US2872608A - Glow discharge tube - Google Patents

Glow discharge tube Download PDF

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Publication number
US2872608A
US2872608A US653388A US65338857A US2872608A US 2872608 A US2872608 A US 2872608A US 653388 A US653388 A US 653388A US 65338857 A US65338857 A US 65338857A US 2872608 A US2872608 A US 2872608A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
cathode
tube
discharge path
density
anode
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
US653388A
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English (en)
Inventor
Koelewijn Arie
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.)
US Philips Corp
North American Philips Co Inc
Original Assignee
US Philips 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 US Philips Corp filed Critical US Philips Corp
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2872608A publication Critical patent/US2872608A/en
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
    • H01J17/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/02—Details
    • H01J17/30—Igniting arrangements

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a glowdischarge tube having only two electrodes in the primary discharge path.
  • the primary object of the invention is to provide a gas discharge tube which has substantially the same breakdown voltage when it is hot as when it is cold.
  • the invention comprises a gas dscharge tube having a man cathode and anode between which the primary discharge takes place.
  • electrodes are provided. or shaped, to establish a secondary discharge path somewhat removed from the main discharge path and at a location within the tube where the gas density does not vary appreciably between the cold and hot states of the tube.
  • the electrodes defining the secondary discharge path are fixed relative to each other so that the breakdown voltage of the secondary discharge path is substantially the same when the tube is cold as the breakdown voltage of the main discharge path when the tube is hot.
  • Fig. 1 shows the variation of density of the gas in a glow discharge tube as a function of the dstance of the cathode from the bulb wall
  • Figs. 2 and 3 show a side view and aplan view of an electrode arrangement according to the invention.
  • the gas density d is plo'tted as a function of the distance a of the cathode from the wall of the bulb.
  • the zero point on the abscissa indicates the cation of the cathode and the vertcal line on the right hand side of the figure indicates the bulb wall.
  • Line I designates the density of the gas in the cold state of the tube and, as would be expected, shows that the density is uniform throughout the tube.
  • Line 11 indicates the density variation when the tube is hot and particularly when the bulb is comparatively small.
  • the density is lower in the immediate vicnity of the hot cathode than the uniform density of a cold tube, but, because the tube is a closed system with a constant number of gas molecules, the ara over curve II must be the same as the area over curve I, so the density near the wall of the bulb is higher for a hot tube than for a cold tube.
  • the density of the gas is the same whether the tube is hot or cold, and it is at the point a that the secondary discharge path should be located.
  • the cathode 1 is in the form of a short trough having a U-shaped cross sction supported by a conductive rod 2.
  • the main anode is the pointed end 3 of a wire 4 aimed directly at the open side of the cathode trough 1 with the point 3 in the same plane as the edges of the trough.
  • a loop 5 is formed in the wire 4 in order to bring the wire into proxirnity with the supportng conductive rod 2.
  • An auxiliary cathode 6 is provided adjacent a plate 7 to form an auxiliary discharge of about 1 a. so as to reduce ignition delay of the main discharge.
  • the plate 7 also serves to shield the auxiliary discharge from the man discharge path.
  • the members 1-7 are supported on contact pin studs extending through the wall of a tube envelope, or bulb, 8.
  • the secondary discharge path between the bottom end of loop 5 and the adjacent portion of rod 2 is located at a point within the bulb 8 which corresponds to the point a in Fig. 1. place between the loop 5 and the rod 2 before it takes place between anode 3 and the cathode 1 but is immediately shfted to the main discharge path between anode 3 and cathode 1 so that the loop 5 and the rod 2 do riot become unduly heated; If the tube is operated for some time, cathode 1 becomes heated, thereby reducing the density of the gas in its irnmediate vicinity and lowering the breakclown potential of the main discharge path betweenoathode 1 and anode 3. When the.
  • cathode 1 has been operated for a suflicient length of time, the density of the gas in its immediatevicnity is reduced to substantially an equilibrium level and the breakdown voltage between cathode 1 and anode 3 is reduced to substantially the same as the breakdown voltage between loop 5 and rod 2 so that if the discharge is turned ol and on while the cathode 1 is hot, the breakdownwill occur between anode 3 and cathode 1 as easily as between loop 5 and rod 2. Because the density of gas in the region of the loop 5 and rod 2 remains constantthe breakdown voltage of the secondary discharge path stays almost constant and the breakdown voltage between anode 3 and cathode 1 falls to this level. It should be noted that if the secondary discharge remained on for very long, i. e. if the discharge did not almost immediately transfer to cathode 1 and anode 3, there would be local heating of elements defining the secondary discharge path, and a resultant local change in gas density similar to the change in the region of the primary discharge path.
  • the cathode 1 is made of molybdenum of a thickness of .25 mm., an internal width of .55 mm, a height of 16 mm. and a length of 3 mm.
  • the cathode is supported by rod 2 which has a length of 10 mm. a width of .7 mm., and a thickness of .25 mm.
  • the wire 4 has a thickness of .4 mm. and terminates in a point 3 of .05 mm.
  • the diameter of the loop 5 is 2.8 mm.
  • The" bulb"8 has avolumeof about 6 cm. and is filled wth neon at a pressure of 48 mm.
  • the internal diameter of the bulb is 18. mm.
  • the breakdown Voltage between anode 3 and cathode I is 186i 10volts but witlith loopsas shwn inthedrawings, the breakdown voltage becomes moreconstantand .is 180i4 volts betweenthehot and the cold stats, an improvement of more than 50% in the reduction of the breakdown voltage tolerance.
  • An electric discharge tube comprising an envelope, anionizable medium within said envelope,"cathode and anode electrodes positioned withn saidenvelope to define a main discharge path therebetween a first conductive member supporting the cathode, "asecond coriductive member spaced fromand supporting: said anode, said second conductive member havng an extension facing the first conductive member and defining with the second conductive member a secondary discharge path, said extension being positioned relative to said anode and cathode electrodes where the densty of the ionizable medium remains substantially constant rrespective of the temperature of the medium whereby the breakdown po tential of saidsecondarypath is substantally the same asthe breakdown. potential of the main dscharge path whensaid tube is hotand the discharge which initiates in said secondary path isthereby transferred to said main discharge path.

