EP1001451B1 - Lampe à décharge à arc contenant du barium et comportant un tube à arc en oxyde d'yttrium, de gadolinium ou de terbium - Google Patents

Lampe à décharge à arc contenant du barium et comportant un tube à arc en oxyde d'yttrium, de gadolinium ou de terbium Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1001451B1
EP1001451B1 EP99121066A EP99121066A EP1001451B1 EP 1001451 B1 EP1001451 B1 EP 1001451B1 EP 99121066 A EP99121066 A EP 99121066A EP 99121066 A EP99121066 A EP 99121066A EP 1001451 B1 EP1001451 B1 EP 1001451B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
arc tube
arc
discharge lamp
accordance
arc discharge
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 - Lifetime
Application number
EP99121066A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP1001451A1 (fr
Inventor
Philip E. Moskowitz
Richard A. Snellgrove
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
Osram Sylvania Inc
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 Osram Sylvania Inc filed Critical Osram Sylvania Inc
Publication of EP1001451A1 publication Critical patent/EP1001451A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1001451B1 publication Critical patent/EP1001451B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/12—Selection of substances for gas fillings; Specified operating pressure or temperature
    • H01J61/18—Selection of substances for gas fillings; Specified operating pressure or temperature having a metallic vapour as the principal constituent
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/30—Vessels; Containers
    • H01J61/302—Vessels; Containers characterised by the material of the vessel

Definitions

  • This invention relates to arc discharge lamps, and is directed more particularly to a mercury-free fluorescent lamp.
  • Arc discharge lamps such as fluorescent lamps, are well known in the art and customarily include an arc tube filled with a rare gas and mercury. While such lamps are extensively used and in general perform quite well, the presence of mercury in the lamp may generate environmental and safety problems. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal and lamp disposal may be hazardous. The cost of safe disposal adds to the cost of the lamp. Accordingly, it is deemed advantageous to the environment, to safety in manufacture of such devices, and to reduction of costs, to provide an arc discharge lamp which includes no mercury but which performs at least as well as the traditional mercury lamp.
  • an object of the invention to provide an arc discharge lamp in which the contents of the arc tube are substantially devoid of mercury.
  • an arc discharge lamp comprising an arc tube of a material selected from a group of materials consisting of yttria, gadolinium oxide, and terbium oxide, the arc tube containing a fill comprising a rare gas, and containing metallic barium.
  • An arc tube mount supports the arc tube at either end of the arc tube.
  • the arc tube and the arc tube mount are disposed in an outer glass jacket, and a base member closes the outer glass jacket.
  • an illustrative lamp includes an arc tube 10 for containing a fill gas.
  • the arc tube 10 preferably is of yttria (Y 2 O 3 ), but may, alternatively, be of gadolinium oxide or terbium oxide, all of which have proven resistant to reaction with barium.
  • the former is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,166,831, issued September 4, 1979 to William H. Rhodes, et al. Doping of the arc tube materials, for example with alumina or lanthana, improves the sinterability.
  • the arc tubes may be brought to high density (about 95% or greater of theoretical density) and high translucency (at least 85% total transmission) by sintering at around 2100°C in an atmosphere of low oxygen partial pressure. Typical total transmission values for the arc tubes are around 95%. While sizes and shapes of such tubes may conform to the desired use, a particular configuration found acceptable is of a cylindrical shape and about 51.9 mm in length, end-to-end, and about 6.4 mm in diameter.
  • the arc tube 10 contains a fill gas which includes a rare gas, and also contains 5 to 20 milligrams of metallic barium.
  • the rare gas may be neon or xenon, or the like and may be in the pressure range of 133.3-13332,2 Pa (1-100 Torr).
  • the arc tube 10 may further include additions, such as metallic sodium and/or calcium and/or strontium, to balance color.
  • the barium has been found to radiate in such a manner as to produce white light, discussed further hereinbelow.
  • An electrically conductive arc tube mount 12 supports the arc tube 10 in known fashion.
  • the arc tube mount 12 is of a rigid material, such as stainless steel, nickel, molybdenum, or the like.
  • the arc tube mount 12 includes an upper crossbar 14 and a lower crossbar 16.
  • a plurality of spring-like members 18 are affixed to the arc tube mount 12 for contact with a glass jacket 20.
  • the glass jacket 20 is fixed to a base member 22, typically a screw-type base member of nickel plated brass, for insertion into a threaded electrical receptacle (not shown).
  • a glass stem member 24 is sealed to the jacket 20 and projects thereinto. Electrical connectors 26, 28 are sealed into, and pass through the stem member 24, to provide electrical connections from the exterior to the interior of the glass jacket 20.
  • the arc tube mount 12 is affixed to one of the electrical connectors 26.
  • a pair of getters 30, 32 are attached to the arc tube mount 12 and serve to insure the integrity of the evacuated jacket 20 by absorbing from the interior of the jacket any oxygen present.
  • the arc tube 10 includes an electrode 34, 36 at either end thereof.
  • One electrode 34 is affixed to and is supported by the crossbar 14 of arc tube mount 12, while the other electrode 36 is insulatedly supported by the other crossbar 16, but is electrically connected to the electrical connector 28 passing through the stem member 24.
  • the electrodes 34, 36 preferably are of tungsten coated with an emitter compound for reducing the electrode operating temperature.
  • the emitter is a barium-calcium-tungsten composition of the type used in high pressure sodium lamps.
  • Heat conserving end seals, or bands, 38 preferably are wrapped around the arc tube 10 at each end thereof proximate the electrodes 34, 36, in order to reduce heat differential between the ends of the arc tube 10 and the center of the arc tube 10.
  • the bands 38 may be of an axial length (i.e., width of band) of about 6.0 mm.
  • the glass jacket 20 is evacuated and may be provided with a interior coating 40 of phosphor.
  • a voltage is applied across the electrical connectors 26, 28, and thence to either end of the arc tube 10 by the electrode 36 and the arc tube mount 12 and electrode 34, ionizing the rare gas in the arc tube 10, which quickly heats the arc tube 10.
  • the lamp's color is initially dominated by rare gas spectral emission, but as the tube heats, the barium begins to radiate.
  • the lamp assumes its' white color from barium atomic and ionic spectral emission at 455, 493, 553, 614, 650 nanometers.
  • FIG. 3 A typical spectrum for a lamp made with an alumina doped yttria arc tube filled with 10 milligrams of barium and 4400 Pa (33 Torr) Xenon at a current of 2.5 A and arc tube center temperature of 900°C is shown in FIG. 3.
  • the near ultraviolet emissions from the neutral barium atom could excite the phosphor layer 40 on the inside surface of the outer jacket, which would improve the color of the lamp emission.
  • the lamp Inasmuch as there is a saturated vapor in the arc tube 10, the lamp must be operated on alternating current to avoid cataphoresis, that is, migration of all active ions to one end or the other of the arc tube.
  • An alternating voltage source and ballast impedance assembly is required. Referring to FIG. 2, it will be seen that a switched direct current may be used to drive the lamp.
  • An output of a current limited D.C. supply 50 is routed to an "H-Bridge" switching circuit 52 via a ballast impedance 54.
  • the switching circuit 52 includes a switcher 56, the switching frequency being driven by a clock 58.
  • the small voltage maintained across the impedance 54 protects the switching circuitry from transients.

