CA2229067A1 - Fluorescent lamp - Google Patents
Fluorescent lamp Download PDFInfo
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- CA2229067A1 CA2229067A1 CA002229067A CA2229067A CA2229067A1 CA 2229067 A1 CA2229067 A1 CA 2229067A1 CA 002229067 A CA002229067 A CA 002229067A CA 2229067 A CA2229067 A CA 2229067A CA 2229067 A1 CA2229067 A1 CA 2229067A1
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- Prior art keywords
- lighting apparatus
- fibers
- cold cathode
- fibrous
- lighting
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
- H01J63/00—Cathode-ray or electron-stream lamps
- H01J63/06—Lamps with luminescent screen excited by the ray or stream
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- Discharge Lamp (AREA)
- Discharge Lamps And Accessories Thereof (AREA)
- Vessels And Coating Films For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
- Cold Cathode And The Manufacture (AREA)
Abstract
A lighting apparatus including a fibrous cold cathode field emitter wherein fibers of said cold cathode have a diameter of less than about 100 microns, an anode for attraction of electrons emitted by the fibrous cold cathode field emitter, a phosphor capable upon contact with emitted electrons from the cold cathode field emitter of generating a persistent light, and an evacuated enclosure of less than about 10-5 Torr containing within the enclosure the cold cathode field emitter, the anode and the phosphor is provided.
Description
.
Tl rLE
FLUORESCENT LAMP
~ ~T .n OF lNVT~ON
The present invention relates to lighting, and more p~rtirnl~rly to lighting 5 alticles employing a suitable ~l~o~,l.h.-r in c~ n with a cold cat_ode field emitter. This invention is the result of a contact with the D~al Illl_.lL of Energy (Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36).
B.A('.KGROUND OF T~TF. n~lvFNTloN
Elu~l~sc~ lightinghasbeenthestandardill.. ;ll,.l;n.~methodin c~ .;ial buil~lings for many years. While it is used in a lessor degree in homes, it is generally applied where large areas need to be esonomir~lly lighted. ~lthou~h ;, ~r~ s,,;~. ~I hlngstt~n lighting is less efficient and more costly than fluc~l-,sc~ ll lighting, ;~ s~ l bulbs arc the ~lilll~y method of home lighting because of ~7u~lior coll~_.~.lce and ~ccetic~s Although filuol~,scc~lL lighting is a highly err~ method of lighting, it does suffer from several fl~ .rc: ...~ :P.S Among these cl~ r;~ .s are ecological co.
F1U~ SCe~II light tubes are now rl~sifi~ci as h~7~ ous ~-.,.I... ;~l~ by the U.S.
r~lv;~ 1 Protrctirn Agency (EPA) as these tubes contain Ill_L~ y, a highly toxic and regulated m~trri~l This ~ 'ole.ll has lead to dev~k~ , such as in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,229,686 and 5,229,687 which dcs~;li'L c the p~ Lial l~~rhin~
problems of the Ill~ ,Uly from such lights and the ~A~lition of a ~-1.- ~ 1 agent to these lights for re~ion with the Ill_.~;Uly upon pulv~- ;,. ,l ;. .- of the light. Further, the ballast resistor required in most, i~f not all, fluo.cs~,c,l~ lighting ~7~;7t~,.11S can contain poly~hlorin~te~l 'oi~ .lyl oils (PCB's) such . . .~ lc being highly carcinogenic mat~ also regnl~t~l by the EPA.
Generally, the pro~ ti- n of light in a n,....~ s~..l bulb takes several steps.
First, liquid ....,l~,.,.y within the tube is clc.,LIu.lically heated to volatilize at least some of the ll.e,culy. Then, an electric current is passed through the lll_.~;Uly vapor to e~ccite the Ill_~;uly into a plasma state. The e~cited IlI ~;Uly plasma emits 30 ul~raviolet (W) light. Finally, the W light strikes a pl.{~ in the bulb with the ph- sphor CUII~. 1LU~g the W light energy into emitted visible light. This lightproduction ~LLw~y has certain p~.~. " .~. ~re sh~ COII~il1~,~. In co. . .~ vn toconv~ntion~l inc~n~1~scçnt tnngsten lighting systems, fluorescent lighting systems are slow to start as the Ill~ ;Uly must first be heated to provide Ill_ ~,uly vapor.
35 Also, fluul.,scc.ll lights are known to make acoustic noise due to the transformer and ballast rcgister clccLI~llics needed to start and keep the current flowing th~rough the Illel~;u~y vapor. Oscillation in light output from fluo.~scc,.l lighting can occur when the system is cold and first turned on thereby ~~ nil ;- ~g some CA 02229067 l99X-02-09 WO 97/07531 PCT~US96/13091 .
people. Further, ll.--..cscf .~1 lighting systems are typically ;~ .J~ l;hle with c~ ,. ..I;nn~l .l;..~...;~.g technology used to adjust the light hrightn~cc output 1-. ce.~ g c~ le fluul~scc~ll lighting using more e~otic clC~,Llulli~S.
S I. Brodie, U.S. 4,818,914, rlic~losec alamp cu~ g acathode fonned with an array of needle-like ll~.llt~ projecting from one surface thereof, an accelerator electrode formed with an array of a~ s there through, a layer of ph~-,srhnr and an anode ele~;Lludc. Voltages applied across the cathode and the ~c,~ lol ele_L ude~ and across the cathode and the anode result in field .-miccinn 10 from the cathode and collectic-n of the cle~,L v. s by the anode. ~ping,oment of the clc_Lluns on the ~Lo;~uhol layer results in the emiccion of light. Dworsky et al., U.S. 5,180,951, discloses a UlliÇc,llll light source c~....l.. ;~ed of a s~ lly planar ~flat) polycrystalline ~ mnn-l film electron ernitter. Y. T~ ..;- h; et al., WO 94/28571, disclose a flu~Jlcscc~lL tube light source c~ g a layer of ~ ;c~ mnnd film d~ ,;t~,d over a con~ln~*ve fil~ment and an anode ~ull~ulldillg this fil~ment and film which radiates light when struck by the emitted clccLlul s. The ~ mnnrl film is said to be cn. .-p. ;~ed of a plurality of di~llilJut.,d loc~li7ec1 elc:~,llu.l c . .;c~ sites, each sub-site having a plurality of sub-regions with ~1ifferin~ cle~L-~ rl-;. . ;l ;~ s b.~ a~ sub-r~ginnc It is an object of the present invention to provide a ~ ,uly-free fluo~usce.
light employing a fibrous field ~ ;.... c~
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fin.~ e ll light having a ~. .h~l ,.. .l ;~lly instant turn-on.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a low voltage, low 25 power ba~l~light SUM~Y OF THE T~ oN
To achieve the Ço~ Soillg and other objects, and in acco~d~lce with the ~Ul~OScs of the present il~_nliull, as c...bodied and broadly dcs.,libcd herein, the present i l~lllio.l ~lovides a lighting ~p~ in~ ling a fibrous cold cathode 30 field emitter whc.ci~l fibers of said cold cathode have a ~ .- of less than about 100 microns, an anode for reaction of elecllol~s emitted by the fibrous cold cathode field emitter, a phosphor capable upon contact with emitted ele~luns from the cold cathode field erniKer of ~ a~ g a lu~ . .l light, an evacuated enclosure of lessthan about 10-5 Torr c..,.l~;..;..g within the enclosure the cold cathode field emitter, 35 the anode and the phosphor. The p~l~lcnl light preferably has a lurninous il.t~,l~ily of at least 20 lumens per watt.
