Fusion Lighting, Inc.

Science Applications International Corporation

Other

Intel Corporation

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Douglas A Kirkpatrick

Donald A MacLennan

Brian P Turner

Aleksandr Gitsevich

James T Dolan

Peter Tsai

Michael G Ury

James E Simpson

Yongzhang Leng

Bruce Shanks

Kent Kipling

Yonglai Tian

Izrail Levin

William C Trimble

Robert J Roy

Gary K Bass

Bradley Dene Craig

Louis J Jasper, Jr

Joel M Schnur

Paul E Schoen

James J Hickman

Miodrag Cekic

Ronald R Price

Adam Thomas Drobot

Wallace M Manheimer

Czeslaw Golkowski

Vincent Kwong

Roger D Kaul

David Hammer

Malcolm Smith

George Bergeron

Byungmoo Song

William G Grimm

Lauren E Dymond, Jr

Otto J Hunt

Stanley E Busby

George L Bergeron, Iii

Michael Lengyel

John F Rasmussen

Craig Jeffrey Mathias

Paul E Steiner

William E Garber, Jr

Jesse F Copsey

Chance Glenn

Samuel A Ola

An oscillator includes an amplifier having an input and an output, a feedback network connected between the input of the amplifier and the output of the amplifier, the feedback network being configured to provide suitable positive feedback from the output of the amplifier to the input of the amplifier to initiate and sustain an oscillating condition, and a tuning circuit connected to the input of the amplifier, wherein the tuning circuit is continuously variable and consists of solid state electrical components with no mechanically adjustable devices including a pair of diodes connected to each other at their respective cathodes with a control voltage connected at the junction of the diodes. Another oscillator includes an amplifier having an input and an output, a feedback network connected between the input of the amplifier and the output of the amplifier, the feedback network being configured to provide suitable positive feedback from the output of the amplifier to the input of the amplifier to initiate and sustain an oscillating condition, and transmission lines connected to the input of the amplifier with an input pad and a perpendicular transmission line extending from the input pad and forming a leg of a resonant 'T', and wherein the feedback network is coupled to the leg of the resonant 'T'.

High frequency inductive lamp and power oscillator

A discharge lamp bulb includes a light transmissive envelope and at least one conductive fiber disposed on a wall of the envelope, where the fiber has a thickness of less than 100 microns. The lamp may be either electrodeless or may include internal electrodes. Suitable materials for the fiber(s) include but are not limited to carbon, silicon carbide, aluminum, tantalum, molybdenum, platinum, and tungsten. Silicon carbide whiskers and platinum coated silicon carbide fibers may also be used. The fiber(s) may be aligned with the electrical field, at least during starting. The lamp preferably further includes a protective material covering the fiber(s). For example the protective material may be a sol gel deposited silica coating. Noble gases inside the bulb at pressures in excess of 300 Torr can be reliably ignited at applied electric field strengths of less than 4&times;10 V/m. Over 2000 Torr xenon, krypton, and argon respectively achieve breakdown with an applied field of less than 3&times;10 V/m.

Lamp utilizing fiber for enhanced starting field

An electrodeless microwave discharge lamp includes a source of microwave energy, a microwave cavity, a structure configured to transmit the microwave energy from the source to the microwave cavity, a bulb disposed within the microwave cavity, the bulb including a discharge forming fill which emits light when excited by the microwave energy, and a reflector disposed within the microwave cavity, wherein the reflector defines a reflective cavity which encompasses the bulb within its volume and has an inside surface area which is sufficiently less than an inside surface area of the microwave cavity. A portion of the reflector may define a light emitting aperture which extends from a position closely spaced to the bulb to a light transmissive end of the microwave cavity. Preferably, at least a portion of the reflector is spaced from a wall of the microwave cavity. The lamp may be substantially sealed from environmental contamination. The cavity may include a dielectric material is a sufficient amount to require a reduction in the size of the cavity to support the desired resonant mode.

High brightness microwave lamp

An oscillator includes a solid state active device having an input and an output, a feedback circuit connected from the output of the active device to the input of the active device, the feedback circuit providing suitable positive feedback to initiate and sustain an oscillating condition at a fundamental frequency, and a waveform modifying circuit connected to the output of the active device, wherein the waveform modifying circuit is adapted to modify the waveform on the output in a manner which increases an efficiency of the oscillator. For example, the waveform modifying circuit comprises transmission lines and optionally components which provide a high impedance for odd harmonics of the fundamental frequency. The waveform modifying circuit may further include transmission lines and optionally components which provide a low impedance for even harmonics of the fundamental frequency. The waveform modifying circuit utilize class F amplifier principles to cause the waveform on the output to be relatively more square in shape.

Power oscillator

A screen ( ) including mesh portions ( and ) for a discharge lamp ( ) bears a protective coating which inhibits degradation of the screen under lamp operating conditions. The coating does not absorb microwave energy, is transparent or reflective to visible light, and is capable of protecting the screen for at least several thousand hours of operation without substantial oxidation or tarnishing of the screen. The coating remains on the screen at screen temperatures above about 300 degrees C, and the coating does not significantly crack as the screen heats and cools. The coating may include, for example, a solgel deposited single phase or two phase glass.

Method and apparatus for improved electrodeless lamp screen

An ultra bright, low wattage inductively coupled electrodeless aperture lamp is powered by a solid state RF source in the range of several tens to several hundreds of watts at various frequencies in the range of 400 to 900 MHz. Numerous novel lamp circuits and components are disclosed including a wedding ring shaped coil having one axial and one radial lead, a high accuracy capacitor stack, a high thermal conductivity aperture cup and various other aperture bulb configurations, a coaxial capacitor arrangement, and an integrated coil and capacitor assembly. Numerous novel RF circuits are also disclosed including a high power oscillator circuit with reduced complexity resonant pole configuration, parallel RF power FET transistors with soft gate switching, a continuously variable frequency tuning circuit, a six port directional coupler, an impedance switching RF source, and an RF source with controlled frequency-load characteristics. Numerous novel RF control methods are disclosed including controlled adjustment of the operating frequency to find a resonant frequency and reduce reflected RF power, controlled switching of an impedance switched lamp system, active power control and active gate bias control.

High output lamp with high brightness

An apparatus using field emission techniques to limit voltage on RF transmission lines. A voltage limiter comprises a cathode and an anode housed in an airtight tube, whereby the cathode comprises a field emitter array having a plurality of field tips distributed about the surface of an insulating layer, and a microstrip transmission line overlying the insulating layer and having a predetermined width to form electrical contact with a selected group of the field tips. The microstrip transmission line enables propagation of electromagnetic microwave energy over a bandwidth of multiple octaves. The field emitters enable the generation of a flow of electrons at a predetermined breakdown threshold voltage, without the necessity for an external source to induce electron flow. Generation of the electron flow by the field tips creates a reflection wave on the transmission line that interferes with the incident electromagnetic energy to limit the voltage on the transmission line.

Microwave field emitter array limiter

An arc discharge lamp includes a light transmissive envelope (,), two electrodes (,) disposed at least partially inside the light transmissive envelope, and a plasma forming fill which includes selenium when excited disposed inside the light transmissive envelope (,). The exterior surfaces of the part of the electrodes (,) disposed inside the light transmissive envelope (,) comprise an electrode material selected from the group of molybdenum and molybdenum compounds.

Electroded selenium lamp

A high frequency inductively coupled electrodeless lamp includes an excitation coil with an effective electrical length which is less than one half wavelength of a driving frequency applied thereto, preferably much less. The driving frequency may be greater than 100 MHz and is preferably as high as 915 MHz. Preferably, the excitation coil is configured as a non-helical, semi-cylindrical conductive surface having less than one turn, in the general shape of a wedding ring. At high frequencies, the current in the coil forms two loops which are spaced apart and parallel to each other. Configured appropriately, the coil approximates a Helmholtz configuration. The lamp preferably utilizes an bulb encased in a reflective ceramic cup with a pre-formed aperture defined therethrough. The ceramic cup may include structural features to aid in alignment and I or a flanged face to aid in thermal management. The lamp head is preferably an integrated lamp head comprising a metal matrix composite surrounding an insulating ceramic with the excitation integrally formed on the ceramic. A novel solid-state oscillator preferably provides RF power to the lamp. The oscillator is a single active element device capable of providing over 70 watts of power at over 70% efficiency. Various control circuits may be employed to adjust the driving frequency of the oscillator.