Landscapes

  • Vessels And Coating Films For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Lasers (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamps And Accessories Thereof (AREA)
US653388A 1956-04-28 1957-04-17 Glow discharge tube Expired - Lifetime US2872608A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL351343X 1956-04-28

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2872608A true US2872608A (en) 1959-02-03

Family

ID=19785049

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US653388A Expired - Lifetime US2872608A (en) 1956-04-28 1957-04-17 Glow discharge tube

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US2872608A (de)
BE (1) BE557018A (de)
CH (1) CH351343A (de)
DE (1) DE1028694B (de)
FR (1) FR1173672A (de)
GB (1) GB858542A (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20040142124A1 (en) * 2002-04-18 2004-07-22 Patterson Miles Roylance Trays

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2733372A (en) * 1950-07-19 1956-01-31 Glow discharge tube
US2791727A (en) * 1953-12-30 1957-05-07 Patent Treuhand Ges Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh Electric discharge lamp

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE898489C (de) * 1944-06-06 1953-11-30 Siemens Ag Elektrische Glimmentladungsroehre mit Kathode, Steuerelektrode, Anode und zusaetzlicher Hilfselektrode fuer eine Hilfsentladung
AT168005B (de) * 1948-11-24 1951-04-10 Philips Nv Glimmentladungsröhre, insbesondere Stabilisierungsröhre
AT180634B (de) * 1950-06-20 1954-12-27 Western Electric Co Glimmentladungseinrichtung
AT172036B (de) * 1951-06-07 1952-07-25 Kapsch Telephon Telegraph Glimmlampe mit gesteuerter Glimmbedeckung

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2733372A (en) * 1950-07-19 1956-01-31 Glow discharge tube
US2791727A (en) * 1953-12-30 1957-05-07 Patent Treuhand Ges Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh Electric discharge lamp

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20040142124A1 (en) * 2002-04-18 2004-07-22 Patterson Miles Roylance Trays

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CH351343A (de) 1961-01-15
BE557018A (de)
GB858542A (en) 1961-01-11
DE1028694B (de) 1958-04-24
FR1173672A (fr) 1959-02-27

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