Incandescent Filament Lamp Patents (Class 313/578)
  • Patent number: 5955839
    Abstract: An incandescent microcavity lightsource 30 has an incandescent active region 13 capable of spontaneous light emission when heated. The incandescent microcavity lightsource 30 controls the spontaneous light emissions from said active region 13.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Quantum Vision, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven M. Jaffe, Michieal L. Jones, Jeffrey S. Thayer, Brian L. Olmsted, Hergen Eilers
  • Patent number: 5949181
    Abstract: An automotive lamp bulb is provided that is easy to assemble. A glass bulb has a tip with a short projection at its upper end. A common lead wire is secured in a neck portion of the glass bulb with the aid of a bead. The bead makes it possible to shorten the upper end of the glass bulb. The use of the bead also makes it easier to align the common lead wire with the neck portion. Because the bead is interposed therebetween, the common lead wire is allowed to slide in relation to the glass bulb, thus making it possible to use inexpensive hard glass. Consequently, an inexpensive and compact automotive lamp bulb can be easily manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hajime Tabata, Toru Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 5910707
    Abstract: A glass halogen lamp which exhibits improved short wavelength light transmission and emission having a glass envelope which is made of a glass composition of the aluminosilicate system in which the iron content of the composition is between 10 and 100 ppm. The glass envelope of the lamp may optionally contain an area of reduced wall thickness which further enhances short wavelength light transmission and emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: Welch Allyn, Inc.
    Inventor: Dean A. Bell
  • Patent number: 5900696
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp with shock resisting supports having filament, first support rod, envelope, spacer, spacer, cap seal, and block is disclosed. The incandescent lamp with shock resisting supports yielding an incandescent lamp with a heavy filament structure supported by two support rods protected by a shock conditioning spacer and spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: Osramisylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey P. Buschmann, David L. Shelton
  • Patent number: 5896007
    Abstract: An incandescent halogen lamp is operated under convection-free conditions. In this way, light yields of about 15 to 20 lm/W with service lives of about 2000 hours can be attained. The important parameters are the bulb dimensions, luminous element dimensions, and fill gas properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Patent Treuhand Gesellschaft Fur Elektrische Gluehlampen MBH
    Inventors: Peter Dobiasch, Rolf Minder, Karlheinz Vogl
  • Patent number: 5892325
    Abstract: A light source for backlighting a display panel comprises a light-emitting device such as an incandescent light bulb or LED array disposed within a cavity having diffusely reflecting walls and an aperture. A diffuser and brightness enhancing film are situated proximate the opening of the aperture which illuminates the display to be backlit. Preferably, light emerging from the aperture is substantially uniform in intensity and color, and in one embodiment, a color filter is employed to whiten the light emerging from the aperture. One embodiment has an aperture in which the ratio of the area of the aperture to the sum of such area and the surface area of the cavity is at least 0.05. In this embodiment, the ratio of the depth of the cavity to an edge to edge dimension of the cavity is at least 0.1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Teledyne Lighting and Display Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip L. Gleckman
  • Patent number: 5864209
    Abstract: A unique cathode (30) for an ultraviolet discharge lamp (10) is described. The cathode includes a triple-coil wire, i.e., the wire has a primary coil (43), a secondary coil (41) wound around the primary coil and a tertiary coil (36) wound around the secondary coil. The interstices of the primary coil and secondary coil, but not the tertiary coil, are occupied by a crystalline oxide emitter material. Filling the primary and secondary coils of the triple coil cathode provides a cathode having a greater amount of emitter material than prior art. In addition, as the outer layer of the emitter material sputters away from bombardment by positive ions, the remaining emitter material is protected by the now-exposed portion of the coil wire which protrudes beyond the remaining emitter material. Thus, incoming positive ions are apt to strike the exposed wire, and not the remaining emitter material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Assignee: Imaging & Sensing Technology Corporation
    Inventor: David Lyle Clark
  • Patent number: 5850124
    Abstract: In an automobile lamp bulb, a shield is attached firmly to a common conductor by an improved fixing method. Dents are formed in one surface of a shield to form projections in the other surface of the same and a cut is formed in the shield. Portions of the shield defined by the cut are raised to form lugs, and projections are formed, respectively, on the lugs. A projection is formed in each lug which corresponds to the dents, but project in opposite directions. The projections of the shield are welded by projection welding to the common conductor to join the shield firmly to the common conductor. Therefore, an inexpensive rough service automobile lamp bulb is provided. In another embodiment, a portion of a round common conductor is flattened to form a flat portion. A shield is positioned on and welded to the flat portion of the common conductor. Since the shield is positioned on and welded to the common conductor in surface contact, the amplitude of vibration of the shield can effectively be suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toru Hasegawa, Hajime Tabata, Mutsumi Katayama
