Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
.
~3~
D-83-1-0~5
--1--
~SETAL HI~L~D~ LAPIP ~ilITt3! ~;EIC TUB~ 8~I~L0 ~UIPPO~T
Tl~CEl~ICAL ~ LD - -
The prsse~t i~v~lltion r~late~ t iDI ~eneral, to ~etal ~al~de
di6c~large la~6 a~d ~ore par~ ula~ly ts ~etal h~lide dis~ha~g2
5 lamps conf i~ured to ~revent breakage of the 1 a~p ' 8 outer
envelop~ by reduci~g 6hard di~per6io~ upo~ a~ arc tub~ ra~ture.
E~ACKGROUND OF TH~ INVENTION
The high pre~ure discharge lamps of the inve~ti~ operate
~y vapsrizi~g ~ercury a~d ~el~ted ~e~al halide~ and often a~e
10 8ill~p1y ~al1ed meta1 ha1i~e la~p~. ~igh watta~e ~etal halide
lam~ ich a~hieve re1ative1y high ef f i~aey are k~o~n i~ the
~rt. ~owever, the6~ ~igh wattage 1a~p6 are too large or
ge~eEa1 i11uminating pur~o6e~ in a ~ome or the li~.
Intermediate ~datta~e ~eta1 halide 1asi~p~ ~hi~h can be u6ed for
15 ~ome gel~eral i11u~inating purpo~e~ are k~ob~ bu~ their ef f icacy
i~ lo~ whe~ eompared w;th lamp6 of 1arge ~ize~.
Through the recen~ ~ve10pl0e~t of ~iniaocu~e arc tube6, lamp
design~r~ have bee~ ab1~ to achieve acceptab1e ef f icac;e6 in
~ma11er 8iZ!~e6 oiE ~eta1 ha1ide di~cha~ge 1amps to 3u~tify it~
2~ use as a rep1aceme~t f or the ~tandard i~cande~cent lamp .
E30veYe~" t~le remote po~6ibil~ty of a mi~or dis~e~6io~ oî gliil
~hard6 resu1ti{lg from a frac~cuLe of ~he pressurized
1ight-sour~e cap~ule ~e.g., arc tube) ~ontairl~d within the la~p
ls a ~ub6ta~tia1 i~pediment in the ~ath of deve10ping a
25 fea~ible rep1acement in the indu~tria1 or commercia1 ~alke~.
A1though occurrence of ~uch a îracture i6 rare, ~everthe1e~,
,
.. ~,
~23~
0 6 5
--2--
~ould pre~ent a ~Eety hazard to ~ ~r~0~ o~ ob~ect ~nl t1he
YiC~ity of t~e la~p ~i.e., ~oo~ pE~para~ion~0
Thersore, it woul~ bs ~ abl~ to ~vi~e a ~i~pl~ hod that
woul~ ~llo~d or t~2 ~a~ u~ o~ ~uch a lalinp ill a~ ~en
5 f ixture.. ~ ~rc ~ haE~e lallnp whi~ ub~ta~t~ally ~li~inate~
tlle problem o~ ~ard di~per~io~ uRol~ t~e ~r~cture of t~e
light-E~oulee cap~ule would con~tiLtu~ an advaD,~eDnent ~n t~e
art .
Me~hod6 have been ~ugge6ted to improve the abllity oiE
10 ~ung6ten halogen an~ arc di~cha~ge la~p~ to with~arl~ a
f~cacture ~sf ~he inn~r light-~ource cap~ule. I~ orle ~xa~ple,
the shard~ are re6tricted f ~o~ impacting ~ith the outer
envelope throuslh tl~e U8~ of ~ crlinddvical body di~o~ed albou~
the arc tube, U.S. Pat~llt 4,281~274, i~ued July 28, 1981 to
15 ~3e~hard ~t al. The problern wi'ch ehe a~rangement de~cri~ed i~
Bechard ~t al i~ t~lat the ~t~ucture for aou!lting both the arc
- ~~ tu~e and tihe particular ~ylindri~al body is comple~ and
r~guir~ ~eldiEIg 6everal ~art~ to51ethar. ~hi~ leaa~ to
increas~d eo6t and ma~ufacturing diîPicultiefi durillg ~he
20 process o~ ~a~i~g ~uch a lamp.
