US2056613A - Electric gaseous discharge device - Google Patents

Electric gaseous discharge device Download PDF

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Publication number
US2056613A
US2056613A US46178A US4617835A US2056613A US 2056613 A US2056613 A US 2056613A US 46178 A US46178 A US 46178A US 4617835 A US4617835 A US 4617835A US 2056613 A US2056613 A US 2056613A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
coating
electrode
inlead
discharge
sheath
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
US46178A
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English (en)
Inventor
John H Mitchell
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.)
General Electric Co
Original Assignee
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 US2056613A publication Critical patent/US2056613A/en
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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J19/00—Details of vacuum tubes of the types covered by group H01J21/00
    • H01J19/78—One or more circuit elements structurally associated with the tube
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/54—Igniting arrangements, e.g. promoting ionisation for starting
    • H01J61/545—Igniting arrangements, e.g. promoting ionisation for starting using an auxiliary electrode inside the vessel

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to electric gaseous discharge devices, and particularly to those devices utilizing an auxiliary electrode to facilitate the starting of the main discharge.
  • a particular object of the invention is to simplify the structure of electric gaseous discharge devices, such as the high intensity mercury vapor arc lamps now going into extensive use, wherein an auxiliary electrode is employed to start the discharge between the main electrodes.
  • a further object of the invention is to provide an impedance within the sealed envelope of the discharge device in series with said auxiliary electrode. Still other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed specification or from an inspection of the accompanying drawing.
  • auxiliary electrode is formed on the long lead within the envelope to the electrode at the remote end thereof, and the necessary series impendance is likewise incorporated in the connec- 50 tion between this auxiliary electrode and said lead.
  • the auxiliary electrode is formed as a coating on the insulating sheath about this lead, said sheath serving as the dielectric of a condenser having the coating and the lead as plates.
  • the auxiliary electrode is thus connected to this lead through a capacitance the impedance of which is easily made of the desired value through control of the thickness of the insulating sheath and of the area of the surface coating.
  • Said coating is, of course, exposed at a point adjacent to the electrode of opposite polarity, where it provides a short gap which is easily broken down by the applied potential, while the remainder of this coating is either exposed to the discharge or suitably sheathed in insulating material, as desired. In some cases better starting is obtained, however, by leaving the entire coating exposed.
  • the auxiliary electrode which is located on the long lead as before is connected to said lead through the insulating sheath on said lead by a high resistance path, such as is produced by coating a tiny aperture in said sheath with a conducting film of platinum, silver, aquadag, said aperture then being suitably closed so that adischarge cannot take place directly to said lead therethrough.
  • FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a high intensity mercury vapor arc lamp having the auxiliary starting electrode mounted on one of the main electrode leads,
  • Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification of the structure of Fig. 1, and
  • this novel lamp has a tubular sealed envelope 8 of any suitable vitreous material having a pinch seal 2 at one end thereof through which are sealed a pair of inleads 3 and i of tungsten or the like.
  • the inlead 3 extends only a short distance into said envelope from the pinch 2, and on its end supports a thermionic cathode 5 of any suitable type.
  • said cathode consists of a tungsten helix within which there is a cylindrical pellet consisting at least in part of alkaline earth compounds.
  • Such cathodes are well known, and since they form no part of the present invention further description thereof appears unnecessary.
  • the inlead 4 extends along the envelope I, preferably along one side thereof to a point close to the other end of said envelope.
  • a transverse lead 6 of tungsten which in turn supports a thermionic cathode I which is a duplicate of the cathode 5.
  • the inlead 4 is entirely enclosed in a vitreous or other suitable insulating sheath 8 from the pinch 2 to the transverse lead 5 in order to prevent the discharge striking thereto instead of to the cathode 1.
  • This material may be painted or sprayed on, electrolytically deposited, or produced by any of the other methods of platinizing or silvering, for example.
  • This coating may be limited to a band adjacent to the cathode 5, if desired, but in general is extended from that point over a considerable portion of the sheath 8, as shown, in order to increase the capacity with respect to the inlead 4.
  • all of this coating 9 is enclosed within a suitable insulating coating except for the band adjacent to the cathode 5 so as to limit the discharge to said coating as an auxiliary electrode to this area, although in general it is preferred to leave the entire coating exposed, as shown.
  • the envelope I may contain any suitable gaseous atmosphere, such as argon at a pressure of the order of 5 m. m. of mercury, together ,with enough mercury to give a pressure of the order of an atmosphere when it is all vaporized, this being the preferred filling for a high intensity mercury vapor arc lamp.
  • argon at a pressure of the order of 5 m. m. of mercury, together ,with enough mercury to give a pressure of the order of an atmosphere when it is all vaporized, this being the preferred filling for a high intensity mercury vapor arc lamp.
  • this device When this device is connected to a suitable source of potential, such as 220 volts A. 0., through the usual impedance (not shown) a discharge immediately occurs across the short gap between the cathode 5 and the coating 9, which thus serves as an auxiliary electrode.
  • a discharge is limited by the impedance of the condenser formed by this coating, the sheath 8 and the inlead 4 to a value of the order of a few milliamperes, this current being sufficient to ionize the gaseous atmosphere, and thus to cause the main discharge to start between the cathodes 5" and 1, without materially reducing the high luminous efficiency of the device.
  • Fig. 2 The structure of Fig. 2 is similar to that of 'Fig. 1 except that the coating 9' is here extended down into actual electrical contact with the inlead 4 at a point beyond the end of the sheath 8. ,In this case it is essential that this coating should be extremely thin so as to provide the desired high resistance between this point of connection with the inlead 4 and a point opposite the cathode 5.
  • a sheath H! of insulating material, such as glass, is preferably placed over all of the coating 9' except for the band at the end thereof adjacent to the cathode 5.
  • this ballasting resistance is provided in a different manner.
  • the sheath 8 has a pin hole H formed therein opposite the cathode 5.
  • the walls of this opening are then platinized or otherwise coated with a thin film of electrically conducting material, or the hole is filled with aquadag, liquid silver, liquid platinum or the like, to form a path of high resistance from the inlead 4 through the sheath 8.
  • this opening H is not entirely filled with the material it should be closed as by fusion. or by covering it with the conducting coating l9, as shown, in order to prevent a discharge taking place within said opening.
  • the area of this opening is, of course, so chosen that the resistance of this path is suiiicient to ballast the auxiliary discharge and limit it to the desired small value.
  • An electric gaseous discharge device comprising a sealed envelope containing a gaseous atmosphere, a. pair of inleads sealed therein, each of said inleads supporting an electrode, one of said inleads having a portion thereof adjacent to the electrode supported by the other inlead, a
  • auxiliary electrode comprising a surface of conducting material on said sheath, said coating extending from a point adjacent said other electrode to a point remote therefrom and being 6 connected to said inlead at said remote point.

