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:
Apr. 10, 1990
Filed:
Aug. 08, 1988
William M Keeffe, Rockport, MA (US);
Robert Karlotski, Weare, NH (US);
GTE Products Corporation, Danvers, MA (US);
Abstract
An arc tube for horizontal operation and arc discharge lamp employing same wherein the arc tube has devices in each end for suppressing crystalline deposit penetration into the arc tube press seals along the shanks of the main electrodes. Experimental evidence shows that crystalline penetration into a press seal weakens the press seal and is the likely cause of an occasional arc tube burst during lamp operation, a problem well known in the art. In a preferred embodiment, a starting electrode is mounted above the main electrode in each end of the operationally positioned arc tube. So placed, each starting electrode is upstream in the convective flow of the gaseous fill within the arc tube. Each starting electrode may be electrically coupled with the lamp's circuit or electrically isolated therefrom without substantially affecting the starting electrode's ability to suppress crystalline penetration of the press seal about the base of the adjacent main electrode. In a lamp in accordance with the invention, the probability of an arc tube burst during lamp operation has been substantially reduced and, consequently, the need for employment of protective measures or containment devices has been substantially reduced.