← Back to Patent Explorer
US4097781A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Atomic spectrum light source device

Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
•
Filing: 1975-11-25
•
Granted: 1978-06-27
•
Expires: 1995-11-25
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An anode and a cathode are disposed in an opposing relation in a tubing in which an inactive gas is enclosed to form a discharge lamp by which an atomic spectrum is emitted. The cathode contains atomic spectrum emitting elements also serving to form the material of cathode. The discharge lamp is supplied with a high frequency power from a high frequency source and simultaneously with a direct current power from a direct current source. This causes the direct current discharge and high frequency discharge to be effected between a pair of electrodes in a superimposed manner. The atoms sputtered by the direct current are efficiently excited by the application of the high frequency with the result that atomic spectra with high brightness are obtained.

Inventors

  • 👤 Hideaki Koizumi
  • 👤 Yoji Arai
  • 👤 Seiichi Murayama

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 13:02
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J61/00; H01J61/02; H01J61/56

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 128 words
An atomic spectrum light source device comprising a discharge tube in which an inactive gas is enclosed and which has a light taking-out window, an anode and a cathode arranged in said discharge tube, at least one of said anode and cathode including an element for emitting at least one required atomic spectrum, a first electric source for supplying to said anode and cathode a low frequency power whose alternating period is longer than a flight time of ions between said anode and cathode to generate atoms of said element by sputtering due to a glow discharge from said at least one of said anode and cathode, and a second electric source for supplying a high frequency power to said anode and cathode to excite said sputtered atoms.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 128 words
An atomic spectrum light source device comprising a discharge tube in which an inactive gas is enclosed and which has a light taking-out window, an anode and a cathode arranged in said discharge tube, at least one of said anode and cathode including an element for emitting at least one required atomic spectrum, a first electric source for supplying to said anode and cathode a low frequency power whose alternating period is longer than a flight time of ions between said anode and cathode to generate atoms of said element by sputtering due to a glow discharge from said at least one of said anode and cathode, and a second electric source for supplying a high frequency power to said anode and cathode to excite said sputtered atoms.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 20 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 1, wherein said low frequency power comprises a direct current power.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 22 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 1, wherein the generation and the excitation of the atoms are controlled independently.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 1, wherein said high frequency power has a frequency such that ion entrapment occurs.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 160 words
An atomic spectrum light source device comprising a discharge tube in which an inactive gas is enclosed and which has a light taking-out window, an anode and a cathode arranged in said discharge tube, at least one of said anode and cathode including an element for emitting at least one required atomic spectrum, a first electric source for supplying to said anode and cathode a low frequency power whose alternating period is longer than a flight time of ions between said anode and cathode to generate atoms of said element by sputtering due to a glow discharge from said at least one of said anode and cathode, a second electric source for supplying a high frequency power to said anode and cathode to excite said sputtered atoms, means for preventing current from flowing from said second electric source into said first electric source, and means for preventing current from flowing from said first electric source into said second electric source.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 160 words
An atomic spectrum light source device comprising a discharge tube in which an inactive gas is enclosed and which has a light taking-out window, an anode and a cathode arranged in said discharge tube, at least one of said anode and cathode including an element for emitting at least one required atomic spectrum, a first electric source for supplying to said anode and cathode a low frequency power whose alternating period is longer than a flight time of ions between said anode and cathode to generate atoms of said element by sputtering due to a glow discharge from said at least one of said anode and cathode, a second electric source for supplying a high frequency power to said anode and cathode to excite said sputtered atoms, means for preventing current from flowing from said second electric source into said first electric source, and means for preventing current from flowing from said first electric source into said second electric source.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 38 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 5, further comprising means for making intermittent the supply of the low frequency power to said anode and cathode while maintaining the supply of the high frequency power thereto.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 38 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 5, further comprising means for making intermittent the supply of the high frequency power to said anode and cathode while maintaining the supply of the low frequency power thereto.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 26 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 5, wherein the discharge surface of said anode runs parallel with the discharge surface of said cathode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 24 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 8, wherein said anode and cathode are comprised of plate electrodes parallel to each other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 38 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 5, wherein a choke coil is used as said means for preventing the high frequency current and a capacitor is used as said means for preventing the direct current.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 22 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 5, wherein the generation and the excitation of the atoms are controlled independently.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 23 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 5, wherein said high frequency power has a frequency such that ion entrapment occurs.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 155 words
An atomic spectrum light source device comprising a discharge tube in which an inactive gas is enclosed and which has a light taking-out window, an anode and a cathode arranged in said discharge tube, at least one of said anode and cathode including an element for emitting at least one required atomic spectrum, a first electric source for supplying to said anode and cathode a low frequency power whose alternating period is longer than a flight time of ions between said anode and cathode to generate atoms of said element by sputtering due to a glow discharge from said at least one of said anode and cathode, a second electric source for supplying a high frequency power to said anode and cathode to excite said sputtered atoms, and a magnet for sandwiching said anode and cathode to define a magnetic gap therebetween and to split an emitted luminous line into plural lines by Zeeman effect.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 155 words
An atomic spectrum light source device comprising a discharge tube in which an inactive gas is enclosed and which has a light taking-out window, an anode and a cathode arranged in said discharge tube, at least one of said anode and cathode including an element for emitting at least one required atomic spectrum, a first electric source for supplying to said anode and cathode a low frequency power whose alternating period is longer than a flight time of ions between said anode and cathode to generate atoms of said element by sputtering due to a glow discharge from said at least one of said anode and cathode, a second electric source for supplying a high frequency power to said anode and cathode to excite said sputtered atoms, and a magnet for sandwiching said anode and cathode to define a magnetic gap therebetween and to split an emitted luminous line into plural lines by Zeeman effect.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 22 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 13, wherein the generation and the excitation of the atoms are controlled independently.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
An atomic spectrum light source device according to claim 9, wherein said high frequency power has a frequency such that ion entrapment occurs.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2015885A Cited
US2445782A Cited
US2930233A Cited
US2920234A Cited
US2920235A Cited
US3089054A Cited
US3335311A Cited
US3610760A Cited
US3623136A Cited
US3676004A Cited
US3893768A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1981-06-26 1981-12-26 1982-06-27 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1985-06-26 1985-12-26 1986-06-27 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1989-06-26 1989-12-26 1990-06-27 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag