EP0122050B1 - Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp arc tube fabrication process - Google Patents

Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp arc tube fabrication process Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0122050B1
EP0122050B1 EP84301611A EP84301611A EP0122050B1 EP 0122050 B1 EP0122050 B1 EP 0122050B1 EP 84301611 A EP84301611 A EP 84301611A EP 84301611 A EP84301611 A EP 84301611A EP 0122050 B1 EP0122050 B1 EP 0122050B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
getter
arc tube
oxygen
electrode
envelope
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP84301611A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0122050A1 (en
Inventor
Philip J. White
Robert S. White
John A. Scholz
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Osram Sylvania Inc
Original Assignee
GTE Products Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by GTE Products Corp filed Critical GTE Products Corp
Publication of EP0122050A1 publication Critical patent/EP0122050A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0122050B1 publication Critical patent/EP0122050B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J9/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture, installation, removal, maintenance of electric discharge tubes, discharge lamps, or parts thereof; Recovery of material from discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J9/38—Exhausting, degassing, filling, or cleaning vessels
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/24—Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the vessel
    • H01J61/26—Means for absorbing or adsorbing gas, e.g. by gettering; Means for preventing blackening of the envelope

Definitions

  • This invention relates to high pressure sodium lamps of the unsaturated vapor type and more particularly to a process for fabricating arc tubes for unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamps.
  • the best known configuration includes a tubular ceramic arc tube disposed within an evacuated glass envelope.
  • the arc tube is filled or dosed with a rare gas and an excessive amount of sodium and mercury.
  • the arc tube has a saturated sodium fill because of the well-known tendency whereby large amounts of sodium are lost during operation of the lamp.
  • An arc tube for a lamp of this kind may be fabricated by a process as described in US-A-3,726,582, comprising the steps of sealing one of a pair of electrode structures into one end of a tubular ceramic envelope; depositing a dosing of mercury, sodium and rare gas within said envelope; and sealing the other of said pair of electrode structures into the other end of said tubular ceramic envelope to form the arc tube.
  • saturated type high pressure sodium lamps leave much to be desired due to the undesired variations in color rendition and operational voltages which are encountered.
  • the invention provides a process of the kind initially referred to which is characterised in that said dosing of mercury and sodium is in an amount that is only sufficient that the sodium and mercury become fully vaporised in use to provide an unsaturated vapor type lamp and that an oxygen-absorbing getter is affixed to at least one of said pair of electrode structures, prior to sealing thereof into said envelope, at a point behind the corresponding electrode, whereby said getter is enclosed within the arc tube at a point located away from the arc discharge path.
  • a getter material is located within the arc tube and in contact with the gases therein.
  • a preferred object of the invention is therefore to provide a process for fabricating an arc tube for an unsaturated vapor type high pressure sodium lamp wherein undesired envelope discoloration is inhibited. Preferred features of the invention that contribute to the achievement of this object will become apparent from the dependent Claims.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp having a hermetically sealed and evacuated glass envelope 5 formed to fit into an ordinary screw- type base member 7.
  • a glass stem member 9 is sealed to the envelope 5 and projects therein. Electrical conductors, 11 and 13 respectively, are sealed into and pass through the stem member 9 to provide electrical connections from the interior to the exterior of the glass envelope 5.
  • An electrically conductive support member 15 is affixed to one of the electrical conductors 11 and has a pair of crossbars 17 and 19 affixed thereto at either end. Also, a plurality of springlike members 21 are affixed to the support member 15 and formed for contact with the glass envelope 5. Moreover, a pair of getters 23 and 25 are attached to the support member 15 and serve to insure the integrity of the evacuated envelope 5.
  • This arc tube 27 Disposed within the glass envelope 5 and supported by the crossbars 17 and 19 is an arc ' tube 27.
  • One electrode 29 is affixed to and supported by the crossbar 17 while the other electrode 31 is insulatingly supported by the other crossbar 19, but electrically connected to the electrical conductor 13 passing through the stem member 9.