WO 97/07531 PCTrUS96/13091 BPcTF.F D~C~IPIION OF THE DR~WING
FIGURE 1 shows an elongated tube device in accv .lallce with the lighting a~a alu~ of present invention.
FIGURE 2 shows an e~ploded view of a flat plate device in a~co~ c 5 with the lighting ~ ha~u~ of present i~ iùn.
FIGURE 3 shows a bulb device in acco..lancc with the lighting a~u~ uS
of present invention.
FIGURE 4 shows a light beam producing device in accc..dd..ce with the lighting d~)palaluS of present invention.
0FIG~RE 5 shows a test device in acco~ ce with the lighting aypalaLuS of present invention.
FIGURE 6 shows driver circuits for the lighting device of the present ~ Liùl~.
FIGURE 7 shows a bulb device for use in ~L~ld~.l light bulb sockets.
15 DF.T.ATT FT~ DF.. ~CPcTT'TION
The present invention relates to a fidd emi~ci~ n lighting a~)~aluS and to a fiber field r ~;c~ lighting (~ L) ~ --C
The lighting a~),ua aluS of the present illv~ ivll uses field Pmic~i~ n to gc.. - - ~~e light output from a l~hGi~hc)r~ e.g., a c~tho(1OI.. ;.. ~sc~ ms~t~.ri~l 20 The field ~ . . .;.~.ci,.. . Iighting a~ua~a~uS involves a fibrous cold cathode field emitter. The field emic~ n cle~ L~un ~mhting m~t~ri~l can be any m~t~ri~l that can be p-uvidcd in the form of a fiber. ~l~r~ly the field ~mi~ n dc_Llu" emitting m~t~ri~l of the fibrous cathode is ~ mon~ mond-like carbon or glassy carbon.
Diamond is e~eci~lly ~u~ f~ d. E'~cf~ l ~bly the fibrous cathode is formed of one or 25 more rli~mnn~ l-like carbon or glassy carbon cv",l~vOile fibers c-....~;.~l;-.g . . " ;~lly of ~ m~n~ mon~l l~e carbon or glassy carbon on non-~ m(~n~l core fibers. The non~li~monrl core can be made of a con~ tive or semi-c-~m~t~ri~l ,Alt~ ..-1;VG1Y~ the core can be made of a non-conductive m~t~ri~l oullvulldcd by a film coating of a cu...l...-~ or semi-c. nr~ tive m~t~ri~l The 30 core m~t~ri~l in the ~li_-----.--l fiber can be, e.g., a cv...~ , carbon such as or a metal such as ~- ~- ~g~ .-, or can be, e.g., silicon, copper, molybdenum, I;li -.;---.~ or silicon carbide. In another embo lim~.nt, the core may consist of a more comple~ structure, for e~ample. a non-conductive m~trri~l ~ullvu~d by a thin coating of conductive or semi-conductive m~t~ri~l A diarnond, ~i~mon-l-like or 35 glassy carbon layer is then coated on the sheath. As e~amples, the non-conductive core can be a synthetic fiber such as nylon, KEVLAR< 9 (KEVLAR~ is a ~c~ d tr~ m~rk of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and C.-l.-~, Wil~ v~ DE), or pol~eOI~l or inu-~anic mo~ri~l.c such as ce~ or glass. In other embo-1im~nt~, a . CA 02229067 1998 - 02 - os rli~mnn~1, rli~mnnd-like carbon or glassy carbon precursor can be coated onto the non~ montl core or the core can be a diamond, ~ mnn-l-like carbon or glassy carbon precursor and dhe ~ monrl ~ mon~l-like carbon or glassy carbon is then -formed by a~lv~fiate tre~ l of the ~l~cul~or.
In particular, the field ~.mic.cion lighting ~~ us iulvvlvcs a fibrous cold cathode field ernitter which can be of the type dcs~ ed by Valone, in U.S. patent ~nplic :ltinn serial number 08/196,343, filed February 14, 1994, entitded "Diamond-r~rhit~ Field F.mittf-:rc" or by Blanchet-Fincher et al., in U.S. patent ap~lir~tion serial nurnber 08/387,539, filed reblu~y 13, 1995, entided "Diatnond Fiber Fieldr~ " which is a co.~ ;rn-in-part of Valone et al., U.S. patent aprlir~tion serial numher 08/196,340, filed Feblu~y 14, 1994, entitled "Diamond Fiber Field r. . .; ". . ~, such descriptions inco.~vlal~,d herein by ieÇ~c.-ce. Further, the cold cathode field ernitter can be any other suitable çmitting fibrous . . . ,t~ ;~1 such as a suitable ~;,,.l,h;~, fibertreated by ~ U~ to intense ion beam LL~ or a suitable ~.,.l~l.;l.o fiber treated by e~posure to a laser as ~l~s. . ;l,ed by F. ;~.l.,.~.,n, in U.S. provisional patent applir~tirn number 60/002,277, entitled "M.othnfl for 'rçs~tion of Controlled Fidd F.mi~inn Sites" filed August 14, 1995, or a mnn-l-coated or ~ rnnn~l-like-coated nickel-coated KEVLAR~19 fiber as ~s- ~ ;l~d in U S. patent aprlir~tion number 08/387,539, filed Fel~luaLy 13, 1995, 20 orfiberscc-li.;;gglassycarbon,an~mml~housm~t~ri~1c~l.;l.il;gRamanpeaks at about 1380 cm-l and 1598 cm-l. "Diamond-like carbon" is used herein to ign~te the m~t~ori~l referred to in the lit.,l~lU c as ~ mrmfl-like carbon as well as glassy carbon and carbon cv..~ iC~vSCv~iC ;..~ ;v-~ of glassy carbon, all of whicharerli~-nrn-l-likeintheir~,~,r.. ~nreasfield~,.. ;~.~;nnms,tr.i~l~
A-lrlhinn~lly, the fibrous cold cathode may gen~or~lly be of an con~lllrtive m~tcri~l having an a ;Liv~t~d surface, i.e., capable of allowing elccL-vns to be drawn off at a relatively low bias voltage, with suitable dimensions, i.e., .1;~ c..~ of ~n~ r:llly less than about 100 ~ VlL~ er~lably less than about 15 llli~.lVnS, and more ~ crel~LlJly less than about 10 microns. Among the suitable m~tr.ri~ may veinclnfif d thin fibers of m~ ;.. o~ide and the like, suitably with an &~;Liv ~cd surface b~ed on ~.~l.. ~l of the fibers by, e.g., flash heating.
Generally, the fibers of the fibrous cathode each have f1i~mf tf r of less than about 100 microns, ~C~Gl~l~ly less than about 15 microns. and more preferably less than about 10 ~--i~-vns~ Smaller f1i~mf ter fibers reduce the voltage ~F c~ss~ ~ y to ~,~.. i.l~thefieldemission. P.cÇ .ably,the~ m-t-re~ceeds 1 micron. Gfnf.r~lly, .t~ of the fibers of the cold c~thr f1f .s are sllt ,st~nti~lly smaller in .l;" ,. ..,~
than thc mrt~llir fil~mrntc Cf~ J~ly used in pr~se,-~ly available lighting ~p~
W71ile a single fiber can be used as the fibrous r~thoflf 7 it is generaUy ~.cÇ~ to W O 97/07531 PCTrUS96/13091 use more than a single fiber as the fibrous cathode to provide ,~;.1.. 1,.. ~. -y in ~lc~ v~
The phosphor used in the lighting a~p~. ~LuS of the present invention can ~n~r~lly be of any type suitable to ~ e visible light upon being struck by S elecL.vn ~-mi~inn For e~ampie, the phosrh~r can be zinc o~i-l-o ~inc7 zinc sulfide, c~lminm sulfide, zinc c_.l.. ;.. l. sulfide, zinc sel~-ni-l~, zinc c--l.. ;.. ~.~l,.. ,;,k.
yiuliulll silicate:cesium, zinc ~h.~h;.~ g~nPse~ or other well known m~t~ri~l~
which emit light following suitable r~itati~n - Blends or cr - ~ .h; - IAI ;~ Of .h~ may also beemployed.
