With Particular Gas Or Vapor Patents (Class 313/637)
  • Patent number: 7161303
    Abstract: An improved plasma lighting system is provided which includes a bulb filled with both metal halide and mercury as primary light-emitting materials. By maintaining an operating pressure of the metal halide at between approximately 0.1 and 10 atm, and an operating pressure of the mercury at between approximately 30 and 150 atm, a point source of light characteristic and a spectrum characteristic of the emitted light is improved. Therefore, the plasma lighting system can be applied to an optical system that requires a point source of light, and can maximize lighting efficiency to provide improved overall emission characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Byeong-Ju Park, Joon-Sik Choi, Yong-Seog Jeon, Hyun-Jung Kim, Ji-Young Lee, Yun-Chul Jung
  • Patent number: 7138766
    Abstract: A metal halide lamp in which an arc tube is housed within a bulb having a base at one end thereof. The arc tube includes a main tube, two thin tubes that extend one from each end of the main tube, and a pair of electrode inductors. The main tube and the thin tubes are made from translucent polycrystalline alumina and constitute a discharge vessel having a discharge space therein. Lamp power under dimming conditions is set in a range defined by maximum lamp power Wmax [W] and minimum lamp power Wmin [W], with a surface area S [cm2] of the inner surface of the discharge vessel satisfying Wmax/60?S?Wmin/20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Takeuchi, Takashi Maniwa, Yoshiharu Nishiura
  • Patent number: 7138765
    Abstract: An arc discharge metal halide lamp having a discharge chamber having visible light permeable walls bounding a discharge region supported electrodes in a discharge region spaced apart by a distance Le with an average interior diameter equal to D so they have a selected ratio. Ionizable materials are provided in this chamber involving a noble gas, one or more halides, and mercury in an amount sufficiently small so as to result in a relatively low maximum voltage drop between the electrodes during lamp operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Anami, Nanu Brates, Stefaan M. Lambrechts, Huiling Zhu, Jakob Maya
  • Patent number: 7132799
    Abstract: A diffuser is formed on an inner surface of a globe included in a compact self-ballasted fluorescent lamp, and a diffuse transmittance of the diffuser ? is set at 95%. When designing dimensions of the compact self-ballasted fluorescent lamp, at the same time, a ratio Dg/Pg is set at 0.8 or greater. Here, Pg is a helical pitch of an arc tube having a helical configuration, and Dg is a half of a difference between a helix diameter of the arc tube and a maximum outside diameter of the globe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Yabuki, Noriyuki Uchida, Shiro Iida, Kenji Nakano
  • Patent number: 7126281
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mercury-free high-pressure discharge lamp for use in a vehicle headlight. The ionizable filling of the high-pressure discharge lamp according to the invention comprises exclusively xenon and the halides of the metals sodium, scandium, indium and zinc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2006
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrishe Glūhlampen mbH
    Inventors: Dirk Grundmann, Conrad Schimke
  • Patent number: 7116049
    Abstract: In a discharge tube of the present invention, a filler gas is composed of a mixture of inert gas and hydrogen gas and an airtight cylinder 10 in which the filler gas is enclosed in an airtight manner is provided. A pair of first and second discharge electrodes 22 and 24 are opposed to each other within an internal space of the airtight cylinder, so that an electric discharge is generated between discharging surfaces of the first and second discharge electrodes. In the discharge tube, a concentration of the hydrogen gas in the filler gas is set in a range from 20 percent by volume to 80 percent by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Machida
  • Patent number: 7116050
    Abstract: A metal halide lamp comprises a discharge container including a discharge space and a pair of sealing sections. A discharge medium containing a metal halide and a rare gas and essentially free from mercury is sealed in the discharge container. A pair of electrodes are arranged to face each other within the discharge space, and the side edge portions on the side of the proximal end portion of these electrodes are held by the sealing sections. The amount of water contained in the metal halide, i.e., the light-emitting material, included in the metal halide lamp essentially free from mercury, i.e., Hg-less metal halide lamp, is controlled to 50 ppm or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignees: Harison Toshiba Lighting Corp., Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Tamura, Seiko Kawashima, Takuya Honma, Hiromichi Kawashima, Hiroyuki Kato, Makoto Deguchi
  • Patent number: 7102291
    Abstract: A fluorescent lamp post-production heating structure allows for even dispersion of mercury and other lamp compounds throughout the entire length of assembled fluorescent lamps by allowing uniform and thorough heating of each lamp's sealed chamber containing these materials to a temperature high enough to vaporize the mercury therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company
    Inventors: Yohei Yamamuro, Thomas Louchard, Thomas J. Roetker
  • Patent number: 7098597