  • Patent number: 5827438
    Abstract: The invention is related to an electrically modulatable thermal radiant source with a multilayer structure. The radiant source includes a substrate, a first insulating layer formed onto the substrate, a radiant surface layer formed onto the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer formed on the radiant surface layer, a first metallization (incandescent filament) layer formed on the second insulating layer, a third insulating layer formed on the first metallization layer, and a second metallization layer for contacting formed on the third insulating layer. According to the invention, very thin incandescent filaments are formed from the first metallization layer and surrounded by the other elements of the multilayer structure as a uniform, planar plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Vaisala Oy
    Inventors: Martti Blomberg, Altti Torkkeli, Stefan Lindblad, Ari Lehto
  • Patent number: 5793159
    Abstract: A lamp which provides substantially uniform illumination over a predetermined area which includes a glass envelope having a lensed end and a curved filament contained within the envelope. The filament contains a plurality of coils which are disposed in a concave orientation with respect to the lensed end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1998
    Assignee: Welch Allyn, Inc.
    Inventors: Teresa Motz West, William Henry Lagerway, Raymond Alan Dean
  • Patent number: 5789847
    Abstract: A reflector lamp having a lens of vitreous material fused to a reflector body of vitreous material. An inner reflector surface of the reflector body includes a reflective coating having a first coating portion extending from the rim of the reflector body and a second coating portion extending from a location spaced from the rim towards a basal end of the reflector body. The second coating portion is a layer of heat-treated silver having a uniform, whitish non-metallic appearance and being diffusely reflective. The first coating portion is a layer of material other than silver, such as aluminum, having a higher resistance to damage by high heat in the rim area during fusing of the lens to the reflector body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation
    Inventors: David R. Woodward, Walter A. Boyce, Jack R. Sheppard
  • Patent number: 5777435
    Abstract: The Electric lamp has a lamp vessel in which an electric element is accommodated, connected to current conductors which emanate from the lamp vessel. At least one of the current conductors has a length portion which is a solidified melt and in the area of which portion the current conductor has a kink. As a result of the conductor having a kink the electric element is aligned in the lamp vessel. The lamp can be obtained by melting the current conductor, e.g. by means of a laser, in the finished lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 7, 1998
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Wilhelmus C. M. Claassen, Wilhelmus A. A. A. Martens, Jacobus J. Boonekamp
  • Patent number: 5760543
    Abstract: The invention concerns an electrical incandescent lamp with a mount for hing a filament coil (4), whereby the coil is suspended by at least one hook-shaped holder (7) provided with a free end, in which filament coil (4) is suspended. Free end (7a) of hook-shaped holder (7) is bent in such a way that it (7a) constricts the suspension opening of hook-shaped holder (7). In this way, an unhooking of the coil is avoided when vibrations occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1998
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventor: Hermann Gmeiner
  • Patent number: 5757111
    Abstract: A night light includes: a light bulb (10) that produces light when excited by an electric power supply; a phosphorescent element (18) disposed near the light bulb (10) for storing light from the light bulb (10) and re-emitting the light when the light bulb (10) is turned off; and a transparent cover case (15) containing the light bulb (10) and having a face plate (16) disposed on one side of the cover case (15) wherein the phosphorescent element (18) is disposed at least on the opposite side of the cover case (15) from the face plate (16) so that light emitted from the phosphorescent element (18) illuminates the transparent cover case (15). The phosphorescent element (18) is capable of absorbing and storing light and re-emitting the light in an emergency event when the electricity is cut off so as to provide illumination for emergency evacuation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Inventor: Giichiro Sato
  • Patent number: 5734227
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp having a substantially cylindrical glass bulb closed at one end by an exhaust-sealed portion, the entire length of which is reduced by reducing the inclination of a portion continuing from the cylindrical major portion of the glass bulb to the exhaust-sealed portion, as well as, a process for producing the same. The glass bulb containing filaments is closed at one end by the exhaust-sealed portion, with a shoulder having a substantially truncated conical appearance connecting the exhaust-sealed portion and the substantially cylindrical major portion, wherein the angle formed between the plane orthogonal to the axis of the glass bulb and the surface of the shoulder, i.e. the inclination of the surface of the shoulder, is designed to be 45.degree.or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Gotoh
