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US 5,466,990 AGranted
Planar Fluorescent and electroluminescent lamp having one or more chambers
AssigneeWinsor Corporation
InventorMark D. Winsor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A planar fluorescent and electroluminescent lamp having two pairs of electrodes. Planar electrodes on an outer surface of the lamp create a plasma arc by capacitive coupling. The planar electrodes also cause embedded phosphor to emit light on the electroluminescent phenomena. In one embodiment, a second chamber is on top of the first chamber and light passes from a primary chamber through the second chamber, and is emitted by the lamp.
Claims22
A fluorescent lamp, comprising:
- a first sealed chamber having a gas of first selected pressure therein, said gas including mercury vapor that emits ultraviolet light when subjected to an electrical signal;
- a plurality of interior walls within the first chamber, extending from a sidewall and terminating within the chamber to form a serpentine channel region within the first chamber to provide an extended length discharge path;
- a first pair of electrodes positioned to apply an electrical potential to said gas within said first sealed chamber for causing said gas to emit ultraviolet light;
- an ultraviolet light transparent member forming a top wall portion of said first sealed chamber, such that ultraviolet light that is emitted in said first sealed chamber passes through said light transparent member;
- a second chamber above said first chamber and positioned above said ultraviolet light transparent member such that ultraviolet light emitted from said first sealed chamber passes through said ultraviolet light transparent member and into said second chamber;
- a visible light transparent member forming a top wall portion of said second chamber to permit visible light to pass out of the top wall portion of said second chamber;
- and
- a phosphor layer within said second chamber and positioned to receive ultraviolet light emitted from said first chamber and emit visible light when ultraviolet light impinges on said phosphor layer such that visible light is emitted by said phosphors in said second chamber as caused by ultraviolet light generated in said first sealed chamber that passed through said ultraviolet light transparent member.
5 more elements
The fluorescent lamp according to claim l wherein said second chamber is a sealed chamber having gas at a second selected pressure hermetically sealed therein.
A planar fluorescent lamp comprising:
- a lamp body having a plurality of sidewalls and a lower wall defining a recess therein;
- an ultraviolet light transmissive plate attached to the lamp body above the recess, the ultraviolet light transmissive plate, sidewalls and lower wall defining a sealed chamber;
- a gas within the sealed chamber, the gas responsive to emit ultraviolet light in response to electrical stimulation;
- a pair of electrodes within the sealed chamber for providing the electrical stimulation;
- a first terminal electrically connected to a first one of the electrodes in the pair of electrodes;
- a second terminal electrically connected to a second one of the electrodes in the pair of electrodes;
- a visible light transmissive plate fixedly mounted above the ultraviolet light transmissive plate;
- and
- a phosphor layer overlying the ultraviolet light transmissive plate, intermediate the visible light transmissive plate and the ultraviolet light transmissive plate, the phosphor layer responsive to emit visible light in response to ultraviolet light from the gas transmitted through the ultraviolet light transmissive plate and incident upon the phosphor layer.
6 more elements
A planar fluorescent lamp comprising:
- a lamp body having a plurality of sidewalls, and a lower wall defining a recess therein;
- an ultraviolet transmissive plate attached to the lamp body above the recess, the ultraviolet transmissive plate, sidewalls and lower wall defining a sealed chamber;
- a channel wall projecting upwardly from the lower wall to the ultraviolet transmissive plate and projecting from a first of the sidewalls toward a second of the sidewalls, wherein the channel wall, the sidewalls and the lower wall define a serpentine discharge path within the sealed chamber;
- a gas within the sealed chamber, the gas responsive to emit ultraviolet light in response to electrical stimulation;
- a first electrode at a first end of the serpentine channel;
- a second electrode at a second end of the serpentine channel;
- a first pair of terminals electrically connected to the first electrode;
- a second pair of terminals electrically connected to the second electrode;
- a visible light transmissive plate bonded to the ultraviolet light transmissive plate;
- and
- a phosphor layer overlying the ultraviolet light transmissive plate, intermediate the visible light transmissive plate and the ultraviolet light transmissive plate, the phosphor layer responsive to emit visible light in response to ultraviolet light from the gas transmitted through the ultraviolet transmissive plate and incident upon the phosphor layer.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.