Eliminating silver migration in EL lamps
AssigneeWorld Properties, Inc.
InventorsSujatha Narayan, Aniruddha J. Shere
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A net negative charge is used to eliminate silver migration in an EL lamp. An electrode containing silver, either the entire electrode, a bus bar on the electrode, or a contact area on the electrode, receives a net negative charge while the EL lamp is being driven with alternating current. The net negative charge can be provided by the driver itself or by a current source, such as a battery or a charged capacitor; or by asymmetric current means in the current path of the EL lamp, including the lamp itself.
Claims13
A lighting system including an EL lamp having a first electrode, a second electrode, a dielectric layer and a phosphor layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a driver supplying alternating current to the lamp, characterized in that the first electrode contains silver particles, the second electrode does not contain silver particles, and the driver includes a bias circuit that produces a net negative charge on the first electrode.
A lighting system including an EL lamp having a first electrode, a second electrode, a dielectric layer and a phosphor layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a driver supplying alternating current to the lamp, characterized in that the first electrode includes a bus bar and the bus bar contains silver particles, the second electrode does not contain silver particles, and the driver includes a bias circuit that charges the EL lamp with net negative charge on the first electrode.
A lighting system including an EL lamp having a first electrode, a second electrode, a dielectric layer and a phosphor layer between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a driver supplying alternating current to the lamp, characterized in that the first electrode includes a contact area and the contact area contains silver particles, the second electrode does not contain silver particles, and the driver includes a bias circuit that charges the EL lamp with net negative charge on the first electrode.
A method for eliminating silver migration in an EL lamp having an electrode containing silver particles, said method comprising the steps of:
- supplying alternating current to the EL lamp during operation;
- and providing a DC offset to the alternating current, thereby generating a net negative charge on the electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.