FLASH DISCHARGE APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 3,758,819 A
• Filed: 12/27/1971
• Issued: 09/11/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eg&G, Inc. (C.T. Consultants Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jacob Goldberg
• Inventors: Goldberg, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dahl, Lawrence J.
• Application Number:
  US05/212,507
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 313/197,198,201,208 315/204,330,335
• US Class Current: 315/204
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/545 using an auxiliary electrode inside the vessel H01J61/542 takes precedence

Abstract

This disclosure involves novel flash tubes and similar electric discharge devices and methods comprising electrodes in a gaseous medium between which an electrical discharge is to pass and in which the reliability of repetitive operation is assured through the use of novel cooperative internal initiator conductor means and cooperative external conductive path means at opposite walls of the housing containing the gaseous medium.

Claims

1. A method for producing an electrical discharge between a pair of spaced electrodes within a gaseous medium contained in an insulating-walled housing, that comprises, applying a voltage between the electrodes that, upon triggering of the gaseous medium, may discharge therebetween;

disposing a conductive intitator probe connected to one of the electrodes with a free probe end remote from said one electrode and disposed in the gaseous medium next to a point of the inner surface of the insulating wall of the housing;

providing a conductive path along the outer surface of the said wall extending from a point thereof opposite the said point of the inner wall surface and connected to the other of the electrodes; and

applying a trigger voltage between said initiator probe and said path to develop a highly localized field intensity from the said free probe end to the gas and through the insulating wall between said points to the said opposite point of the conductive path to generate in the gaseous medium at said inner wall surface point a localized irradiation that initiates the breakdown of said gaseous medium enabling the discharge of the applied voltage between the said electrodes.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and in which the connections of the initiator probe and the conductive path to the respective electrodes is effected at regions external to the discharge space within the gaseous medium between the said electrodes.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 and in which the said points are disposed to enable irradiation of the said discharge space by the said generated localized irradiation.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 and in which the said conductive path is extended from said points along the said outer wall surface toward the said other electrode.

5. A gaseous-discharge device having, in combination, a gas-filled insulating-walled housing containing a pair of spaced electrodes;

means for applying a voltage between the electrodes that, upon triggering of the gas, may discharge therebetween;

conducting initiator probe means connected at one end to one of the electrodes and disposed with a free end remote from said one electrode in the gas next to a point of the inner wall surface;

conductive path means connected to the other of the electrodes and extending along the outer wall surface to a point thereof opposite the first-named point; and

means for applying a trigger voltage between said initiator probe means and said conductive path means to develop a highly localized field intensity between said points in order to generate within the gas at said first-named point a localized irradiation that initiates the breakdown of the gas, enabling the discharge of the applied voltage between the said electrodes.

6. A gaseous-discharge device as claimed in claim 5 and in which the connections of the initiator probe means and the conductive path means to their respective electrodes is effected at regions external to the discharge space between the electrodes.

7. A gaseous-discharge device as claimed in claim 5 and in which the said points are disposed such as to enable the localized irradiation to irradiate into the discharge space between the electrodes.

8. A gaseous-dischaRge device as claimed in claim 7 and in which the said conductive path means extends from said point of the outer wall surface therealong to the region of the housing at which connection is made to the said other electrode.

9. A gaseous-discharge device as claimed in claim 8 and in which the connection at said region is made external to the housing.

10. A gaseous-discharge device as claimed in claim 7 and in which the said initiator probe means is connected to the said one electrode within the said housing.

11. A gaseous-discharge device as claimed in claim 7 and in which said conductive path means comprises a plurality of bands spaced about and along said housing and connected together.