CN102856160B - Light source - Google Patents

Abstract

Lamp (1) includes agitator and amplifier source (2) of microwave energy, and they are usually operated at other frequencies in 2.45 or 5.8GHz or ISM band.Microwave is sent to antenna (4) via match circuit (3) by this source, and antenna (4) extends in the cavity (5) in light-transmitting wave guide (6).Light-transmitting wave guide is quartzy, and has the central cavity (7) of receiving bulb (8).Bulb is the seal pipe (9) of quartz, and comprises noble gases and microwave can encourage the implant of material, and microwave can encourage material radiating visible light when by microwave excitation.Bulb has in the stem (10) extending receiving in shaft-like hole (11) from central cavity.Waveguide is transparent, and the light from bulb can be affected by any reflecting surface and leave it in any direction.Microwave can not leave waveguide, and waveguide is limited by faraday cup on its surface.Generally, this includes：ITO coating (12) on the front surface of waveguide；Optical reflection coating (10) on rear surface, optical reflection coating (10) be typically silver and there is silicon monoxide coating (13)；And, metal gauze (14), it contacts ITO and optical reflection coating, and is grounded, and the side that metal gauze is centered around the waveguide between front and rear surfaces extends.Light can be by metal gauze for collecting and using.

Description

Light source

The application be invention entitled " there is the microwave light source of solid dielectric waveguide ", the applying date be on May 16th, 2011, The divisional application of the Chinese patent application of Application No. 200880131995.8.

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of light source of the lamp by microwave-driven.

Background technology

Excitation electric discharge is just known to produce in the bulb.Typical example is Na discharge lamp and fluorescent tube.The latter Using the mercury vapour producing ultraviolet radiation.Then, this excitation fluorescent material produces visible ray.Consuming the light that every watt of electricity is launched Lumen aspect, such lamp is more more effective than tengsten lamp.However, they still have the shortcomings that to need electrode in lamp.Cause Carry the electric current required for electric discharge for them, so they are deteriorated and ultimate failure.

We have developed bulb lamp, such as in our patent application No.PCT/GB2006/ with regard to lamp 002018 (our " ' 2018 lamp "), with regard to lamp bulb patent application PCT/GB2005/005080 and with regard to for microwave Shown in the patent application PCT/GB2007/001935 of the match circuit of lamp driving.They are directed to by using microwave energy Amount encourages the electrodeless lamp of light-emitting plasma in the bulb.Including using air wave, microwave energy is coupled in bulb Relatively early suggestion be suggested, such as Fusion Lighting Corporation in their United States Patent (USP) No.5,334, Propose in 913.If using air waveguide, lamp body amasss larger, because the physical size of waveguide is aerial microwave Wavelength a part.This is not problem for such as street lamp, but is so that such lamp is not suitable for many applications.Cause For this reason, so our ' 2018 lamp uses Medium Wave Guide, it considerably reduced the ripple in operating frequency 2.4GHz Long.This lamp is suitable for use in the household electrical appliance of such as rear-projection TV set.

Before about 8 years, our shareholders in microwave excitation light industry have employed Luxim Inc with advisory contract The founder of (" Luxim ").On July 31st, 2000, Luxim have submitted U.S. Provisional Patent Application No 60/222,028, its Afterwards, United States Patent (USP) No 6,737,809 (" Luxim patent ") is awarded through suitable process.Its summary is as follows：

" a kind of integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) of Medium Wave Guide, has main body, this main body is mainly by least one medium Material is constituted, and this at least one dielectric material has approximately greater than 2 dielectric constant, and has the microwave energy when appropriate frequency Amount makes the shape and size of main body resonance at least one mode of resonance when being coupled in main body.Sky in this main body Bulb in chamber comprises filling gas, and this filling gas is when formation light-emitting plasma when the main body of resonance receives energy.”

It is believed that this is first public affairs for microwave energy is coupled to the solid dielectric waveguide in bulb Open.At that time, focus on being substantially reduced dimensionally being capable of by using solid dielectric.We are related in itself This project is in ceramic field.Selected pottery is aluminium oxide.