The pho~hnr used in the present il~v~ lio~ iS further capable of pro-ln~ing a pc . ~ . .1 light, i.e., the light from a p~rticlll~r point of the phnsphnr does not readily fade with time as it is e~cited. Additionally, the output from the e~cited Pl ~o~l-hor may be capable of g~ , l ;.)g this ~ . .1 visible light with a 1UI1linVUS
i..l~nsi~y of at least 20 lumens per watt.
The lighting a~ u~luS of the present invention in~hlrl~s a fibrous cold cathode field emitter, a phosphor~ an anode for ~ttr~(~tion of emitted clccL VIlS from the cold cathode field emitter, aU g~n~-r~lly co..l~ cl within an cvauu~Ltcd -n~k~s.lre. Unlike a standard lll~,.CUl,~ vapor fluol~,scc"L light, the ligh*ng of the present i..~ iO" can t~n on Iy without the need for 20 heating the ~ ,..;u y to form a plasma. Without the need for .. .7,;. .l .;..;..g a plasma, thc light g~ .;.t~ d by the li~hting ~ tu~. of the present invention can be readily and easily ~limm~-l or hright~n~l by ~ l........... 1 of the voltage applied to the fiber.
When more voltage is applied, more cle~L v,.s are emitted and i...l.;.~c upon the phn~,l,hv. m~t~ri~l resnlting in ~ liti~.n~l light output, i.e., a brighter light. When less voltage is arpli~-l but above the .. ;.. ;... turn-on voltage fortne fibrous field e Tlitter, less elecL v ~. are emitted and impinge upon the ph~srh~.r m~t~Pri~l reslllting in a rech~ction in light output, i.e., a vu.. ~r light. No starting circuits are . ~_esc~. y for the lighting a~ualuS of the present i,.~_..Lioll, only a ~ iryillg voltage step-up circuit and a simple current limiting circuit. Such a current limiting 30 circuit can consist, e.g., of a small l~,;.i..lol/;...l..~t r in series with the fibrous cold cathode.
The evacuated enclosure typically m~int~in~ a low ~J11.~;7~7Ule of least as low as about 10-5 Torr. Such an evacuated enclosure can be, e.g., a glass bulb or multiple glass sheets with a~,lv~iate spacer m~tPri~l Llle.~b~ ,n.
The lighting à~aluS of the present invention uses elecLlv....... ~micsion infln~eA by a ~lirPct~ bk applied field. This is in contrast with lighting using a plasma which results in a non directed light source. This allows pra~ tit~l, but varied, shape ccnfiy...~l;v...~ of t'ne present lighting a~dua~us without limit~tion~ to W O 97/07531 PCT~US96/13091 the tr~llition~1 elnng~t~.l tube. No matter what shape the lighting ~p~lus has, ele~Llon rmiqqinn from the fibers of the fibrous cathode occurs along the length of the fibers utilized and not from the fiber tip or end.
In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in Fig. 1, a light 10 5 inrl~ d a glass tube 12 as an evacuable enclosure. The inner or interior surface of glass tube ~ can be coated with a L~ L con(11lr,tor as an anode and a hn~phl~ orç~thnd~ sce ~I mQt~ ri~l 13. A fibrous cathode çl~ .l.- -.1 14, the fibrous field emitter, is situated within glass tube 12. An end cap 16 inrln(lt~s electrodes C~ P~ d to fibrous cathode cle.~ 14 and to the h~
10 cnn~ rtor coating or anode. The fibrous cathode elt .~ I can consist of a single fiber, can include a mnltirle of fibers or can include a thicker single fiber.
('JçnF~rs~lly, the single fiber or i~ lividual fibers making up the mllltirlF fibers can have a ~1i,.. t. - of from about 1 micron to about 20 mic~ s, plGrc~ably about 5 microns to about 10 llli~ JnS. The glass tube can be a circular l;ylilld~ as shown lS or it can have a confi~lred surface.
In another embo~1imt nt of the present invention, shown in Fig. 2, light ~Q
has a flat plate design with a flat plate 22 having a fibrous cathode rlt . ~ I array j~_ thereon. A I . ,...~ ,.-l second flat plate 26 inr~ es a coating of I.,..~
conductor ~ upon the surface of flat plate 26 facing cathode rk.. ~ .- .1 array 24 and acoatingofal,ho;,lJI~ orcathodol.. ;.. S~f.. l m~tF.ri~1~upon !.
cnn-lllrtnr coating ~. A spacer plate j~ sep~ t~ s flat plate 22 and flat plate and provides an c~,uable enrlns~lre for fibrous cathode cL,~ ,..l array ~, .. 1 cont1nrtnr coating ;;~ and ~l-o~l.11nr or cathodnl.. i.~s~ l m~trri~l ~nnflllctnr electrodes are cn~.t ~d to hal~al~ cnn~ ctQr coating j~ and 25 fibrous cathode rk ~..~ ..l array 24.
In another embodiment of the present il~ ion, shown in Fig. 3, a bulb-shaped light 40 inr1n~1~3 a glass globe 42 having an interior coating of a ha~
conductor 44 and a coating of a ph~-srhnr or C~thndol ~ F 3C~ ~ ~1 m~trri~1 ~. Afibrous cathode cl~ ..- .l 48, the fibrous field emitter, is situated within glass globe 42. Cnn-l~lt~tor~ are c~,.. ~F~ d to fibrous cathode cl- ~.. l 48 and to the cnn.lllrtnr coating or anode 44. The fibrous cathode rl~ l 48 can consist of a single fiber or can include a multiple of fibers. (~rnrr~1ly, the single fiber or individual fibers m~king up the multiple fibers can have a ~ mrtrr of from about 1 micron to about 20 rnicrons, preferably about 5 rnicrons to about 35 10 microns.
~ another embodiment of the present i--ve~llioll~ shown in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), a light ~Q capable of producing a light beam output 52 inr~tlcles gl~s Jh~ . ;r~l support 54 having co~tingc upon the c(,nc~v~ inner surface of a W O 97/07531 PCTrUS96/13091 -reflector m~t~ri~l ~, a ~ nl conductive rn~t~ri~l 58, and a phosphor or catho lc~ sce -l m~t~ri~l 60. A fibrous cathode çlc. . .~ 62, the fibrous field ernitter, is situated within glass h~micph~re 54. Con-lnctor.c are conn~cterl tofibrous cathode rk .. ~ 1 62 and to the l . ~ L condllctor coating or anode ~.
5 ~7arying the shape of the glass support 54 can result in a more collcG.-L...~d light beam. For e~ample, a parabolic support would ~comrlich this result.
Figure S shows a simple test device used to test field ~miccion variables of the fibrous c~tho~les in~lnfling a clear plastic, e.g., Lucite~ plastic, tube 70 capped with end caps 72 and 74 to form an evacuable enclosure. End cap 72 in~ es an 10 cpening 76 c...-.-P~ to a vacuum pump. S..~ ed with n the evacuable t n~losllre is a ~,.Uul.~d copper screen mesh 78 coated with a phosphor or c~th~l--l.. ;.~sc~ .. I m~t~ri~l 80. A fibrous cathode çl~m~nt 82 is situated within g.vuu-ded copper screen mesh 78. Con-lurtQrc are connl-cte~ to fibrous cathode dc...~ 82 and to copper screen mesh or anode 78. This test device can prove 15 useful for ~ ;. .;. .g emicsi~n u lirO-Ii-y of C,.~llSsivc fibers.