  • Heat conserving elements 33 may be wrapped about the arc tube 27 at each end thereof in the vicinity of the electrodes 29 and 31 in order to reduce the heat differential thereat from the center of the arc tube 27.
  • the getter 37 is preferably in the form of a support member or substrate 49 whereon an oxygen-absorbing metal alloy 51 is affixed as by sintering.
  • the substrate 49 is of a material such as nickel plated iron and the sintered getter material is an alloy of metals selected from the group consisting of zirconium, aluminum, titanium, scandium, cerium, lanthanum, thorium or yttrium.
  • the sintered getter material is an alloy of metals selected from the group consisting of zirconium, aluminum, titanium, scandium, cerium, lanthanum, thorium or yttrium.
  • other rare earth oxides are suitable gettering materials for attachment to the substrate 49.
  • an oxygen-absorbing gettering material or metal alloy 51 is sintered to a substrate 49 which is preferably in the form of a slitted apertured disc or getter 37.
  • This getter is preferably formed for attachment to the shank portion 43 of the electrode member 39 such as by slipping the slitted apertured disc 37 onto the shank portion 43.
  • one of the electrodes 31 is sealed into one end of the ceramic envelope of the arc tube 27.
  • a dosing of sodium, mercury and a rare gas is deposited within the ceramic envelope of the arc tube 27.
  • This dosing includes sodium and mercury in an amount which will become totally vaporized to provide a desired unsaturated vapor type high pressure sodium lamp.
  • a sodium-mercury amalgam which will decompose within the arc tube 27, is deposited therein, and a rare gas is admitted into one end of the arc tube 27.
  • the other electrode, 29 of FIG. 1, having the oxygen-absorbing getter 37 affixed thereto is sealed into the other end of the arc tube 27.
  • this sealing of the electrodes 29 and 31 into the opposite ends of the tubular ceramic envelope of the arc tube 27 is preferably, not necessarily, effected by a frit sealing technique.
  • a ceramic wafer, 41 of FIG. 2 is affixed to the electrode 39 and a glass frit material, not shown but preferably in the form of a wafer with a central hole, is utilized to effect the desired frit sealing of the electrodes 29 and 31 into the ends of the arc tube 27 in a manner such that the cathode portion 45 and the getter 37 are within the arc tube 27.
  • the arc tube fabrication process is readily effected by sealing an electrode into one end of a tubular ceramic envelope of the arc tube. Then a dose of sodium, mercury and rare gas is deposited into the envelope in an amount sufficient for vaporization and provision of an unsaturated vapor type high pressure sodium lamp. Thereafter the other end of the tubular ceramic envelope is sealed with an electrode to which is affixed an oxygen gettering material to provide the desired arc tube.
  • a process has been provided for fabricating an arc tube for an usaturated vapor type high pressure sodium lamp.
  • the getter could be welded to the cathode shank or dispensed or affixed to the cathode portion 45 of the electrode. In any event, the getter is spaced from the ceramic envelope of the arc tube.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)
  • Vessels And Coating Films For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Electron Tubes, Discharge Lamp Vessels, Lead-In Wires, And The Like (AREA)
EP84301611A 1983-03-10 1984-03-09 Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp arc tube fabrication process Expired EP0122050B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US47389483A 1983-03-10 1983-03-10
US473894 1995-06-07

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0122050A1 EP0122050A1 (en) 1984-10-17
EP0122050B1 true EP0122050B1 (en) 1988-12-28

Family

ID=23881459

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP84301611A Expired EP0122050B1 (en) 1983-03-10 1984-03-09 Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp arc tube fabrication process

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0122050B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS59169036A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AU (1) AU570434B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA1241365A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE3475854D1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8623296D0 (en) * 1986-09-27 1986-10-29 Emi Plc Thorn Hydrogen getter
US20070096649A1 (en) * 2005-10-28 2007-05-03 Roels Timothy J Electrode-mounted getter

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3384798A (en) * 1966-04-26 1968-05-21 Gen Electric High pressure saturation vapor sodium lamp containing mercury
US3726582A (en) * 1967-03-31 1973-04-10 Philips Corp Electric discharge lamp comprising container of densely sintered aluminum oxide
US4075530A (en) * 1976-04-21 1978-02-21 Japan Storage Battery Company Limited High pressure sodium vapor lamp of unsaturated vapor pressure type

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1211176A (en) * 1967-02-16 1970-11-04 Gen Electric High-pressure sodium vapor lamp
US3453477A (en) * 1967-02-16 1969-07-01 Gen Electric Alumina-ceramic sodium vapor lamp
NL7108465A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1970-06-24 1971-12-28
US3821585A (en) * 1973-04-30 1974-06-28 Westinghouse Electric Corp Tungsten halogen incandescent lamp with group iva metal getter and method of manufacture
JPS5818742B2 (ja) * 1974-09-09 1983-04-14 日本電池株式会社 高圧ナトリウムランプおよびその製造方法
DE2704323A1 (de) * 1977-02-02 1978-08-03 Shigeru Suga Xenonlampe
JPS53101874A (en) * 1977-02-18 1978-09-05 Hitachi Ltd High pressure sodium lamp
DE2848891C2 (de) * 1978-11-10 1982-12-30 Heimann Gmbh, 6200 Wiesbaden Blitzlichtlampe
CA1214196A (en) * 1983-02-14 1986-11-18 Jack M. Strok Color rendition high pressure sodium arc tubes having an oxygen getter

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3384798A (en) * 1966-04-26 1968-05-21 Gen Electric High pressure saturation vapor sodium lamp containing mercury
US3726582A (en) * 1967-03-31 1973-04-10 Philips Corp Electric discharge lamp comprising container of densely sintered aluminum oxide
US4075530A (en) * 1976-04-21 1978-02-21 Japan Storage Battery Company Limited High pressure sodium vapor lamp of unsaturated vapor pressure type

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS59169036A (ja) 1984-09-22
JPH0452582B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1992-08-24
AU2547184A (en) 1984-09-13
CA1241365A (en) 1988-08-30
DE3475854D1 (en) 1989-02-02
AU570434B2 (en) 1988-03-17
EP0122050A1 (en) 1984-10-17

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
JPH0243301B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
US3619699A (en) Discharge lamp having cavity electrodes
US3937996A (en) Metal halide lamp using loop electrodes
GB2072411A (en) Low wattage metal halide arc discharge lamp
US4025812A (en) Alumina ceramic alkali metal lamp having metal getter structure
US3549937A (en) Low pressure mercury vapour discharge lamp including an alloy type getter coating
US4415829A (en) Direct current operable arc lamp
US5022882A (en) Arc tube dosing process for unsaturated high pressure sodium lamp
US4468590A (en) High-pressure sodium lamp
US4859905A (en) Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp getter mounting
EP0122050B1 (en) Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp arc tube fabrication process
US5327042A (en) Metal halide lamp
US3385645A (en) Method of dosing the arc tube of a mercury-additive lamp
US4988318A (en) Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp arc tube fabrication process
EP0119082B1 (en) Unsaturated vapor high pressure sodium lamp including getter
US5026311A (en) Arc tube fabrication process
EP0122052B1 (en) Arc tube fabrication process
US4806826A (en) High pressure sodium vapor discharge device
US5225733A (en) Scandium halide and alkali metal halide discharge lamp
US3549936A (en) Low pressure mercury vapor discharge lamps including an alloy type getter coating
US4855643A (en) Unsaturated vapor pressure type high pressure sodium lamp
EP0122051B1 (en) Arc tube dosing process for unsaturated high pressure sodium lamp
EP0127928A1 (en) Method of dosing the arc tube of an unsaturated high pressure sodium lamp
CA1046129A (en) Metal halide lamp using loop electrodes
EP0583113B1 (en) Discharge lamp arc tube and method of making a discharge lamp arc tube

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): BE DE FR GB NL

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19841231

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19860527

R17C First examination report despatched (corrected)

Effective date: 19870330

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): BE DE FR GB NL

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 3475854

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19890202

ET Fr: translation filed
PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 19900228

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: BE

Payment date: 19900314

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 19900329

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Payment date: 19900331

Year of fee payment: 7

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 19900525

Year of fee payment: 7

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Effective date: 19910309

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: BE

Effective date: 19910331

BERE Be: lapsed

Owner name: GTE PRODUCTS CORP.

Effective date: 19910331

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: NL

Effective date: 19911001

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee
NLV4 Nl: lapsed or anulled due to non-payment of the annual fee
PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Effective date: 19911129

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Effective date: 19920101

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: ST