Our United States Patent (USP) No 6,666,739 is on the date early than above-mentioned advisory contract.Its summary is as follows：

" lamp is made up of hollow tubular body, and this hollow tubular body has closed end and open end.This main body is sintering Ceramic material.Open end is sealed with window, this window and main body are combined by one layer of frit.This window is sapphire. There are noble gases in this main body interior sealing and the microgranule of material can be encouraged to feed.In use, lamp is carried out RF electromagnetic radiation, with Lamp is heated to 1000 DEG C so that it launches visible ray via sapphire ".

Not only aluminium oxide is opaque on type of service, and waveguide is also by the silver-plated resonating electric field thought in waveguide Boundary condition is provided.It is proposed that launching light should be carried out via sapphire window in Luxim patent.

Since above-mentioned cooperation, we do not understand take office what suggestion so to use solid dielectric waveguide, that is, this solid Jie Matter waveguide does not use independent bulb (this bulb is typically quartz) material can be encouraged to be enclosed in opaque waveguide microwave In the depression of (this waveguide is typically aluminium oxide), or it is enclosed in being recessed and closing microwave and can encourage near opaque waveguide In the integrating device of the transparent window of material,.

In order to pursue our technical improvement of microwave excitation light, Andrew Neate has invented in another way will Bulb and waveguide are merged in single part.

Therefore, we have submitted our patent application No 0722548.5 on November 16th, 2007, and its here is claimed A LER (luminous resonator) patent application for us.It describes the visible light source of lamp being driven by microwave source, this microwave Source has：

● shell, it is transparent for visible ray, and is opaque for microwave, and humorous in microwave excitation Shake,

● packing material, it can be encouraged by microwave energy to form the plasma of transmitting visible ray, and

● in the antenna of inside the shell, it is positioned to swash for forming the plasma-induced of microwave resonance in inside the shell Encourage, this antenna has the adapter extending to outside shell, is used for being couple to microwave source.

Our LER is envisioned for thering is larger shell first, and this shell has relatively thin wall and comprising to fill out Fill the antenna in the closing space of thing, in the exploitation of our LER, develop our the 2nd LER, wherein, closing Space less, and antenna be located at shell material in.

Therefore, we have submitted our patent application No 0809471.6 on May 23rd, 2008, and it is referred to herein as Our the 2nd LER (luminous resonator) patent application.It describes the visible light source that will be driven by microwave energy, and this light source has Have：

● solid state plasma container, its material is transparent or opaque, so that light appears from it, plasma container Have Packed space wherein,

● around the faraday cup of plasma container, this cage printing opacity at least in part, so that light holds from plasma Device appears, and is closing simultaneously for microwave,

● the implant in the space of the material that can be encouraged by microwave energy, to form light-emitting plasma wherein Body, and

● antenna, it is disposed in this plasma container, for launching the microwave of induction plasma to implant Energy, this antenna has：

● adapter, it extends to outside plasma container, to be couple to source of microwave energy；This arrangement makes comfortable The light of the plasma in space can pass through plasma container, and gives off from plasma container via described cage Go.

We further improve LER and related technology now, and, Andrew Neate and Barrie Preston ' 2018 bulb provides advantage in lamp for the LER jointly to establish the present invention, the present invention is using ours.

Content of the invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a kind of light source, including：

● the light-transmitting wave guide of solid dielectric material, it has

● the faraday cup of printing opacity at least in part, its around this waveguide,

● the bulb cavity in waveguide and faraday cup, and

● the antenna cavity in waveguide and faraday cup, and

● bulb, it has the implant that microwave can encourage, and this bulb is accommodated in bulb cavity；Wherein

● faraday cup includes：

● solid portion, the back crossing over light-transmitting wave guide extends up to the cross-section scope of light-transmitting wave guide；And

● fixture, this solid portion and waveguide are clipped together by it, and solid portion is connected to the saturating of faraday cup The front portion of light；

● solid portion is reflection, for guiding forward light；

● the described solid portion of described light-transmitting wave guide and described waveguide is complementary in shape, and the light for transmitting gathers Burnt；

● the anterior conductive coating including netted hardware or printing opacity of the printing opacity of described faraday cup.