Figure 6 shows a current limiting circuit for use with the lighting a,u~a~aluS
of the present iul~ ion. The currçnt limitin~ circuit S~.Q inrhl-l~s resistor 92 and an int~ tor ~ in series with the C.lUsDiVC fiber or fibrous cathode, k . ,. . ~l ~. Power source 2~ is c- nn~cte~l through a ~ iryiu.g voltage step-up circuit 100 to the anode 102 and the current limiting circuit ~Q in series with cathode rl~ 1 96.
In another embodiment of the present invention, shown in Fig. 7, light 120 is in the forrn of a Dl~.da d light bulb with a screw type base. The inner surface of the glass bulb ~ is coated with a ~ cv. .~ l ;. .g o~ide 122 and a phosphor or c~thodol.~ ,sce~l m~trri~l 123. A fibrous cathode feld emitter c.. p. ;.cerl of a fidd ~mic.cinn cle.,L.ul. ~ fiber 124 is in the central region of the bulb. The fiber emitter is shown in a triangular confiy .. . ~ ;. ,. . but could be in other confignr~tionc, e.g., a circle or a figure having four or morc sides. The fiber emitter is Du~u.~ed by a non ç.~.;ll ;..g current ca~ier 125. Fmitt~d clc~,L.o. s are shown by the arrows 126. The screw type base 127 is essenti~lly the same as used30 for DL~.da~ sc~ .~ bulbs.
In operation of the lightin~ a~ualuS of the present invention, power density of about 1 5 watts per inch from the cathode can generally be .-~ces.s ~.y to e sllfficient cle~;LIu.. emission. Generally, if the bias voltage on the fibrouscathode is at least 1500 Volts, then the emission current per inch must be at least 35 about 1 milli,~ s The present invention is more particularly ~lcs~ in the following mpl.~ which is int~nfl~A as ill . ..~1. ,.1 ;ve only.
W O 97/07531 PCTnUS96/13091 FX A~PT.F.l A lighting d~dlus was ~ . . .hkA e~enti~lly as shown in Figure 5 using a carbon fiber that was e~posed to a single intense ion beam L~ The carbon fiber was ~ ,d as follows.
Unt1r~t.od g.,ph;l, fibers (co~ cially available IM7 ~phitlo fibers from Hercules, Inc., Wil.. .;. .~ , DE) from a ~ yarn were spread out across a frame and the frame placed in the path of an intense ion beam o~c.atcd in accc...l~cc with the te~hingc of Rej et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 64(10), pp. 2753-2760, Oct. 1993. The voltage was about 300 kilovolts. The ~ . 4 of 10 the frame from the focus of the ion beam was varied 'G~ ,Cll about si~ inches to 18 inches. The energy density of the ion beam was ç~,l ;. . .~. A at from about 2 joulespersquarec~..l;.-.~ r~- toabout 10 joulespersquarec~--l;---- t~-. Thetime of a pulse of the ion beam was about one rni~;lusecn.-(l After a single pulse, the frame was turned over (180~) and the reverse side of the fibers was e~posed to a15 single pulse of the intense ion bearn. The . ~ ,,. .1 l ~. .1 fibers were tested and shown to be r~cell~nt field en i~ .n cle~;llul~ ~rnitt~r~
A fiber was then ~tt~.~h.-cl to conductor "A" shown in Figurc 5. A _inc 7in~ phc~sphor was coated onto the copper mesh sc~cen. A potential lli~c~ e of about 3.5 keV was applied to the cathode and anode, i.e., to 20 cf.n-ll.ctc.rs "A" and "B". A current of 2-3 rnA was obtained over a one inch(2.5 cm) leng~ of fiber together with a ~ .l light ~ . . About lO watts per inch (2.5 cm) was obtained for lighting ~ Gses~
,~lth..u~h the present invention has been ~l~s.~ 1 with .c~ c to specific details, it is not int-nd~d that such details should be regarded as limit~tion~
25 upon the scope of the invention, e~cept as and to the e~tent that they are in~ d in the ~co~ y..lg clai~ns.
Tl rLE
FLUORESCENT LAMP
~ ~T .n OF lNVT~ON
The present invention relates to lighting, and more p~rtirnl~rly to lighting 5 alticles employing a suitable ~l~o~,l.h.-r in c~ n with a cold cat_ode field emitter. This invention is the result of a contact with the D~al Illl_.lL of Energy (Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36).
B.A('.KGROUND OF T~TF. n~lvFNTloN
Elu~l~sc~ lightinghasbeenthestandardill.. ;ll,.l;n.~methodin c~ .;ial buil~lings for many years. While it is used in a lessor degree in homes, it is generally applied where large areas need to be esonomir~lly lighted. ~lthou~h ;, ~r~ s,,;~. ~I hlngstt~n lighting is less efficient and more costly than fluc~l-,sc~ ll lighting, ;~ s~ l bulbs arc the ~lilll~y method of home lighting because of ~7u~lior coll~_.~.lce and ~ccetic~s Although filuol~,scc~lL lighting is a highly err~ method of lighting, it does suffer from several fl~ .rc: ...~ :P.S Among these cl~ r;~ .s are ecological co.
F1U~ SCe~II light tubes are now rl~sifi~ci as h~7~ ous ~-.,.I... ;~l~ by the U.S.
r~lv;~ 1 Protrctirn Agency (EPA) as these tubes contain Ill_L~ y, a highly toxic and regulated m~trri~l This ~ 'ole.ll has lead to dev~k~ , such as in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,229,686 and 5,229,687 which dcs~;li'L c the p~ Lial l~~rhin~
problems of the Ill~ ,Uly from such lights and the ~A~lition of a ~-1.- ~ 1 agent to these lights for re~ion with the Ill_.~;Uly upon pulv~- ;,. ,l ;. .- of the light. Further, the ballast resistor required in most, i~f not all, fluo.cs~,c,l~ lighting ~7~;7t~,.11S can contain poly~hlorin~te~l 'oi~ .lyl oils (PCB's) such . . .~ lc being highly carcinogenic mat~ also regnl~t~l by the EPA.
Generally, the pro~ ti- n of light in a n,....~ s~..l bulb takes several steps.
First, liquid ....,l~,.,.y within the tube is clc.,LIu.lically heated to volatilize at least some of the ll.e,culy. Then, an electric current is passed through the lll_.~;Uly vapor to e~ccite the Ill_~;uly into a plasma state. The e~cited IlI ~;Uly plasma emits 30 ul~raviolet (W) light. Finally, the W light strikes a pl.{~ in the bulb with the ph- sphor CUII~. 1LU~g the W light energy into emitted visible light. This lightproduction ~LLw~y has certain p~.~. " .~. ~re sh~ COII~il1~,~. In co. . .~ vn toconv~ntion~l inc~n~1~scçnt tnngsten lighting systems, fluorescent lighting systems are slow to start as the Ill~ ;Uly must first be heated to provide Ill_ ~,uly vapor.
35 Also, fluul.,scc.ll lights are known to make acoustic noise due to the transformer and ballast rcgister clccLI~llics needed to start and keep the current flowing th~rough the Illel~;u~y vapor. Oscillation in light output from fluo.~scc,.l lighting can occur when the system is cold and first turned on thereby ~~ nil ;- ~g some CA 02229067 l99X-02-09 WO 97/07531 PCT~US96/13091 .
people. Further, ll.--..cscf .~1 lighting systems are typically ;~ .J~ l;hle with c~ ,. ..I;nn~l .l;..~...;~.g technology used to adjust the light hrightn~cc output 1-. ce.~ g c~ le fluul~scc~ll lighting using more e~otic clC~,Llulli~S.