  • Patent number: 5729081
    Abstract: The invention relates to electrode coils for discharge lamps having a coiled wire (1) which is wound around by a braiding wire (2). The coiled wire (1) has both turns (II) with an essentially circular cross-section and turns (I, III) with an oval cross-section. In order to produce the bar-shaped coil according to the invention, the unit comprising the coiled wire (1), the first core wire (3) and the braiding wire (2) is wound around a second core wire (4) which is flattened in places. Unrolling of the braiding wire (2) is prevented thereby. Production of the coil is cost-effective, since only two core wires are required and the coil ends are not fused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Roland Hoffmann, Erolf Weinhardt
  • Patent number: 5719468
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp has an envelope including a cylindrical portion and two hemispherical portions. Each hemispherical portion includes a second order curve which has a focus and is connected at one end of the cylindrical portion, respectively. A filament is provided along the central axis of the envelope and is located within and extends beyond a space surrounded by the cylindrical portion. An optical interference layer is arranged on a surface of the envelope to reflect infrared rays and transmit visible rays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Toshiba Lighting Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Takanishi, Kazunari Fukue, Tsutomu Watanabe, Hiroshi Kamata, Akira Kawakatsu
  • Patent number: 5680003
    Abstract: An improved coiled-coil filament for use in an incandescent lamp has a primary coil winding with a substantially uniform spacing between successive coil turns. The primary coil winding is wound around a second mandrel in a manner to provide a main coil body and leg portions extending therefrom. A helical bend is formed between the main coil body and the leg portions thereby allowing that the leg portions extend toward a seal region of the lamp envelope in a substantially parallel relation to each other. Once the main coil body has been set in shape, the first and second mandrels are removed such that the leg portions are disposed in the seal region of the lamp envelope in a spaceless, and optional spudless manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert W. Hartwick, Robert J. Kellner, Joseph P. Lagermasini, III, Bernard W. Rachel
  • Patent number: 5680009
    Abstract: To permit easy assembly of a filament for a halogen incandescent lamp hav a filament holder frame (4) to retain an essentially planar filament (11) in position, the frame is made of two pre-manufactured identical frame halves (4a, 4b). Both frame halves have a cross element (7a, 7b), having a plurality of filament holders (10a, 10b) secured thereto, and two support strut portions (8a, 9a, 8b, 9b) at the ends thereof. To assemble the lamp, the two frame halves, together with the filament (11), are placed in a suitable jig, and the filament ends are threaded on one of the support strut portions (8a, 8b) of each one of the frame halves. The filament (11) is hooked on the filament holder (10a, 10b) and, by spreading apart the frame halves, the filament is stretched. The support strut portions (8a, 8b; 9a, 9b) are then connected by welding, thus completing the frame (4), and retaining the filament in stretched position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 21, 1997
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Andreas Krinke, Herbert Kugler
  • Patent number: 5675218
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp has an envelope having a bulbous portion including a wall defining a space, a thin tube extending outwardly along a central axis of the bulbous portion so as to communicate with the space, and a sealed portion located on an opposite end of the bulbous portion from the thin tube. The wall has a slope inclined toward the thin tube. A filament is provided along the central axis of the bulbous portion. An optical interference layer is arranged on a surface of the wall for reflecting infrared rays toward the filament. A first lead wire has a first end portion fixed in the sealed portion of the envelope, a second end portion coupled to one end of the filament and an intermediate U-shaped portion inserted into the thin tube for regulating a position of the filament. A second lead wire has a first end portion fixed in the sealed portion of the envelope and a second end portion coupled to another end of the filament.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Hideto Mochizuki, Makoto Bessho, Tetsuya Sugano
  • Patent number: 5659222
    Abstract: A subminiature incandescent lamp has a substantially cylindrical base to which a glass envelope enclosing the interior of the lamp is sealed. A pair of contact wires or pins are made of a metal alloy that has substantially the same thermal expansion coefficient as the glass base. The contact pins are embedded and sealed to the glass base in a gas-tight manner, with a glass-to-metal seal. The contact pins extend below the base to provide external connections of the lamp to a power source. The pins also extend into the interior of the lamp, and provide electrical contact to a filament which is mounted between them. A filament support wire is anchored in the glass base at one end thereof and has a loop at its other end in which the mid-section of the filament rests and is mechanically supported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Illumination Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles R. Ragsdale, John B. Hartley