Use in this manual：

" printing opacity " represents that material is transparent or semitransparent, and the part being described as printing opacity is formed by this material.

Using the lamp of this light source, with respect to patent, the light fixture of ' 809 has the advantage that：Can collect and utilize horizontal from bulb Light and axial light to eradiation.In the patent of ' 809, axial light from bulb one end only can be utilized.

Generally, determine the size of waveguide so that in order to implant Optimum Excitation at maximum field utilize cavity occur micro- Wave resonance.In a preferred embodiment, waveguide has circular cross-section, and it may be dimensioned such that half-wave is prolonged with diametric(al) wherein Stretch.

Preferably, the covering of bulb is identical with the material of the waveguide of printing opacity.

As in the patent of ' 809, depending on the surface of waveguide, bulb cavity can be unlimited.However, we push away Recommend and bulb is placed in waveguide deeper inside.These two aspects can be realized by following manner：

1. exceed its depth half to providing holes in waveguide, by bulb insertion hole, and carry out blind hole using connector, insert The material of plug is identical with waveguide.Although not necessary, possible, connector is closed to waveguide it is preferred that passing through Meromixis point easily connector to be fixed to waveguide；

2. waveguide is provided as two halves, this two halves provides bulb cavity when when closed together.Two half-unit is divided and both need not It is equal also to need not to be symmetrical likewise, two half-unit divides to put merges.

In crucible (crucible) with when connector is glass material, according to circumstances, can be by connector and crucible or the latter Two halves are fixing by the meromixis in step and/or the plug material at countersunk (counter-bore) place or are sealed in one Rise.When they are ceramic material, they are fixing by the meromixis of glass dust or are sealed.Laser can be passed through To carry out meromixis.

In either case, bulb can be unfettered in the cavities.However, it is preferred that it can be with respect to sky Chamber and fix.By merging bulb stem point in the hole of the corresponding size extending from cavity, can be appropriately carried out this A bit.

Using faraday cup, bulb can be maintained in its cavity.

In a particular embodiment：

● by dielectric material pipe, this bulb is kept in the cavities；

● the surface that cavity opens wide is the back surface of light-transmitting wave guide, and this pipe is by the part holding of faraday cup；

● bulb has the extension of the inner positioned at pipe；

● pipe provides antenna cavity；

● and

● the anterior conductive coating including netted hardware or printing opacity of the printing opacity of faraday cup.

These features can be utilized separately or together.

Faraday cup can include at least one hole, increases by its light transmission for local.Preferably, this hole is not Than the microwave in crucible free space wavelength 1/10 big.Typically for the operation in 2.45GHz, this hole is not more than 1/ 10 × 12.24cm, i.e. 12.24mm, and it is not more than 6.12mm for 5.8GHz.

It is contemplated that plasma crucible is quartzy or the transparent ceramic material of sintering is although other materials is also suitable.Tool Say, this ceramic material can be transparent or translucent body.

The example of suitable semitransparent ceramics is polycrystal alumina, and the example of crystalline ceramics is polycrystalline yttrium aluminium pomegranate Stone -- YAG.Other may material be aluminium nitride and monocrystalline sapphire.

Preferably, the material of bulb and the material of waveguide have identical thermal coefficient of expansion, and this can be by easily Them are made to have identical material to realize.Even so, bulb may run get Geng Re than cavity, particularly when it has relatively During low thermal conductivity, and it is preferred that provide space for the expansion of bulb.Compare and aluminium oxide, niobium, quartz have Low thermal conductivity.

