Tubular electrode support for ceramic discharge lamp

Claim 2

In a ceramic discharge lamp including a base, an outer envelope sealed to said base and a ceramic arc tube mounted within said Outer envelope and electrically connected to said base, said ceramic arc tube including refractory metal end caps sealing off the ends thereof and carrying internally thereof discharge sustaining electrodes, the improvement comprising: an improved electrode mounting and support element at at least one end of said arc tube comprising a length of exhaust and fill tubulation sealed through an aperture in said cap, said tubulation having a notched out section on the portion thereof extending inwardly of said end cap with that portion of said tubulation between the notched out portion and the inwardly extending end of said tubulation being collapsed from a convex-concave form to a concave-convex form to form a double walled substantially U-shaped electrode holding and centering portion with its opposite side wall.

Claim 3

A ceramic discharge lamp according to claim 1 wherein said exhaust and fill tubulation is tantalum.

Claim 4

A ceramic discharge lamp according to claim 1 wherein said exhaust and fill tubulation is niobium.

Claim 5

An improved refractory metal exhaust and fill tubulation for a ceramic discharge lamp, said tubulation comprising: an elongated, thin walled tubular member having a notched out portion adjacent one end thereof and a collapsed wall portion extending from said notched out portion to said adjacent end, said collapsed wall portion extending substantially curvilinearly with and adjacent to the inner surface of its opposite wall portion to thereby form a double walled electrode holding portion.

Claim 6

An improved refractory metal exhaust and fill tubulation for a ceramic discharge lamp, said tubulation comprising: an elongated, thin walled tubular member having a notched out portion adjacent one end thereof and a collapsed wall portion extending from said notched out portion to said adjacent end, said collapsed wall portion extending substantially curvilinearly with and adjacent to the inner surface of its opposite wall portion to thereby form a double walled electrode holding portion.

Claim 7

The improved refractory metal exhaust and fill tubulation of claim 4 wherein said refractory metal exhaust and fill tubulation is tantalum.

Claim 8

The improved refractory metal exhaust and fill tubulation of claim 4 wherein said refractory metal exhaust and fill tubulation is niobium.

Claim 9

In a ceramic discharge lamp including a base, an outer envelope sealed to said base and a ceramic arc tube within said outer envelope and electrically connected to said base, said ceramic arc tube including refractory metal end caps sealing off the ends thereof and carrying internally thereof discharge sustaining electrodes, the improvement comprising: an improved electrode mounting and support element at at least one end of said arc tube comprising a length of exhaust and fill tubulation extending through the end cap at said at least one end of said arc tube, said exhaust and fill tubulation having a section thereof, adjacent to but spaced from the inwardly extending end, notched out with the portion of said tubulation between said notched out portion and the inwardly extending end of said tubulation being collapsed against its opposite side wall to form a double walled U-shaped electrode rod gripping portion with said opposite side wall.

Claim 10

In a ceramic discharge lamp including a base, an outer envelope sealed to said base and a ceramic arc tube within said outer envelope and electrically connected to said base, said ceramic arc tube including refractory metal end caps sealing off the ends thereof and carrying internally thereof discharge sustaining electrodes, the improvement comprising: an improved electrode mounting and support element at at least one end of said arc tube comprising a length of exhaust and fill tubulation extending through the end cap at said at least one end of said arc tube, said exhaust and fill tubulation having a section thereof, adjacent to but spaced from the inwardly extending end, notched out with the portion of said tubulation between said notched out portion and the inwardly extending end of said tubulation being collapsed against its opposite side wall to form a double walled U-shaped electrode rod gripping portion with said opposite side wall.

Claim 11

The ceramic discharge lamp of claim 7 wherein said tubulation is tantalum.

Claim 12

The ceramic discharge lamp of claim 7 wherein said tubulation is niobium.