  • Patent number: 5659221
    Abstract: Lamp assemblies, typically utilized in vehicle headlamps, include an arc discharge lamp, a base assembly and a mounting flange. The discharge lamp and the base assembly are movable relative to the mounting flange during focusing and are secured in a fixed position relative to the mounting flange following focusing of the discharge lamp. In a first embodiment, the base assembly includes a base, a wedge for holding the discharge lamp and an igniter attached to the base. An RF ring is located in a channel between the base and the mounting flange. The RF ring is fused to the base and to the mounting flange following focusing. In a second embodiment, the mounting flange and the base have mating spherical surfaces which permit a light-emitting portion of the discharge lamp to be moved laterally with respect to the mounting flange axis during focusing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles M. Coushaine, John L. Tremblay, Peter H. Corsini
  • Patent number: 5644676
    Abstract: An electrically modulatable radiant source includes an essentially planar substrate, a well or hole formed in the substrate, and at least one incandescent filament attached to the substrate. The incandescent filament is aligned with the well or hole and is formed of a metallic compound which readily oxidizes at an operating temperature of the incandescent filament. An oxidation resistant film encapsulates the incandescent filament to prevent the filament from oxidizing. Furthermore, contact pads are formed on the substrate at both ends of the incandescent filament for feeding electric current to the incandescent filament.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 1, 1997
    Assignees: Instrumentarium Oy, Vaisala Oy
    Inventors: Martti Blomberg, Markku Orpana, Ari Lehto, Hannu Kattelus
  • Patent number: 5606337
    Abstract: A vehicle turn signal and/or hazard light display is created by utilizing a pair of lamps mounted upon in or on the dash top cowl of a vehicle. The bulbs of each lamp include a filament having a V-shaped portion which, upon electrical energization of the filament, becomes incandescent and a like V-shaped light display is projected from the lamps toward and impinges upon the vehicle windshield and is thereat visible to the driver. The V-shaped portions of the lamp filaments are oriented to point "left" and "right," and thus when appropriately connected to the turn signal circuit, will display "left" and "right" signals upon the windshield, or both "left" and "right" signals simultaneously which is the universal "hazard" signal. Since vehicle windshields are multi-ply, the leftward and rightward pointing "V-shaped" displays are visible in pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Inventor: Mancelle R. Lloyd
  • Patent number: 5576598
    Abstract: A lamp has a light transmissive glass envelope which includes a light source chamber. At least one glass extension is affixed to the light source chamber and has a sealing area surrounding a portion of it. A patterned metal foil is affixed to and surrounds the sealing area and a glass shroud surrounds at least the light source chamber and has an end sealed to the metal foil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Zaslavsky, Joseph V. Lima
  • Patent number: 5574334
    Abstract: A conductive sleeve is located around each of the filament supports of an incandescent lamp enclosed in a glass bulb. The sleeve is spaced from the support by an insulating spacer. The sleeve is connected to a ground so that if the bulb breaks liquid flowing into the bulb creates a conducting path between the filament supports and the ground. The sleeve has a generally hollow, cylindrical shape spaced and is positioned around the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1996
    Assignee: Essef Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald B. Robol
  • Patent number: 5565734
    Abstract: The electric incandescent lamp has a filament (2) centrically supported in a tubular envelope (1) by constrictions (6) in the envelope at areas where a refractory metal member (7) short-circuits turns (3') of the filament. The refractory metal member (7) is a sleeve around the filament (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Gervais Pinot
  • Patent number: 5523650
    Abstract: The electric incandescent lamp has a quartz glass lamp vessel (1) or envelope (4') around the lamp vessel, which has a red coloured dope in the area at the side of the incandescent body (3). The quartz glass with red dope contains samarium.sup.II oxide, aluminium oxide and silicon dioxide, the analysis of the glass in its oxidised form being Sm.sub.2 O.sub.3 to 1 to 3% by weight, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 up to 3% by weight, rest SiO.sub.2, the molar ratio Al/Sm being at least 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 4, 1996
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Joannes Terheijden, Peter E. M. Van Den Eijn-Den
  • Patent number: 5508587
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp includes a base, a first stiff lead-in wire and a second stiff lead-in wire, a connector, a filament and a non-opaque tubular envelope. The base is formed out of a non-conductive material. The first and second stiff lead-in wires, respectively, extend from the base. The connector is electrically coupled to the first and second stiff lead-in wires and mechanically coupled to the base. The filament has a first end and a second end which are electrically coupled to the first and second lead-in wires, respectively. The filament is formed out of a conductive wire in the shape which provides a radiation area which is similar to the illumination area of the bundle of optical fibers so that the radiation fills the illumination area within the geometric boundaries imposed. The non-opaque tubular envelope has an open end and a closed end and is mechanically coupled to the base at the open end. The base press-seals the non-opaque tubular envelope to form an enclosed chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Inventors: Ronald R. Williams, Jay E. Philippbar