    Abstract: A xenon lamp in which fluctuation of the arc can be suppressed and the time until formation of the flicker phenomenon delayed by having an anode with a flattened or rounded anode tip, a rounded or flattened back end; a portion with a diameter that gradually increases from the anode tip toward the back end of the anode; a portion with a decreasing diameter located behind the portion with the increasing diameter of an axial length which is greater than the length in the axial direction of the portion with an increasing diameter; and a portion with a maximum outside diameter formed in a transition area between the portion with the increasing diameter and the portion with a decreasing diameter, and that the transition area between the portion with the increasing diameter and the portion with the decreasing diameter is formed to be continuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Norihiro Inaoka, Katsuoki Miyasu, Kyosuke Fujina
  • Patent number: 7061182
    Abstract: A metal halide lamp has an arc tube including an arc tube container made of an oxide-based translucent ceramic material. The arc tube is filled with cerium halide as a luminescent material and a halide of a rare earth element that is more reactive with the ceramic material than is the cerium halide. Accordingly, a reaction between the oxide-based translucent ceramic material and the halide of a rare earth element is accelerated while a reaction between the oxide-based translucent ceramic material and the cerium halide is suppressed. This suppresses a decrease of the cerium halide that serves for light emission, and also reduces changes in the lamp color temperature. Thereby, during aging of the lamp, the flux maintenance factor and color temperature are improved. Therefore, the indoor-outdoor metal halide lamp provides a white light source color that has high-wattage, high luminous efficiency, and a long service life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masanori Higashi, Yoshiharu Nishiura, Shigefumi Oda, Hiroshi Enami, Shunsuke Kakisaka
  • Patent number: 7057346
    Abstract: An ultra-high pressure mercury lamp is provided in which the disadvantage caused by projections formed on the electrode tips during operation can be eliminated. This is achieved by an arrangement in which a silica glass arc tube, filled with at least 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury, rare gas and halogen in the range from 10?6 ?mole/mm3 to 10?2 ?mole/mm3, includes a pair of opposed electrodes spaced a distance of at most 2 mm. Additionally, at least one of the electrodes includes a part with a greater diameter which is formed on the electrode shaft using a melting process, a projection which is formed by the tip of the electrode shaft, and a part with a decreasing diameter which extends from the part with the greater diameter in the direction toward the projection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Tukamoto, Yoshihiro Horikawa
  • Patent number: 7057350
    Abstract: An arc discharge metal halide lamp having a discharge chamber having visible light permeable walls bounding a discharge region supported electrodes in a discharge region spaced apart by a distance Le with an average interior diameter equal to D so they have a selected ratio with D exceeding a minimum value. Ionizable materials are provided in this chamber involving a noble gas, one or more halides, and mercury in an amount sufficiently small so as to result in a relatively low maximum voltage drop between the electrodes during lamp operation for a lamp dissipation sufficient to have the chamber wall loading exceed a minimum value or so as to maintain chamber luminosity above a minimum value for a selected operational duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd., Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Stefaan M. Lambrechts, Nobuyoshi Takeuchi, Jakob Maya
  • Patent number: 7057349
    Abstract: A metal halide discharge lamp which essentially permits disusing mercury is provided. The metal halide discharge lamp comprises a refractory and transparent hermetic vessel, a pair of electrodes fixed to the hermetic vessel, and a discharge medium sealed in the hermetic vessel and containing a first halide, a second halide, and a rare gas. The first halide is a halide of a metal which achieves a desired light emission. The second halide has a relatively high vapor pressure, being at least one halide of metal which is unlikely to emit a visible light compared with the metal of the first halide and acts as a buffer gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Harison Toshiba Lighting Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ishigami, Kiyoshi Saita, Mikio Matsuda, Toshio Hiruta
  • Patent number: 7038364
    Abstract: This invention provides a processing device allowing a plurality of types of processing including electron beam processing to be carried out on a substance disposed in a processing chamber, and processing methods that use such a processing device and allow prescribed processing to be carried out in an advantageous way, the processing device has a processing chamber provided with a support member, an electron beam source provided in the processing chamber and emits an electron beam toward the substance supported by the support member, and an emission gas supply system provided in the processing chamber and supplies an emission gas that emits UV light upon being subjected to an electron beam, moreover, a low pressure system that reduces the pressure in the processing chamber and a process gas supply system that supplies a process gas are preferably provided in the processing chamber, and in the processing methods, such a processing device is used, and by adjusting the pressure in the processing chamber, electro
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisya
    Inventors: Masonori Yamaguchi, Masaki Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 7012374
