System and method for sealing high intensity discharge lamps
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsBernard Bewlay, Bruce Knudsen, James Brewer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In accordance with certain embodiments, the present technique includes a system for sealing a lamp including a thermal shield and a thermally susceptible enclosure disposed adjacent the thermal shield. The thermal shield has a first receptacle adapted to receive a first portion of the lamp. The thermally susceptible enclosure comprises a wall about a second receptacle adapted to receive a second portion of the lamp. The wall has a varying thickness in a desired sealing region between the first and second portions of the lamp.
Claims54
A system for sealing a lamp, comprising:
- a thermal control structure having a first receptacle adapted to receive a first portion of the lamp;
- and
- a thermally susceptible enclosure disposed adjacent the thermal control structure, wherein the thermally susceptible enclosure comprises a wall about a second receptacle adapted to receive a second portion of the lamp, wherein the wall has a varying thickness in a desired sealing region between the first and second portions of the lamp.
A system for sealing a lamp, comprising:
- a thermal control structure having a first receptacle adapted to receive a first portion of the lamp;
- a thermally susceptible enclosure disposed adjacent the thermal control structure, wherein the thermally susceptible enclosure comprises a wall adapted to substantially surround a second portion of the lamp, wherein the wall has a varying thickness in a desired sealing region between the first and second portions of the lamp;
- an outer sealing enclosure disposed about the thermally susceptible enclosure adjacent the thermal control structure;
- and
- a radiative heat source adapted to radiate emissions into the thermally susceptible enclosure, wherein the thermally susceptible enclosure is adapted to become heated by the emissions and to radiate heat into the desired sealing region in a varying heat profile based on the varying thickness.
A system for sealing a plurality of lamps, comprising:
- a thermal control structure having a first plurality of receptacles adapted to receive a first portion of each of the plurality of lamps, respectively;
- and
- a thermally susceptible enclosure disposed adjacent the thermal control structure, wherein the thermally susceptible enclosure comprises a wall about a second portion of each of the plurality of lamps, wherein the wall has a varying thickness in a desired sealing region between the first and second portions of the plurality of lamps.
A system for sealing a lamp, comprising:
- means for controlling heat transfer in a first portion of the larnp;
- and
- means for radiating heat collected from a radiative heat source to a second portion of the lamp in a desired sealing region between the first and second portions of the lamp, the heat having a variable heat profile in the desired sealing region.
A method of manufacturing a lamp, comprising:
- inserting a first portion of the lamp into a receptacle of a thermal control structure;
- positioning a thermally susceptible enclosure about a second portion of the lamp adjacent the thermal control structure, such that a varying thickness of the thermally susceptible enclosure is disposed about a desired sealing region between the first and second portions;
- placing an external enclosure about the thermally susceptible enclosure to provide a hermetically sealed chamber about the desired sealing region;
- and
- radiating emissions through the external enclosure and into the thermally susceptible enclosure, such that the thermally susceptible enclosure becomes heated by the emissions and radiates heat into the desired sealing region with a variable heat profile based on the varying thickness.
A method of sealing a lamp, comprising:
- thermally shielding a first portion of the lamp;
- thermally susceptibly surrounding a second portion of the lamp with a variable geometry along a desired sealing region between the first and second portions, the variable geometry adapted to provide a variable heat susceptibility along the desired sealing region;
- hermetically enclosing the desired sealing region;
- and
- radiatively receiving and transferring heat through the variable geometry and into the desired sealing region with a variable heat profile based on the variable heat susceptibility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.