A jacketed lamp bulb envelope includes a ceramic cup having an open end and a partially closed end, the partially closed end defining an aperture, a lamp bulb positioned inside the ceramic cup abutting the aperture, and a reflective ceramic material at least partially covering a portion of the bulb not abutting the aperture. The reflective ceramic material may substantially fill an interior volume of the ceramic cup not occupied by the bulb. The ceramic cup may include a structural feature for aiding in alignment of the jacketed lamp bulb envelope in a lamp. The ceramic cup may include an external flange about a periphery thereof. One example of a jacketed lamp bulb envelope includes a ceramic cup having an open end and a closed end, a ceramic washer covering the open end of the ceramic cup, the washer defining an aperture therethrough, a lamp bulb positioned inside the ceramic cup abutting the aperture, and a reflective ceramic material filling an interior volume of the ceramic cup not occupied by the bulb. A method of packing a jacketed lamp bulb envelope of the type comprising a ceramic cup with a lamp bulb disposed therein includes the steps of filling the ceramic cup with a flowable slurry of reflective material, and applying centrifugal force to the cup to pack the reflective material therein.

Jacketed lamp bulb envelope

A high frequency inductively coupled electrodeless lamp includes an excitation coil with an effective electrical length which is less than one half wavelength of a driving frequency applied thereto, preferably much less. The driving frequency may be greater than 100 MHz and is preferably as high as 915 MHz. Preferably, the excitation coil is configured as a non-helical, semi-cylindrical conductive surface having less than one turn, in the general shape of a wedding ring. At high frequencies, the current in the coil forms two loops which are spaced apart and parallel to each other. Configured appropriately, the coil approximates a Helmholtz configuration. The lamp preferably utilizes an bulb encased in a reflective ceramic cup with a pre-formed aperture defined therethrough. The ceramic cup may include structural features to aid in alignment and/or a flanged face to aid in thermal management. The lamp head is preferably an integrated lamp head comprising a metal matrix composite surrounding an insulating ceramic with the excitation integrally formed on the ceramic. A novel solid-state oscillator preferably provides RF power to the lamp. The oscillator is a single active element device capable of providing over 70 watts of power at over 70% efficiency. Various control circuits may be employed to match the driving frequency of the oscillator to a plurality of tuning states of the lamp.

A method, device and system for utilizing a pixelized ungated linear array of field emitters and an integrated electrode-media surface to either detect the presence of charge on the surface in a given two-dimensional pattern, or to deposit charge on the surface in a desired two-dimensional pattern. The methods, devices and systems disclosed are particularly useful in the arts of printing, scanning and copying. In one embodiment designed for printing, a pixelized surface may be utilized to receive a charge pattern from the ungated linear field emitter array. In one embodiment designed for scanning, a pixelized transfer sheet may be utilized to transfer a two-dimensional charge pattern from a photostatic surface thereto for sensing and detection by the ungated linear field emitter array.

Printer and/or scanner and/or copier using a field emission array

A gas discharge device includes an envelope containing a low pressure gas and a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements which emit electrons into the gas. The device can be employed, for example, in a gas discharge lamp.

Gas discharge device having a field emitter array with microscopic

A field emission cathode of bio-molecular or eutectic composite microstructure having rod-like tips protruding from a uniform base and covered with a thin layer of semiconductor material for producing macroscopic beam current densities without formation of surface plasma.

Field emission cathode of bio-molecular or semiconductor-metal eutectic

A field emitter array comprises an array of aligned metallic, conductive rotubules extending from a conductive base. The array is typically made by cutting a matrix comprising the aligned microtubules into sections, usually normal to the tubule alignment axis. One end surface of a section is etched or otherwise treated to remove the matrix, but not the tubules. That end surface is then provided with a conductive coating and fixed to a contact. The other end surface of that section is then also treated to remove the matrix material and leave the tubules extending from the conductive metal base. Field emitter arrays made according to the present invention provide a greater brightness than conventional field emitter arrays.

Electron beam source formed with biologically derived tubule materials

Growing community of inventors

Great Falls, VA, United States of America

Douglas A Kirkpatrick