Lamp with mercury release structure and method for dispensing mercury into a lamp

Abstract

A lamp includes a sealed transparent elongated envelope containing a gas fill, a coil at each of two ends of the elongated envelope, the coils extending widthwise of the envelope, and lead-in wires connected to each of the coils and connectable to an external source of electric current. The lamp further includes a capsule containing mercury and mounted within the envelope at one of the ends of the envelope, the capsule being connected to one of the lead-in wires of one of the coils, the capsule having a base end disposed in a widthwise plane of the envelope in which is disposed the one coil and disposed adjacent to a center portion of the one coil, the capsule having a body portion extending axially in the envelope toward the other of the coils. The other coil is adapted, upon energization by the current, to emit electrons toward the capsule to heat and burst the capsule, to release the mercury into the envelope. The invention further relates to a method for releasing mercury into a lamp, utilizing the above-described apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.