S I. Brodie, U.S. 4,818,914, rlic~losec alamp cu~ g acathode fonned with an array of needle-like ll~.llt~ projecting from one surface thereof, an accelerator electrode formed with an array of a~ s there through, a layer of ph~-,srhnr and an anode ele~;Lludc. Voltages applied across the cathode and the ~c,~ lol ele_L ude~ and across the cathode and the anode result in field .-miccinn 10 from the cathode and collectic-n of the cle~,L v. s by the anode. ~ping,oment of the clc_Lluns on the ~Lo;~uhol layer results in the emiccion of light. Dworsky et al., U.S. 5,180,951, discloses a UlliÇc,llll light source c~....l.. ;~ed of a s~ lly planar ~flat) polycrystalline ~ mnn-l film electron ernitter. Y. T~ ..;- h; et al., WO 94/28571, disclose a flu~Jlcscc~lL tube light source c~ g a layer of ~ ;c~ mnnd film d~ ,;t~,d over a con~ln~*ve fil~ment and an anode ~ull~ulldillg this fil~ment and film which radiates light when struck by the emitted clccLlul s. The ~ mnnrl film is said to be cn. .-p. ;~ed of a plurality of di~llilJut.,d loc~li7ec1 elc:~,llu.l c . .;c~ sites, each sub-site having a plurality of sub-regions with ~1ifferin~ cle~L-~ rl-;. . ;l ;~ s b.~ a~ sub-r~ginnc It is an object of the present invention to provide a ~ ,uly-free fluo~usce.
light employing a fibrous field ~ ;.... c~
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fin.~ e ll light having a ~. .h~l ,.. .l ;~lly instant turn-on.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a low voltage, low 25 power ba~l~light SUM~Y OF THE T~ oN
To achieve the Ço~ Soillg and other objects, and in acco~d~lce with the ~Ul~OScs of the present il~_nliull, as c...bodied and broadly dcs.,libcd herein, the present i l~lllio.l ~lovides a lighting ~p~ in~ ling a fibrous cold cathode 30 field emitter whc.ci~l fibers of said cold cathode have a ~ .- of less than about 100 microns, an anode for reaction of elecllol~s emitted by the fibrous cold cathode field emitter, a phosphor capable upon contact with emitted ele~luns from the cold cathode field erniKer of ~ a~ g a lu~ . .l light, an evacuated enclosure of lessthan about 10-5 Torr c..,.l~;..;..g within the enclosure the cold cathode field emitter, 35 the anode and the phosphor. The p~l~lcnl light preferably has a lurninous il.t~,l~ily of at least 20 lumens per watt.
WO 97/07531 PCTrUS96/13091 BPcTF.F D~C~IPIION OF THE DR~WING
FIGURE 1 shows an elongated tube device in accv .lallce with the lighting a~a alu~ of present invention.
FIGURE 2 shows an e~ploded view of a flat plate device in a~co~ c 5 with the lighting ~ ha~u~ of present i~ iùn.
FIGURE 3 shows a bulb device in acco..lancc with the lighting a~u~ uS
of present invention.
FIGURE 4 shows a light beam producing device in accc..dd..ce with the lighting d~)palaluS of present invention.
0FIG~RE 5 shows a test device in acco~ ce with the lighting aypalaLuS of present invention.
FIGURE 6 shows driver circuits for the lighting device of the present ~ Liùl~.
FIGURE 7 shows a bulb device for use in ~L~ld~.l light bulb sockets.
15 DF.T.ATT FT~ DF.. ~CPcTT'TION
The present invention relates to a fidd emi~ci~ n lighting a~)~aluS and to a fiber field r ~;c~ lighting (~ L) ~ --C
The lighting a~),ua aluS of the present illv~ ivll uses field Pmic~i~ n to gc.. - - ~~e light output from a l~hGi~hc)r~ e.g., a c~tho(1OI.. ;.. ~sc~ ms~t~.ri~l 20 The field ~ . . .;.~.ci,.. . Iighting a~ua~a~uS involves a fibrous cold cathode field emitter. The field emic~ n cle~ L~un ~mhting m~t~ri~l can be any m~t~ri~l that can be p-uvidcd in the form of a fiber. ~l~r~ly the field ~mi~ n dc_Llu" emitting m~t~ri~l of the fibrous cathode is ~ mon~ mond-like carbon or glassy carbon.
Diamond is e~eci~lly ~u~ f~ d. E'~cf~ l ~bly the fibrous cathode is formed of one or 25 more rli~mnn~ l-like carbon or glassy carbon cv",l~vOile fibers c-....~;.~l;-.g . . " ;~lly of ~ m~n~ mon~l l~e carbon or glassy carbon on non-~ m(~n~l core fibers. The non~li~monrl core can be made of a con~ tive or semi-c-~m~t~ri~l ,Alt~ ..-1;VG1Y~ the core can be made of a non-conductive m~t~ri~l oullvulldcd by a film coating of a cu...l...-~ or semi-c. nr~ tive m~t~ri~l The 30 core m~t~ri~l in the ~li_-----.--l fiber can be, e.g., a cv...~ , carbon such as or a metal such as ~- ~- ~g~ .-, or can be, e.g., silicon, copper, molybdenum, I;li -.;---.~ or silicon carbide. In another embo lim~.nt, the core may consist of a more comple~ structure, for e~ample. a non-conductive m~trri~l ~ullvu~d by a thin coating of conductive or semi-conductive m~t~ri~l A diarnond, ~i~mon-l-like or 35 glassy carbon layer is then coated on the sheath. As e~amples, the non-conductive core can be a synthetic fiber such as nylon, KEVLAR< 9 (KEVLAR~ is a ~c~ d tr~ m~rk of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and C.-l.-~, Wil~ v~ DE), or pol~eOI~l or inu-~anic mo~ri~l.c such as ce~ or glass. In other embo-1im~nt~, a . CA 02229067 1998 - 02 - os rli~mnn~1, rli~mnnd-like carbon or glassy carbon precursor can be coated onto the non~ montl core or the core can be a diamond, ~ mnn-l-like carbon or glassy carbon precursor and dhe ~ monrl ~ mon~l-like carbon or glassy carbon is then -formed by a~lv~fiate tre~ l of the ~l~cul~or.