Although antenna is normally placed in antenna cavity and fixing there by other mechanical constraint things in light source, It is it is contemplated that for example antenna can be fixed in the waveguide by following manner：Waveguide material around fusing antenna, envelope Close cavity.

Preferably, lamp also includes the microwave source as single integrated morphology and match circuit.

Brief description

Each specific embodiment of the present invention, in order to help understand the present invention, to be described, in the accompanying drawings with reference now to accompanying drawing：

Fig. 1 is the outline of the bulb, light-transmitting wave guide and microwave source of lamp female case, having light source according to this divisional application Perspective view；

Fig. 2 is the bulb of Fig. 1 and the side cross-sectional view of light-transmitting wave guide；

Fig. 3 is the end-view of light-transmitting wave guide；

Fig. 4 is the decomposition view of another kind of light-transmitting wave guide；And

Fig. 5 is the end-view of another kind of waveguide；

Fig. 6 is the perspective view of another light source of the female case of this divisional application；

Fig. 7 is mounted to the sectional view of the light source shown in focal point, Fig. 6 of reflector 120；

Fig. 8 is the view similar with Fig. 7 of the light source according to this divisional application.

Specific embodiment

Referring to accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates generally representing of the lamp 1 of female case, and lamp 1 includes agitator and the amplifier source of microwave energy 2, they are usually operated at other frequencies in 2.45 or 5.8GHz or ISM band.Microwave is transmitted by this source via match circuit 3 To antenna 4, antenna 4 extends in the cavity 5 in light-transmitting wave guide 6.Light-transmitting wave guide is quartzy, and has receiving bulb 8 Central cavity 7.Bulb is the quartz ampoule 9 of sealing, and is filled with noble gases and microwave can encourage material, and microwave can encourage Material radiation-curable visible ray when by microwave excitation.Bulb has stem 10, and stem 10 is contained in and extends from central cavity In shaft-like hole 11 out.Waveguide is transparent, and from bulb light can be affected by any reflecting surface and with times Where to leaving waveguide.Microwave can not leave waveguide, and waveguide is limited by faraday cup on its surface.Generally, faraday cup includes： ITO coating 12 in waveguide front surface；Optical reflection coating 10 on surface after waveguide, optical reflection coating 10 usually silver is simultaneously And there is silicon monoxide coating 13；And, metal gauze 14, it contacts ITO and optical reflection coating, and is grounded, metal gauze The side being centered around the waveguide between front and rear surfaces extends.Light can be by metal gauze for collecting and using.

The shape and size of waveguide make to set up at bulb maximum electric field when chosen microwave frequency is driven. Dielectric constant in view of the quartz of waveguide is it is believed that in the limit of power of this size technical staff in the art.

A kind of physical arrangement of the light source including bulb and waveguide is shown in figs. 2 and 3.Quartz waveguide 21 be one whole Body, it has and originates in a surface 23 hole 22.This hole extends to about the 60% of duct thickness with maximum gauge 24, for holding Receive bulb body 25, then this hole continues to extend with clearance diameter 26, for accommodating the stem 27 of bulb.Connector 28 is at bulb top On filling boring, and fusion 29 (for example the passing through package sealing with laser) quilt at the aperture 30 in hole by waveguide and plug material Fixing.For this point, laser focusing between connector and waveguide, on the closing line 31 at aperture and past around closing line Return movement, with local melting quartz, this quartz can rapid regelation so that connector to be fixed in waveguide.If merged in connector Surrounding is continuous, then form sealing.On relative surface 32, when stem projects from shaft-like hole, similar the swashing of execution Light operates.If it is required, then surface 23,33 is subsequently polished, to remove any splash vestige.Therefore, waveguide and bulb are formed It is integrated.

It should be noted that when bulb covering and waveguide are all quartz, it is possible for only carrying out such material seal.When it When being transparent ploycrystalline aluminium oxide, introduce glass dust at sealing, and this glass powder, fixation seal member.

Faraday cup subsequently can be placed.Although being shown as coaxially by antenna and its cavity in FIG, in Fig. 2, this reality The cavity 33 applying example is eccentrically arranged.