  • Patent number: 5500569
    Abstract: A radiant source including an essentially planar substrate having a well or hole formed therein. At least one incandescent filament is mounted to the substrate and aligned at the well or hole. Contact pads are formed onto the substrate, to both ends of the incandescent filament, and feed electric current to the incandescent filament. Furthermore, each incandescent filament is doped with phosphorus to an impurity concentration of at least 5.times.10.sup.19 atoms/cm.sup.3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignees: Instrumentarium Oy, Vaisala Oy
    Inventors: Martti Blomberg, Markku Orpana, Ari Lehto, Anssi Korhonen
  • Patent number: 5493177
    Abstract: A surface and/or bulk micromachined hermetically sealed cavity containing at least one suspended structure in a low pressure ambient, and the associated fabrication method. The cavity is bounded by a thin-film membrane and a substrate which may have a recess. The method can be used for the production, for example, of thermionic-emission vacuum tubes, gas filled tubes and electromechanical devices. In vacuum tubes the cathode is a suspended refractory filament. Other electrodes may also be suspended. In electromechanical devices the suspended members may be cantilever beams capable of low friction motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1996
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Richard S. Muller, Carlos H. Mastrangelo, Kirt R. Williams
  • Patent number: 5453655
    Abstract: To securely and reliably hold a high-voltage, for example service-line voge (110 V, 220 V) halogen incandescent lamp within an outer envelope (2), and forming an electrical connection terminal to a screw-in, or straight-wall tubular base sleeve (3a, 43a) of a standard base, for example of the E14 or of the B22d type, a punched sheet-metal element (5, 5', 5", 25, 48, 48') is clamped around a projecting end portion (1a, 20a, 41a, 41a') of the halogen incandescent lamp; the projecting end portion, preferably, is a pinch seal, and the punched sheet-metal element is formed with a lower part and an upper part, in which the upper part clamps around or against the pinch seal. The lower part is partly located within the base sleeve and mechanically, and preferably electrically secured thereto. The pinch seal, preferably, is formed with a transversely extending rib, and the clamping portion is formed with a matching locating notch to ensure axial retention of the halogen lamp in the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1995
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft F. Elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
    Inventors: Peter Helbig, Ralf Hoffmann, Roland Stark
  • Patent number: 5384510
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp having a plurality of filaments which can effectively negate disadvantages of unpredictable operation and complete darkness after failure when operated similar to a conventional single filament lamp. In a preferred embodiment of the invention two filaments enclosed within an a suitable envelope are electrically connected to incandesce simultaneously. The embodiment having two filaments enclosed within an envelope of the lamp has three states: one, both filaments energize simultaneously and the lamp radiates maximum visible energy; two, first filament fails but the second filament remains energized and the lamp radiates relatively less visible energy; and three, second filament fails and the lamp is completely dark. In state one, the lamp operates similar to a conventional single filament lamp. In state two, the lamp is radiating less visible energy indicating to the user the need to be replaced before occurrence of state three, complete failure of the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Inventor: Bruce H. Arnold
  • Patent number: 5382874
    Abstract: A surface mountable miniature incandescent lamp assembly has an elongated substantially cylindrical glass envelope wherein a filament is contained in contact with metal members having glass-to-metal seals with the glass envelope. A substantial portion of the outer surface of the glass envelope is coated with a light reflective metal coating, with a non-coated elongated window transparent to light being left on the surface. The metal members extend axially to the outside from the envelope and, when mounted to a circuit board provide electric contact for the lamp. At least one of the end members includes a unique surface feature, such as a flat portion of an otherwise cylindrical surface, which is directionally coupled relative to the window of the glass envelope and which acts as a key or indexing surface for mounting the lamp assembly to the receiving surface (circuit board) with the window disposed in the desired direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Illumination Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Ralph E. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5374872
