US2438579A - Electric gas discharge tube - Google Patents

Electric gas discharge tube Download PDF

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Publication number
US2438579A
US2438579A US658408A US65840846A US2438579A US 2438579 A US2438579 A US 2438579A US 658408 A US658408 A US 658408A US 65840846 A US65840846 A US 65840846A US 2438579 A US2438579 A US 2438579A
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United States
Prior art keywords
electrode
tube
discharge
contact
thermionic
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Expired - Lifetime
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US658408A
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English (en)
Inventor
Schouwstra Pieter
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General Electric Co
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General Electric Co
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by General Electric Co filed Critical General Electric Co
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Publication of US2438579A publication Critical patent/US2438579A/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/56—One or more circuit elements structurally associated with the lamp
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S315/00—Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
    • Y10S315/02—High frequency starting operation for fluorescent lamp

Definitions

  • the invention relates-to electric gas discharge tubes comprising an incandescent electrode and a thermal switch which reacts to the temperature of this electrode.
  • electric gas discharge tubes are meant hereinafter not only discharge tubes filled with one or more gases-but also tubes filled with vapour or with a mixture of gas and vapour.
  • the invention relates to an improvement in these discharge tubes.
  • the switch is constructed and arranged in such manner that the incandescent electrode is invisible from the discharge path. Owing to this arrangement there is achieved an arrangement wherein the particles disintegrating from the electrode are intercepted in the direction of the discharge path and wherein an associated switch has two functions. There is therefore no need for providing a separate screen for intercepting the disintegrated cathode particles.
  • the switch may be constructed in such manner that the incandescent electrode is also invisible from the direction perpendicular to the discharge path and is accessible from the direction away from the discharge path. It is thus achieved that the discharge also appears hehind the electrode so that the presence of dark ends of the tube may be avoided.
  • the element responsive to heat semi-cylindrically surrounds the incandescent electrode which extends perpendicularly to the discharge path and this element may be provided with sidefiaps or positionable appendages integral with the shield structure which cover the ends of this semi-cylinder.
  • the switch responsive to the temperature of the electrode may be utilized for different purposes. It may serve, for example, to put the discharge path under tension, to alter the heating of the electrode or of a supply which gives 01! metal vapour or of a substance evolving gas, to act upon an ignition mechanism, to switch into c rcuit a cooling device of the tube, to connect the two ends of the electrode to one another after the discharge has occurred, etc. In some of these cases there may occur the risk of the production of a discharge between the incandescent electrode and one of the contact pieces of the switch. This may be avoided by housing that contact piece of the switch which is secured to the ther mally responsive element arranged in the discharge chamber and serving to screen the incandescent electrode, and also the counter contact 6 Claims. (C1.17c 122) 2 piece in a chamber of insulating material which communicates with the discharge chamber via a narrow aperture which is partly closed by the said Contact piece.
  • the contact chamber may have a cylindrical shape and the contact piece may be movable in the axis of the chamber. It is thus possible to reduce the aperture by means of which the Contact chamber communicates with the discharge chamber, to a minimum without retardmg or hindering the movement of the contact member. Accordingly, a very simple construction of a contact chamber may be obtained by using a glass tube one end of which is sealed to the pinchor disc-shaped end of the tube which carries the incandescent electrode, as disclosed and claimed in U. S. Patent 2,313,683, filed by R. N. Thayer and assigned to the assignee oi'this application. In some cases it is still simpler to utilize a cylindrical cavity or this pinchas the contact chamber.
  • this may advantageously be effected by means of a conductor which is secured to or in the discharge tube itself. By this means radio interferences caused by the tube are reduced. In addition, this procedure facilitates the ignition and the re-ignition oi the tube.
  • the circuit arrangement of the tube may also be simplified by this procedure because this conductor may connect the two electrodes of the tube via the switch without any need of utilizing for this purpose a,
  • the conductor may be provided on the outside of the wall by sealing it thereto by means of a kind of glass of low melting-point or by securing it thereto with the aid 0! an insulating and ference.
  • a condenser of, say. from 5000 to 50,000 mo.
  • Figure 1 represents a low-pressure mercury-vapour discharge tube serving for the radiation of light, which tube substantially consists of a glass tube I having, for example, an external diameter of 35 mms. and a length of 100 cms.
  • This tube is hermetically closed at either end and comprises incandescent or thermionic electrodes 2 and 3 of the usual type.
  • the tube contains a small or low melting-point.
  • Figure 2 shows in section a portion 01 the wall or the tube with the conductor I4. Those portions of the wires and I3 which are remote from the discharge chamber are conquantity of mercury whichyields the required v mercury vapour with an operating pressure of about 0.01 mm.
  • the tube may be coated with a luminescent layer or it may consist of luminescent glass.
  • the electrode 2 ismounted on supporting wires 4 and 5 which hermetically pass through the pinch 6 of a stem tube I.