    Abstract: A high-pressure mercury lamp is provided that includes a transparent envelope made of quartz glass, in which mercury, halogen, and a rare gas are sealed and a pair of electrodes provided in the transparent envelope. The amount of the halogen sealed in the transparent envelope is in the range from 1.0×10?6 ?mol/mm3 to 1.0×10?2 ?mol/mm3, and 2.5 mol % to 25 mol % of oxygen with respect to the amount of the halogen is present in the transparent envelope. The high-pressure mercury lamp can prevent blackening of an inner wall of the transparent envelope from occurring over a long period of lighting without deteriorating the startability or lamp characteristics, thus achieving a long life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Kurimoto, Yoshiki Kitahara
  • Patent number: 7012375
    Abstract: A thallium-free metal halide fill for ceramic metal halide lamps is provided wherein the fill comprises mercury, sodium iodide, an alkaline earth iodide selected from calcium iodide, strontium iodide, barium iodide, or combinations thereof, and a rare-earth iodide selected from cerium iodide, dysprosium iodide, holmium iodide, thulium iodide, or combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the fill allows dimming of discharge lamps containing same to about 60% of rated power without substantially affecting the color of the emitted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventor: Lori R. Brock
  • Patent number: 7002299
    Abstract: A discharge lamp which maintains a high lumen maintenance factor even when operated for a long time is obtained in a discharge lamp which has a silica glass discharge vessel and a pair of opposed electrodes in the discharge vessel and in which the discharge vessel is filled with at least 0.15 mg/mm3 mercury, a rare gas with argon as the main component, and 2×10?4 ?mole/mm3 to 7×10?3 ?mole/mm3 bromine by meeting the following conditions when feeding a direct current of 5 mA between the electrodes and a glow discharge produced: 1.0×10?4?b/a?1.2×10?1??Condition (1) c/a?1.4×10?1??Condition (2) d/a?1.2×10?2??Condition (3) e/a?1.4×10?2??Condition (4) where a is the emission intensity of the argon with a wavelength of 668 nm, b is the emission intensity of OH with a wavelength of 309 nm, c is the emission intensity of hydrogen (H) with a wavelength of 656 nm, d is the emission intensity of C2 with a wavelength of 517 nm, and e is the emission intensity of CH with a wavelength of 431 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masataka Kawaguchi, Motoko Uramoto, Dan Masashi, Yoshihiro Horikawa
  • Patent number: 6972521
    Abstract: A low-pressure gas discharge lamp provided with a gas discharge vessel containing a mercury-free gas filling with an indium compound in an amount of about 1 to 10 microgram per cubic centimeter and a partial pressure in the range from 1.0 to 30 micro bar, and a buffer gas for emitting radiation in a continuous spectrum in the visible and near UVA regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, which low-pressure gas discharge lamp is also provided with electrodes and a ballast for controlling the ignition and operation of the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Robert Peter Scholl, Rainer Hilbig, Achim Koerber, Johannes Baier
  • Patent number: 6967444
    Abstract: Superior color stability in a miniature HID lamp can be achieved by reducing the size of the lamp, reducing the mercury concentration, reducing the salt concentration and increasing the heat to the lamp seal. In general the result concentrates the salts in the central, lower section of the lamp envelope and displaces them from the hot spot and electrode roots were deleterious chemical reactions can occur that are believed to subsequently reduce lamp performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Susan L. Callahan, Walter P. Lapatovich
  • Patent number: 6956328
    Abstract: A tungsten halogen lamp (10) includes a light transmissive envelope (12), which encloses a tungsten filament (14) and a gaseous fill comprising an inert gas and a halogen-containing gas, such as an alkyl halide. In addition the fill includes a silicon-containing compound capable of gettering oxygen within the envelope. The atomic ratio of silicon to halogen in the envelope is selected so as to remove most, but not all of the oxygen present in the envelope A silicon:halogen ratio of less than about 0.5 more preferably, below about 0.4 has been found to be effective in this respect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Yu, Shailesh R. Sheth, Gino Savarino, Bart P. Terburg
  • Patent number: 6946796
    Abstract: A light source device includes at least one discharge tube, a discharge medium sealed inside the discharge tube, and first and second electrodes for exciting the discharge medium. The first electrode is arranged inside or outside the discharge tube, and the second electrode has a plurality of contact portions at which the second electrode is in contact with an outer surface of the discharge tube. The contact portions are located at different distances from the first electrode and are provided discontinuously. Thus, it is possible to provide a light source device with an improved light emission efficiency, and a liquid crystal display device in which the light source device is employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norikazu Yamamoto, Teruaki Shigeta, Nobuhiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6946797
    Abstract: A metal halide fill for forming an ionizable fill comprising at least one inert gas, mercury, and at least one halogen, the fill additionally comprising the following constituents: Mn halide and V halide. This fill may in particular be present in the discharge vessel of a metal halide lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH
    Inventor: Hans Eisemann
  • Patent number: 6940217
    Abstract: To devise an arrangement with relatively high pressure tightness, in a short-arc super-high pressure mercury lamp which is operated with an extremely high mercury vapor pressure, a light emitting part has a pair of opposed electrodes and is filled with at least 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury; and side tube parts extend from opposite sides of the light emitting part, and in which the electrodes are partially hermetically sealed and are each welded to a respective metal foil, in the areas in which the electrodes are welded to the metal foils, the electrodes are deformed in the direction perpendicular to the metal foils to a degree of deformation that is at most 10%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masanobu Komiya, Yoshitaka Kanzaki, Toyohiko Kumada
  • Patent number: 6924599
    Abstract: In order to improve the starting of a dielectric barrier discharge lamp it is proposed to provide elements for igniting an auxiliary discharge inside the exhaust tube (5) of the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: Patent-Treuhaud-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Döll, Wolfgang Kumpf, Joseph-A. Olsen
  • Patent number: 6924598
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing a visual lightning effect includes a first chamber and a second chamber, where a passageway connects the first chamber and the second chamber. An inert gas is provided within the first chamber, the second chamber, and the passageway. A first contact is located external to the first chamber; and a second contact is located external to the second chamber, wherein an electrode provides a charge to the second contact, wherein the charge causes an electrical discharge between the second contact and the first contact via channels provided by fill material located within the second chamber that traverses the passageway to the first chamber, thereby resulting in the brilliant visual lightning effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Inventor: Wayne Strattman
  • Patent number: 6919688
    Abstract: A luminous discharge display device having two distinct, independent discharge chambers, stacked vertically; of substantially flat circular shape containing inert gas mixtures, and a central electrode coupled to a power supply which provides ionizing means for the gas. The device utilizes two grooves formed into defining members of the discharge chambers to increase the capacitance along their length due to the inverse relationship between dielectric width and capacitance. Two electrode assemblies are biased out of phase with respect to the main electrode further increasing the capacitance and converging the luminous discharge at that specific point and are fitted into the circular grooves. A clock mechanism moves the electrode assemblies along their respective grooves thus creating a controlled motion of the luminous glowing plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Inventor: Silviu Turcan
  • Patent number: 6891334
    Abstract: A light source device includes a substrate, a plurality of discharge tubes arranged on one principal surface of the substrate, a driving circuit mounted on the other principal surface of the substrate that is opposite to the foregoing principal surface, a discharge medium sealed in the discharge tubes, and first and second electrodes for exciting the discharge medium. The foregoing discharge medium does not contain mercury. Thus, the light source device can be formed smaller in size and thinner in thickness, and a liquid crystal display device employing the same can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norikazu Yamamoto, Teruaki Shigeta, Nobuhiro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 6888311
    Abstract: An ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp which is small and has high light radiation intensity and moreover good color reproduction with high efficiency in which, even with a large amount of mercury added, a failure of the mercury to vaporize in the bulb part does not occur, and in which blackening of the bulb part due to wearing of the electrodes even under a large electrode load as a result of shortening of the distance between the electrodes is low is obtained by an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp in which a bulb part of the discharge vessel made of translucent material has an essentially ovoid shape, is filled with at least 0.2 mg/mm3 of mercury and which is operated at an input wattage of at most 400 W using direct current, has the length D of the tip area of the anode and the length L of the bulb part in the direction of the tube axis of the lamp set in accordance with the relationship D?L/2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuji Hirao
  • Patent number: 6888312
    Abstract: An arc lamp assembly which includes in combination a reflector and a light source which is surrounded by said reflector. A dichroic coating on the reflector functions to reflect radiation in the range of about 300 to 600 nm. The light source is an arc lamp which contains a metal halide fill component which includes a mixture of scandium iodide, or other suitable lanthanide, indium iodide and cesium iodide, whereby the lamp assembly emits effective amounts of UV radiation to cure selected chemical compositions. The fill mixture, which contains no sodium component, contributes to improved lamp life and a reduction in passive lamp failure over halide fill mixtures which contain sodium iodide as a fill component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Welch Allyn, Inc.
