General Electric Company

Viktor Karoly Varga

Gary Robert Allen

Jianwu Li

Svetlana Selezneva

Agoston Boroczki

Rocco T Giordano

David C Dudik

Sairam Sundaram

Rajendra Kumar Pokharna

Amol S Mulay

Bruce Richard Roberts

Mohamed Rahmane

Chao Yang

Yingqi Zhang

Tony Aboumrad

Robert Baranyi

Elizabeth A Guzowski

Xiaoli Yao

Glenn Howard Kuenzler

Joshua Ian Rintamaki

Paul G Mathews

Andrey Meshkov

Jeffrey D Johnson

Timothy P Dever

Sergiy Zalyubovskiy

Paul M Kuester

Alan George Chalmers

Vijaykumar Mallappa Kannure

Timothy B Gurin

Andrew Lawrence Podevels

Garry R Allen

Anjali Kotkunde

James C McNamara

An electrodeless or induction ceramic HID lamp includes a ceramic arc body having a generally spheroidal portion enclosing a discharge chamber and an induction coil received around a perimeter portion of the spheroidal portion. At least one leg extends from the spheroidal portion of the arc body. A mounting structure connects the arc body to the surrounding lamp assembly. In one arrangement, a mounting tube is received over at least a portion of the leg, and may further include a light transmissive shroud that also abuts with the induction coil to precisely locate the arc body relative to the coil. In another arrangement, first and second mounting members extend from spaced locations of the arc body, either as pins or legs extending from the spheroidal portion, or radially extending legs from an equatorial portion of the arc body. In still another arrangement, a ceramic mounting member extends from the arc body and includes a thin peripheral rim having spaced ridges to engage spaced locations of the induction coil.

Method and apparatus for positioning a ceramic induction discharge body relative to an induction coil

A light distribution assembly includes an electrodeless HID light source providing emitted light along substantially first and second hemispherical zones. A first optical element redirects a portion of light from the first hemispherical zone into a first desired direction in the second hemispherical zone. A second optical element redirects at least a portion of light within the second hemispherical zone. Other optical elements may be added to tailor the light distribution. Various combinations of these components may be used to create the desired illumination pattern.

Compact beam former for induction HID lamp

A lamp is provided having an arctube having a light-transmitting envelope. The arctube is surrounded by a gaseous medium confined by a containment envelope such as a hermetic shroud. The gaseous medium is preferably He or Hor Ne or another gas whose thermal conductivity is greater than that of Nat 800&#xb0; C., or a mixture thereof, to help cool the arctube. The inside and/or outside of the shroud may be coated with a diffusion barrier. To help cool the hot spot of the arctube the gap between the shroud and the envelope can be made small, the portion of the shroud wall near the arc can be thickened, the arctube can be offset above the longitudinal axis of the shroud, and the return lead of the arctube can be located between the shroud and the arctube.

Gas-filled shroud to provide cooler arctube

A high intensity discharge lamp, in certain embodiments, includes a uniquely shaped shoulder and dimensions selected to reduce stress and associated cracking. The uniquely shaped shoulder has a variable diameter, such as, e.g., a cup-shaped geometry, a curved funnel-shaped geometry, or a conical-shaped geometry. The selected or optimized dimensions may include a tip-to-neck distance, a tip-to-wall distance, and an internal diameter of the lamp. The selected or optimized dimensions also may include a uniform wall thickness, an arc gap distance, and an electrode thickness. These dimensions and shapes are selected to reduce undesirably high maximum stresses and temperatures in the lamp. As a result, the lamp is able to provide higher performance with a longer life due to a decreased risk of stress cracking during rapid start up and steady state operation.

Ceramic high intensity discharge lamp having uniquely shaped shoulder

A gas discharge lamp includes an arc envelope and a cooling device. Cooling passage is provided between the arc envelope and the cooling device. An airflow blocking structure is mounted rotatably to the arc envelope. The airflow blocking structure blocks airflow between the cooling device and the arc envelope except for a portion of the passage directed towards a top side of the arc envelope.

System and method for forced cooling of lamp

A light weight, bobbinless high voltage transformer and igniter module is provided that meets low-cost and high-reliability requirements for automotive HID products. A printed circuit board () serves as a carrier for low voltage electronic components. A high voltage bar core transformer () is held in a cradle () that accommodates potting material and has a channel () that receives a high voltage wire extending from the transformer for connection with a lead () of an HID lamp (). Thin walls () allow the cradle to serve as the cavity for the potting of the transformer. In addition, multi-layer dielectric material is disposed between the primary and secondary windings. Preferably, the primary winding () is a strap that covers a large surface area of the secondary winding ().

Light weight automotive HID igniter

Disclosed is a lamp transformer and method of assembling a lamp transformer within an igniter module or housing. The lamp transformer comprises a potted bar core transformer; and a carrier attached to the potted bar core transformer, the carrier adapted to position the potted bar core transformer on a pc board and/or within a housing at a predetermined location. In addition, disclosed is a transformer winding and potting method utilizing a transformer carrier.