Another kind of physical arrangement is shown in figures 4 and 5.Waveguide 41 has two complementary portions 42,33.They have coupling Surface 44,45, wherein, be provided with the depression 46,47 equivalent with hole 22 and stem extension 26.Bulb 48 is placed in one Individual partly in depression in, and stem 49 fixed 50 in its far-end by laser and arrives recess, wherein it is desirable to be used Thermal stress is minimum.Increase another part, around the periphery of the composition surface of two parts, make this two parts by package sealing with laser 51 together.They will be very flatly polished, once therefore they are merged together, then waveguide is made up of not two parts Can be affected it as the effect of microwave resonance waveguide.Therefore, waveguide is integrally formed with bulb again.

Although above-described embodiment is depicted as quartz, i.e. bulb and waveguide are all quartzy, and they can To be other materials.Especially described below be suitable as transparent or at least translucent material, or be suitable for being made into For transparent or at least translucent material：Fused silica, sapphire, polycrystal alumina (PCA), yttrium-aluminium-garnet (YAG) And aluminium nitride.

The present invention is not intended to limited to the details of above-described embodiment.For example although it is cylinder in shape that accompanying drawing shows And length and the waveguide of equal diameters and the antenna cavity generally on the axis of waveguide, but length and diameter can be changed Than so that they are short and thick or long and thin.Likewise it is possible to as shown in Figure 2, antenna is arranged to be centrifuged.Antenna can be by Sealing, i.e. in the case that antenna is in place, cavity is sealed, or cavity can be opened wide, antenna is inserted.

Waveguide can also have other different geometries, such as cuboidal, and selects size to fit again Together in resonance.It is true that waveguide need not be driven in resonance.

Referring to Fig. 6 and 7, the light source of the female case that there is shown with has a diameter of 50.8mm, the short and thick circle highly for 35mm Shape quartz waveguide 101.A diameter of 5mm hole 103, from the beginning of rear surface 102, extends, before being insinuated into waveguide in center is to waveguide In the 5mm on surface 104.It has the countersunk (counter bore) 105 of the 6mm extending 15mm.Hole 103 located The quartzy bulb 106 of 5mm diameter, i.e. ' 2018 bulb, this bulb has the main body 107 of 15mm and long 5mm, a diameter of The stem 108 of 2mm.The quartz ampoule 109 of 15mm length is accommodated in countersunk, and accommodates stem in its hole 110.? In the case that this pipe is flushed with the rear surface 102 of waveguide, secure bulb.

Aluminum ground plane 112 is contacted with rear surface, with fixing pipe 109 and therefore fixes bulb.Antenna 113 extends at center And it is insulated from, hole 110 charged into by antenna 113, to supply microwave from unshowned drive circuit, thus in waveguide with bulb In light-emitting plasma in formed resonance.

Form method around the circumference 114 of waveguide and from the net-shape metal foil 115 extending waveguide together with ground level Draw cage 116.Kong117 center in paper tinsel and the end being aligned of bulb, to allow from bulb unblocked ground emission shaft Xiang Guang.Most of radiant light passes through netted paper tinsel at circumference 114.Back-side ground layer 112 and waveguide are fastened on one by fixture 118 Rise, back-side ground layer is connected to netted paper tinsel simultaneously.Paper tinsel on the front surface is arrived in paper tinsel curling 119 circumferentially.

This light source is installed to the focal point of the reflector 120 partly illustrating in the figure 7.

Turn to Fig. 8, the light source of this division is shown, wherein, waveguide 211 has parabolic shape, and has the additional back of the body Face ground plane 212.This is by the light directing waveguide of lamps emission.Back-side ground layer has fixture 213 at its leading edge 214, folder Tool 213 waveguide is clipped in back-side ground layer, and clamps and cross metal gauze 215 before waveguide so as to through edge 216 It is sandwiched between back-side ground layer and waveguide.Metal gauze completes the faraday cup of this light source.It has via its bulb The similar position of pipe.

