of the long pitched regions. Emitter can be located in a region defined between the two long pitched regions. Shape characteristics and intensive current flow obtained by the presence of the long pitched regions can form the origins of discharge near the boundaries between long and short pitched regions. Accordingly, stable discharge can be achieved with the origins of discharge located at ends of the emitter. As a result, the hot cathode fluorescent lamp is allowed to have a long life and stable light emission characteristics.

Abstract: There is provided a fluorescent lamp comprising a tubular glass bulb, an internal electrode provided at the center of the tubular glass bulb, a fluorescent layer formed on an inner surface of the tubular bulb, and an external electrode provided on an outer surface of the tubular glass bulb, said tubular glass bulb being charged with a rare gas containing xenon as a main ingredient, wherein the charged pressure of the rare gas is 100 to 300 torr, the inner diameter of the tubular glass bulb is 4 to 12 mm and the thickness of the tubular glass bulb is 0.4 to 1.2 mm. As a result, lighting voltage is greatly reduced, whereby the charged pressure of the rare gas can be increased, thereby making it possible to improve illuminance.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp includes a tubular glass bulb, an internal electrode provided substantially along the central axis of the tubular glass bulb, a fluorescent layer provided on the inner surface of the tubular glass bulb, and an external electrode provided on the outer surface of the tubular glass bulb, wherein the internal electrode, having a coiled shape, is laid in the tubular glass bulb with an appropriate tension. According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a sag in the internal electrode from occurring due to a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the tubular glass bulb and a metallic member forming the internal electrode, and to prevent either the tubular glass bulb or the internal electrode from being broken because of an excessive stress, thereby overcoming the problem concerning such type of fluorescent lamp.

Abstract: A metal halide headlamp comprising an electrode and a coil wrapping around said electrode to prevent the occurrence of cracks in a sealing portion, in which the diameter d.sub.0 of said electrode, the cross-section S of said electrode including said coil, the inner diameter ID of said coil, the pitch P of said coil, the distance L between an end of said coil and a metal foil, and the amount of metal halides with a NaI-to-ScI.sub.3 ratio are specifically limited. Thereby, the prior art problems, i.e., changes in the lamp characteristics, the degradation of durability, and so on, can be solved.

Abstract: Since the internal electrode of a fluorescent lamp comprises a base portion made from a transparent glass member having substantially the same thermal expansion coefficient as that of a tubular glass bulb and shaped like a pipe or rod and a conductive and transparent film formed on the surface of the base portion, the thermal expansion coefficient of the internal electrode is made equal to that of the tubular glass bulb to prevent damage caused by temperature variations, and the entire internal electrode 4 is transparent so that all the beams from the fluorescent film can be radiated to the outside without being shaded.

Abstract: There is provided an aperture type fluorescent lamp comprising a tubular bulb, an electrode, and a fluorescent layer formed on an inner surface of said tubular bulb in an axial direction of the tubular bulb, an aperture portion provided in said fluorescent layer along the axial direction of the tubular bulb so as to be made the aperture portion as a radiation portion, wherein said aperture portion comprises an aperture portion fluorescent layer having a thickness smaller than the fluorescent layer of other portions. The fluorescent lamp according to the present invention makes it possible to eliminate nonuniformitiy in illuminance.

Abstract: A planar heater for a liquid crystal element comprises a thin metal plate having a relatively high specific resistance such as stainless, nichrome, nickelchrome iron alloy, etc. The thin metal plate is subjected to etching-working to form a mesh-like heat generating body, opposite ends of which are provided with terminal portions for connection into an elecrtrical circuit.

Abstract: A planer heater includes a thin metal plate having a relatively high specific resistance such as stainless, nichrome, nickel-chrome iron alloy, etc. The thin metal plate is subjected to etching-working to form a mesh-like heat generating body, opposite ends of which are provided with terminal portions for connection into an electrical circuit.

Abstract: A planar heater for a liquid crystal element includes a thin metal plate having a relatively high specific resistance such as stainless, nichrome, nickel-chrome iron alloy, etc. The thin metal plate is subjected to etching-working to form a mesh-like heat generating body, opposite ends of which are provided with terminal portions for connection into an electrical circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing a bulb wherein a bead mount and a glass bulb are set in a recess in an upper surface of a heater arranged inside a hermetically sealed chamber, a first gas comprised of one component of a composition of a sealing gas in the glass bulb or an inert gas excluding the sealing gas is supplied to the chamber at a predetermined pressure after the chamber is evacuated, a second gas comprised of a remaining component of the sealing gas or all of the components thereof is sprayed in a space between the glass bulb and the bead mount at a pressure higher than that of the first gas to exhaust the first gas from the space within the glass bulb. The heater is energized after the substitution of the gas within the space of the bulb is performed, or while the gas substitution in the space is being performed, in order to heat and melt an edge portion of the bead mount and glass bulb to seal the glass bulb to the bead mount with the second gas sealed within the glass bulb.