Electric discharge device containing thorium, mercury and iodine

Claim 2

A HIGH PRESSURE DISCHARGE DEVICE FOR THE EMISION OF WHITE LIGHT COMPRISING: AN ARC TUBE HAVING ELECTRODES CONTAINING A THORIUM SILVER SEALED AT EITHER END THEREOF AND A VAPORIZABLE FILL OF IODINE, MERCURY AND THORIUM ATOMS, SAID IODINE AND MERCURY RESPECTIVELY BEING PRESENT THEREIN AT A RATIO OF 0.10 TO 0.85 AND SAID MERCURY BEING PRESENT IN SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES TO BE COMPLETELY VAPORIZED AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURES OF SAID ARC TUBE AND TO FORM A RESTRICTED ARC THEREIN, SAID THORIUM BEING PRESENT IN QUANTITIES OF 2.6X10**-7 TO 2.6X10**-8

Claim 3

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes sealed at either end thereof and a vaporizable fill of iodine, mercury, thorium and sodium atoms, said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being present in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc Tube to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 2.6 X 10 7 to 2.6 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and said sodium being present in sufficient quantities to stabilize said arc and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.

Claim 4

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes sealed at either end thereof and a vaporizable fill of iodine, mercury, thorium and sodium atoms, said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being present in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc Tube to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 2.6 X 10 7 to 2.6 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and said sodium being present in sufficient quantities to stabilize said arc and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.

Claim 5

The discharge device according to claim 2 wherein thorium slivers are present in the electrodes.

Claim 6

The high pressure discharge device according to claim 3 wherein said sodium is present as sodium iodide when the device is cold.

Claim 7

The high pressure discharge device according to claim 3 wherein at least a part of said mercury is present as mercuric iodide when the device is cold.

Claim 8

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes containing thorium slivers sealed at either end thereof and vaporizable filling of atoms of iodine, mercury, thorium and sodium said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being present in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc tube and to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 2.6 X 10 7 to 2.6 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length, said sodium being present in quantities of 5.25 X 10 7 to 6.8 X 10 3 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.

Claim 9

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes containing thorium slivers sealed at either end thereof and vaporizable filling of atoms of iodine, mercury, thorium and sodium said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being present in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc tube and to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 2.6 X 10 7 to 2.6 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length, said sodium being present in quantities of 5.25 X 10 7 to 6.8 X 10 3 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.

Claim 10

The high pressure discharge device according to claim 6 wherein said sodium is present as sodium iodide when the device is cold.

Claim 11

The high pressure discharge device according to claim 6 wherein at least a part of said mercury is present as mercuric iodide when the device is cold.

Claim 12

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes sealed at either end thereof and a vaporizable fill of iodine, mercury and thorium atoms said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being present in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc tube and to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 5.2 X 10 7 to 5.2 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.

Claim 13

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes sealed at either end thereof and a vaporizable fill of iodine, mercury and thorium atoms said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being present in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc tube and to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 5.2 X 10 7 to 5.2 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.

Claim 14

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes sealed at either end thereof and a vaporizable filling of atoms of iodine, mercury, thorium and sodium, said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being presnt in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc tube and to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 5.2 X 10 7 to 5.2 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length, said sodium being present in quantities of 5.25 X 10 7 to 6.8 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.

Claim 15

A high pressure discharge device for the emission of white light comprising: an arc tube having electrodes sealed at either end thereof and a vaporizable filling of atoms of iodine, mercury, thorium and sodium, said iodine and mercury respectively being present therein at a ratio of 0.10 to 0.85 and said mercury being presnt in sufficient quantities to be completely vaporized at normal operating temperatures of said arc tube and to form a restricted arc therein, said thorium being present in quantities of 5.2 X 10 7 to 5.2 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length, said sodium being present in quantities of 5.25 X 10 7 to 6.8 X 10 6 gram atoms per centimeter of arc length and characterized in that said white light constitutes substantially a continuum of radiation in the visible spectrum in contrast to a balancing of line spectral emission that has the appearance of white or near-white light.