It i~ believedd herfi~fore, that an glec~ic la~ap ~b.at
provi~e6 for a siD~ple and ineacpenhive ~eans or ~ounting a~ ar~
tube a~d preverlti~g shard dispersion upo~ a~ ar~ tube f ractllre,
and ~ould al~o ~ver~ome the otlher di~adva~'cages as~ociated ~ith
25 the prior art devices mentioned abo-.re, ~ould CoEISti~ute a
signif i~ant adva~er~ent in the art .
lDISCLOSllRE OF THE IN~NTICIN
, there~oreO a primary obj~ctive oiE thi~ inven~ioal ~o
overcome the di~advaneage6 of the prior art deYice6 ~u~ a~
30 mentio~ed above.
'I ~
D-83-1-065
--3
It ~ a~otber ob~@~t o t~is ~ve~io~ to ~rovide
elec~r~c la~p ~hic~ ~ill ~u~st~nt4ally ~liainate th2
pos~ibility o~ ~nor ~ard al~per~iorl upo~ r~ctu~ of ~
pre~surized light-~ource cap~ule ~t ~ pl~l3 an~ pe~ re
5 to manuf~c~ure.
Another ob~ect of tll~s il~Yention i~ to ~rovide ~ea~ for
~up~orting a light-~ource capsule a:~d ~o~ta~ent s~ans about
the ca~sule wh~ch will cau6e li~tle or ~o 10~8 oiE 1UD~ >U6
efficacy in lamps utiliæing such meanB.
11l accordance with one a~pect of the present inventiorl,
theEe is provi 31ed a~ imp~oved metal hal~le discb.a~ge lamp of
the type h~ving an outer envelope, a ~te~ ~ember located withir
t~e outer envelope ~a~ing a pair of ele~t~i~al conductors
extending ther~f Io~ alld a ~ame ~ean6 lo~a~ed ~it~in the outer
15 envelop2 an~ supported by one of the elec~ical co~ductor~.
~he la~np al60 include~ an arc tube, su~por~ced by a~d
ele~trically ~oupled to the f~ame ~eans, havin~ a ~heluical fill
in~luding a sod~u~ ~alide. Tlhe arc tube ha~ a pai~ of
elec~rical l~ad~ ~ealed in~ ~nd pa~ g ~h~ough at lf~a8t one
20 end thereof ~v provid~ a pair oî electrode~ t~erein. P.
cylindrical ~embe~ i~ al~o in~luded in lthe la~p ~dhi~h i~
supported by t~e îra~e ~aeans and surround6 the ar~ tube. The
impro~remeIlt in the la~p lies ~rith tihe f rame ~ea~s whi~h
co~pri~es a 6ingle wire D~e~nber ~ having ~ particular
25 conf iguration. which ~upport6 the arc tube withi~ e lamp and
fixedly z~aintain~ t~e cylind~ical ~ember about the arc tube.
The frame means e:~tend~ aloag a~l a~lCi6 6ubstan~ially parallel to
the longitudi~al a~i~ of the lamp.
~Z39~70
D-8~ 065
B~ DE~ aIlP~I0~3 O~ 1~ D~NI~!t:
Th~ PIGUP.12 ~llustrate~ 0-a2 ~ o~i~en~ of tZtle ~et~ lide
la~p ~ade ir~ a~co2~a~lce d~th t~e teaclli~gs of th~ lpre~e~
inve~t io~ .
BI~T ~ODE FO~ CARE~YING OUT THE~ NTION
For ~ better llnd~r~tanding o~ the prese~t ~ ~ventio~,
toget~er ~dith otlher ~nd u~the~ ob~ect~, advanea~e~, a~d
capabilitie~ ther~of, ~ef2re~ce i8 !aadg ~0 the fsllowl~g
di~clo~ure aIId appended claim6 in ~on3unction w~th the above
deE;clibed dra~;~g.
A~ u~ed h@reil~O t~e term "lighe-sou~ce ~ap6ule" denot~:
-- an arc tube of an arc di~charge lamp, or any li~ t emitting
cap6ule withi~ the outer enYelope of the lam~ wher~ che
lig~ ource cap6ule op~rates at a pre6~ure ot~er t~ar
a~mo~;pheric and t~e ~06~;:ibililt,y oiE ~i~or ~hard di~pe~ion upo~
fracture of the ligh~-~ource cap6ule QXi8tS.
~eferring no~ lco the dra~ g ~ith greater parlcicularity,
the FI~:UE~E show~ a metal Ihalide lamp 10 ~ade in ac~o~dance with
the t2achin~s of tlhe pre~ent invention. ~etal kaalid* dischar~e
lamp lO include~ all evacua~ed nu~er envelope 12, ~b,ieh i~
hermetically ~aaled t~ a gla6s stem meE~ber 14, and an e~cte~al
base 16. Ba~e 16 i6 îormed for ea~y ~onnectio~ ~o a~l
electrlcal ~ource and i6 affixed to the hermetically ~eal~d
~tem ~ember 14 and outer e~velope 12. A pair of electrical
conduc~ors 18 and 20 are ~ealed i~to and pa~s through s~te~
nember 14 and are electri cally connected to ba~e 16, e~cternal
of outer e~velope 12 ~ to provide accefis f or energiza~ion of
dischalge lamp 10.
:~23~70
D-~3-1-û6~
--5--
Yacua~a ~u~er ~v~ 12
~le~ al ~n~ or 20 ~ g~ sn~u~t~Y~ ~r~e
s~2an~ 2~. Fram2 g3~an~ 22 ~xtena~ alo~ a~is $ub~ ti~1îy
parallel ~o ~he long~tud~al a~is o~ c~arge laD~p 10 ~d
5 include~ a ~r~ular portio~ ol?~rae~r0 co~t~et ~ n
upper~os~t ~or~ion 23 of ou'ce~ ~nvelop~ 1;tD ~al heli~al portio~ 25
and a sub6tant~ally ~traight p~rtio~ 26. Circular po~t~on 24,
in conjunction with the uppers~o6t po~tion 23, and 8~ embe~
14 ~erve the au~l ~unction o~ ~aintaining ~rame ~ea~6 22 in
pr~per align~e~ and ~e6i6~ing defor~atio~ due ~o e~ternal
shoc~ to discharge lamp 10.
Di~po6ed ~ithin ou~er e~velope 12 18 a ~yl1~drical ~ember
36, whic~ may ~e i~ the or~ of a quar~2 ~leeve or shield.
~hic~ upport~d by fra~e ~eans 22. Al~o ~uppor~ed by ~Eame
~eans 22 ~nd contaîned within quartz ~hield ~6 i~ an arc tub~
28. Arc tube 2B ha8 a ~hemical ~ill includi~g a Rodiu~ ~al~d~
~nd electrodes 29 a~d 30 at o~e end t~e~eo. ~oreo~et,
~lectlode 29 i~ mechanically and el~c ~ieally con~ected to
fra~e ~ean6 22 t~r~ugh an ~lectrical lead 32 whil2 elec~ode 30
î6 affi~d to a~ ~leetri~al lsad 34 ~hi~h pa6~ æ above a
po~tion of ~ylindri~al ~ber 36 and ~æ ele~t~ically and
~echa~ically connected to electrical connector 18 by a
con~ector ~ire 40. ~ire 40 i8 preferably ~ade of ~olybdenum.
Cylindrieal member 36 i6 lo~a~ed with~n and i8 ~upporeed by
~elic~l por~ion Z5 of f~ame mean6 22. Cylindrical ~ember 36 i~
~ecured in frame ~ean6 2~ by a b~d 21 and a s~all nickel wire
38 which i6 ~elded to the upper most pa~t o~ said strai~ht
portio~ 26 of frame ~ea~s 22. A small ~iRk o~ bend i~ the
upper~o~t part of ~traig~t portion Z6 ~ay be ~ubstituted ~or
~ire 3~ in ~ecuring cylindrical ~ember 36 in ~06i~io~.
The purpo6e of the ~re~ent inventio~ i6 ~0 provide a ~imple
and i~e~pensive mean6 for ~ai~tai~i~g the cylindrical ~ember
7 0
0- 8 3 ~
~b~ut t~e ~rc tub~ a~d ~ou~t~ th~ ~c tube ~Lt~ ttl2 1~19p
ou~c both 8 rQi~UC:~io~ ero~anca ~d ~ma~ o ~he
oute~ ~velo~e. Ttlrae C03~ it~01~8 ~l~ld to be ~ ocaer to
~rr~ve ~t ~ ~olu'c~ on to ehe ~o~e~t~o~d p~oble~. ~r~ly~
5 th~ partlcular cyllna~ical ~s1a~er to b~ us¢~ ich 1~ a
t~anæpar0n~ ~hi~la 02 quarlt~ ~ube~ haa ~o b~ 8acurely h@ld i~
place i~ ~uch B ma~ner 10 ghat ~ t ~d not co~e in ~o~ta~t with
~e arc tube . 8eco~dly. proper dli~tances h~d to be ~a~ ntailled
bet~een tIle ~lec~ al cor~du~tors of ~ppo~ite elect~:ieal
poteD.tial. ~hirdly, tltle a~c ~u~e and ~he cylindri~a~ ~ember
had to be lleld s~curely in their proper ~o~itions during
regular handling. A~y brea~h of th~ above ~onditio~ dould
have reduced lamp perforDIance, ~lho~tened lamp lie alld ldould
not have p~o~ided a perDlanent ~olutioll to preventi~g out2r
envelope damage due ~o a~ aro ~ube f ~a~ture .
