Lamp for use in a high pressure environment

Claim 1

In a lamp for use in a chamber containing a high pressure environment greater than a predetermined normal atmospheric pressure wherein said lamp includes a light source and a housing, said light source being located within said housing interior and said housing exterior being capable of withstanding pressures greater than said atmospheric pressure, the improvement comprising means cooperatively associated with said housing for maintaining at least the portion of the interior of said housing surrounding said light source substantially at atmospheric pressure while the interior of the chamber exterior to said housing is at said greater high pressure, said housing including means for substantially isolating said housing interior environment from said chamber interior environment, a globe capable of passing light therethrough, said globe being in surrounding relationship with said light source and being closed at opposite ends thereof to complete said housing by said isolation means, said maintaining means comprising a condUit in communication at one end with the interior of said housing through said isolation means and at the other end with the exterior of said chamber, said housing further comprising means for maintaining said globe in compression, said compression means including compressible gasket means in communication with said housing interior and said chamber interior for enabling a predetermined minimal amount of leakage of gas from said chamber interior to said housing interior for continuously purging said conduit while maintaining said housing interior substantially at atmospheric pressure, said chamber exterior being at said normal atmospheric pressure, said conduit venting any gasses in said housing interior to said chamber exterior, whereby said housing interior is substantially pressure tight with respect to the chamber interior high pressure surrounding environment.