US3529208A

US3529208A - Discharge lamp arrangement for lighting purposes

Info

Publication number: US3529208A
Application number: US663144A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank Frungel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-08-26
Filing date: 1967-08-24
Publication date: 1970-09-15
Anticipated expiration: 1987-09-15
Also published as: NL6710493A; DE1539409A1; GB1137016A

Description

F. FRUNGEL Filed Aug. 24, 1967 DISCHARGE LAMP ARRANGEMENT FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES Sept. 15, W20

INVENTOR M #14 1! BY ad! z flew,

ATTORNEY 3,529,208 DISCHARGE LAMP ARRANGEMENT FOR LIGHTING PURPOSES Frank Frungel, Herwigredder 105a, Hamburg-Rissen, Germany Filed Aug. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 663,144 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 26, 1966,

Int. C]. 1101;; 7/16, 61/28 U.S. Cl. 315-110 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When using electronic discharge devices where a multiplicity of series connected discharge lamps is fed by one common circuit it is frequently necessary to effect variations of the light intensity. For instance, the distance to an object to be illuminated is frequently larger from the lamps arranged in a series of lamps more to the outside than from the inside lamps which latter are closer to the object. In case of large scale objects very high currents are necessary in the common circuit of the lamps. In these cases it is undesirable to effect electrical switching during operation. This is in particular the case when working outside or in case of bad weather where it is necessary to use atmosphere proof switching gear which increases the cost of the device substantially. Likewise when shooting pictures underground or in inside spaces where there is a risk of explosion or in case of pictures from the air for surveying purposes conditions frequently arise where switching changes effected in the electrical parameter are difficult to perform.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for an electric discharge lamp arrangement for illuminating purposes which gives the possibility to modify the light intensity and light distribution without effecting switch changes in the electrical parts.

This object is met by an arrangement wherein a multiplicity of gas filled discharge lamps connected to a common circuit is provided with means for varying the characteristics of the gas contents of at least one of said lamps.

These variations may be effected by varying the gas pressure or by varying the type of gas supplied to one of said lamps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The drawing shows in a diagrammatic manner a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the drawing it will be noted that there are four series-connected discharge lamps 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d. These lamps are supplied with current from a storage condenser 2 which is recharged after each discharge from a direct current source 4 in conventional manner. In addition to the natural inductivity of the circuit there are inductivities 3a and 3b provided ahead of and following United States Patent Patented Sept. 15, 1970 the discharge lamps. These inductivities if desired may be surrounded by a ferrite material 30, 3d so that the inductivity is high when there is no current and low when current flows through the line.

In order to start the discharge a starter 5 is provided which emits high voltage starting impulses in the direction of the arrows 5a. These impulses spontaneously bridge the four lamps 1a, 1b, 1c and 1a. This will therefore directly lead to the main discharge from the storage condenser 2 across the ionized current path of the four lamps. Associated with the starter 5 is an auxiliary direct current source 51 from which the condenser 52 is charged. The condenser 52, for the starting operation, is discharged into the primary of a small auxiliary transformer 54. This discharge takes place through a switch 53 which may be a spark gap, a thyratron, an electron tube or an ordinary contact. The secondary of the auxiliary condenser charges another auxiliary condenser 55 by which within a few micro-seconds the discharge voltage of an auxiliary spark gap 56 is reached depending on the arrangement of the device. The voltage at the condenser 55 rises immediately prior to the starting until it reaches the starting voltage of the auxiliary spark gap 56. At this moment the two

condensers

55 and 57 are connected in series and thus a steep current impulse is effected at the lamps 1a 1b, 1c and 1d of which the size is determined by the sum of the voltages at the

condensers

55 and 57. Thus a spontaneous and definite starting of the lamps takes place.

The lamps 1a to 1d are associated with reflectors 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d. As indicated there may thus be obtained an elongated scope of lighting in the lighting fields 7a, 7b, 7c and 7d. Thus it is possible for instance to illuminate a row of houses in a uniform manner for the purposes of a wide angle shot. In accordance with the teachings of the invention the lamps 1a and 1d are provided with a different composition of discharge gas and a different pressure for the gas from the composition and pressure used in the lamps 1b and 10. For this purpose the lamps may be connected with their inlets or other gas ducts to adjustable pressurized gas containers. In the embodiment shown the inlets 8b and 8c are fed by a common conduit 8 and the two inlets 8a and 8b are fed from the conduit 8e.

In order to modify the gas contents of the lamps 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d a control device 10 is provided which is connected with the two conduits 8e and 81. The control device 10 is charged from three pressure gas containers 11, 12 and 13 of which for instance one may contain helium gas, the other krypton and the third argon, all under high pressure. The three pressurized gas containers 11, 12 and 13 are provided in conventional manner with manometers 14, 15, 16 and with valves 17, 18 and 19. The three valves 17, 18 and 19 control three feed ducts 21, 22 and 23 connected to the control device 10. The ducts lead to pairs of valves 31, 41 and 32, 42 and 33, 43. At the outlet end the valves 31, 32 and 33 are connected in series with the conduit 8e. In corresponding manner there is a connection in series between the three valves 41, 42 and 43 and on the other hand the duct 8 It is therefore possible to connect the two conduits 8e and 8; by suitable operation of the valves 31, 32, 33, 41, 42, 43 to a source of helium gas, krypton, argon. The amount of gas pressure in the two conduits 8e and 8] can be controlled by means of the manometers 34 and 44. To lower the gas pressure or to evacuate the lamp containers entirely, there are provided two release valves 35 and 45.