  • a bi-metallic element 9 which semi-cylindrically surrounds substantially the full length of the electrode 2, which extends perpendicularly to the axis of the discharge path, in the direction of the electrode 3, is secured to the supporting wire 5 through the intermediary of a wire 8 which is bent at a right angle.
  • Thebi-metallic element 9, for example, may be a shield concave toward the press or pinch 6 and, may be provided with two side-flaps In which shut the side-apertures of the semi-cylinder; for the sake of clearness the'right-hand side-flap is shown in a plane parallel to the supporting wire.
  • a wire II which has been bent twic at a right angle and the lower end of which acts as a contact piece and is movable like a piston in 8.
  • a supply wire I3 whose upper end constitutes the counter contact piece of the switch.
  • the supply wire I3 may, for example, be hermetically provided. by means of a glass bead, in an originally throughgoing bore I2.
  • the cavity I2 of the pinch 6 use might also be made of a tube of insulating material, for example glass, which is secured to the upper-side or under-side of the pinch or to another hermetically obturating member of the tube end. That end of the supply wire I3 which is remote from the discharge chamber is connected to the electrode 3 by means of a conductor I4 which is secured to the outside of the tube I with the aid of an insulating and preferably transparent strip I5 which may consist, for example, of a kind of glass nected to another by means of a condenser I6 of the order of magnitude of 0.01 at.
  • This condenser shunts the contact pieces II and I3 via the wire element 9 and can easily be housed in-the hollow space between the stem tube 1 and a cap I'I.
  • a wire-shaped auxiliary contact I8 To the supporting wire 4 of the electrode 2 may be secured a wire-shaped auxiliary contact I8 and this in such manner, that it makes contact with the central piece of the wire II which has been bent twice at a right angle, after the'bi-metallic element 9 has attained the position of ordinary source of current is connected, through the intermediary of a choke coil 24, to that end of the electrode 3 which is remote from the conductor I4.
  • the choke coils 20 and 24 or a single choke coil substituted for them may be housed in the holders I9 and/or 25, in which case the mounting -of the tube I is as simple-as that of a tubular incandescent lamp. 4
  • the device operates as follows: I n-the cold condition of the bimetallic element the ends of the wires II and I3 are in contact with one another so that, after the main switch 2I has been closed, the incandescent electrodes 2 and'3 are traversed by a series-current which is substan tially determined by the impedance of the electrodes and the choke coils. This current rapidly raises the electrodes; to the emission temperature whereby the bimetallic element 9 undergoes'a deformation such that the contact piece.
  • the electrode 2 is heated exclusively by the discharge.
  • the bimetallic switch is kept open in this case by the heat given out by'the electrode 2 and by the heat pair of cooperating'electrodes at least one of which is a thermionic electrode supported by a stem press, a bimetallic shield concave toward said press and extending about substantially the full length. or said thermionic electrode. the other one of said cooperating electrodes being positioned so that it faces the convex side of said shield, and contact means actuated by said shield.
  • An electric discharge device comprising a pair of cooperating electrodes at least one of which is a thermionic electrode supported by a stem press, a closed-end semi-cylindrical bimetallic shield concave toward said press and extending about substantially the full length of said thermionic electrode, the other one of said cooperating electrodes being positioned so that it faces the convex side of said shield, and contact means actuated by said shield.
  • electric discharge device comprising a pair of cooperating electrodes at least one of which is a thermionic electrode supported by a stem press, a closed-end semi-cylindrical bimetallic shield concave toward said press and extending about substantially the full length of said thermionic electrode with the axis of the electrode perpendicular to the arc discharge path, the other one of said cooperating electrodes being positioned so that it faces the convex side oi. said shield, and contact means actuated by said shield.
  • An-electric discharge device comprising a pair of cooperating electrodes at least one of which is a thermionic electrode supported by a stem press, a bimetallic shield concave toward said press and extending about substantially the full length of said thermionic electrode, the other one of said cooperating electrodes being positioned so that it faces the convex side of said shield, a stationary contact mounted in a cavity in said press,
  • a gaseous electric discharge device comprising a sealed envelope containing cooperating electrodes at least one ofwhich is a thermionic electrode, a switch comprising a bimetallic member mounted within said envelope and in heat-receiving relation to said thermionic electrode, saidbione end or said thermionic electrode, contact means carried by and actuated to open-circuit position by said bimetallic member upon heating thereof, and means electrically connecting said bimetallic member with the other end ofsaid thermionic electrode upon expansion of said himetallic member to short-circuit said electrode during operation of the device.
  • An electrode structure for an electric discharge device comprising in combination a vitreous stem, a pair of lead-in wires fused to said stem, a support wire fused to said stem, a thermionic electrode connected to and between one of said lead-in wires and said support wire, a bimetallic member concave toward said stem and enclosing said thermionic electrode, said bimetallic meme ber being supported at one end from said support wire and electrically connected to the adjacent end of said thermionic electrode, movable contact means carried by the other end or said bimetallic member and normally engaging one end of said other lead-in wire, and a second contact member on said one lead-in wire located in the path of movement of said movable contact means to electrically connect said bimetallic member with the other end oi. said thermionic electrode upon expansion of said bimetallic member to short-circuit said electrode during operation of the device.