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  • Vessels And Coating Films For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)
US46178A 1934-11-06 1935-10-22 Electric gaseous discharge device Expired - Lifetime US2056613A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB31911/34A GB446833A (en) 1934-11-06 1934-11-06 Improvements in and relating to electric discharge lamps

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2056613A true US2056613A (en) 1936-10-06

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US46178A Expired - Lifetime US2056613A (en) 1934-11-06 1935-10-22 Electric gaseous discharge device

Country Status (3)

Country Link
US (1) US2056613A (fr)
FR (1) FR797318A (fr)
GB (1) GB446833A (fr)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2451043A (en) * 1944-12-23 1948-10-12 Pennybacker Miles Gas discharge lamp
US2505993A (en) * 1948-01-20 1950-05-02 Rogers Louis Fluorescent electric lamp
US2508118A (en) * 1948-03-03 1950-05-16 Gen Electric Starting strip for electric discharge devices
US2733368A (en) * 1951-03-29 1956-01-31 Kolkman
US2829295A (en) * 1949-07-02 1958-04-01 Philips Corp Internally conductively coated lamp and method of manufacture
US3610983A (en) * 1968-08-21 1971-10-05 Patent Trevhand Ges Fur Elektr Restarting arrangement for high-pressure mercury-vapor lamp which includes metallic halide additives

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2451043A (en) * 1944-12-23 1948-10-12 Pennybacker Miles Gas discharge lamp
US2505993A (en) * 1948-01-20 1950-05-02 Rogers Louis Fluorescent electric lamp
US2508118A (en) * 1948-03-03 1950-05-16 Gen Electric Starting strip for electric discharge devices
US2829295A (en) * 1949-07-02 1958-04-01 Philips Corp Internally conductively coated lamp and method of manufacture
US2733368A (en) * 1951-03-29 1956-01-31 Kolkman
US3610983A (en) * 1968-08-21 1971-10-05 Patent Trevhand Ges Fur Elektr Restarting arrangement for high-pressure mercury-vapor lamp which includes metallic halide additives

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB446833A (en) 1936-05-06
FR797318A (fr) 1936-04-24

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