    Inventor: Dale E. Brabham
  • Patent number: 6879101
    Abstract: To provide, in a special situation of a mercury-free lamp in which a luminance flicker tends to occur unlike a mercury-containing lamp, a metal halide lamp having an electrode structure modified so as to suppress the luminous flicker that is suitably used as an automotive headlamp, and an automotive headlamp apparatus incorporating the same. A metal halide lamp includes: a hermetic vessel 1 which is fire resistant and translucent; a pair of electrodes 3, 3 sealed in the hermetic vessel 1 with facing each other at a distant of 5 mm or less, the electrodes each having a shaft part 3a having a diameter of 0.25 mm or more and a tip 3b, which originates an arc, having a curved surface having a radius of one-half or less of the diameter of the shaft part; and a discharge medium essentially containing no mercury, sealed in the hermetic vessel 1, and containing halides of metals including a light-emitting metal in an amount of 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2005
    Assignee: Harison Toshiba Lighting Corp.
    Inventors: Makoto Deguchi, Hiromichi Kawashima, Kozo Uemura, Sakae Katayama, Yoshiyuki Watanuki, Hiroyuki Kato, Toshihiko Ishigami, Mikio Matsuda, Toshio Hiruta
  • Patent number: 6873119
    Abstract: A non-rotating electrodeless high-intensity discharge lamp system using circularly polarized microwaves. The lamp system has a first rectangular waveguide to propagate linearly polarized microwaves generated from a microwave source; an input circular waveguide linearly connected to the first rectangular waveguide; a second rectangular waveguide closed at an end thereof, and perpendicularly connected to a circumferential surface of the input circular waveguide; an elliptical waveguide linearly connected to the input circular waveguide such that the major axis of the elliptical waveguide is rotated to a predetermined angle relative to a horizontal surface of the input rectangular waveguide; a second circular waveguide linearly connected to the elliptical waveguide; and a discharge lamp housed in a mesh cover, and supported by the second circular waveguide while being held on a reflecting mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Taewon Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Joong Kim, Jeong-Won Kim, Kyoung-Sub Oh
  • Patent number: 6873109
    Abstract: Disclosed is a metal halide discharge lamp which essentially permits disusing mercury. The metal halide discharge lamp comprises a refractory and transparent hermetic vessel, a pair of electrodes fixed to the hermetic vessel, and a discharge medium sealed in the hermetic vessel and containing a first halide, a second halide and a rare gas, the first halide being a halide of a metal which achieves a desired light emission, the second halide having a relatively high vapor pressure, being at least one halide of a metal which is unlikely to emit a visible light compared with the metal of the first halide, and acting as a buffer gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Harison Toshiba Lighting Corporation
    Inventors: Toshihiko Ishigami, Kiyoshi Saita, Mikio Matsuda, Toshio Hiruta
  • Patent number: 6873097
    Abstract: Inert gas provided at a suitable level inside a hermetically sealed cathode-ray tube display, typically of the flat-panel type, enables the display's electron-emitting device (20) to be automatically cleaned during display operation subsequent to final display sealing. Upon being struck by electrons emitted by the electron-emitting device, atoms (68) of the inert gas ionize to produce positively charged ions (124) which travel backward to the electron-emitting device and dislodge overlying contaminant material (130 and 132). A getter (26) collects dislodged contaminant. A reservoir (28) provides inert gas to replace inert gas lost during the cleaning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignees: Candescent Technologies Corporation, Candescent Intellectual Property Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Shiyou Pei, Colin D. Stanners, Frederick K. Byers
  • Patent number: 6861807
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-pressure gas discharge lamp, particularly a motorcar lamp, comprising a bulb including at least two neck portions and a vacuum-tight discharge vessel of quartz glass, at least two electrodes projecting into the discharge vessel, and a filling in the discharge vessel which, in the operating state, is in a discharge state. Such lamps are used, in particular, in headlights of motorcars. In order to ensure that the arc of the high-pressure gas discharge lamp generates a higher luminescence in a small area, and the lamp can be used as a light source in motorcar headlights, the discharge vessel of the high-pressure gas discharge lamp in accordance with the invention encloses a discharge space having a width B below 4 mm and a length C below 8 mm, and the filling comprises NaI, ScI3, Xe, ZnI3 and is free of Hg. Surprisingly it has been found that the use ZnI2 in the filling causes the arc to generate a higher luminescence in the area of the arc axis per dimension of the arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Matthias Born, Rüdiger Jost
  • Patent number: 6858987
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a flash lamp unit with a long service life which allows a high radiant efficiency to be obtained and a flash radiation device demonstrating excellent flash radiant performance despite a small size, and the flash lamp unit comprises a flash lamp having mercury sealed in a discharge container, wherein preheating means is provided for preheating the flash lamp, the quantity of contained mercury in the flash lamp is in the range of 0.2 to 55 mg/cm3, and the flash lamp is ignited under the specified conditions, and the flash radiation device comprises the above-described flash lamp as a light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisya
    Inventor: Tatumi Hiramoto
  • Patent number: 6853140
    Abstract: A compact fused silica, electroded HID lamp for automotive forward lighting, which contains no mercury. The lamps voltage, approximately 40 volts, is developed in this lamp by vaporizing zinc iodide instead of mercury. A compromise between voltage and luminous flux is achieved through the choice of the sodium scandium (Na:Sc) molar ratio, between 4.5:1 and 6:1 and a zinc iodide (ZnI2) dose of 2 to 6 micrograms per cubic millimeter that permits the lamp to operate within the North America, European and Japanese automotive color specifications for white light. The voltage in the lamp can be controlled according to the zinc iodide doping level without seriously impacting the visible spectrum otherwise provided by the other known dopants in the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Walter P. Lapatovich, Sharon L. Ernest, Susan L. Callahan, Janice T. Karlotski, Robert J. Karlotski
  • Patent number: 6847167
    Abstract: The high-pressure gas discharge lamp (1) comprises a lamp vessel (2) having a wall (3) which is exposed to a wall load of at least 30 W/cm2 during operation of the lamp, and a discharge space (4) in which a pair of electrodes (5) is disposed. The discharge space (4) has a filling which comprises mercury, argon, and halides (not fluorides) of tin and indium, to which filling an alkali metal halide is added, the alkali metal being potassium, rubidium, or cesium, and the halide being chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The high-pressure discharge lamp (1) according to the invention has an improved resistance against corrosion and crystallization of the quartz glass wall (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2005
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Willem Van Erk
  • Patent number: 6838823
    Abstract: An ultra-high pressure mercury lamp in which both devitrification and also breakage of the discharge vessel can be eliminated. In the ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, there is a pair of opposed electrodes in a fused silica glass discharge vessel filled at least 0.15 mg/mm3 mercury, and an alkali metal concentration in the area from the inside surface of this discharge vessel to a depth of 4 microns that is at most 10 wt. ppm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kensuke Fukushima
  • Publication number: 20040263080
    Abstract: An arc discharge metal halide lamp for use in selected lighting fixtures comprising a discharge chamber having light permeable walls of a selected shape including therein a pair of end region wall portions through each of which a corresponding one of a pair of electrodes are supported separated from one another by a separation length. The ratio of the separation length to the effective operation inner diameter of the chamber is greater than two. The lengths of the wall sides between the end wall portions is greater than the effective operation inner diameter. The end wall portions have inner surfaces of constant or smaller varying radii of curvature and they are separated from the interior ends of the electrodes by more than one millimeter. The discharge chamber can be constructed of polycrystalline alumina and contain metal halides.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicants: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nanu Brates, Shinichi Anami, Huiling Zhu, Stefaan M. Lambrechts, Jakob Maya
  • Patent number: 6836065