In particular, the field ~.mic.cion lighting ~~ us iulvvlvcs a fibrous cold cathode field ernitter which can be of the type dcs~ ed by Valone, in U.S. patent ~nplic :ltinn serial number 08/196,343, filed February 14, 1994, entitded "Diamond-r~rhit~ Field F.mittf-:rc" or by Blanchet-Fincher et al., in U.S. patent ap~lir~tion serial nurnber 08/387,539, filed reblu~y 13, 1995, entided "Diatnond Fiber Fieldr~ " which is a co.~ ;rn-in-part of Valone et al., U.S. patent aprlir~tion serial numher 08/196,340, filed Feblu~y 14, 1994, entitled "Diamond Fiber Field r. . .; ". . ~, such descriptions inco.~vlal~,d herein by ieÇ~c.-ce. Further, the cold cathode field ernitter can be any other suitable çmitting fibrous . . . ,t~ ;~1 such as a suitable ~;,,.l,h;~, fibertreated by ~ U~ to intense ion beam LL~ or a suitable ~.,.l~l.;l.o fiber treated by e~posure to a laser as ~l~s. . ;l,ed by F. ;~.l.,.~.,n, in U.S. provisional patent applir~tirn number 60/002,277, entitled "M.othnfl for 'rçs~tion of Controlled Fidd F.mi~inn Sites" filed August 14, 1995, or a mnn-l-coated or ~ rnnn~l-like-coated nickel-coated KEVLAR~19 fiber as ~s- ~ ;l~d in U S. patent aprlir~tion number 08/387,539, filed Fel~luaLy 13, 1995, 20 orfiberscc-li.;;gglassycarbon,an~mml~housm~t~ri~1c~l.;l.il;gRamanpeaks at about 1380 cm-l and 1598 cm-l. "Diamond-like carbon" is used herein to ign~te the m~t~ori~l referred to in the lit.,l~lU c as ~ mrmfl-like carbon as well as glassy carbon and carbon cv..~ iC~vSCv~iC ;..~ ;v-~ of glassy carbon, all of whicharerli~-nrn-l-likeintheir~,~,r.. ~nreasfield~,.. ;~.~;nnms,tr.i~l~
A-lrlhinn~lly, the fibrous cold cathode may gen~or~lly be of an con~lllrtive m~tcri~l having an a ;Liv~t~d surface, i.e., capable of allowing elccL-vns to be drawn off at a relatively low bias voltage, with suitable dimensions, i.e., .1;~ c..~ of ~n~ r:llly less than about 100 ~ VlL~ er~lably less than about 15 llli~.lVnS, and more ~ crel~LlJly less than about 10 microns. Among the suitable m~tr.ri~ may veinclnfif d thin fibers of m~ ;.. o~ide and the like, suitably with an &~;Liv ~cd surface b~ed on ~.~l.. ~l of the fibers by, e.g., flash heating.
Generally, the fibers of the fibrous cathode each have f1i~mf tf r of less than about 100 microns, ~C~Gl~l~ly less than about 15 microns. and more preferably less than about 10 ~--i~-vns~ Smaller f1i~mf ter fibers reduce the voltage ~F c~ss~ ~ y to ~,~.. i.l~thefieldemission. P.cÇ .ably,the~ m-t-re~ceeds 1 micron. Gfnf.r~lly, .t~ of the fibers of the cold c~thr f1f .s are sllt ,st~nti~lly smaller in .l;" ,. ..,~
than thc mrt~llir fil~mrntc Cf~ J~ly used in pr~se,-~ly available lighting ~p~
W71ile a single fiber can be used as the fibrous r~thoflf 7 it is generaUy ~.cÇ~ to W O 97/07531 PCTrUS96/13091 use more than a single fiber as the fibrous cathode to provide ,~;.1.. 1,.. ~. -y in ~lc~ v~
The phosphor used in the lighting a~p~. ~LuS of the present invention can ~n~r~lly be of any type suitable to ~ e visible light upon being struck by S elecL.vn ~-mi~inn For e~ampie, the phosrh~r can be zinc o~i-l-o ~inc7 zinc sulfide, c~lminm sulfide, zinc c_.l.. ;.. l. sulfide, zinc sel~-ni-l~, zinc c--l.. ;.. ~.~l,.. ,;,k.
yiuliulll silicate:cesium, zinc ~h.~h;.~ g~nPse~ or other well known m~t~ri~l~
which emit light following suitable r~itati~n - Blends or cr - ~ .h; - IAI ;~ Of .h~ may also beemployed.
The pho~hnr used in the present il~v~ lio~ iS further capable of pro-ln~ing a pc . ~ . .1 light, i.e., the light from a p~rticlll~r point of the phnsphnr does not readily fade with time as it is e~cited. Additionally, the output from the e~cited Pl ~o~l-hor may be capable of g~ , l ;.)g this ~ . .1 visible light with a 1UI1linVUS
i..l~nsi~y of at least 20 lumens per watt.
The lighting a~ u~luS of the present invention in~hlrl~s a fibrous cold cathode field emitter, a phosphor~ an anode for ~ttr~(~tion of emitted clccL VIlS from the cold cathode field emitter, aU g~n~-r~lly co..l~ cl within an cvauu~Ltcd -n~k~s.lre. Unlike a standard lll~,.CUl,~ vapor fluol~,scc"L light, the ligh*ng of the present i..~ iO" can t~n on Iy without the need for 20 heating the ~ ,..;u y to form a plasma. Without the need for .. .7,;. .l .;..;..g a plasma, thc light g~ .;.t~ d by the li~hting ~ tu~. of the present invention can be readily and easily ~limm~-l or hright~n~l by ~ l........... 1 of the voltage applied to the fiber.
When more voltage is applied, more cle~L v,.s are emitted and i...l.;.~c upon the phn~,l,hv. m~t~ri~l resnlting in ~ liti~.n~l light output, i.e., a brighter light. When less voltage is arpli~-l but above the .. ;.. ;... turn-on voltage fortne fibrous field e Tlitter, less elecL v ~. are emitted and impinge upon the ph~srh~.r m~t~Pri~l reslllting in a rech~ction in light output, i.e., a vu.. ~r light. No starting circuits are . ~_esc~. y for the lighting a~ualuS of the present i,.~_..Lioll, only a ~ iryillg voltage step-up circuit and a simple current limiting circuit. Such a current limiting 30 circuit can consist, e.g., of a small l~,;.i..lol/;...l..~t r in series with the fibrous cold cathode.
The evacuated enclosure typically m~int~in~ a low ~J11.~;7~7Ule of least as low as about 10-5 Torr. Such an evacuated enclosure can be, e.g., a glass bulb or multiple glass sheets with a~,lv~iate spacer m~tPri~l Llle.~b~ ,n.
The lighting à~aluS of the present invention uses elecLlv....... ~micsion infln~eA by a ~lirPct~ bk applied field. This is in contrast with lighting using a plasma which results in a non directed light source. This allows pra~ tit~l, but varied, shape ccnfiy...~l;v...~ of t'ne present lighting a~dua~us without limit~tion~ to W O 97/07531 PCT~US96/13091 the tr~llition~1 elnng~t~.l tube. No matter what shape the lighting ~p~lus has, ele~Llon rmiqqinn from the fibers of the fibrous cathode occurs along the length of the fibers utilized and not from the fiber tip or end.
In one embodiment of the present invention, shown in Fig. 1, a light 10 5 inrl~ d a glass tube 12 as an evacuable enclosure. The inner or interior surface of glass tube ~ can be coated with a L~ L con(11lr,tor as an anode and a hn~phl~ orç~thnd~ sce ~I mQt~ ri~l 13. A fibrous cathode çl~ .l.- -.1 14, the fibrous field emitter, is situated within glass tube 12. An end cap 16 inrln(lt~s electrodes C~ P~ d to fibrous cathode cle.~ 14 and to the h~
10 cnn~ rtor coating or anode. The fibrous cathode elt .~ I can consist of a single fiber, can include a mnltirle of fibers or can include a thicker single fiber.
('JçnF~rs~lly, the single fiber or i~ lividual fibers making up the mllltirlF fibers can have a ~1i,.. t. - of from about 1 micron to about 20 mic~ s, plGrc~ably about 5 microns to about 10 llli~ JnS. The glass tube can be a circular l;ylilld~ as shown lS or it can have a confi~lred surface.
In another embo~1imt nt of the present invention, shown in Fig. 2, light ~Q
has a flat plate design with a flat plate 22 having a fibrous cathode rlt . ~ I array j~_ thereon. A I . ,...~ ,.-l second flat plate 26 inr~ es a coating of I.,..~
conductor ~ upon the surface of flat plate 26 facing cathode rk.. ~ .- .1 array 24 and acoatingofal,ho;,lJI~ orcathodol.. ;.. S~f.. l m~tF.ri~1~upon !.
cnn-lllrtnr coating ~. A spacer plate j~ sep~ t~ s flat plate 22 and flat plate and provides an c~,uable enrlns~lre for fibrous cathode cL,~ ,..l array ~, .. 1 cont1nrtnr coating ;;~ and ~l-o~l.11nr or cathodnl.. i.~s~ l m~trri~l ~nnflllctnr electrodes are cn~.t ~d to hal~al~ cnn~ ctQr coating j~ and 25 fibrous cathode rk ~..~ ..l array 24.
In another embodiment of the present il~ ion, shown in Fig. 3, a bulb-shaped light 40 inr1n~1~3 a glass globe 42 having an interior coating of a ha~
conductor 44 and a coating of a ph~-srhnr or C~thndol ~ F 3C~ ~ ~1 m~trri~1 ~. Afibrous cathode cl~ ..- .l 48, the fibrous field emitter, is situated within glass globe 42. Cnn-l~lt~tor~ are c~,.. ~F~ d to fibrous cathode cl- ~.. l 48 and to the cnn.lllrtnr coating or anode 44. The fibrous cathode rl~ l 48 can consist of a single fiber or can include a multiple of fibers. (~rnrr~1ly, the single fiber or individual fibers m~king up the multiple fibers can have a ~ mrtrr of from about 1 micron to about 20 rnicrons, preferably about 5 rnicrons to about 35 10 microns.
~ another embodiment of the present i--ve~llioll~ shown in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), a light ~Q capable of producing a light beam output 52 inr~tlcles gl~s Jh~ . ;r~l support 54 having co~tingc upon the c(,nc~v~ inner surface of a W O 97/07531 PCTrUS96/13091 -reflector m~t~ri~l ~, a ~ nl conductive rn~t~ri~l 58, and a phosphor or catho lc~ sce -l m~t~ri~l 60. A fibrous cathode çlc. . .~ 62, the fibrous field ernitter, is situated within glass h~micph~re 54. Con-lnctor.c are conn~cterl tofibrous cathode rk .. ~ 1 62 and to the l . ~ L condllctor coating or anode ~.
5 ~7arying the shape of the glass support 54 can result in a more collcG.-L...~d light beam. For e~ample, a parabolic support would ~comrlich this result.
Figure S shows a simple test device used to test field ~miccion variables of the fibrous c~tho~les in~lnfling a clear plastic, e.g., Lucite~ plastic, tube 70 capped with end caps 72 and 74 to form an evacuable enclosure. End cap 72 in~ es an 10 cpening 76 c...-.-P~ to a vacuum pump. S..~ ed with n the evacuable t n~losllre is a ~,.Uul.~d copper screen mesh 78 coated with a phosphor or c~th~l--l.. ;.~sc~ .. I m~t~ri~l 80. A fibrous cathode çl~m~nt 82 is situated within g.vuu-ded copper screen mesh 78. Con-lurtQrc are connl-cte~ to fibrous cathode dc...~ 82 and to copper screen mesh or anode 78. This test device can prove 15 useful for ~ ;. .;. .g emicsi~n u lirO-Ii-y of C,.~llSsivc fibers.
Figure 6 shows a current limiting circuit for use with the lighting a,u~a~aluS
of the present iul~ ion. The currçnt limitin~ circuit S~.Q inrhl-l~s resistor 92 and an int~ tor ~ in series with the C.lUsDiVC fiber or fibrous cathode, k . ,. . ~l ~. Power source 2~ is c- nn~cte~l through a ~ iryiu.g voltage step-up circuit 100 to the anode 102 and the current limiting circuit ~Q in series with cathode rl~ 1 96.
In another embodiment of the present invention, shown in Fig. 7, light 120 is in the forrn of a Dl~.da d light bulb with a screw type base. The inner surface of the glass bulb ~ is coated with a ~ cv. .~ l ;. .g o~ide 122 and a phosphor or c~thodol.~ ,sce~l m~trri~l 123. A fibrous cathode feld emitter c.. p. ;.cerl of a fidd ~mic.cinn cle.,L.ul. ~ fiber 124 is in the central region of the bulb. The fiber emitter is shown in a triangular confiy .. . ~ ;. ,. . but could be in other confignr~tionc, e.g., a circle or a figure having four or morc sides. The fiber emitter is Du~u.~ed by a non ç.~.;ll ;..g current ca~ier 125. Fmitt~d clc~,L.o. s are shown by the arrows 126. The screw type base 127 is essenti~lly the same as used30 for DL~.da~ sc~ .~ bulbs.
In operation of the lightin~ a~ualuS of the present invention, power density of about 1 5 watts per inch from the cathode can generally be .-~ces.s ~.y to e sllfficient cle~;LIu.. emission. Generally, if the bias voltage on the fibrouscathode is at least 1500 Volts, then the emission current per inch must be at least 35 about 1 milli,~ s The present invention is more particularly ~lcs~ in the following mpl.~ which is int~nfl~A as ill . ..~1. ,.1 ;ve only.
W O 97/07531 PCTnUS96/13091 FX A~PT.F.l A lighting d~dlus was ~ . . .hkA e~enti~lly as shown in Figure 5 using a carbon fiber that was e~posed to a single intense ion beam L~ The carbon fiber was ~ ,d as follows.
Unt1r~t.od g.,ph;l, fibers (co~ cially available IM7 ~phitlo fibers from Hercules, Inc., Wil.. .;. .~ , DE) from a ~ yarn were spread out across a frame and the frame placed in the path of an intense ion beam o~c.atcd in accc...l~cc with the te~hingc of Rej et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 64(10), pp. 2753-2760, Oct. 1993. The voltage was about 300 kilovolts. The ~ . 4 of 10 the frame from the focus of the ion beam was varied 'G~ ,Cll about si~ inches to 18 inches. The energy density of the ion beam was ç~,l ;. . .~. A at from about 2 joulespersquarec~..l;.-.~ r~- toabout 10 joulespersquarec~--l;---- t~-. Thetime of a pulse of the ion beam was about one rni~;lusecn.-(l After a single pulse, the frame was turned over (180~) and the reverse side of the fibers was e~posed to a15 single pulse of the intense ion bearn. The . ~ ,,. .1 l ~. .1 fibers were tested and shown to be r~cell~nt field en i~ .n cle~;llul~ ~rnitt~r~
A fiber was then ~tt~.~h.-cl to conductor "A" shown in Figurc 5. A _inc 7in~ phc~sphor was coated onto the copper mesh sc~cen. A potential lli~c~ e of about 3.5 keV was applied to the cathode and anode, i.e., to 20 cf.n-ll.ctc.rs "A" and "B". A current of 2-3 rnA was obtained over a one inch(2.5 cm) leng~ of fiber together with a ~ .l light ~ . . About lO watts per inch (2.5 cm) was obtained for lighting ~ Gses~
,~lth..u~h the present invention has been ~l~s.~ 1 with .c~ c to specific details, it is not int-nd~d that such details should be regarded as limit~tion~
25 upon the scope of the invention, e~cept as and to the e~tent that they are in~ d in the ~co~ y..lg clai~ns.
