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:
Dec. 08, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 10, 1996
Fusion Lighting, Inc., Rockville, MD (US);
Abstract
Ignition of an electrodeless lamp, energized by microwave or radio frequency energy, is achieved by disposing a ferroelectric igniter in the lamp envelope along with the fill material. The igniter responds to switching of its spontaneous ferroelectric polarization by emitting electrons that collide with the atoms of the fill material to discharge further electrons and ultimately provide emission of light. In the preferred embodiment, the microwave or radio frequency energy used to excite the fill material is applied to the ferroelectric igniter to cause switching of its spontaneous ferroelectric polarization. Another preferred feature is the securing of the igniter, in the form of a thin patch or wafer, to the inside surface of the lamp envelope in a generally perpendicular orientation to the electric field in the microwave excitation energy.