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US4780646A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

High pressure discharge lamp structure

Assignee: Osram GmbH
•
Filing: 1987-10-14
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Granted: 1988-10-25
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Expires: 2007-10-14
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Abstract

Abstract To provide an electrode connection lead (8) made of tungsten positioned onhe inside of a high-pressure discharge lamp (1,2) which contains a fill attacking niobium, while providing for a melt connection including niobium to the discharge vessel, to permit use of aluminum oxide ceramic for the discharge vessel--since niobium and aluminum oxide ceramic have approximately the same thermal coefficient of expansion--the tubular discharge vessel is formed with an end portion defining an abutment (5), against which an internal aluminum oxide ceramic disk (4) is seated, defining a recess (4a) within which a niobium sealing disk (6) is partly located. An identical external sealing disk (3) receives the remainder of the niobium sealing disk. An external current supply lead (7) of niobium is welded to the niobium sealing disk. The internal current supply lead (8) of tungsten, likewise, is welded to the niobium sealing disk. The internal and external disks (4,3), the sealing disk (6) and the current supply leads are melted-into the aluminum oxide ceramic body by means of a glass melt connection utilizing a melt glass not attacked by fill substances used in metal halide lamps.

Inventors

  • 👤 Horst Lange

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 06:39
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J61/00; H01J61/02; H01J61/36; H01J61/366