In a kind of unshowned alternative, bulb is received in open cavity in the waveguide, and by tinsel Net remains there.

Claims (15)

1. a kind of light source, including：

The light-transmitting wave guide of solid dielectric material, it has:

Bulb cavity in described light-transmitting wave guide,

Flat emission front surface,

The rear surface of bending, has described bulb cavity at its optical focus, and

Antenna cavity in described light-transmitting wave guide；

Bulb, it has the implant that microwave can encourage, and described bulb is accommodated in described bulb cavity；And

The faraday cup of printing opacity at least in part, it is around described light-transmitting wave guide；

Wherein：

Faraday cup includes：

Printing opacity is anterior, at the flat light-emitting area of light-transmitting wave guide,

Solid portion, the rear surface crossing over the bending of light-transmitting wave guide extends up to the cross-section scope of light-transmitting wave guide；And

Fixture, this solid portion and described light-transmitting wave guide are clipped together by it, and solid portion is connected to faraday cup；

The solid portion of described faraday cup is reflection, for guiding forward light；

The described solid portion of described light-transmitting wave guide and described faraday cup is complementary in shape, and the light for transmitting focuses on；

The anterior conductive coating including netted hardware or printing opacity of the printing opacity of described faraday cup,

Described light source is configured such that the light of the plasma in bulb can pass through light-transmitting wave guide, and

Connected with the front straight of faraday cup via the flat front surface of light-transmitting wave guide from it, or

After the solid part office of the rear surface of the bending of described light-transmitting wave guide and/or the reflection of faraday cup is reflected, from it Via the flat front surface of light-transmitting wave guide and the front portion of faraday cup indirectly by.

2. light source according to claim 1, wherein：

Described light-transmitting wave guide be dimensioned such that using described bulb cavity, microwave resonance to occur at the maximum position of field intensity；

Described light-transmitting wave guide has circular cross-section, and it may be dimensioned such that half-wave is extended with diametric(al) wherein.

3. light source according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described bulb cavity opens at the surface of described light-transmitting wave guide.

4. light source according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described bulb cavity is closure.

5. light source according to claim 4, wherein, by be fixed to described light-transmitting wave guide solid dielectric material insert Fill in and to close described bulb cavity.

6. light source according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described light-transmitting wave guide has two parts, one or two part There is the bulb cavity being formed at the common composition surface of described two parts.

7. light source according to claim 6, wherein, described two parts of described light-transmitting wave guide are fixed together.

8. light source according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described bulb is unfettered in described bulb cavity.

9. light source according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described bulb is fixed in described bulb cavity.

10. light source according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, the covering of described bulb, connector and described light-transmitting wave guide are glass Glass material, and pass through the meromixis of described glass material or fixed or close by the local fusing of frit material It is enclosed in together.

11. light sources according to claim 3, wherein：

By dielectric material pipe, described bulb is maintained in described bulb cavity；

The surface that described bulb cavity is opened is the rear surface of described light-transmitting wave guide, and described dielectric material pipe is by described farad The part holding of cage；

Described bulb has the extension of the inner positioned at described dielectric material pipe；And

Described dielectric material pipe provides antenna cavity.

12. light sources according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described faraday cup includes at least one hole, for locally increasing Plus by its light transmission, described hole is not more than 1/10 of the free space wavelength of microwave in described light-transmitting wave guide.

13. light sources according to claim 1 and 2, wherein, described light-transmitting wave guide is quartzy or polycrystal alumina or many Brilliant yttrium-aluminium-garnet or aluminium nitride or monocrystalline sapphire.

14. light sources according to claim 1 and 2, its with independent reflector combination, to reflect in particular directions from institute State the light of light-transmitting wave guide transmitting.

15. light sources according to claim 1 and 2, it is as lamp and microwave-driven electrical combination, described microwave-driven circuit Including：

Microwave source；And

Match circuit.