Lamp transformer

An ignition aid (, or) is provided for an HID lamp (). Particularly the ignition aid includes an electrically conductive coil or coil portions wrapped around selected portions of the arc tube to act as the ignition aid and lower the breakdown voltage. In other embodiments, starting aids, and particularly one or more turns of the conductive coil or coil portions support the arc tube within an opening of a surrounding shroud () and thereby control the spacing between the arc tube () and the shroud (). This limits the maximum thermal stress of the arc tube within a desired range.

Ignition aid and fitting shroud for discharge lamp

Disclosed is a lamp transformer and method of assembling a lamp transformer within an igniter module or housing. The lamp transformer comprising a potted bar core transformer; and a carrier attached to the potted bar core transformer, the carrier adapted to position the potted bar core transformer on a pc board at a predetermined location.

Disclosed is a lamp transformer assembly, transformer winding arrangement and method of assembling a transformer assembly and lamp igniter transformer core. The lamp transformer assembly comprises a transformer core comprising two or more core members, wherein the core members ends are adapted to provide a transformer core with axially distributed air gaps. Furthermore, the transformer assembly comprises a primary and secondary winding, wherein one or more core members and the secondary winding are adapted to provide insertion of the one or more core members within the interior of the secondary winding. The transformer core members are attached to complete the core.

Lamp transformer assembly

An ignition circuit and method, as may be used for igniting a gas discharge lamp, are provided. The circuit includes a voltage multiplier circuit connected to receive a signal corresponding to a DC bus voltage level from a rectifier circuit. The voltage multiplier circuit includes first and second voltage storing circuits configured to each respectively store a voltage level corresponding to a first multiple of the DC bus voltage level (e.g., at least twice the DC bus voltage level). The voltage multiplier circuit further includes a peak voltage holding circuit connected to the first and second voltage storing circuits to accumulate a voltage level corresponding to a second multiple of the DC bus voltage level (e.g., at least four times the DC bus voltage level). The circuit further includes an ignition module having a transformer selectively connected by way of a switch to the voltage multiplier circuit through a primary winding to receive the voltage accumulated at the peak voltage holding circuit, and thereby generate an ignition pulse voltage applied to the lamp through a secondary winding of the transformer.

Electrical circuit with voltage multiplier for facilitating ignition of a gas discharge lamp

A circuit such as may be used for igniting and operating a gas discharge lamp is provided. The circuit includes a resonant circuit connected to receive a variable voltage output signal from an inverter. The resonant circuit includes a first circuit stage and a second circuit stage. The second circuit stage includes a resonant tank circuit configured to generate a resonant output voltage when a switching frequency of the inverter matches a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. The first circuit stage includes at least one current-suppressing element for reducing an effect of a resonant current that flows in the resonant circuit on a switching current that flows in the inverter.

Electrical circuit with dual stage resonant circuit for igniting a gas discharge lamp

A method and system to supply current to a high pressure lamp is provided, the method and system comprising an alternating lamp current waveform with a half cycle mean amplitude Iand a half cycle time duration T, a current pulse waveform including at least one current pulse with a half cycle mean amplitude Iand at least one current pulse occurring after the trailing edge of a half cycle of the alternating lamp current, the pulse having a half cycle duration of Tp. These waveforms are combined to generate a current waveform including a current pulse waveform, the current pulse waveform starting after a time delay Td from the trailing edge of a half cycle of the alternating lamp current waveform, the time duration Tp of the at least one current pulse lasting less than the remaining time before the leading edge of the second half cycle of the alternating lamp current waveform. The combined current waveform supplies current to a high pressure lamp and produces a cone shaped tip protrusion which reduces lamp flicker.

High pressure lamp with lamp flicker suppression and lamp voltage control

A high intensity discharge lamp, the lamp including a light emitting vessel having a wall made of ceramic material that defines an inner space with a first end portion having a respective first opening formed therein and a second end portion having a respective second opening formed therein, two discharge electrodes, with a first electrode extending therethrough the first opening of the first end portion of the vessel and a second electrode extending therethrough the second opening of the second end portion of the vessel, together forming a gap between ends of the discharge electrodes positioned within the vessel, wherein the light emitting vessel defines an inner space characterized by an inner diameter ranging from and including 1 millimeters to 3 millimeters and an inner length between and including 5 millimeters to 10 millimeters, wherein the wall of the vessel has a thickness ranging between and including 0.3 millimeters to 0.8 millimeters, wherein each tip of the electrodes within the vessel have a shank diameter ranging between and including 0.2 millimeters to 0.55 millimeters, and wherein the gap between the ends of the electrodes positioned within the vessel is smaller than 4 millimeters.

Growing community of inventors

Solon, OH, United States of America

Viktor Karoly Varga