Means for supporting and sealing the lead structure of a lamp and method for making such lamp
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsEdward J. Balaschak, Curtis E. Scott, George E. Sakoske
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of manufacture for a lamp involves making up, separate from an envelope, a sub-assembly comprising a lead structure and a vitreous body that surrounds it. In one form of this method, particles of vitreous material are pressed into a mold cavity that surrounds the lead structure, thus forming a compact surrounding the lead structure. This compact is sintered in an inert atmosphere, thereby forming the sub-assembly. Thereafter, the sub-assembly is placed in an opening in the envelope, and a hermetic seal is made between the envelope and the vitreous body in the interface region between the envelope and the vitreous body.
Claims12
A method of making a lamp comprising (i) a tubular envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space (ii) light-generating means within said internal space for generating light when electric current is passed therethrough, and (iii) conductive metallic lead structure projecting into said internal space for supplying current to said light-generating means, the method comprising:
- (a) providing about said lead structure a body of vitreous material that is sealed to said lead structure, the body being formed by pressing particles of vitreous material into a compact and sintering said compact, said body incorporating a metal having generally the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the metal of said conductive lead structure, said metal distributed within said body in such a manner that the concentration of said metal is higher in the region of said conductive lead structure than in said interface region,
- (b) inserting said body and said lead structure, combined as a subassembly, into an opening in said envelope communicating with said internal space, and
- (c) forming a seal between said envelope and said body in the interface region between said envelope and said body.
A method of making a lamp comprising (i) a tubular envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space (ii) light-generating means within said internal space for generating light, when electric current is passed therethrough, and (iii) conductive metallic lead structure projecting into said internal space for supplying current to said light-generating means, the method comprising:
- (a) providing about said lead structure a body of vitreous material that is sealed to said lead structure, the body being formed by pressing particles of vitreous material into a compact and sintering said compact,
- (b) inserting said body and said lead structure, combined as a subassembly, into an opening in said envelope communicating with said internal space said body has an inner end that faces said internal space, when the body is inserted into said opening in the envelope, and said inner end is formed with a concave configuration before said body is inserted into said opening, and
- (c) forming a seal between said envelope and said body in the interface region between said envelope and said body.
A method of making a lamp comprising (i) a tubular envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space (ii) light-generating means within said internal space for generating light when electric current is passed therethrough, and (iii) conductive metallic lead structure projecting into said internal space for supplying current to said light-generating means, the method comprising:
- (a) providing about said lead structure a body of vitreous material that is sealed to said lead structure, the body being formed by pressing particles of vitreous material into a compact and sintering said compact,
- (b) inserting said body and said lead structure, combined as a subassembly, into an opening in said envelope communicating with said internal space, and
- (c) forming a seal between said envelope and said body in the interface region between said envelope and said body, the seal between said lead structure and said vitreous body made by providing between said lead structure and said compact a sleeve that is of a combination of vitreous material and metal, the sleeve being introduced before sintering of said compact.
A method of making a lamp comprising (i) a tubular envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space, and (ii), light-generating means within said internal space for generating light when electric current is passed therethrough the method comprising:
- (a) providing a subassembly comprising a body of vitreous material having an inner end of a concave configuration, an outer end and a conductive terminal structure joined to said body near said outer end,
- (b) inserting said body into an opening in the envelope communicating with said internal space and with said inner end facing said internal space,
- (c) forming a seal between said envelope and said inserted body in the interface region between said envelope and said inserted body, and in which:
- (d) said subassembly body is formed by pressing together particles of vitreous material, sintering said particles, and incorporating within said body conductive metal serving to conduct electric current through said body between said terminal structure and said light-generating means when said lamp is operated.
A method of making a lamp comprising (i) a tubular envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space and including two openings leading to said internal space, (ii) a filament having two spaced-apart ends and located within said internal space for generating light when electric current is passed therethrough, and (iii) a pair of conductive metallic lead structures projecting into said internal space through which electric current is supplied to said filament, the method comprising:
- (a) providing about each of said lead structures a body of vitreous material that is sealed to said lead structure and forms with said lead structure a subassembly in which the lead structure projects beyond one end of said body, the body being formed by pressing particles of vitreous material into a compact and sintering said compact and the body incorporating a metal having generally the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the metal of said conductive lead structure, said metal distributed within said body in such a manner that the concentration of said metal is higher in the region of said conductive lead structure than in said interface region,
- (b) positioning said subassemblies in spaced relationship to each other,
- (c) joining the ends of said filament to the projecting ends of said lead structures to form a filament assembly,
- (d) inserting said filament assembly into said two openings in said envelope with said bodies of vitreous material respectively positioned in said openings, and
- (e) forming a seal between said envelope and each of said bodies in the interface region between said envelope and said body.
A method of making a lamp comprising (i) a tubular envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space (ii) light-generating means within said internal space for generating light when electric current is passed therethrough, and (iii) conductive metallic lead structure projecting through an opening in said envelope into said internal space for supplying current to said light-generating means, the method comprising:
- (a) providing about said lead structure a body of vitreous material that is sealed to said lead structure, the body being formed by pressing particles of vitreous material into a compact and sintering said compact,
- (b) positioning said body and said lead structure, combined as a subassembly, to cover said opening in said envelope such that said lead structure is positioned in a desired location, said body having an inner end and an outer end, said inner end having a concave configuration that faces said internal space when the body is inserted into said opening in said envelope, and
- (c) forming a seal between said envelope and said body in the interface region between said envelope and said body.
A method of making a lamp comprising (i) a tubular envelope of vitreous light-transmitting material enclosing an internal space (ii) light-generating means within said internal space for generating light when electric current is passed therethrough, and (iii) conductive metallic lead structure projecting through an opening in said envelope into said internal space for supplying current to said light-generating means, the method comprising:
- (a) providing about said lead structure a body of vitreous material that is sealed to said lead structure, the body being formed by a sol-gel technique in which a porous mass of vitreous material is produced by causing a silicate compound to gel within a mold cavity, following which the gel is dried, heat treated, doped with conductive species, and then sintered,
- (b) positioning said body and said lead structure, combined as a subassembly, to cover said opening in said envelope, and
- (c) forming a seal between said envelope and said body in the interface region between said envelope and said body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.