UV enhancer for a metal halide lamp
AssigneeOsram Sylvania Inc.
InventorsWalter P. Lapatovich, A. Bowman Budinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A starting aid for a metal halide lamp uses iodine and an inert gas instead of mercury so that the entire metal halide lamp may be mercury-free. The starting aid is a UV enhancer that includes a UV-transmissive capsule with a cavity in which iodine and an inert gas are sealed, wherein the iodine emits UV radiation when excited to reduce a starting voltage of the lamp.
Claims21
An ultraviolet (UV) enhancer for a metal halide lamp, said UV enhancer comprising a UV-transmissive capsule with a cavity in which iodine and an inert gas are sealed and that emits UV radiation when the iodine is excited to reduce a starting voltage of the metal halide lamp.
A metal halide lamp comprising:
- an outer tube;
- a discharge vessel inside said outer tube, said discharge vessel having two discharge electrodes that extend from outside said vessel to a discharge space within said vessel;
- and
- an ultraviolet (UV) transmitting starting aid in said outer tube and comprising a capsule with a cavity that has iodine and an inert gas sealed therein.
A method of starting a metal halide lamp, comprising the steps of reducing a starting voltage of the lamp by exciting iodine that is sealed with an inert gas in a UV enhancer in the lamp to cause emission of UV radiation, and starting the lamp with the reduced starting voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.