Ceramic lamp

• US 6,313,582 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1999
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Ushio Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ushio Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Ushio Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miyanaga, Shouji, Mori, Kazuyuki, Ikeuchi, Mitsuru, Tagawa, Yukiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Application Number:
  US09/398,035
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 313/623, 313/624, 313/625, 313/626, 313/572, 313/578, 313/579, 313/570
• US Class Current: 313/623
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/363 End-disc seals or plug seals
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/366 Seals for leading-in conductors

Abstract

A ceramic lamp in which the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet are sealed to hermetically sealed tube portions of the lamp vessel with a sealing material is arranged and provided with material components designed to give the hermetically sealing portions a high reliability. In particular, a lamp of a translucent ceramic has a lamp vessel which has a bulb portion and hermetically sealed tube portions which are connected to the bulb portion, and electrically conductive supply components in the bulb portion which have base parts inserted into the hermetically sealed bodies of electrically conductive cermet, is improved by seal welding of the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet on the hermetically sealed tube portion with a sealing material so that a hermetically sealed arrangement is produced in which, in the border area between the sealing material and the hermetically sealing body, an intermediate layer is formed in which components of the electrically conductive cermet of the hermetically sealing body are intermixed with components of the sealing materials.

Claims

1. Ceramic lamp of translucent ceramic having a lamp vessel with a bulb portion and hermetically sealed tube portions connected to the bulb portion, electrically conductive supply components in the bulb portion, and hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet weld on the hermetically sealed tube portions with a sealing material to form a hermetically sealed arrangement, base parts of the electrically conductive supply components held in the hermetically sealed bodies of electrically conductive cermet;

wherein an intermediate layer is formed in a surface area of the hermetically sealing body, components of the electrically conductive cermet of the hermetically sealing body being intermixed with components of the sealing materials in said intermediate layer.

2. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive cermet contains components which melt at a temperature at which the sealing material melts and of which the hermetically sealing bodies are welded to the hermetically sealed tube portion.

3. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is comprised of an area with a relatively small concentration gradient which is formed by a diffusion of components of the sealing material into the intermediate layer, and of an area with a steep concentration gradient of components of the sealing material.

4. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer is an area with a thickness that is greater than or equal to 20 microns and in which the concentration of the components of the sealing material is at least half the concentration of said components in the pure sealing material.

5. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sealing material and the electrically conductive cermet contain silicon dioxide as a common component.

6. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 5, wherein inside faces of the hermetically sealing body border outside faces of the hermetically sealed tube of the lamp vessel, and wherein the sealing material fills at least a gap between said faces.

7. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein an outwardly facing surface of the electrically conductive cermet is at least partially covered with the sealing material.

8. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 7, wherein the following conditions are met at the same time:

9. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet has a hole into which a respective one of the base parts of the electrically conductive supply components are inserted, said hole having a widened entry opening.

10. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 9, wherein the condition |y−

u|×

d≦

1.2×

10<sup>−

9</sup> (m/K) is met where d (m) is the diameter of the electrically conductive supply components which are inserted into the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet and y and u (1/K) are the average coefficients of linear expansion of the electrically conductive cermet and of the material for the electrically conductive supply component at 25 to 350°

C., respectively.

11. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 10, wherein the ends of the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet and the ends of the hermetically sealed tube of the lamp vessel are attached to one another and are sealed relative to one another with said sealing material and a difference between an outside diameter of the ends of the hermetically sealing body of electrically conductive cermet and an outside diameter of the ends of the hermetically sealed tube of the lamp vessel is 0.7 mm or less.

12. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is comprised of an area with a relatively small concentration gradient which is formed by a diffusion of components of the sealing material into the intermediate layer, and of an area with a steep concentration gradient of components of the sealing material.

13. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer is an area with a thickness that is greater than or equal to 20 microns and in which the concentration of the components of the sealing material is at least half the concentration of said components in the pure sealing material.

14. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sealing material and the electrically conductive cermet contain silicon dioxide as a common component.

15. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein inside faces of the hermetically sealing body border outside faces of the hermetically sealed tube of the lamp vessel, and wherein the sealing material fills at least a gap between said faces.

16. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outwardly facing surface of the electrically conductive cermet is at least partially covered with the sealing material.

17. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the following conditions are met at the same time:

18. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet has a hole into which a respective one of the base parts of the electrically conductive supply components are inserted, said hole having a widened entry opening.

19. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condition |y−

u|×

d≦

1.2×

10<sup>−

9</sup> (m/K) is met where d (m) is the diameter of the electrically conductive supply components which are inserted into the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet and y and u (1/K) are the average coefficients of linear expansion of the electrically conductive cermet and of the material for the electrically conductive supply component at 25 to 350°

C., respectively.

20. Ceramic lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ends of the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet and the ends of the hermetically sealed tube of the lamp vessel are attached to one another and are sealed relative to one another with said sealing material and a difference between an outside diameter of the ends of the hermetically sealing bodies of electrically conductive cermet and an outside diameter of the ends of the hermetically sealed tube of the lamp vessel is 0.7 mm or less.