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  • Thermally Actuated Switches (AREA)
US658408A 1942-06-16 1946-03-30 Electric gas discharge tube Expired - Lifetime US2438579A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL240681X 1942-06-16

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2438579A true US2438579A (en) 1948-03-30

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US658408A Expired - Lifetime US2438579A (en) 1942-06-16 1946-03-30 Electric gas discharge tube

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US2438579A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CH (1) CH240681A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR895531A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB617112A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL59720C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB8326980D0 (en) * 1983-10-08 1983-11-09 Emi Plc Thorn Reducing end darkening in fluorescent lamps

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1877932A (en) * 1926-12-10 1932-09-20 Electrons Inc Electric lamp
US2053879A (en) * 1929-05-04 1936-09-08 Hans J Spanner Discharge tube
US2295657A (en) * 1941-05-24 1942-09-15 Bryant Electric Co Fluorescent lamp starter unit
US2313683A (en) * 1941-03-28 1943-03-09 Gen Electric Gaseous discharge lamp
US2351616A (en) * 1942-04-21 1944-06-20 Gen Electric Electric discharge device

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1877932A (en) * 1926-12-10 1932-09-20 Electrons Inc Electric lamp
US2053879A (en) * 1929-05-04 1936-09-08 Hans J Spanner Discharge tube
US2313683A (en) * 1941-03-28 1943-03-09 Gen Electric Gaseous discharge lamp
US2295657A (en) * 1941-05-24 1942-09-15 Bryant Electric Co Fluorescent lamp starter unit
US2351616A (en) * 1942-04-21 1944-06-20 Gen Electric Electric discharge device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB617112A (en) 1949-02-01
CH240681A (de) 1946-01-15
NL59720C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR895531A (fr) 1945-01-26

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