Gas discharge tube

• US 7,271,542 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2004
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Matsushita, Koji, Ito, Masaki, Ito, Yoshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Vip
• Application Number:
  US10/544,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20060145617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 313/492, 313/609, 313/611, 313/612, 313/613, 313/626
• US Class Current: 313/612
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/68 Lamps in which the main discharge is between parts of a current-carrying guide, e.g. halo lamp

Abstract

A gas discharge tube 10 of the present invention generates an electric discharge between an anode part 24 and a cathode part 56 disposed inside a sealed container 12 in which gas has been contained. The gas discharge tube 10 comprises an electric discharge path restricting part 28 which is cylindrical and disposed between the anode part and the cathode part, and which has a throughhole 42 for narrowing an electric discharge path between the anode part and the cathode part; and an electric discharge shielding part 50 which is disposed to surround the electric discharge path restricting part so as to restrict an electric discharge from the outer peripheral surface of the electric discharge path restricting part to the cathode part, and which is electrically isolated from the electric discharge path restricting part. The end part of the electric discharge path restricting part on the cathode part side projects beyond a surface of the electric discharge shielding part on the cathode side by a predetermined amount “P” of projection. With this structure, a high density electron region is formed exclusively in a part of the throughhole of the electric discharge path restricting part on the cathode side, thereby ensuring the generation of a startup discharge.

Claims

1. A gas discharge tube comprising:

a sealed container in which gas is contained;

an anode part disposed in said sealed container;

a cathode part defining an electric discharge part for generating an electric discharge with said anode part, said cathode part being disposed inside said sealed container in such a manner as to be distanced from said anode part;

an electric discharge path restricting part being cylindrical and conductive and having a throughhole for narrowing said electric discharge path, said electric discharge path restricting part being disposed between said anode part and said cathode part, and being adapted to be electrically connected with an external power source; and

an electric discharge shielding part disposed to enclose said electric discharge path restricting part, said electric discharge shielding part being electrically isolated from said electric discharge path restricting part,

wherein said electric discharge path restricting part and said electric discharge shielding part are positioned in such a manner that an end part of said electric discharge path restricting part on said cathode part side projects beyond a surface of said electric discharge shielding part on said cathode part side by a predetermined amount of projection.

2. The gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein said amount of projection is approximately 0.5 mm at maximum.

3. The gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein said throughhole in said electric discharge path restricting part includes a small hole part which is provided on said anode part side and has a constant inner diameter, and a increased diameter hole part which is linked with said small hole part and extends toward said cathode part side while increasing in diameter toward the cathode part side in a funnel shape.

4. The gas discharge tube according to claim 3, wherein said increased diameter hole part in said electric discharge path restricting part has an inner peripheral surface which extends beyond a surface of said electric discharge shielding part that is on said cathode part side toward a surface of said electric discharge shielding part that is on said anode part side.

5. The gas discharge tube according to claim 3, wherein said increased diameter hole part has a maximum inner diameter (D2) in a range of 1 mm to 3 mm, and a ratio (D2/D1) of said maximum inner diameter (D2) of said increased diameter hole part to an inner diameter (D1) of said small-hole part in said electric discharge path restricting part is in a range of 4 to 10.

6. The gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein said electric discharge shielding part is made of electrically insulating material.

7. The gas discharge tube according to claim 1, wherein the gas in said sealed container is heavy hydrogen gas.