US1827292A - Electrode - Google Patents

Electrode Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US1827292A
US1827292A US368813A US36881329A US1827292A US 1827292 A US1827292 A US 1827292A US 368813 A US368813 A US 368813A US 36881329 A US36881329 A US 36881329A US 1827292 A US1827292 A US 1827292A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
electrode
glass tube
stream
ions
tube
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
US368813A
Inventor
Laube Louis Wilbur
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.)
FLEXLUME Corp
Original Assignee
FLEXLUME 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 FLEXLUME CORP filed Critical FLEXLUME CORP
Priority to US368813A priority Critical patent/US1827292A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US1827292A publication Critical patent/US1827292A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01JELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J17/00Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/02Details
    • H01J17/04Electrodes; Screens
    • H01J17/06Cathodes
    • H01J17/066Cold cathodes
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01JELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J2893/00Discharge tubes and lamps
    • H01J2893/0064Tubes with cold main electrodes (including cold cathodes)
    • H01J2893/0065Electrode systems
    • H01J2893/0066Construction, material, support, protection and temperature regulation of electrodes; Electrode cups

Definitions

  • This invention relates to electrodes for luminous electrical discharge tubes of the type employing an inert gas such as neon as the current conducting medium, such tubes being extensively used for illuminated signs.
  • the present invention relates particularly to cup-shaped electrodes which have their open ends sealed to the open endsof a glass tube and form closures for the ends of the tube.
  • the interior surface of the glass tube receives a negative charge by reason of the fact that some of the electrons find lodgment thereon. It is a property of the conduction of electricity that the electric current at one point along the conductor tends to follow a path normal to an equipotential surface.
  • the receiving surface of the electrode whatever its form, is equipotential.
  • further equipotential surfaces exist which at first follow the surface of the electrode very closely, but are deformed as the distance from the electrode increases until they take the form which exists in the main body of the tube which, owing to the charge on the glass tube, is convex to the stream of ions.
  • the present invention has for its object to provide a cup-shaped electrode which is of such form that concentration of the stream of ions adjacent the seal connecting the open end of the electrode to the open end of the glass tube is prevented.
  • Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a portion of the glass tube with the electrode of the present invention attached thereto.
  • Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the effect of the electrode on the electronic stream.
  • the glass tube which may form a part of an illuminated sign of the neon tube type is indicated by the reference numerall and the cup-shaped electrode is indicated generally by the reference numeral 2.
  • the electrode is preferably formed of copper and may be made from a piece of copper tubing, the outer end portion of the electrode being formed by swaging the tubing to a small diameter to provide a stem 3, and enlarging the tubing above the stem to provide an enlarged portion 4 of the globular form of greater diameter than the glass tube 1.
  • a series of heat radiating fins 5. may be attached in a suitable manner to the stem.
  • the electrode In its inner end, the electrode has a cylindrical edge portion 6 which is of a diameter-to fit upon the exterior of the glass tube which is sealed to the edge of the electrode by fusion, as well understood in the art.
  • the portion of the electrode above the stem 3 is cup-shaped and the side wall is bulged outwardly immediately below the end of the glass tube. The portion of the side wall of the electrode immediately below the end of the glass tube is thus curved outwardly so that the exposed interior surface flares outwardly from the end of the glass tube.
  • the equipotential surfaces adjacent the surface of the electrode conform closely to the surface of the electrode and gradually decrease in curvature as in I the glass tube flares away from the tube, the
  • deflection of the stream of ions at the mouth of the electrode is considerably decreased with the result that a large proportion of the stream passes into the electrode past the seal and is distributed quite uniformly over the interior surface of the electrode without any objectionable concentration of the stream along the edge of the seal.
  • a recess 7 of small diameter extending into the stem may be provided at the bottom of the cup-shaped portion of the electrode.- Ions adjacent the axis of the electrode passing into the recess 7 are deflected laterally toward the sidewall of the recess and are thus distributed over a greater area of electrode surface.
  • the equipotential surfaces 7) within the glass tube are convex to the stream of ions and within the electrode concave thereto.
  • An electrode for luminous discharge tubes adapted to seal the end of a glass tube and having an open end of a diameter to fit over the end of the glass tube, said electrode being enlarged outwardly of the open end thereof to provide an interior surface flaring outwardly from the end of the glass tube.
  • An electrode for luminous discharge tubes adapted to seal the end of a glass tube and having an open end of a diameter to fit over the end of the glass tube, said electrode being cup-shaped, of greater diameter than the glass tube and of substantially globular form.
  • An electrode for luminous discharge tubes adapted to seal the end of a glass tube and having an open end of a diameter to fit over the end of the glass tube, said electrode being cup-shaped, of greater diameter than the glass tube and of substantially globular form, said electrode having a recess of relatively small diameter in the bottom thereof substantially in axial alinement with the end of the glass tube to which the electrode is attached.