Claims (13)
1. A lighting apparatus comprising:
a fibrous cold cathode field emitter including one or more fibers, said one or more fibers of said fibrous cold cathode having a diameter of less than about 100 microns;
an anode for attraction of electrons emitted by the fibrous cold cathode field emitter;
a phosphor capable upon contact with emitted electrons from the fibrous cold cathode field emitter of generating persistent light;
an evacuated enclosure of less than about 10-5 Torr containing within the enclosure, the fibrous cold cathode field emitter, the anode and the phosphor, with the proviso that electron emission from the fibers of the fibrouscathode occurs along the length of the fibers utilized and not from the fiber tip or end.
a fibrous cold cathode field emitter including one or more fibers, said one or more fibers of said fibrous cold cathode having a diameter of less than about 100 microns;
an anode for attraction of electrons emitted by the fibrous cold cathode field emitter;
a phosphor capable upon contact with emitted electrons from the fibrous cold cathode field emitter of generating persistent light;
an evacuated enclosure of less than about 10-5 Torr containing within the enclosure, the fibrous cold cathode field emitter, the anode and the phosphor, with the proviso that electron emission from the fibers of the fibrouscathode occurs along the length of the fibers utilized and not from the fiber tip or end.
2 . The lighting apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said one or more fibers have diameters of from about 1 micron to about 15 microns.
3. The lighting apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said fibrous cold cathode field emitter includes more than one fiber.
4. The lighting apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said fibers have diameters of from about 1 micron to about 15 microns.
5. The lighting apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a globe shape,
6. The lighting apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a hemispherical shape.
7. The lighting apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a globe shape.
8. The lighting apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a hemispherical shape.
9. The lighting apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a flat plate shape.
10. The lighting apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a flat plate shape.
11. The lighting apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a cylindrical shape.
12. The lighting apparatus of Claim 3 wherein said evacuated enclosure is of a cylindrical shape.
13. The lighting apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said apparatus is further characterized as mercury-free.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US226295P | 1995-08-14 | 1995-08-14 | |
| US60/002,262 | 1995-08-14 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2229067A1 true CA2229067A1 (en) | 1997-02-27 |
Family
ID=21699955
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002229067A Abandoned CA2229067A1 (en) | 1995-08-14 | 1996-08-12 | Fluorescent lamp |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0845154B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH11510951A (en) |
| KR (1) | KR100397720B1 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN1199503A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU696412B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2229067A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69605118T2 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1997007531A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (22)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US6573643B1 (en) * | 1992-03-16 | 2003-06-03 | Si Diamond Technology, Inc. | Field emission light source |
| SE510412C2 (en) * | 1997-06-13 | 1999-05-25 | Lightlab Ab | A light source comprising a field emission cathode and a field emission cathode for use in a light source |
| SE510413C2 (en) * | 1997-06-13 | 1999-05-25 | Lightlab Ab | A field emission cathode and a light source comprising a field emission cathode |
| JP3555844B2 (en) | 1999-04-09 | 2004-08-18 | 三宅 正二郎 | Sliding member and manufacturing method thereof |
| EP1061554A1 (en) | 1999-06-15 | 2000-12-20 | Iljin Nanotech Co., Ltd. | White light source using carbon nanotubes and fabrication method thereof |
| JP2001052652A (en) * | 1999-06-18 | 2001-02-23 | Cheol Jin Lee | White light source and its manufacture |
| SE515377E (en) | 1999-07-30 | 2005-01-11 | Nanolight Internat Ltd | Light source including a field emission cathode |
| PT1498931E (en) * | 2002-04-17 | 2009-11-20 | Alexandr Nikolaevich Obraztsov | Cathodoluminescent light source |
| US6969198B2 (en) | 2002-11-06 | 2005-11-29 | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | Low-friction sliding mechanism |
| JP4863152B2 (en) | 2003-07-31 | 2012-01-25 | 日産自動車株式会社 | gear |
| US8206035B2 (en) | 2003-08-06 | 2012-06-26 | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | Low-friction sliding mechanism, low-friction agent composition and method of friction reduction |
| JP4973971B2 (en) | 2003-08-08 | 2012-07-11 | 日産自動車株式会社 | Sliding member |
| US7771821B2 (en) | 2003-08-21 | 2010-08-10 | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | Low-friction sliding member and low-friction sliding mechanism using same |
| EP1508611B1 (en) | 2003-08-22 | 2019-04-17 | Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. | Transmission comprising low-friction sliding members and transmission oil therefor |
| WO2005048294A1 (en) * | 2003-11-13 | 2005-05-26 | Nihon University | Field emission ultraviolet lamp |
| TWI404449B (en) * | 2004-03-25 | 2013-08-01 | Pureron Japan Co Ltd | Lighting device |
| CN1725922A (en) | 2004-07-22 | 2006-01-25 | 清华大学 | Field transmitting plane light source device and its cathode |
| US7511415B2 (en) * | 2004-08-26 | 2009-03-31 | Dialight Japan Co., Ltd. | Backlight for liquid crystal display device |
| US8926933B2 (en) | 2004-11-09 | 2015-01-06 | The Board Of Regents Of The University Of Texas System | Fabrication of twisted and non-twisted nanofiber yarns |
| DE602005024791D1 (en) | 2005-06-30 | 2010-12-30 | Lightlab Sweden Ab | Electron and photon source with mutual amplification |
| JP5196800B2 (en) * | 2007-02-16 | 2013-05-15 | 株式会社ピュアロンジャパン | Field emission lamp |
| CN103972030A (en) * | 2013-01-29 | 2014-08-06 | 海洋王照明科技股份有限公司 | Field emission light source |
Family Cites Families (8)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1394055A (en) * | 1971-07-09 | 1975-05-14 | Nat Res Dev | Electron emitters |
| US3860852A (en) * | 1974-04-04 | 1975-01-14 | Gte Sylvania Inc | Fluorescent lamp containing amalgam-forming material |
| US4173730A (en) * | 1978-07-11 | 1979-11-06 | Westinghouse Electric Corp. | Compact fluorescent lamp unit having integral circuit means for DC operation |
| EP0102139A3 (en) * | 1982-08-19 | 1984-11-07 | Osram- Gec Limited | Cathodoluminescent light sources and electric lighting arrangements including such sources |
| JPH0471158A (en) * | 1990-07-10 | 1992-03-05 | Stanley Electric Co Ltd | Cold-cathode fluorescent-lamp lighting device |
| US5141460A (en) * | 1991-08-20 | 1992-08-25 | Jaskie James E | Method of making a field emission electron source employing a diamond coating |
| US5229687A (en) * | 1991-10-09 | 1993-07-20 | Gte Products Corporation | Mercury vapor discharge lamp containing means for reducing mercury leaching |
| US5578901A (en) * | 1994-02-14 | 1996-11-26 | E. I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company | Diamond fiber field emitters |
-
1996
- 1996-08-12 CN CN96197582A patent/CN1199503A/en active Pending
- 1996-08-12 EP EP96931379A patent/EP0845154B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1996-08-12 WO PCT/US1996/013091 patent/WO1997007531A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1996-08-12 JP JP9509409A patent/JPH11510951A/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-08-12 DE DE69605118T patent/DE69605118T2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 1996-08-12 AU AU70075/96A patent/AU696412B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1996-08-12 CA CA002229067A patent/CA2229067A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 1996-08-12 KR KR1019980700278A patent/KR100397720B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN1199503A (en) | 1998-11-18 |
| WO1997007531A1 (en) | 1997-02-27 |
| KR19990028976A (en) | 1999-04-15 |
| AU7007596A (en) | 1997-03-12 |
| DE69605118T2 (en) | 2000-05-25 |
| DE69605118D1 (en) | 1999-12-16 |
| AU696412B2 (en) | 1998-09-10 |
| JPH11510951A (en) | 1999-09-21 |
| EP0845154B1 (en) | 1999-11-10 |
| EP0845154A1 (en) | 1998-06-03 |
| KR100397720B1 (en) | 2006-03-16 |
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| FZDE | Dead |