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 334 words
A high-pressure discharge lamp having a tubular discharge vessel (1) of aluminum oxide ceramic; a tungsten electrode (9) located within the discharge vessel; a tungsten internal electrode connection lead (8) extending into the discharge vessel (1) and supporting the electrode (9); a niobium external connection lead (7) extending outside of the discharge vessel (1), and a sealing connection arrangement, closing the tubular discharge vessel, to connect said niobium external lead (7) and said tungsten internal connection lead (8), comprising, in accordance with the invention, means for isolating the niobium external connection lead (7) from the inside of the discharge vessel while sealing the niobium external connection lead through the discharge vessel, to provide a seal in which the respective materials of the niobium electrode and aluminum oxide ceramic of the discharge vessel have about the same thermal coefficient of expansion, said isolating means comprising an internal disk (4) of insulating material having a thermal coefficient of expansion at least approximately matching that of the aluminum oxide ceramic of the discharge vessel (1), said internal disk (4) having a first face surface directed toward the inside of the discharge vessel and a second face surface directed toward the outside thereof; an external disk (3) of insulating material having a thermal coefficient of expansion at least approximately matching that of the aluminum oxide ceramic of the discharge vessel (1), said external disk (4) having a first face surface directed toward the outside of the discharge vessel and a second face surface directed toward the inside thereof; a sealing disk (6) having two opposite surfaces, said sealing disk comprising niobium and being embedded between said internal disk (4) and external disk (3) and located against said second face surfaces thereof, and wherein the tungsten internal electrode lead (8) is secured to said sealing disk at the side facing the inside of the discharge vessel, and the niobium external electrode lead (7) is secured to said sealing disk at the side facing the outside of the discharge vessel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 334 words
A high-pressure discharge lamp having a tubular discharge vessel (1) of aluminum oxide ceramic; a tungsten electrode (9) located within the discharge vessel; a tungsten internal electrode connection lead (8) extending into the discharge vessel (1) and supporting the electrode (9); a niobium external connection lead (7) extending outside of the discharge vessel (1), and a sealing connection arrangement, closing the tubular discharge vessel, to connect said niobium external lead (7) and said tungsten internal connection lead (8), comprising, in accordance with the invention, means for isolating the niobium external connection lead (7) from the inside of the discharge vessel while sealing the niobium external connection lead through the discharge vessel, to provide a seal in which the respective materials of the niobium electrode and aluminum oxide ceramic of the discharge vessel have about the same thermal coefficient of expansion, said isolating means comprising an internal disk (4) of insulating material having a thermal coefficient of expansion at least approximately matching that of the aluminum oxide ceramic of the discharge vessel (1), said internal disk (4) having a first face surface directed toward the inside of the discharge vessel and a second face surface directed toward the outside thereof; an external disk (3) of insulating material having a thermal coefficient of expansion at least approximately matching that of the aluminum oxide ceramic of the discharge vessel (1), said external disk (4) having a first face surface directed toward the outside of the discharge vessel and a second face surface directed toward the inside thereof; a sealing disk (6) having two opposite surfaces, said sealing disk comprising niobium and being embedded between said internal disk (4) and external disk (3) and located against said second face surfaces thereof, and wherein the tungsten internal electrode lead (8) is secured to said sealing disk at the side facing the inside of the discharge vessel, and the niobium external electrode lead (7) is secured to said sealing disk at the side facing the outside of the discharge vessel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
The lamp of claim 1, wherein said internal disk and external disk, each, comprise aluminum oxide ceramic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 26 words
The lamp of claim 1, wherein the internal and external disks comprise the same aluminum oxide ceramic material as the material of the tubular discharge vessel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
The lamp of claim 1, wherein the said internal disk and said external disk (4, 3) have the same diameter and the same thickness.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 28 words
The lamp of claim 4, wherein the internal and external disks are formed with a recess having, each, about half the thickness of said niobium sealing disk (6).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
The lamp of claim 4, wherein the niobium sealing disk (6) has a smaller diameter than the internal and external disks (4,3).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 47 words
The lamp of claim 6, wherein the internal and external disks (4,3) are formed with a recess having, each, about half the thickness of said niobium sealing disk (6), said recesses having diameters dimensioned to receive said niobium sealing disk and embed said niobium sealing disk therein.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 65 words
The lamp of claim 7, wherein the discharge vessel comprises a tubular body (3) of essentially circular cross-section; the internal and external disks (4,3) are essentially circular disks and formed with central apertures to receive said internal and external connection leads (8,9), and the recesses in said internal and external disks are concentric with respect to a center of the internal and external circular disks.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 61 words
The lamp of claim 8, wherein the tubular ceramic body of the discharge vessel is formed with an end recess (2a) of enlarged internal diameter, and said end recess, at the transition to the portion of the discharge vessel defines a shoulder or abutment (5); and wherein the internal disk (4) is seated with its first face surface against said abutment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 44 words
The lamp of claim 9, wherein the tubular discharge vessel and the first face surface of the external disk (3) are in essential planar alignment to define a single termination plane of the tubular body (2) and the outer surface of the external disk.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 26 words
The lamp of claim 2, further including a melt glass (10) sealing the internal disk, external disk, and niobium sealing disk to the tubular discharge vessel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 26 words
The lamp of claim 7, further including a melt glass (10) sealing the internal disk, external disk, and niobium sealing disk to the tubular discharge vessel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 26 words
The lamp of claim 8, further including a melt glass (10) sealing the internal disk, external disk, and niobium sealing disk to the tubular discharge vessel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 26 words
The lamp of claim 9, further including a melt glass (10) sealing the internal disk, external disk, and niobium sealing disk to the tubular discharge vessel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 26 words
The lamp of claim 1, further including a ceramic tube (8a) surrounding said internal electrode connection lead and extending up to said niobium sealing disk (6).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 38 words
The lamp of claim 15, further including a melt glass (10) sealing the internal disk, external disk, and the niobium sealing disk to the tubular discharge vessel, and sealing said ceramic tube (8a) to said internal disk (4).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 37 words
The lamp of claim 15, wherein the ceramic tube (8a) surrounds said internal connection lead with a slight clearance, just enough to permit expansion of said internal tungsten lead (8) upon heating of the lamp during operation.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 20 words
The lamp of claim 15, wherein said ceramic tube extends from below said tungsten electrode to said sealing disk (6).
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 23 words
The lamp of claim 15, wherein said internal disk (4), said external disk (3) and said tube (8a), each, comprise aluminum oxide ceramic

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3531853A Cited
US3892993A Cited
US3916242A Cited
US4160186A Cited
EP0074188A2 Cited
EP0074720A2 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-10-25 1992-04-25 1992-10-25 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-10-25 1996-04-25 1996-10-25 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-10-25 2000-04-25 2000-10-25 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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