Gas discharge electrodes and lamps
AssigneeSmiths Industries Public Limited Company
InventorNeil A. Fox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The electrodes of a flat panel cold cathode discharge lamp are each formed from a block of metal with holes arranged side-by-side along the electrode which open into the gas-discharge volume of the lamp. The holes extend at an angle of about 25-35 degrees away from the normal to the surface of the electrode and are formed by laser machining.
Claims4
In a cold cathode discharge lamp comprising an envelope of planar shape filled with a discharge gas and having first and second electrodes at opposite ends of the envelope separated by the discharge gas, the improvement wherein at least one of the electrodes is a block of metal extending laterally along a side of the envelope, said metal block electrode having a plurality of holes arranged side-by-side along the electrode, each hole extending at an angle away from the normal to a surface of the metal block electrode and providing a region of high current density.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.