Landscapes

  • Vessels And Coating Films For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)

Claims (11)

  1. Une lampe à décharge à arc comprenant :
    un tube à arc (10) en un matériau choisi dans un groupe de matériaux, le groupe de matériaux consistant en l'oxyde d'yttrium, en l'oxyde de gadolinium et en l'oxyde de terbium ;
    une atmosphère gazeuse dans le tube à arc, l'atmosphère gazeuse comprenant un gaz rare ;
    du baryum métallique placé dans le tube à arc ;
    une fixation (12) de tube à arc supportant le tube à arc à l'une des extrémités du tube à arc ;
    une ampoule (20) extérieure en verre dans laquelle le tube à arc et la fixation de tube à arc sont placés, le vide étant fait dans l'ampoule extérieure en verre ; et
    un culot (22) fermant l'ampoule extérieure en verre.
  2. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 1, dans laquelle le gaz rare est un gaz choisi dans le groupe consistant en le néon et en le xénon.
  3. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 1, dans laquelle un additif est placé dans le tube à arc, l'additif comprenant au moins l'un du sodium, calcium et strontium.
  4. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 1, dans laquelle l'enveloppe extérieure en verre est revêtue d'une couche d'une substance luminescente.
  5. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 1, dans laquelle le matériau du tube à arc comprend de l'oxyde d'yttrium.
  6. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 5, dans laquelle l'oxyde d'yttrium du tube à arc est de l'oxyde d'yttrium dopé par de l'alumine.
  7. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 5, dans laquelle l'oxyde d'yttrium du tube à arc est de l'oxyde d'yttrium dopé par de l'oxyde de lanthane.
  8. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 5, dans laquelle le tube à arc est d'une grande densité et d'une grande translucidité.
  9. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 8, dans laquelle la grande densité représente au moins 95 % environ de la densité théorique.
  10. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 8, dans laquelle la grande translucidité représente au moins 80 % environ de la translucidité théorique.
  11. La lampe à décharge à arc suivant la revendication 1, dans laquelle le tube à arc comprend une paire d'électrodes revêtues d'un composé émetteur ayant une composition baryum-calcium-tungstène.
EP99121066A 1998-11-10 1999-10-21 Lampe à décharge à arc contenant du barium et comportant un tube à arc en oxyde d'yttrium, de gadolinium ou de terbium Expired - Lifetime EP1001451B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US18969698A 1998-11-10 1998-11-10
US189696 1998-11-10

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1001451A1 EP1001451A1 (fr) 2000-05-17
EP1001451B1 true EP1001451B1 (fr) 2003-08-13

Family

ID=22698403

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99121066A Expired - Lifetime EP1001451B1 (fr) 1998-11-10 1999-10-21 Lampe à décharge à arc contenant du barium et comportant un tube à arc en oxyde d'yttrium, de gadolinium ou de terbium

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1001451B1 (fr)
JP (1) JP2000149867A (fr)
AT (1) ATE247331T1 (fr)
CA (1) CA2274199A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69910329T2 (fr)

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3622217A (en) * 1969-06-30 1971-11-23 Xerox Corp Light producing system
DE2422411A1 (de) * 1974-05-09 1975-12-11 Philips Patentverwaltung Hochdruckquecksilberdampfentladungslampe
US4166831A (en) * 1977-07-11 1979-09-04 Gte Laboratories Incorporated Transparent yttria ceramics and method for producing same
EP0341750A3 (fr) * 1988-05-13 1991-04-17 Gte Products Corporation Tube à arc et lampe à décharge à haute pression comportant un tel tube

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2000149867A (ja) 2000-05-30
DE69910329D1 (de) 2003-09-18
CA2274199A1 (fr) 2000-05-10
DE69910329T2 (de) 2004-02-26
ATE247331T1 (de) 2003-08-15
EP1001451A1 (fr) 2000-05-17

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