Vessel shapes and coil forms for electrodeless discharge lamps

Claim 2

A discharge vessel for containing an ionizable gaseous mixture in an electrodeless discharge lamp, said discharge vessel comprising: a substantially flat planar front wall having an inner and an outer surface; a substantially flat planar back wall having an inner surface, said back wall substantially parallel to the front wall; a side wall joining said front wall and said back wall; and a phosphor layer disposed over the inner surface of said back wall and the inner surface of said front wall for converting ultraviolet light emitted by the gaseous mixture into visible light.

Claim 3

The discharge vessel of claim 1 further comprising a reflective layer disposed between the inner surface of said back wall and said phosphor layer, said reflective layer for reflecting visible light emitted by said phosphor layer back into an enclosed space between said front and back walls.

Claim 4

The discharge vessel of claim 2 wherein said front and back walls are circular in shape.

Claim 5

The discharge vessel of claim 2 wherein said front and back walls are rectangular in shape.

Claim 6

The discharge vessel of claim 2 wherein at least one of said front and back walls is slightly convex with respect to said gaseous mixture.

Claim 7

The discharge vessel of claim 2 wherein at least one of said front and back walls is slightly concave with respect to said gaseous mixture.

Claim 8

The discharge vessel of claim 2 wherein said reflective layer extends onto an inner surface of a side wall, said side wall being joined to said front wall and said back wall.

Claim 9

The discharge vessel of claim 2 wherein the front wall comprises an integrated collimating structure for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 10

The discharge vessel of claim 2 further comprising a collimating structure disposed on the outer surface of said front wall for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 11

The discharge vessel of claim 9 wherein said collimating structure is a fresnel lens.

Claim 12

The discharge vessel of claim 9 wherein said collimating structure comprises a plurality of concentric ridges.

Claim 13

An electrodeless discharge lamp comprising: a discharge vessel having a substantially flat planar front wall with an inner and an outer surface, and a substantially flat planar back wall having an inner and an outer surface, and wherein said back wall is substantially parallel to said front wall, and said vessel contains an ionizable gaseous mixture; a side wall joining said front wall and said back wall; excitation means disposed adjacent to the outer surface of said back wall, said excitation means for exciting said gaseous mixture; and a phosphor layer disposed over the inner surface of said back wall and the inner surface of said front wall for converting ultraviolet light emitted by the gaseous mixture into visible light.

Claim 14

An electrodeless discharge lamp comprising: a discharge vessel having a substantially flat planar front wall with an inner and an outer surface, and a substantially flat planar back wall having an inner and an outer surface, and wherein said back wall is substantially parallel to said front wall, and said vessel contains an ionizable gaseous mixture; a side wall joining said front wall and said back wall; excitation means disposed adjacent to the outer surface of said back wall, said excitation means for exciting said gaseous mixture; and a phosphor layer disposed over the inner surface of said back wall and the inner surface of said front wall for converting ultraviolet light emitted by the gaseous mixture into visible light.

Claim 15

The electrodeless lamp of claim 12 further comprising a reflective layer disposed between the inner surface of said back wall and said phosphor layer, said reflective layer for reflecting visible light emitted by said phosphor layer back into an enclosed space disposed between said front and back walls.

Claim 16

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 wherein said front and back walls are circular in shape, and said excitation means is substantially planar and comprises a spiral coil.

Claim 17

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 wherein said front and back walls are substantially rectangular in shape, and said excitation means is substantially planar and comprises a quadrilateral spiral coil.

Claim 18

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 wherein at least one of said front and back walls is slightly concave with respect to said gaseous mixture.

Claim 19

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 wherein at least one of said front and back walls is slightly convex with respect to said gaseous mixture.

Claim 20

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 wherein said reflective layer extends onto an inner surface of a side wall, said side wall being joined to said front wall and said back wall.

Claim 21

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 wherein the front wall comprises an integrated collimating structure for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 22

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 wherein said excitation means comprises a plurality of coils.

Claim 23

The electrodeless lamp of claim 13 further comprising a collimating structure disposed on the outer surface of the front wall for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 24

The electrodeless lamp of claim 21 wherein said collimating structure is a fresnel lens.

