General Electric Company

Walter R Chapman, Jr

Joseph Feldman

John M Davenport

Gary Robert Allen

Richard L Hansler

William J Cassarly

Edward J Collins

Frank E Zalar

Rocco T Giordano

Ronald James Olwert

Martin N Hassink

Gerald A Johnson

William R Walters

Benton A Lee

Daniel L Connell

Victor A Levand, Jr, Deceased

A linear double ended lamp can be modified into a number of non-linear arrangements by heating selected regions of the lamp ends to the softening temperature and bending the lamp ends to a desired angular configuration. Preferably, the lamp ends are bent across the sealing foil that is hermetically sealed to the lamp envelope. One or both ends of the lamp can be bent as desired to define a variety of configurations. According to the method of forming the bent double ended lamp, selected regions of the lamp are raised above the softening temperature while the remainder of the lamp is maintained at a lower temperature. Preferably, the lamp ends are bent along an axis offset and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lamp to prevent accumulation of material.

Double ended quartz lamp with end bend control

A lamp inlead assembly for a light source having a lamp envelope with at least one end region in which the lamp inlead assembly is sealably disposed includes and outer lead wire member to which power to the light source is coupled, an inner lead wire member to which the light generating device is connected, whether incandescent or discharge, and a thin foil member disposed therebetween on which the inner and outer lead wire members are fixedly secured. The thin foil member is constructed of molybdenum and is essentially uniform in thickness throughout. At least one trough is formed in the foil member and is effective so as to: increase the surface area of the foil member and thus improve its current carrying properties without increasing the dimensional space within the end region of the lamp area to accommodate such increased surface area, provide increased rigidity for the foil member so that such foil member can be adapted for handling by high speed automated manufacturing equipment, and, with one trough centrally disposed along the width dimension of the foil member, insure that the positioning of the lead wire members relative to the foil member is maintained throughout the manufacture of both the lamp inlead assembly itself as well as the manufacture operations involving the insertion of the inlead assembly and sealing thereof into the light source.

Lamp inlead assembly having a formed foil arrangement

An elongated tubular lamp such as an arc lamp or tungsten halogen lamp mounted in a reflector or lamp mount by means of a long and a short mount wire is more resistant to breaking off the mount wires if the short mount wire is smaller in diameter than the long mount wire, but not smaller than the diameter of the lamp lead wire to which it is welded in combination with the lamp lead wire being molybdenum alloy having a recrystallization temperature at least about 200.degree. C. higher than molybdenum.

Mount structure for double ended lamp

Growing community of inventors

Cleveland Heights, OH, United States of America

Walter R Chapman, Jr