    Abstract: This lamp comprises (1) an envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space where light is generated and (ii) conductive lead structure projecting into said internal space. Surrounding and sealed to said lead structure is a body of vitreous material formed of particles of vitreous material pressed together and sintered. This body extends through an opening in the envelope that communicates with said internal space. A hermetic seal is provided between said envelope and said body in the interface region between said envelope and said body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1992
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Edward J. Balaschak, Curtis E. Scott, George E. Sakoske
  • Patent number: 5367220
    Abstract: To permit ready insertion of a holding frame for a filament into an essentially tubular bulb, particularly a halogen incandescent lamp bulb made of quartz glass or hard glass, the frame has two legs extending along the wall of the bulb, connected by a holding portion to hold the filament at the end remote from the current supply leads to the filament, one of the legs of the frame is shorter than the other, for example only about one-third the length of the bulb. The longer leg of the frame can be pinch-sealed in a pinch seal closing off the bulb. The holding portion, which is intermediate the two legs, is preferably U-shaped to form a hook into which the filament can be hooked; or, particularly if the legs of the U are close together, about which the filament can be wound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fur Elektrische Gluhiampen mbH
    Inventors: Karl Stadler, Roland Stark, Ruediger Klam
  • Patent number: 5313135
    Abstract: A headlamp capsule having lamp capsule, base, web and connectors, is disclosed. The web comprises an inner support, an outer support, and a plurality of cross linkages that may be adjusted. The lamp capsule is held by the base, and the base is in turn held by the adjustable web. Adjusting the web after the lamp capsule has be positioned in the base, allows for corrective repositioning of the light source. The small number of parts, and the simplicity of each part makes the total structure very inexpensive, and still yields an accurately adjustable headlamp capsule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventor: William S. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 5285131
    Abstract: A microlamp including a polysilicon filament coated with a protective layer and enclosed by a window in a vacuum-sealed cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 8, 1994
    Assignee: University of California - Berkeley
    Inventors: Richard S. Muller, Carlos H. Mastrangelo
  • Patent number: 5270609
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp having a filament with an integral support portion between its ends which bears against the lamp envelope for supporting the filament therein. The integral support portion includes a length of electrically conductive support wire enclosed within the filament, the filament being continuously coiled over the entire length of said support wire. Accordingly to a favorable embodiment, the support wire is a retained length of winding mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1993
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventors: Jerry W. Smith, Larry R. Fields
  • Patent number: 5235499
    Abstract: A lamp assembly particularly for a luminaire comprising a lamp having a light emitting member of generally torroidal shape and a reflector positioned and shaped to reflect light received from the light emitting member through the central opening. The light emitting member is preferably a filament of an incandescent lamp. The reflector has a cross-section comprising first and second arcs which are substantially symmetrical with respect to a line joining the center of the reflector and a point substantially at the centre of the torroidal member and the shape of the reflector is that described by rotating said arcs about said line. The arcs may be elliptical or circular for example with their foci or centers positioned to achieve the required effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1993
    Assignee: Strand Lighting Limited
    Inventor: David R. Bertenshaw
  • Patent number: 5207503
    Abstract: A festoon style lamp containing xenon gas. The xenon lamp (22) has cylindrical, conical tipped end caps (36a) and (36b), a tungsten filament (34), and a cylindrical bulb (32). The end caps (36a) and (36b) are made of conductive material such as aluminum or nickel-plated brass, and are designed to adapt the lamp to fit into spade shaped contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: Lucifer Lighting Company
    Inventor: Donald D. McLaughlin
  • Patent number: 5168193
    Abstract: A coating of boron nitride disposed on a lamp arc tube or filament tube provides an integral reflector for reflecting light and heat emitted by the light source. One particularly useful application is linear, quartz incandescent heat lamps having a boron nitride coating disposed along one side of the filament chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1992
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Leonard E. Hoegler
  • Patent number: 5143447
    Abstract: A lamp assembly particularly for a luminaire comprising a lamp having a light emitting member of generally torroidal shape and a reflector positioned and shaped to reflect light received from the light emitting member through the central opening. The light emitting member is preferably a filament of an incandescent lamp. The reflector has a cross-section comprising first and second arcs which are substantially symmetrical with respect to a line joining the center of the reflector and a point substantially at the center of the torroidal member and the shape of the reflector is that described by rotating the arcs about the line. The arcs may be elliptical or circular for example with their foci or centers positioned to achieve the required effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Inventor: David R. Bertenshaw