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fluorescent lamp having a transparent or translucent glass bulb of a tubular cross section containing an inert gas such as Neon, Argon, Krypton or Xenon. An element to produce an electric discharge within the bulb will energize a coating of a fluorescent material deposited on the interior surface of the glass bulb to emit visible light. At least one region uncoated by the fluorescent material is provided at the interior surface of the glass bulb in manner which creates the appearance of a repeating pattern such that visible light is emitted by the fluorescent material and no visible light is emitted by the at least one region uncoated. The region uncoated define a spiraled pattern to the glass bulb such that when the glass bulb is rotated about the axis of the spiraled pattern a generally upwardly or downwardly motion is perceived by a person looking at the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: Lap Lee Chow
    Inventor: Shing Cheung Chow
  • Patent number: 6831414
    Abstract: The high-pressure discharge lamp (1) comprises a lamp vessel (2) having a wall (3) which is exposed to a wall load of at least 30 W/cm2 during operation of the lamp, and a discharge space (4) in which a electrodes (5a, 5b) are disposed. The discharge space (4) has a filling that comprises mercury, argon, and halides (not fluoride) of tin and indium, to which filling an alkali halide is added, the alkali being potassium, rubidium, or cesium, and the halide being chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The high-pressure discharge lamp (1) according to the invention has an improved resistance to corrosion and to crystallization of the quartz glass wall (3) because of shielding or spacer means (8) by which a direct contact between electrode rods (30) and the wall (3) of the lamp vessel (2) is counteracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Willem Van Erk, Arnoldus Henricus Franciscus Maria Toonders
  • Patent number: 6819050
    Abstract: An arc discharge metal halide lamp for use in selected lighting fixtures having a discharge chamber with light permeable ceramic walls about a discharge region. A pair of electrodes are supported in the discharge region spaced apart from one another. Ionizable materials are provided in the discharge region comprising mercury, a noble gas, and at least two metal halides including a magnesium halide and a sodium halide, a rare earth clement, and thallium iodide in a molar quantity which is between 0.7 and 5% of that total molar quantity of all halides present in the discharge chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2004
    Assignees: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Huiling Zhu, Stefaan Maria Lambrechts, Jakob Maya
  • Patent number: 6815895
    Abstract: To devise an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp in which even in the case of lamp operation over a long time devitrification of the light emitting part is suppressed, an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp with a silica glass light emitting part in there is a pair of opposed electrodes, a rare gas, a halogen and at least 0.15 mg/mm3 of mercury, by the amount of halogen in the light emitting part being at least 1.0×10−4 &mgr;mol/mm3 and the amount of Mo in the light emitting part being at most 0.5×10−5 &mgr;mol/mm3. Also, such a lamp can have an amount of halogen in the light emitting part of at least 2.0×10−4 &mgr;mol/mm3 with an amount of Mo of at most 1.0×10−5 &mgr;mol/mm3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tetsuji Hirao
  • Patent number: 6815894
    Abstract: A mercury-free arc tube having a closed glass bulb held between pinch seal portions located at opposite ends of the closed glass bulb and a pair of electrodes provided in the closed glass bulb. The closed glass bulb does not contain mercury (Hg), but contains a main light emitting, a buffer metal halide, and a starting rare gas enclosed in the closed glass bulb. The buffer metal halide includes a halide selected from halides of Ta, Th, Cu, Rb, Nb and Pd. Preferably, at least one of the halides is Ta, Cu, Rb or Nb. The halides serve as a buffer substance and a light emitting substance in substitution for the mercury, and have an ionization potential of about 5 to 8.5 eV and excitation potential of about 4.5 eV or less having emission spectrum in a visible range, and are sealed with the rare gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Takagaki, Shinichi Irisawa
  • Patent number: 6812644
    Abstract: Arc tube (10) has a bulbous body (12) with a hollow center portion (14) and opposite ends (16, 18). Each of these ends has a cylindrical terminal-receiving section (20, 22) extending therefrom. The hollow center portion (14) has an internal length A and an internal diameter B that provides an aspect ratio of less than 5 and an outer surface area to inner surface area ratio, measured in square units, of less than 1.5. Electrodes (24) and (26) are hermetically sealed in the terminal-receiving sections (20, 22). The lamp uses less than 7 mgs of mercury. The low pressure operation allows the use of the arc tube in lamps without a shroud and the low mercury allow the lamp to pass TCLP requirement and be conventionally landfilled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolay Natchev, Lori R. Brock, Harold L. Rothwell, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6809478
