Opening of capsule inside sealed lamp
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsRoger A. Forman, Eric G. Thaler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A capsule containing a precise amount of a substance such as mercury is mounted in an electrode mount assembly on a temperature sensitive member. At elevated temperatures the capsule is moved away from lamp components by the temperature sensitive member to preclude inadvertent release of the mercury into the sealed lamp. After the lamp has cooled, the temperature sensitive member urges the capsule into biased engagement with a cutting wire so that upon supply of current thereto the capsule is melted and opened to release the mercury.
Claims14
An apparatus for releasing a predetermined amount of a substance in a sealed arc discharge lamp having first and second electrical lead wires for supplying current from a location outside the lamp into a sealed housing thereof, the apparatus comprising:
- a capsule having a chamber defined therein;
- a predetermined amount of a substance originally disposed in said capsule chamber for subsequent release into the housing;
- a cutting means .adjacent said capsule for melting and opening said capsule in response to current selectively supplied thereto to release said substance in said capsule chamber into the housing;
- and
- a temperature sensitive means connected to the capsule for urging said capsule and said cutting means apart in response to an elevated temperature.
An apparatus for controllably releasing a premeasured dosage of a substance to a hermetically sealed arc discharge lamp having an electrode mount assembly comprising a capsule retained on a bi-metal spring and in tensioned contact with a cutting means, said bi-metal spring behaving in a manner such that, upon increase in temperature, said spring moves said capsule away from and out of contact with said cutting means and upon subsequent decrease in temperature said spring returns the capsule to its initial state of contact and tension against said cutting means, said substance originally disposed in said capsule for subsequent release into said lamp, said cutting means opening said capsule in response to a current selectively Supplied thereto to release said substance in said capsule into said lamp.
A device for releasing a dosage of mercury into a sealed arc discharge lamp comprising a capsule containing said mercury and a cutting means against which said capsule is held in tension, said cutting means, upon receiving a minimal current by direct coupling, melting, and opening said capsule to release said mercury into said sealed lamp, wherein said capsule is attached to a bi-metal element which moves away from said cutting means in response to heat generated during manufacture of said lamp, said bi-metal element returning said capsule to tensioned contact against said cutting means upon cooling.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.