The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 28, 1976
Filed:
Jan. 09, 1975
Ned S Rasor, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Edward J Britt, Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
A gas-filled thermionic converter is provided with a collector and an emitter having a main emitter region and an auxiliary emitter region in electrical contact with the main emitter region. The main emitter region is so positioned with respect to the collector that a main gap is formed therebetween and the auxiliary emitter region is so positioned with respect to the collector that an auxiliary gap is formed therebetween partially separated from the main gap with access allowed between the gaps to allow ionizable gas in each gap to migrate therebetween. With heat applied to the emitter the work function of the auxiliary emitter region is sufficiently greater than the work function of the collector so that an ignited discharge occurs in the auxiliary gap and the work function of the main emitter region is so related to the work function of the collector that an unignited discharge occurs in the main gap sustained by the ions generated in the auxiliary gap. A current flows through a load coupled across the emitter and collector due to the unignited discharge in the main gap.