Landscapes

  • Vessels And Coating Films For Discharge Lamps (AREA)

Description

- Oct. 13, 1931. I 1.. W. LAUB E Y ,8 7, 9
ELECTRODE Original Filed June 6, 1929 INVENTOR Louis Wilbur Liubc.
ATTORNEY .5 v
Patented Oct. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS WILBUR LAUBE, OI EAS'ILCLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO FLEXLUME CORPORATION, OF TONAWAND'A, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- 'IION or new YORK\\ ELECTRODE Application filed June 6, 1929, Serial No. 368,813. Renewed March 3, 1931.
This invention relates to electrodes for luminous electrical discharge tubes of the type employing an inert gas such as neon as the current conducting medium, such tubes being extensively used for illuminated signs. The present invention relates particularly to cup-shaped electrodes which have their open ends sealed to the open endsof a glass tube and form closures for the ends of the tube.
The interior surface of the glass tube receives a negative charge by reason of the fact that some of the electrons find lodgment thereon. It is a property of the conduction of electricity that the electric current at one point along the conductor tends to follow a path normal to an equipotential surface. In an electrical discharge tube, the receiving surface of the electrode, whatever its form, is equipotential. In moving away from the surface of the electrode, further equipotential surfaces exist which at first follow the surface of the electrode very closely, but are deformed as the distance from the electrode increases until they take the form which exists in the main body of the tube which, owing to the charge on the glass tube, is convex to the stream of ions. Passage of the stream through the convex equipotential surfaces tends to concentrate the stream of ions toward the longitudinal axis of the tube although this is opposed by the mutual repulsion of the electrons. Inside the cup-shaped electrode, however, the curvature of the equipotential surfaces is reversed so that the stream of ions tends to spread outwardly to the wall of the electrode.
In the case of cup-shaped electrodes with the edge of the cup fused to the edge of glass tube, there is a tendency for the stream of ions to spread as it passes into the electrode so that a large proportion of the stream strikes the electrode close to the seal, the concentration of the electron stream at the edge of the glass seal causing excessive heating at this point which is objectionable since the seal is the weakest point of the structure.
The present invention has for its object to provide a cup-shaped electrode which is of such form that concentration of the stream of ions adjacent the seal connecting the open end of the electrode to the open end of the glass tube is prevented.
With the above and other objects in view, the invention may be said to comprise the electrode as illustrated in the accompanying drawings hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the appended claims, togetherwith such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to one skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.
Reference should be had to the accompanyr. ing drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a portion of the glass tube with the electrode of the present invention attached thereto.
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the effect of the electrode on the electronic stream.
The glass tube which may form a part of an illuminated sign of the neon tube type is indicated by the reference numerall and the cup-shaped electrode is indicated generally by the reference numeral 2. The electrode is preferably formed of copper and may be made from a piece of copper tubing, the outer end portion of the electrode being formed by swaging the tubing to a small diameter to provide a stem 3, and enlarging the tubing above the stem to provide an enlarged portion 4 of the globular form of greater diameter than the glass tube 1.
A series of heat radiating fins 5.may be attached in a suitable manner to the stem. In its inner end, the electrode has a cylindrical edge portion 6 which is of a diameter-to fit upon the exterior of the glass tube which is sealed to the edge of the electrode by fusion, as well understood in the art. The portion of the electrode above the stem 3 is cup-shaped and the side wall is bulged outwardly immediately below the end of the glass tube. The portion of the side wall of the electrode immediately below the end of the glass tube is thus curved outwardly so that the exposed interior surface flares outwardly from the end of the glass tube.
As above explained, the equipotential surfaces adjacent the surface of the electrode conform closely to the surface of the electrode and gradually decrease in curvature as in I the glass tube flares away from the tube, the
deflection of the stream of ions at the mouth of the electrode is considerably decreased with the result that a large proportion of the stream passes into the electrode past the seal and is distributed quite uniformly over the interior surface of the electrode without any objectionable concentration of the stream along the edge of the seal.
By reason of the fact that, during its passage through the glass: tube, the stream of ions is concentrated centrally of the tube, a considerable portion of the stream would normally be concentrated upon the central portion of the bottom of the electrode. In order to disperse this portion of the stream of ions over a greater area of electrode surface, a recess 7 of small diameter extending into the stem may be provided at the bottom of the cup-shaped portion of the electrode.- Ions adjacent the axis of the electrode passing into the recess 7 are deflected laterally toward the sidewall of the recess and are thus distributed over a greater area of electrode surface.
In Fig. 2 of the drawings, lines of travel of the ions are indicated by the dotted lines a and successive equipotential surfaces within the tube and electrode are indicated by the dotted lines 6.
As shown in this figure, the equipotential surfaces 7) within the glass tube are convex to the stream of ions and within the electrode concave thereto.
By reason of the outward flare of the in terior surface of the electrode immediately adjacent the end of the glass tube, the change in equipotential surfaces from the convex to concave with respect to the stream of ions is less abrupt than with the cup-shaped electrode of uniform diameter so that the speading of the stream entering the electrode is lessened and a greater proportion of the ions strike the interior surface of the electrode well below the seal. Also, as the central portion of the stream of ions approaches the flaring mouth of the recess 7, there is a spreading of this portion of the stream which is thus distributed over a considerably greater surface. area than it would be if the bottom of tfihe electrode cavity were flat or substantially It will thus be apparent that the electrode of the present invention is of such form that the stream of ions will be distributed quite uniformly over the interior surface and local heating effects are thereby eliminated.
Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular form of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth, are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.
What I claim is:
1. An electrode for luminous discharge tubes adapted to seal the end of a glass tube and having an open end of a diameter to fit over the end of the glass tube, said electrode being enlarged outwardly of the open end thereof to provide an interior surface flaring outwardly from the end of the glass tube.
2. An electrode for luminous discharge tubes adapted to seal the end of a glass tube and having an open end of a diameter to fit over the end of the glass tube, said electrode being cup-shaped, of greater diameter than the glass tube and of substantially globular form.
3. An electrode for luminous discharge tubes adapted to seal the end of a glass tube and having an open end of a diameter to fit over the end of the glass tube, said electrode being cup-shaped, of greater diameter than the glass tube and of substantially globular form, said electrode having a recess of relatively small diameter in the bottom thereof substantially in axial alinement with the end of the glass tube to which the electrode is attached.
In testimony whereof I affix my signature.
LOUIS WILBUR LAUBE.
US368813A 1929-06-06 1929-06-06 Electrode Expired - Lifetime US1827292A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US368813A US1827292A (en) 1929-06-06 1929-06-06 Electrode