    Abstract: A metal halide lamp for an automobile headlight is provided, which includes an arc tube in which a pair of tungsten electrodes are provided at both ends and a metal halide as a main component of a luminescent material and xenon gas as a buffer gas are sealed, wherein the tungsten electrodes contain not more than 0.4 wt % of thorium oxide, the metal halide contains scandium iodide, and a pressure of the xenon sealed in the arc tube is at least 0.4 MPa. This makes it possible to provide a long-life metal halide lamp for an automobile headlight that can achieve a further improved lumen maintenance factor and other life characteristics during 2000 hours or more of lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Yoshida, Hideaki Kiryu
  • Patent number: 6806648
    Abstract: A light source device includes at least one discharge tube, a discharge medium sealed inside the discharge tube, and first and second electrodes for exciting the discharge medium. The first electrode is arranged inside or outside the discharge tube, and the second electrode has a plurality of contact portions at which the second electrode is in contact with an outer surface of the discharge tube. The contact portions are located at different distances from the first electrode and are provided discontinuously. Xenon gas and at least one selected from argon gas and krypton gas are sealed in the discharge tube, in which the xenon gas accounts for 60 vol % to 80 vol %. Thus, it is possible to provide a light source device and a liquid crystal display device that provide light emission with high brightness and excellent brightness distribution and that can be manufactured readily.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Shimizu, Norikazu Yamamoto, Teruaki Shigeta
  • Publication number: 20040195970
    Abstract: A cold cathode fluorescent flat lamp comprising a first plate, a second plate, a fluorescent substance, a discharge gas and a plurality of electrodes is provided. The first plate has a plurality of grooves. The second plate is disposed on the first plate on which the grooves form airtight chambers. The fluorescent substance is disposed on the inner wall of the airtight chambers; the discharge gas is disposed in the airtight chambers; and the electrodes are disposed on both sides of various airtight chambers. Therefore, by disposing the grooves on the inner surface of the first plate, the second plate can dispose on the first plate directly. Furthermore, the second plate disposing on the first plate directly can enhance the strength of the cold cathode fluorescent flat lamp without using rods and spacers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Shih-Hsien Lin, Kuang-Lung Tsai, Cheng-Yi Chang, Hsu Ming-Fu, Yui-Shin Fran, Ruey-Feng Jean
  • Publication number: 20040183446
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mercury-free high-pressure discharge lamp for use in a vehicle headlight. The ionizable filling of the high-pressure discharge lamp according to the invention comprises exclusively xenon and the halides of the metals sodium, scandium, indium and zinc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Applicant: PATENT-TREUHAND-GESELLSCHAFT FUR ELEKTRISCHE GLUHLAMPEN mbH
    Inventors: Dirk Grundmann, Conrad Schimke
  • Patent number: RE38807
    Abstract: The present invention provides a high pressure discharge lamp which is provided with a discharge tube containing a pair of electrodes therein and being filled with mercury, an inert gas and a halogen gas, the amount of the mercury filled being 0.12 to 0.35 mg/mm3, the halogen gas being at least one gas selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br and I and being present in an amount of 10?7 to 10?2 ?mol/mm3, and the electrodes being mainly composed of tungsten, and the tungsten as a material of the electrodes contains not more than 12 ppm of potassium oxide (K2O). In such a high pressure discharge lamp, blackening of the discharge tube due to the potassium oxide (K2O) contained in the tungsten, and decrease in illumination maintenance can be prevented, thus providing a high pressure discharge lamp with a long lifetime, a lighting optical apparatus using the high pressure discharge lamp as a light source, and an image display system using the lighting optical apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyosi Takeuti, Yoshiki Kitahara, Takeharu Tsutsumi