Low mercury arc discharge lamp containing neodymium
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJames T. Dakin, Tommie Berry, Jr., Mark E. Duffy, Timothy D. Russell
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Abstract
A high intensity metal halide arc discharge lamp, such as an electrodeless lamp wherein RF energy is inductively coupled to the arc discharge, contains a halide of neodymium alone or in combination with other metals such as one or more rare earth metals, Na, Cs and is essentially mercury free (i.e., <1 mg per cc of arc chamber volume).
Claims29
A light-transmissive arc chamber for an arc discharge lamp containing a fill for initiating and sustaining a torus-shaped arc discharge wherein said fill is essentially free of mercury and comprises a buffer gas and a halide of Nd.
A metal halide arc discharge lamp comprising (i) a light-transmissive arc chamber in which is disposed an arc-sustaining fill essentially free of mercury and which comprises a buffer gas and a halide Nd, and (ii) means for applying electrical energy to said fill to produce a light-emitting, torus-shaped arc.
An electrodeless metal halide arc discharge lamp having a hermetically sealed, vitreous, light-transmissive arc chamber in which is disposed an arc-sustaining fill essentially free of mercury and which comprises a buffer gas and a halide of neodymium, said arc chamber having its coldest portion at a temperature greater than 500.degree. C. during operation of said lamp and said lamp further including means for applying RF energy to said fill to produce a light-emitting, torus-shaped arc.
An electrodeless, metal halide arc discharge lamp having a hermetically sealed, light-transmissive fused quartz arc chamber having disposed therein an arc-sustaining fill essentially free of mercury and comprising (i) a buffer gas at a pressure of at least 50 torr selected from the group consisting essentially of Kr, Xe, Ar and mixture thereof and (ii) a halide of Nd, said lamp further including means for applying RF energy to said fill to produce a light-emitting, torus-shaped arc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.