In ~e pre~e~t i~ve~tio~ the solutio~ to the aforemenl:ioned
probleDn ~das ~ cyli~dri~al i~e1nb~r 36 positio~l d abou'c ar~ tube
28, iII t~e form of qlla~tz ~hield, i~ eo~unction v~th fraa~e
a~ean~ 2~ wi~clhi~ outer envelope 12, 1~ gl~ ~ir~ lae~ber i~3
used to iEorm fra~e ~ean~ 22, t~ereby ~ inati~g the ~eed for
sireldiny ltogether ~everal wires i~ order to ~or~ the f ~ame
~tructure t~a~ 6upports guartz ~hield 36 and aEc tube 28
it~elf . ~6 illu~it rated ~n the ~IBI~E, a~c tube 28 i8 parallel
and ~ub6tantiall5,~ concentric to ~oth ~uartz ~hield 36 and
helical por~tion 25 of ra~e ~earl6 22. Lead 32 i~ elect~ically
cou~led to frame mean6 22 and lead 34 is electrically coupled
to conductor lB, ~ n ~tem ~ember 14, by connector wire 40 .
In one particular em~odi~ent, a 40-watt lamp required the
u~e of a quartz ~hield which had a ~dall thickne~s of ahout ~ne
milli;~eter in order ~o Elrevent the di~per6ion of 6hard6 arl,d
ulti~ate breakage oiE the outer emrelope . The f rame ~eans wa~
partially for~ed i~ a ltLelia~ in srder ~o allo~d t~e quartz ~hield
1~}~
3 ~ 5
ts be ~ r~e~ gce~ly ~n~ l?U8~19 U~ ~0 eouc~ ~e ~0~d â~ ~ba
~ra~e ~ea~s (~ t~e ~IGU~. T~e l~t~ of lc~l@ ~ IIIe ~aean~
was about 95 ~ net~r~ ~). The ~lical poFt~o~ ~ra~ ~bout
30 ~ le~th ~ had ~n avera~e a~asle~I o abou~
5 add~tioll, t~e lea~th oî the quart~ ~hield ~as ~bout 3~ ~ a~
t~ ~iala~tar wa~ abvut 1~ un.
I~ laboratory te~t~ of the 40-~att ~aetal halide la~p,
purposely ~nduce~ f ractures o arc tube 20i~ the la~p~ proved
that quartz ~hi~ld 36, ~ th the ol~e milli~eter ~dall th~skne~s,
10 ~a~ suf f icient to preve~t glas~ ~hards f rom damaging outer
~n~relope 12. Cyli~drical ~e~be~ 36 ~ay al~ be ~ade of other
~aterial6 suitable for with~tallding shard i~pact (i.e., 3hard
gla6~). Additional tes~i~g $howe~ tllat the u~e of quartz
tubing and the ~el~al fra~ne had a n~gligible effec~ on lamp
15 perfo~ance and lamp life. Other 6i~ilar ~ype lamp6 ~a~ be
made ~axd-di~per~ion-~roof by ~arying the diametel of the
helical ~rame a~d the t~icJcnes~ of t~e qua~tz ~hield.
Thll6~ ~here ha~ been ~ho~ and de~c~ibed an ~ roved ~etal
halide lamp that provide~ f2a~e ~ean~ ther~i~ for ~ounti~g a
20 ar~ tube and f i~edly ~aai~ai~ g a cyli~drical ~e~ber about t~
arc tube ~hish will prevent ~hard di~er~ion upo~ a fca~tule o
the a~c tl~be ~t6elf. ~qore parti~ularly, frame ~eans is
provided in the for~n of a single wire lae~ber, whi~h i~ par211el
to tlle lo~gitudinal axis o~E the la~p, t~at ~ill ~e~ve to
~5 ~;up~ort the arc tube and the cyl~dri~al ~ember about t~e arc
tube, ~he~eby ~i~pl~Eying and lowering the ~o~t o~ alaking ~uch
a lamp.
~ hile thele have been sho~n ~hat are at pre~ent ~co be the
~referred e~bodiD~ent6 of t~e i~vention, it ~ill be apparen~ ~o
30 tho~e 6killed i~ t~e ~rt t~lat variou6 change6 ar~d ~difications
~an be made ~e~ein ~rit~out depar~ing ~rom the ~ope of ehe
~nvention as def ined in the appended claim6 .