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US368813A US1827292A (en) 1929-06-06 1929-06-06 Electrode

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US1827292A true US1827292A (en) 1931-10-13

Family

ID=23452845

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US368813A Expired - Lifetime US1827292A (en) 1929-06-06 1929-06-06 Electrode

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) US1827292A (en)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2445077A (en) * 1942-06-25 1948-07-13 Rca Corp Electron discharge device utilizing cavity resonators
US2446269A (en) * 1945-05-08 1948-08-03 Eitel Mccullough Inc Electrode mounting structure for electron tubes
US2534762A (en) * 1945-08-13 1950-12-19 Epstein Hirsch Electrode structure for glow discharge tubes
US2561866A (en) * 1947-02-20 1951-07-24 Gen Electric High-pressure metal vapor electric discharge lamp
US2892113A (en) * 1958-05-12 1959-06-23 Engelhard Ind Inc Electrical discharge lamp
US20060138958A1 (en) * 2004-12-24 2006-06-29 Junghyun Yoon Fluorescent lamp, method of manufacturing the same, and backlight unit having the same

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2445077A (en) * 1942-06-25 1948-07-13 Rca Corp Electron discharge device utilizing cavity resonators
US2446269A (en) * 1945-05-08 1948-08-03 Eitel Mccullough Inc Electrode mounting structure for electron tubes
US2534762A (en) * 1945-08-13 1950-12-19 Epstein Hirsch Electrode structure for glow discharge tubes
US2561866A (en) * 1947-02-20 1951-07-24 Gen Electric High-pressure metal vapor electric discharge lamp
US2892113A (en) * 1958-05-12 1959-06-23 Engelhard Ind Inc Electrical discharge lamp
US20060138958A1 (en) * 2004-12-24 2006-06-29 Junghyun Yoon Fluorescent lamp, method of manufacturing the same, and backlight unit having the same
US8021206B2 (en) * 2004-12-24 2011-09-20 Lg Display Co., Ltd. Fluorescent lamp, method of manufacturing the same, and backlight unit having the same

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US1827292A (en) Electrode
US2604599A (en) Cathode-ray tube
US2064369A (en) Electric discharge tube
US2217187A (en) Electrical discharge apparatus
GB499897A (en) Improvements in auxiliary electrodes in electric discharge devices
US2200911A (en) Sealed lead-in for cathode-ray tubes and the like
US2004175A (en) Discharge tube
US2020393A (en) Gas discharge tube
US1991279A (en) Gas filled discharge tube
US1757233A (en) Discharge tube
US2431767A (en) Electrode mounting in electron discharge tube
US1617177A (en) Production of electrical variations
US1738960A (en) Vacuum discharge device and method of using the same
US2847599A (en) Bulb spacer shield
US2121591A (en) Grid glow tube with zero temperature effect
US1787699A (en) X-ray tube
US1987338A (en) Mercury vapor rectifier
US2248425A (en) Rectifier tube
US1851706A (en) Electron discharge device
US1211091A (en) Cathode-ray device.
US1985324A (en) Envelope construction
US1965665A (en) Vacuum discharge tube
US1905043A (en) Luminous discharge device
US1655926A (en) X-kay tube adapted for sigh vol t ags
US2115927A (en) High voltage electron discharge device