Gte Products Corporation

Osram Sylvania Inc.

Robert Y Pai

Ronald G Blaisdell

Jakob Maya

Harold L Hough

Timothy Fohl

Joseph V Lima

Radomir I Lagushenko

Heinz W Ito

Rudolph V Marcucci

Warren C Gungle

Mark W Grossman

Thomas Haraden

William A George

James A Gotay

Albert M Cavallaro

John M George

Daniel J Cotter

A lamp assembly includes a lamp base having power input terminals, a fluorescent lamp connected to the terminals through a manually operated switch that is on an exterior of the lamp base so that when power is supplied to the terminals the fluorescent lamp is selectively powered by manual operation of the switch, and a light emitting diode (LED) inseparably connected to the terminals so that when power is supplied to the terminals the LED is always powered. This arrangement allows the LED to be ON regardless of the operating status of the fluorescent lamp and allows the fluorescent lamp to be turned OFF while the LED remains ON.

Lamp assembly with LED and fluorescent lamp

A subassembly () for a lamp base, the subassembly () has an outer () housing having a circumferential wall () and a top () closing one end () of the outer housing (); at least one lamp receiving aperture () in the top (); and an inner housing () contiguous with an entire inside surface () of the outer housing (), the outer housing () being a metallic material and the inner housing () comprising a plastic material.

Base with integrated heatsink for compact fluorescent lamps

There is presented a cold cathode subminiature fluorescent lamp comprising a glass envelope, a pair of lead wires sealed to the envelope and extending through the envelope at an entry location to the interior thereof, an electrode mounted on the lead wires in the envelope, and a ceramic-glass bead formed on and around the lead wires in the envelope between the electrode and the entry location. The electrode includes a plurality of metal wire tabs. The envelope contains a fill gas comprising neon and argon.

Cold cathode subminiature fluorescent lamp

An arc discharge lamp having an end-of-life structure and including a light-transmissive envelope having a tubular-shaped main body and a press seal disposed at each end of the main body. An electrode filament having a pair of ends is located in each end of the envelope. Each electrode filament end is in a contiguous relationship with an inside surface of the lamp envelope. When one of the electrode filaments is depleted of electron-emissive material, increased heating of the electrode filament caused by an increase in cathode fall voltage, produces a localized hot spot on the internal surface of the envelope. This localized heating causes a puncture in the lamp envelope and evacuation of the lamp. The introduction of external atmosphere into the lamp extinguishes the arc discharge and renders the lamp inoperable.

Arc discharge lamp containing mechanism for extinguishing arc at

A subminiature aperture of fluorescent lamp is fabricated with press seals to facilitate accurate orientation of the aperture relative to an optical system. Flat surfaces of the press seal are accurately aligned relative to the aperture during manufacturing. The press seals can include detents for axial positioning of the lamp.

Aperture fluorescent lamp with press seal configuration

An apparatus for making an aperture in a coating on an inside surface of a lamp envelope such as a miniature fluorescent lamp envelope. The apparatus includes a magnetic scraping tool disposed adjacent to the inside surface of the lamp envelope and a magnet disposed adjacent to the outside surface of the lamp envelope so as to influence the scraping tool. The magnet acts on the magnetic scraping tool to maintain a scraping portion of the scraping tool in contact with the inside surface of the lamp envelope. As the magnet is moved along the outside of the lamp envelope, the scraping tool is pulled through the inside of the lamp envelope with sufficient clamping force to scrape a desired width of coating from the inside surface of the lamp envelope. In one embodiment, a guide is provided to guide the scraping tool through the lamp envelope. In a preferred embodiment, the scraping tool and the magnet are coupled to the guide. The guide moves the magnet and the scraping tool along the lamp envelope. A scraping insert on the scraping tool is sized to remove the coating from a predetermined area of the inside surface of the lamp envelope.

Method and apparatus for forming apertures in fluorescent lamps

Fluorescent lamp holder or the like

A tri-color lamp for use as an element in the optical presentation of information. The lamp includes a sealed envelope having a common envelope member and a plurality (e.g., three) of longitudinally extending leg members. A common electrode is located within the common envelope member and is spacedly located from opposing electrodes located within each of the leg members. A phosphor layer within the sealed envelope subtends at least the major body portion of each of the leg members such that the surface brightness of the phosphor layer as viewed through the end portions of the lamp is greater than the intensity of the external surface brightness of the phosphor layer on the major body portion. In the presentation of color information, each of the leg members is coated with respective phosphors emitting the primary colors red, green and blue.

Integral lamp for tri-color picture element

A plug-in lamp assembly for use as a picture element in large-screen information display systems. The lamp assembly includes red, green and blue discharge lamps for selectively generating different colors. Each discharge lamp has electrical leads extending from a first end and a light output region at a second end. The lamp assembly further includes a base having spaced-apart, plug-in electrical connectors, a cap covering the second ends of the lamps and a sleeve around the discharge lamps and interconnecting the cap and the base. The base provides mechanical support for the discharge lamps and permits easy replacement of the lamp assembly. The sleeve blocks light emitted from the sides of the discharge lamps. The cap includes a diffuser and a filter for altering the output spectrum of one or more of the discharge lamps. The diffuser can be mounted in a spaced relationship to the second ends of the discharge lamps at a distance therefrom selected such that the light from each different color lamp substantially fills the area of the diffuser. As a result, the light outputs from the discharge lamps are merged at the diffuser.

Multicolor picture element with merged colors

A fluorescent lamp assembly for operation from a source of AC line voltage. The assembly includes a fluorescent lamp having an arc length not greater than about 120 mm and an envelope which includes at least one constricting portion located therein for constricting the plasma discharge to provide an increase in the lamp voltage. Also included is a lead-type ballasting means which comprises a capacitor in one embodiment connected in series with the lamp.

Compact fluorescent lamp assembly

A low pressure discharge lamp, particularly a compact fluorescent lamp, having a plurality of constricting portions axially spaced apart and extending about the circular periphery of the envelope. The constricting portions, which include defined end segments projecting within the envelope, constrict the plasma discharge and spatially separate at least one of the discharge processes occurring within the plasma discharge and cause the separated process to take place in a different portion within the envelope so that the conditions for energy input and energy dissipation may be independently optimized.

Discharge lamp having multiple constrictions

An arc discharge lamp having a sealed envelope including a major body portion and at least one minor transverse end portion. A non-specular light diffusing surface is axially located between the minor transverse end portion and one of the lamp electrodes. A phosphor layer within the sealed envelope subtends the major body portion of the envelope. The surface brightness of the phosphor layer as viewed through the minor transverse end portion of the envelope is greater than the intensity of the external surface brightness of the phosphor layer on the major body portion of the envelope during operation of the lamp. A lamp array for use as an element in a picture display is also disclosed including a plurality of sealed envelopes. In the case of a color presentation of information, one picture element is composed of three sealed envelopes phosphor coated with the primary colors red, green and blue.

Low-pressure arc discharge lamp having increased surface brightness

Fluorescent lamp or the like

An apparatus for manufacturing a fluorescent lamp envelope comprises means for holding the envelope, a plurality of heat sources, means for providing relative rotation between the envelope and the plurality of heat sources with the heat therefrom acting on substantially narrow axially spaced regions on the envelope, means for engaging the envelope and for forming a plurality of constricting portions at axially spaced regions on the envelope, means for moving the forming means to engage the envelope and means for applying a positive pressure within the envelope while the forming means is engaged with the envelope.

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Hamilton, MA, United States of America

Robert Y Pai