US4213052A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Miniature radioactive light source and method of its manufacture
Assignee: American Atomics Corp
•
Filing: 1978-06-19
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Granted: 1980-07-15
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Expires: 1998-06-19
Abstract
Abstract A glass tube, laser sealed at its ends, has an elongated cross section, two wide side faces, and two narrow side faces. The tube contains a radioactive gas and a transducer, such as a phosphor compound, responsive to the gas. The narrow side faces of the tube are thicker than the wide side faces. Preferably, the wide side faces are outwardly bowed and the narrow side faces are semicylindrical to form an oval cross section. The ratio of the total glass thickness of the wide side faces to the spacing between the wide side faces is approximately 0.7.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas E. Caffarella
- 👤 George J. Radda
- 👤 Harry H. Dooley, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 07:36
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J65/00; H01J65/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A miniature radioactive light source comprising: a glass tube laser sealed at its ends, the glass tube having an elongated cross section, two wide side faces, and two narrow side faces; a radioactive gas contained in the tube; and an energy transducer in the tube responsive to the gas, the improvement characterized in that the narrow side faces are thicker than the wide side faces and the ratio of the total glass thickness of the wide side faces to the spacing between the wide side faces is approximately 0.7.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
A miniature radioactive light source comprising: a glass tube laser sealed at its ends, the glass tube having an elongated cross section, two wide side faces, and two narrow side faces; a radioactive gas contained in the tube; and an energy transducer in the tube responsive to the gas, the improvement characterized in that the narrow side faces are thicker than the wide side faces and the ratio of the total glass thickness of the wide side faces to the spacing between the wide side faces is approximately 0.7.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The light source of claim 1, in which the elongated cross section is oval.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The light source of claim 1, in which the wide side faces are outwardly bowed parallel to the elongated cross section.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
The light source of claim 3, in which the narrow side faces are semicylindrical.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The light source of claim 4, in which the inside surface and the outside surface of the narrow side faces have different radii and different centers selected to gradually increase the thickness of each narrow side face from the edges to the center thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The light source of claim 5, in which the ratio of the total glass thickness of the wide side faces to the spacing between the wide side faces is approximately 0.7.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The light source of claim 6, in which the wide side faces each have a uniform thickness.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The light source of claim 1, in which the narrow side faces are semicylindrical.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The light source of claim 8, in which the inside surface and the outside surface of the narrow side faces have different radii and different centers selected to gradually increase the thickness of each narrow side face from the edges to the center thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The light source of claim 1, in which the radioactive gas is tritium.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
34 words
The light source of claim 1, in which the transducer is a phosphor coating on the inside surface of the glass tube, the phosphor coating emitting visible light responsive to radiation from the gas.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The light source of claim 1, in which the wide side faces each have a uniform thickness.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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US3368287A
Cited
US3409770A
Cited
US3478209A
Cited
US3706543A
Cited
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Cited
US4044936A
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-07-15 | 1984-01-14 | 1984-07-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-07-15 | 1988-01-14 | 1988-07-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-07-15 | 1992-01-14 | 1992-07-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |