PLASMA LAMP WITH DIELECTRIC WAVEGUIDE INTEGRATED WITH TRANSPARENT BULB

• US 20090146543A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Luxim Corporation (CVCIGP II Luma Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Luxim Corporation (CVCIGP II Luma Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chang, Yian, Espiau, Frederick M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,940,007 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/231.310
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/12 Selection of substances for gas fillings; Specified operating pressure or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/30 Vessels; Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/52 Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Means for circulating gas or vapour within the discharge space heating or cooling arrangements to promote ionisation for starting H01J61/54
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 65/044 the field being produced by a separate microwave unit
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 7/46 Structurally associated resonator having distributed inductance and capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A dielectric waveguide integrated plasma lamp (DWIPL) with a body comprising at least one dielectric material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2, and having a shape and dimensions such that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode when microwave energy of an appropriate frequency is coupled into the body. A dielectric bulb within a lamp chamber in the body contains a fill which when receiving energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma. The bulb is transparent to visible light and infrared radiation emitted by the plasma. Radiative energy lost from the plasma is recycled by reflecting the radiation from thin-film, multi-layer coatings on bulb exterior surfaces and/or lamp chamber surfaces back into the bulb. The lamp further includes two- or three-microwave probe configurations minimizing power reflected from the body back to the microwave source when the source operates: (a) at a frequency such that the body resonates in a single mode; or (b) at one frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively higher mode before a plasma is formed, and at another frequency such that the body resonates in a relatively lower order mode after the plasma reaches steady state.

Claims

1. A lamp comprising:

(a) a waveguide having a body of a preselected shape and dimensions, the body comprising at least one dielectric material and having at least one surface determined by a waveguide outer surface, each said material having a dielectric constant greater than approximately 2;

(b) a first microwave probe positioned within and in intimate contact with the body, adapted to couple microwave energy into the body from a microwave source having an output and an input and operating within a frequency range from about 0.25 GHz to about 30 GHz at a preselected frequency and intensity, the probe connected to the source output, said frequency and intensity and said body shape and dimensions selected so that the body resonates in at least one resonant mode having at least one electric field maximum;

(c) the body having a lamp chamber depending from said waveguide outer surface and determined by a chamber aperture and a chamber enclosure determined by a bottom surface and at least one surrounding wall surface;

(d) a transparent, dielectric bulb within the lamp chamber; and

(e) a fill mixture contained within the bulb which when receiving microwave energy from the resonating body forms a light-emitting plasma.