Claim 25

The electrodeless lamp of claim 21 wherein said collimating structure comprises a plurality of concentric ridges.

Claim 26

A discharge vessel for containing an ionizable gaseous mixture in an electrodeless discharge lamp, said discharge vessel comprising: a cup-shaped front wall having an inner and an outer surface; a cup-shaped back wall having an inner surface said cup-shaped back wall having substantially the same shape as said cup-shaped front wall; a phosphor layer disposed over the inner surface of said back wall and the inner surface of said front wall for converting ultraviolet light emitted by the gaseous mixture into visible light a reflective layer disposed between the inner surface of said back wall and said phosphor layer, said reflective layer for reflecting visible light emitted by said phosphor layer back into an enclosed space disposed between said front and back walls; and a collimating structure disposed on an outer surface of the front wall for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 27

A discharge vessel for containing an ionizable gaseous mixture in an electrodeless discharge lamp, said discharge vessel comprising: a cup-shaped front wall having an inner and an outer surface; a cup-shaped back wall having an inner surface said cup-shaped back wall having substantially the same shape as said cup-shaped front wall; a phosphor layer disposed over the inner surface of said back wall and the inner surface of said front wall for converting ultraviolet light emitted by the gaseous mixture into visible light a reflective layer disposed between the inner surface of said back wall and said phosphor layer, said reflective layer for reflecting visible light emitted by said phosphor layer back into an enclosed space disposed between said front and back walls; and a collimating structure disposed on an outer surface of the front wall for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 28

The discharge vessel of claim 24 wherein the front wall comprises an integrated collimating structure for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 29

The discharge vessel of claim 24 wherein said collimating structure is a fresnel lens.

Claim 30

The discharge vessel of claim 24 wherein said collimating structure comprises a plurality of concentric ridges.

Claim 31

An electrodeless discharge lamp comprising: a discharge vessel having a cup-shaped from wall with an inner and an outer surface, and a cup-shaped back wall having an inner and an outer surface, said cup-shaped back wall having substantially the same shape as said cup-shaped front wall, and wherein said vessel contains an ionizable gaseous mixture; excitation means disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the back wall, said excitation means for exciting said gaseous mixture; a phosphor layer disposed over the inner surface of said back wall and the inner surface of said front wall for converting ultraviolet light emitted by the gaseous mixture into visible light; and a reflective layer disposed between the inner surface of said back wall and said phosphor layer, said reflective layer for reflecting visible light emitted by said phosphor layer back into an enclosed space disposed between said front and back walls.

Claim 32

An electrodeless discharge lamp comprising: a discharge vessel having a cup-shaped from wall with an inner and an outer surface, and a cup-shaped back wall having an inner and an outer surface, said cup-shaped back wall having substantially the same shape as said cup-shaped front wall, and wherein said vessel contains an ionizable gaseous mixture; excitation means disposed adjacent to the outer surface of the back wall, said excitation means for exciting said gaseous mixture; a phosphor layer disposed over the inner surface of said back wall and the inner surface of said front wall for converting ultraviolet light emitted by the gaseous mixture into visible light; and a reflective layer disposed between the inner surface of said back wall and said phosphor layer, said reflective layer for reflecting visible light emitted by said phosphor layer back into an enclosed space disposed between said front and back walls.

Claim 33

The electrodeless lamp of claim 28 wherein said excitation means is a conical spiral coil.

Claim 34

The electrodeless lamp of claim 28 wherein said reflective layer extends onto an inner surface of a side wall, said side wall being joined to said front wall and said back wall.

Claim 35

The discharge vessel of claim 28 wherein the front wall comprises an integrated collimating structure for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 36

The discharge vessel of claim 28 wherein said front wall and said back wall are concave towards a front of said lamp.

Claim 37

The discharge vessel of claim 28 wherein said front wall and said back wall are convex towards a front of said lamp.

Claim 38

The discharge vessel of claim 28 further comprising a collimating structure disposed on the outer surface of the front wall for focusing the visible light in a preferential direction.

Claim 39

The discharge vessel of claim 34 wherein said collimating structure is a fresnel lens.

Claim 40

The discharge vessel of claim 34 wherein said collimating structure comprises a plurality of concentric ridges.