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US 4,788,437 AGranted
Tritium light
AssigneeLandus Inc.
InventorsDonald A. Urquhart, Douglas Hart
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light assembly comprises a self-luminescent light source, a wave guide and output optics. The self-luminescent light source takes the form of a luminescent concentrator which is activated directly or indirectly by radioactive radiation, typically beta radiation from tritium.
Claims5
A self-luminescent light source, comprising:
- an enclosure containing tritium gas,
- a plurality of planar sheets of transparent material provided in a closely spaced apart stack which is positioned in said enclosure, each said planar sheets having a fluorescent material contained therein capable of generating light of a predetermined range of wavelengths upon activation by illumination, and
- a layer of phosphor material located in each gap defined by an adjacent pair of faces of said sheets in said stack, said phosphor material, upon beta radiation activation from said tritium gas, emitting light of a predetermined range of wavelengths sufficient to illuminate and be absorbed by said fluorescent material and to activate light generation by said fluorescent material.
A luminescent concentrator light source, comprising:
- an elongate cylindrical structure comprising transparent polymeric material having tritium chemically-bound thereto and a luminescent material activatable to generate visible light by beta radiation produced by said tritium distributed in the matrix of said polymeric material, and
- a coating of reflective material on an outer surface of said tubular structure and at one end thereof to enhance internal reflection of light produced by said luminescent material for emission of said light from the other end of said tubular structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.