The gas pressure in the discharge space can for instance be varied as follows. After first draining the gas from a previous operation, the valves 35 and 45 are closed. If it is intended to fill the lamps 1a and 1d with, for instance, high pressure helium gas and the lamps 1b and 1c with high pressure krypton, one proceeds as follows: Only the valve 31 of the series of valves 31, 32, 33, 41, 42 and 43 is opened. Thus helium under pressure can enter the conduit 8e from the pressurized gas container 11. Upon reaching the required pressure, Which is controlled by the manometer 34, the valve 31 is closed again. It is also possible to make a correction in case the gas pressure has risen to too high a level by opening the release valve 35. The valve 42 is then opened to fill the discharge lamps 1b and 1c with krypton under pressure. The krypton gas can thus enter into conduit 8) from the pressure container 12. The gas pressure in this case is controlled by the manometer 44. Upon reaching of the desired pressure, the valve 42 is again closed. More precise adjustment of the pressure is possible also in this case by means of the release valve 45.

This type of operation permits to give the emission of the lamps 1a and 1d a more reddish shading and accordingly to cause a better illumination of certain parts of the object since reddish light has a greater penetration through any kind of haze. A filling of the lamps 1b and 1c on the other hand with krypton will result in a more white illumination similar to the use of xenon. In the same manner it is possible to use argon which can be admitted by means of valves 33 and 43 from gas container 13.

It is also possible to fill up all lamps with the same type of gas by simultaneous opening of the valve pairs 31, 41 and 32, 42, and 33, 43. It is furthermore possible to vary the pressures in the two conduits 8e and 8 by manipulation of the two valves of each pair of valves. Thus a variation of the light intensity will result in spite of the fact that all of the lamps 1a, 1b, 1c and 1d are connected to the same discharge current.

Since the light intensity depends on the number of ionized gas atoms present between two electrodes a pressure of for instance 3 atm. abs. will more or less triple the amount of light emission as compared with a pressure of only one atm. abs. Thus it is possible to adapt the character of a multi-lamp arrangement and the lighting effects obtained thereby to existing conditions in a manner similar to the inflation of an automobile tire. For practical purposes one may use in this case a small high pressure vessel provided with a manometer in order to effect the necessary adjustments manually. In case of a large type arrangement it is however also possible to use gas containers with electromagnetically controlled valves and to arrange that the gas pressure and gas type can at will be varied by a remote control device.

The voltage of the condenser 2 in the arrangement shown can in addition be varied over a broad range at the current inlet side, for instance between 500 volts and 5000 volts, without the necessity of effecting any kind of switch-operation at the discharge part of the device. Thus it is possible to modify both the discharge energy for instance in a relation of 1 to 100 or the radiation scope and all this gradually and if desired also from the spectral side without actually effecting mechanical changes in the apparatus itself.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawing. For instance any number of lamps may be used. If a multiplicity of lamps is used with one and the same object to be illuminated it may be possible to manipulate only some of these lamps by changing the type of gas and thus changing the spectral composition of the lighting effect since the emissions of all lamps will have a superposed common effect.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapted it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. An arrangement for varying the lighting characteristics of gaseous discharge lamps comprising, in combination, a plurality of gaseous discharge lamps connected electrically in series; electrical discharge circuit means connected across said series-connected discharge lamps; a plurality of different gas sources under pressure; a plurality of conduit means permanently connecting each of said gas sources with each of said lamps; and a plurality of valves in said plurality of conduit means enabling opening and closing of the respective conduit means for selectively regulating the flow of the different gases into each of said lamps so that the gas composition and gas pressure within each of said lamps may be varied during operation of the arrangement without any interruption of such operation by connecting and disconnecting any of said different gas sources with the gaseous discharge lamps forming part of said arrangement.

2. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said gas sources comprises a source of relatively light inert gas and another of said sources comprises a source of relatively heavy inert gas.

3. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 including remote control means connected to said valve means for varying remotely said pressure.

4. The arrangement as defined in claim '1 including automatic control means linked to said valve means for maintaining the pressure of gas supplied to different lamps at predetermined different levels, said lamps being disposed at different locations relative to a given area so as to provide uniform light distribution over all of said area.

5. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 including discharge capacitor means connected across the series combination of said series-connected lamps; and a source of voltage connected in parallel with said discharge capacitor means for charging said capacitor means with energy deliverable to said lamps.

6. The arrangement as defined in claim 5 including auxiliary start ing means connected across said seriesconnected lamps for initially starting the lighting of said lamps, said discharge capacitor means discharging said energy to said lamps upon starting of said lamps through said auxiliary starting means.

7. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve means comprises a plurality of valves each communicating with at least one gas source and one lamp for varying the gaseous characteristics in said lamp individually.

8. The arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said gas sources are inert gases.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 253,770 2/1882 Sbillot 3 137 1,595,775 8/1926 Green '3l420 X 1,851,360 3/1932 JacObSen 313-223 2,252,474 8/1941 Spanner 240--37.l 2,716,717 8/ 1955 Dresser --v 31'51 11 X 3,337,762 8/1967 Vincent 3l37 3,377,496 '4/l968 Friingel et al. 3l3-175 JAMES W. LAWRENCE, Primary Examiner P. C. DEMEO, Assistant Examiner