Low pressure lamp using non-mercury materials
AssigneeElwha LLC
InventorsRoderick A. Hyde, Jordin T. Kare, Tony S. Pan, Thomas A. Weaver, Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mercury-free low-pressure lamp having a bulb is provided. The bulb includes an emissive material and one or more phosphors. The emissive material includes at least one of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, wherein when the bulb is in a non-operational state, the emissive material condenses into a liquid or solid, and when the bulb is in an operational state the emissive material forms an emitter, the emitter in combination with one or more gases generate photons when excited by an electrical discharge. The one or more phosphors are configured to convert at least a portion of the photons to other visible wavelengths.
Claims35
A mercury-free low-pressure arc discharge lamp, comprising:
- a bulb comprising:
- an emissive material including at least one of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal, wherein:
- when the bulb is in a non-operational state, the emissive material condenses into a liquid or solid;
- and
- when the bulb is in an operational state the emissive material forms an emitter, the emitter in combination with one or more gases generate photons when excited by an electrical discharge;
- and
- one or more phosphors configured to convert at least a portion of the photons to other visible wavelengths.
An apparatus for operating a mercury-free low-pressure lamp including a bulb having one or more phosphors configured to convert photons to visible or other visible wavelengths, an envelope filled with one or more gases at a pressure below 0.01 atmospheres, and at least one emissive material including at least one of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal, the apparatus comprising:
- a circuit configured, in response to a startup command, to cause the emissive material to vaporize into the envelope to form an emitter and to cause the excitation of the emitter with an electron such that the emitter in combination with the gases generate visible or ultraviolet photons.
A method of starting a low-pressure lamp comprising:
- providing a bulb comprising:
- one or more phosphors configured to convert photons to visible wavelengths of light;
- an envelope filled with one or more gases at a pressure below 0.01 atmospheres;
- and
- an injector configured to spray at least one emissive material into the envelope;
- spraying, with the injector, the at least one emissive material into the envelope, the emissive material comprising at least one of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal;
- and
- exciting the emissive material with an electron such that the emissive material in combination with the gases generate visible or ultraviolet photons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.