  • Patent number: 5118985
    Abstract: An incandescent lamp is provided with a phosphor coating on its lamp envelope. The phosphor coating alters the spectral distribution of radiation emitted by the lamp and acts as a diffuser. In one embodiment, the phosphor coating absorbs radiation at wavelengths below 500 nanometers and emits radiation at wavelengths above 500 nanometers to provide an improved bugfoiler lamp. In another embodiment, the phosphor coating absorbs radiation in the ultraviolet, violet and blue wavelength range and emits radiation at longer wavelengths that more effectively stimulate the human eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1992
    Assignee: GTE Products Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Patton, Kailash C. Mishra, Ernest A. Dale, Costas Lagos
  • Patent number: 5109180
    Abstract: A shatter-resistant electric lamp includes a base; contacts for connecting the lamp to a source of electrical energy; a filament or light source electrically connected to the contacts for converting electrical energy to light; a shatterable encasement, connectable to the base, for translucently encasing the filament; and a polymer coating deposited on a first portion of the encasement so that a second portion of the encasement remains uncoated. The preferred polymer coating is poly(phenylene sulfide).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1992
    Assignee: Phillips Petroleum Company
    Inventors: Harold D. Boultinghouse, Kenneth P. Taylor
  • Patent number: 5105118
    Abstract: A ring-shaped glass bulb includes a ring-shaped light permeable hollow body having opposite ends each disposed at a prescribed distance from one to the other, and a filament arranged in the hollow body of the bulb. The outer-most edge portion of the outer ring edge of one of the ends of the bulb is disposed at at least the intersecting point between an outer circumferential line extending from the outer-most edge portion of the outer ring edge of the other end of the bulb and a tangent line extending from the inner-most edge portion of the inner ring edge of the other end of the bulb. A desirable prescribed distance between the opposite ends of the bulb is equal to or greater than 30 mm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 14, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hidehiro Shinada, Nobuyoshi Hatae, Takashi Tanabe
  • Patent number: 5101138
    Abstract: A halogen-filled incandescent lamp includes a curved tube enclosure made of a translucent material and enclosing a gas filling and an incandescent body made of a tungsten wire helix of circular wire cross-section. The incandescent body is arranged within the enclosure. Two inside current conductors connect the incandescent body with an energizing device. Each inside current conductor has first and second spiral members and an elongated part forming together a series assembly. The series assembly is connected via the second spiral member with the incandescent body and via the first spiral member with the energizing device. The series assembly is at least partly made of a wire having a cross-sectional area exceeding that of the tungsten wire forming the incandescent body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1992
    Assignee: Tungsram Reszvenytarsasag
    Inventors: Zoltan Losonczi, Emil Czako, Gyorgy Szabo, Gyorgy Orsanyi
  • Patent number: 5093601
    Abstract: In a double bulb type halogen lamp, a sealed space between the inner surface of an outer bulb and the outer surface of the inner bulb in which a coiled filament is disposed is filled with a weak oxidation gas to avoid deoxidation of the optical interference film composed of metal oxide substances exposed to the sealed space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Tsutomu Watanabe, Takumi Suwa
  • Patent number: 5072147
    Abstract: Improved tungsten coil filaments having good sag resistance and useful in double ended, high intensity and energy efficient tungsten halogen lamps having an IR reflecting filter on the filament chamber. These coil filaments have a microstructure which is a large, elongated and interlocking grain structure produced by a high temperature heat treatment process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John W. Pugh, Donald L. Bly
  • Patent number: 4965485
    Abstract: A halogen lamp having a translucent glass envelope containing a halogen-containing gas sealed therein and including an outer surface and a connection end. The lamp further has a tungsten filament sealed within the envelope for generating light containing visible light and infrared rays, lead-in conductors for connecting the lamp to a source of electricity, molybdenum foils embedded within the connection end of the envelope for electrically connecting the filament to the lead-in conductors and an optical film coated on at least a portion of the envelope for reflecting the infrared rays and transmitting the visible light, the reflected infrared rays generating heat within the envelope which is transmitted by conduction through the envelope, the envelope also including a roughened area free from the optical film on the outer surface between the optical film and the connection end for interrupting the transmission of the heat through the envelope to the molybdenum foils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 23, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuo Tarumi, Tsutomu Watanabe