Gas discharge tube with discharge shielding member

• US 5,633,563 A
• Filed: 07/13/1995
• Issued: 05/27/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Ito, Yoshinobu, Matui, Ryotaro, Ikedo, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): KINKEAD, ARNOLD M
• Application Number:
  US08/502,009
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 313/590-591, 313/592, 313/593, 313/594, 313/595, 313/581-588, 313/616-622, 313/238-239, 313/240, 313/241, 313/242, 313/493, 313/631-632, 313/307 , 313/306, 313/308, 313/292, 313/613, 313/614, 313/623, 315/337, 315/339, 315/94
• US Class Current: 313/614
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/10 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/04 Electrodes for igniting H01J61/54; Screens; Shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/10 Shields, screens, or guides for influencing the discharge

Abstract

A gas discharge tube includes a light-emitting section in an envelope sealing a gas therein, positioned at distal ends of lead pins while spaced from an inner side wall of the envelope. The light-emitting section includes a hot cathode, an anode, a focusing electrode, and a discharge shielding member having a front surface which faces the hot cathode. The front surface of the discharge shielding member is defined by a first surface being in direct contact with the focusing electrode, for defining a position of the focusing electrode, a second surface continued from the first surface, for defining a distance between the focusing electrode and the anode, and a third surface continued from the second surface and being in direct contact with the anode, for defining a position of the anode.

Claims

1. A gas discharge tube, comprising:

an envelope for sealing a gas therein;

a hot cathode disposed in said envelope, for emitting thermoelectrons;

an anode disposed in said envelope, for receiving the thermoelectrons emitted from said hot cathode;

a focusing electrode disposed in said envelope, said focusing electrode having a focusing opening for converging and passing thermoelectrons which are emitted from said hot cathode and which are received by said anode; and

a discharge shielding member of an insulator having a front surface for supporting said focusing electrode at a predetermined position, said front surface of said discharge shielding member being defined by;

a first surface being in direct contact with said focusing electrode, for defining a position of said focusing electrode;

a second surface continued from said first surface, for defining a distance between said focusing electrode and said anode; and

a third surface continued from said second surface, said third surface being in direct contact with said anode, for defining a position of said anode,

wherein said second and third surfaces of said front surface of said discharge shielding member form a first depression for supporting and accommodating said anode.

2. A gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein said discharge shielding member further has a rear surface which is opposite said front surface of said discharge shielding member, and through holes passing from said third surface of said front surface to said rear surface of said discharge shielding member.

3. A gas discharge tube according to claim 2, further comprising a connecting pin fixed on a rear surface of said anode, said rear surface of said anode being in direct contact with said third surface of said front surface of said discharge shielding member, wherein

both ends of said connecting pin project from said rear surface of said discharge shielding member through said through holes.

4. A gas discharge tube according to claim 3, wherein at least one of said ends of said connecting pin is fixed at a distal end of a lead pin for setting said anode at a predetermined potential, said lead pin introduced into an inner space of said envelope from outside of said envelope.

5. A gas discharge tube according to claim 1, further comprising a front electrode mounted on said front surface of said discharge shielding member, for accommodating said hot cathode and shielding discharge of said hot cathode, whereby said hot cathode is housed in a space defined by said front electrode and said focusing electrode.

6. A gas discharge tube according to claim 5, wherein said front electrode has a window at a position opposite said anode through said focusing opening of said focusing electrode, for outputting light caused by gas discharge.

7. A gas discharge tube according to claim 5, further comprising a cathode electrode disposed in said space, for shielding discharge of said hot cathode, said cathode electrode having a slit for passing the thermoelectrons emitted from said hot cathode.

8. A gas discharge tube according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connecting pin fixed on a rear surface of said anode, said rear surface of said anode being in direct contact with said third surface of said front surface of said discharge shielding member; and

a second depression for partially accommodating said connecting pin, at said third surface of said front surface of said discharge shielding member.

9. A gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein said discharge shielding member is made of a ceramic.

10. A gas discharge tube, comprising:

an envelope for sealing a gas therein;

lead pins introduced into an inner space of said envelope from outside of said envelope; and

a light-emitting section in said envelope, positioned at distal ends of said lead pins and supported by said lead pins while spaced from an inner side wall of said envelope, said light-emitting section including;

a hot cathode for emitting thermoelectrons;

an anode for receiving the thermoelectrons emitted from said hot cathode;

a focusing electrode having a focusing opening for converging and passing thermoelectrons which are emitted from said hot cathode and which are received by said anode; and

a discharge shielding member of an insulator having a front surface for supporting said focusing electrode at a predetermined position and a first depression for accommodating said anode, wherein

said first depression is defined by a bottom surface for supporting said anode at a predetermined position and a side surface which communicates said front surface to said bottom surface and which defines a distance between said focusing electrode and said anode.

11. A gas discharge tube according to claim 10, wherein said discharge shielding member further has a rear surface which is opposite said front surface of said discharge shielding member, and through holes passing from said bottom surface of said first depression to said rear surface of said discharge shielding member.

12. A gas discharge tube according to claim 11, further comprising a connecting pin fixed on a rear surface of said anode, said rear surface of said anode being in direct contact with said bottom surface of said first depression of said discharge shielding member, wherein

both ends of said connecting pin project from said rear surface of said discharge shielding member through said through holes.

13. A gas discharge tube according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said ends of said connecting pin is fixed at a distal end of a lead pin for setting said anode at a predetermined potential, said lead pin introduced into an inner space of said envelope from outside of said envelope.

14. A gas discharge tube according to claim 10, further comprising a front electrode mounted on said front surface of said discharge shielding member, for accommodating said hot cathode and shielding discharge of said hot cathode, whereby said hot cathode is housed in a space defined by said front electrode and said focusing electrode.

15. A gas discharge tube according to claim 14, wherein said front electrode has a window at a position opposite said anode through said focusing opening of said focusing electrode, for outputting light caused by gas discharge.

16. A gas discharge tube according to claim 14, further comprising a cathode electrode disposed in said space, for shielding discharge of said hot cathode, said cathode electrode having a slit for passing the thermoelectrons emitted from said hot cathode.

17. A gas discharge tube according to claim 10, further comprising:

a connecting pin fixed on a rear surface of said anode, said rear surface of said anode being in direct contact with said bottom surface of said first depression provided at said front surface of said discharge shielding member; and

a second depression for partially accommodating said connecting pin, at a bottom surface of said first depression of said discharge shielding member.

18. A gas discharge tube according to claim 10, wherein said discharge shielding member is made of a ceramic.