Gas discharge tube having sealed envelope with metallic portion and light projection glass window

• US 6,559,576 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2000
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Adachi, Kouzou, Ito, Yoshinobu, Matui, Ryotaro, Ikedo, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guharay, Karabi
• Application Number:
  US09/598,992
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 313/25, 313/623, 313/626, 313/634, 313/635, 313/636, 313/283, 313/284, 313/600, 313/281
• US Class Current: 313/25
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/10 Shields, screens, or guides for influencing the discharge
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/30 Vessels; Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/302 characterised by the material of the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/35 provided with coatings on the walls thereof; Selection of materials for the coatings using coloured coatings H01J61/40; using luminescent coatings H01J61/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/68 Lamps in which the main discharge is between parts of a current-carrying guide, e.g. halo lamp
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 63/02 Details, e.g. electrode, gas filling, shape of vessel
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 63/08 Lamps with gas plasma excited by the ray or stream

Abstract

In a gas discharge tube in accordance with the present invention, a side tube is formed from a metal, the outer periphery of the stem is provided with a joint portion made of a metal, and the latter is joined to a metal-made joint portion of the side tube by welding, whereby the assembling is made easier by welding, while the gas discharge tube itself can attain smaller dimensions. Also, since the side tube is small and made of a metal, its handling improves greatly. Further, since side tube is formed from a metal, the gas discharge tube is encouraged to have a wider range of processed forms and attains a prospect for mass production.

Claims

1. A gas discharge tube having a sealed envelope at least a part of which transmits light, said sealed envelope being filled with a gas and being provided with anode and cathode sections disposed therein, electric discharge being generated between said anode and cathode sections, so that the light-transmitting part of said sealed envelope emits predetermined light outside,

said gas discharge tube comprising a focusing electrode plate disposed between said anode and cathode sections and provided with an opening for focusing an electron directed from said cathode section to said anode section,

said cathode section being disposed so as to be distanced from a line connecting said anode section and said opening of said focusing electrode plate to each other;

said sealed envelope comprising;

a stem for securing said anode and cathode sections within said sealed envelope by way of respective stem pins independent from each other, at least respective securing portions of said stem pins being an insulator, an outer peripheral part of said stem being made of a metal;

a side tube, made of metal, surrounding said anode and cathode sections and being joined to the outer peripheral part of said stem by welding, and having an inner wall surface coated with a glass material or ceramics material; and

a light projection window made of glass and secured to said side tube on the line connecting said anode section and said opening of said focusing electrode plate to each other.

2. A gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein each of the outer peripheral part of said stem and a joint portion of said side tube has a flange portion being joined to each other by welding.

3. A gas discharge tube according to claim 2, wherein said flange portions are provided with a positioning portion for arranging said gas discharge tube.

4. A gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein said stem is constituted by attaching a metal-made joint portion to a periphery of a glass-made body.

5. A gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein said stem comprises a metal-made body, a glass-made insulating portion being disposed between each stem pin to be fixed and the body.