Luxim Corporation

Yian Chang

Frederick Matthew Espiau

Chandrashekhar J Joshi

Marc Joseph DeVincentis

Frederick M Espiau, Legal Representative

Anthony D McGettigan

A plasma lamp for an electrodeless plasma lamp having a shaped dielectric waveguide body. The shaped body may have a relatively thin region containing a bulb, and a second region thicker than the first region. Microwave probes may be positioned in the second region to provide power to the waveguide body. The body may be shaped to intensify the electric field in the first region adjacent to the bulb to allow operation at a lower frequency than a solid cylindrical or rectangular waveguide body having the same volume and dielectric constant.

Plasma lamp using a shaped waveguide body

A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body comprising at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A dielectric bulb within a lamp chamber in the body contains a fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma. The bulb is transparent to visible light and infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. Radiative energy lost from the plasma is recycled by reflecting the radiation from thin-film, multi-layer coatings on bulb exterior surfaces and/or lamp chamber surfaces back into the bulb. The lamp further includes two- or three-microwave probe configurations minimizing power reflected from the body back to the microwave source when the source operates: (a) at a frequency such that the body resonates in a single mode; or (b) at one frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively higher mode before a plasma is formed, and at another frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively lower order mode after the plasma reaches steady state.

Plasma lamp with dielectric waveguide integrated with transparent bulb

A plasma lamp including a waveguide body comprising at least one dielectric material. The body is coupled to a microwave power source which causes the body to resonate in at least one resonant mode. A lamp chamber integrated with the body contains a bulb with a fill forming a light-emitting plasma when the chamber receives power from the resonating body. A bulb either is self-enclosed or an envelope sealed by a window or lens covering the chamber aperture. Embodiments disclosed include lamps having a drive probe and a feedback probe, and lamps having a drive probe, feedback probe and start probe, which minimize power reflected from the body back to the source.

Microwave energized plasma lamp with dielectric waveguide

A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp is disclosed for powering a small and bright bulb with a diameter of a few millimeters. The lamp is contained within a high dielectric constant material which guides the microwaves to the bulb, provides heat isolation to the drive circuit, contains the microwaves, provides structural stability and ease of manufacturing and allows efficient energy coupling to the bulb when used as a dielectric resonant oscillator.

Plasma lamp with dielectric waveguide

In an example embodiment, an electrodeless plasma lamp is, provided which comprises a dielectric body having an effective dielectric constant greater than two. The dielectric body may have a surface with a first region coated with an electrically conductive material and a second region that is not coated with the electrically conductive material. A bulb is located proximate to the second region of the dielectric body and having an outer surface area and the second region may have an uncoated surface area that is less than about sixty percent (60%) of the outer surface area of the bulb. A power source is coupled to the dielectric body to provide radio frequency power to the dielectric body at a frequency that resonates at a fundamental mode in the dielectric body. The bulb contains a fill that forms a plasma when the radio frequency power is provided from the dielectric body through the second region.

Plasma lamp with small power coupling surface

A plasma lamp for an electrodeless plasma lamp having a dielectric waveguide body and a bulb positioned, at least in part, in the waveguide body and having at least one end protruding from the waveguide body. A probe is used to couple power into the waveguide body. The power resonates in the waveguide body and ignites a plasma in the bulb. By having one or both ends of the bulb extend beyond the surface of the waveguide body, the ends of the bulb are exposed to reduced electric field intensity, resulting in longer bulb lifetime due to reduced plasma impingement on the interior surfaces of the bulb.

Plasma lamp and methods using a waveguide body and protruding bulb

A plasma lamp and a method of generating light are provided. The plasma lamp may include a lamp body having a dielectric constant greater than about 2 and a power source. The power source is coupled to the lamp body by a feed to provide power to the lamp body. A bulb containing a fill having a first portion and a second portion is provided. The bulb is positioned so that the first portion of the fill is located within the lamp body and the second portion of the fill is located outside of the lamp body. In use, the fill receives at least a portion of the power from the lamp body to form a light-emitting plasma. The volume of the bulb is less than the volume of the lamp body.

In an example embodiment, an electrodeless plasma lamp is provided which comprises a lamp body comprising a dielectric material having a relative permittivity greater than 2, and a bulb adjacent to the lamp body, the bulb containing a fill that forms a plasma when RF power is coupled to the fill from the lamp body. An RF feed is coupled to the lamp body and a radio frequency (RF) power source for coupling power into the lamp body through the RF feed is provided. A shortest distance between an end of the bulb and a point on the RF feed traverses at least one electrically conductive material of the lamp body.

Plasma lamp with conductive material positioned relative to RF feed

A plasma lamp for an electrodeless plasma lamp having a waveguide body with an effective dielectric constant of at least 2. A drive probe is coupled to the waveguide body to provide the primary power for ignition and steady state operation of the lamp. A phase shifter is used to adjust the phase of the power provided to the drive probe between ignition and steady state operation. The phase shifter may also be used to adjust brightness during steady state operation.

Plasma lamp with phase control

A plasma lamp for an electrodeless plasma lamp having a waveguide body. The non-radiative thermal losses from the bulb are controlled to prevent the bulb from melting while providing a high level of radiation from the bulb. The thermal conductivity of the waveguide, configuration of the heat sink and size and placement of the bulb may be selected to provide a brightness of more than 80 lumens per watt and a total brightness of more than 12,000 lumens at a power level of 150 watts.

High brightness plasma lamp

A plasma lamp with a positive-loop feedback topology, having a resonating waveguide body and at least one amplifier critically coupled to the body which is stable under all operating conditions both before a plasma is formed and after the plasma reaches steady state. An iterative method for configuring the lamp circuit includes determining the load trajectory of each amplifier under all operating conditions, and overlaying it on a polar-plot showing regions of stability, conditional stability, and instability. If the load trajectory passes through an unstable region, circuit alterations are made to avoid that region.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Yian Chang