US 6,486,598 B1Granted

Compact fluorescent lamp and method for manufacturing

AssigneeIndustrial Technology Research Institute

InventorsKuang Lung Tsai, Chun Hui Tsai

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Abstract

A compact fluorescent lamp for illumination which is constructed by planar glass plates formed of a low cost sodium glass material and assembled together by a sealing glass adhesive, or a glass frit, such that a low cost compact fluorescent lamp that has maximum electrical discharge path can be fabricated in mass production. The compact flourescent lamp has a chamber cavity that is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers by interior partitions each having an aperture therethrough for allowing a discharge to go through into a neighboring sub-chamber. The placement of the aperture is such that a maximum discharge path, or a maximum arc path can be achieved while maintaining the total volume of the compact lamp at a minimum. The use of flat glass plates made of a low cost sodium glass material enables a low cost manufacturing of the present invention novel lamp. Complex and expensive shaping of glass tubes into bent or curved tubes utilized in conventional compact flourescent lamps are completely eliminated in the present invention novel method.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A compact fluorescent lamp for illumination comprising:

a lamp body constructed by two sidewalls, two end walls, a cover and a base forming a hermetically sealed chamber cavity therein,
at least one interior partition within the chamber cavity forming at least two sub-chambers, said at least one interior partition having at least one aperture hole therethrough to provide fluid communication between said at least two sub-chambers, said at least one aperture hole being positioned on said at least one partition in such a way that a maximum length of passageway by a subsequently generated electrical discharge is achieved in said at least two sub-chambers,
at least one chemical substance coated on interior walls including said at least one interior partition and inside surfaces of said two sidewalls, two end walls, said cover and said base, said chemical substance produces visible light when energized by a radiant energy,
a pair of spaced-apart electrodes each situated in a different sub-chamber of said at least two sub-chambers for providing an electrical discharge in said at least two sub-chambers, and
a gas filling said at least two sub-chambers which when charged by said electrical discharge emits a radiant energy to energize said at least one chemical substance coated on said interior walls to produce visible light.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.