Low-pressure sodium discharge lamp

• US 5,619,090 A
• Filed: 06/19/1995
• Issued: 04/08/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Vervecken, Karel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, NIMESHKUMAR D
• Application Number:
  US08/491,752
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 313/318.01, 313/318.09, 313/318.1, 313/25, 313/43
• US Class Current: 313/25
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/34 Double-wall vessels or containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/74 having a main light-emitting filling of difficult vaporisable metal vapour, e.g. sodium

Abstract

The low pressure sodium discharge lamp has an outer envelope (1) in which a U-shaped discharge tube (10) is accommodated. A mica disk (20) having holes (21 ) through which pinches (11) of the discharge tube extend, keeps the discharge tube centered. The mica disk (20) has teeth (22) at its periphery, which are bent towards the lamp base (5) and clampingly engage the outer envelope. The disk allows for the outer envelope to be fused to a flared tube (3) in a drop-seal process and provides several additional features.

Claims

1. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp provided with

an evacuated, tubular glass outer bulb which is closed in a gastight manner

with a first end potion where a glass stemtube enters the outer bulb, having a pinch seal inside the outer bulb, which end portion supports a lamp cap provided with contacts, and

with a second end portion having a dome shape;

a glass discharge tube bent into a U-shape with end portions which are each closed in a gastight manner and each have a pinch through which a respective current conductor is passed to an electrode arranged in the end portion in question, which discharge tube is filled with sodium and rare gas;

electrical conductors which extend each from a respective contact of the lamp cap through the pinch seal so as to be connected to a respective current conductor;

a substantially plane mica plate with openings through each of which a respective pinch is passed, acting as a first centring member which keeps the discharge tube centred in the outer bulb, and a second centring member for the discharge tube in the second end portion of the outer bulb,

characterized in that the mica plate has projecting teeth at its periphery which are bent towards the lamp cap and bear on the outer bulb with clamping action.

2. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the mica plate has the projecting teeth at its periphery in a first and in an opposed third sector of the plate, and has an unindented outer edge in a second and in an opposed fourth sector lying between the first and the third sectors.

3. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the electrical conductors project each through a respective opening in the mica plate and extend, bent around the outer edge of the mica plate, to a respective current conductor.

4. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the plate has recesses at its circumference, each accommodating a respective electrical conductor.

5. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the pinch seal of the stemtube is in contact with the mica plate.

6. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the discharge tube has a tipped exhaust tube which is directed at the second end portion of the outer bulb, while the second centring member is a mica plate having an opening in which said tipped exhaust tube is accommodated, said second centring member resting against the outer bulb in longitudinal direction thereof.

7. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that an additional component of the lamp is fixed with clamping action in an opening in the first centring member.

8. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electrical conductors project each through a respective opening in the mica plate and extend, bent around the outer edge of the mica plate, to a respective current conductor.

9. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the plate has recesses at its circumference, each accommodating a respective electrical conductor.

10. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the pinch seal of the stemtube is in contact with the mica plate.

11. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the discharge tube has a tipped exhaust tube which is directed at the second end portion of the outer bulb, while the second centering member is a mica plate having an opening in which said tipped exhaust tube is accommodated, said second centering member resting against the outer bulb in longitudinal direction thereof.

12. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that an additional component of the lamp is fixed with clamping action in an opening in the first centering member.

13. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the pinch seal of the stemtube is in contact with the mica plate.

14. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the discharge tube has a tipped exhaust tube which is directed at the second end portion of the outer bulb, while the second centering member is a mica plate having an opening in which said tipped exhaust tube is accommodated, said second centering member resting against the outer bulb in longitudinal direction thereof.

15. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that an additional component of the lamp is fixed with clamping action in an opening in the first centering member.

16. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pinch seal of the stemtube is in contact with the mica plate.

17. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the discharge tube has a tipped exhaust tube which is directed at the second end portion of the outer bulb, while the second centering member is a mica plate having an opening in which said tipped exhaust tube is accommodated, said second centering member resting against the outer bulb in longitudinal direction thereof.

18. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the discharge tube has a tipped exhaust tube which is directed at the second end portion of the outer bulb, while the second centering member is a mica plate having an opening in which said tipped exhaust tube is accommodated, said second centering member resting against the outer bulb in longitudinal direction thereof.

19. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the discharge tube has a tipped exhaust tube which is directed at the second end portion of the outer bulb, while the second centering member is a mica plate having an opening in which said tipped exhaust tube is accommodated, said second centering member resting against the outer bulb in longitudinal direction thereof.

20. A low-pressure sodium discharge lamp as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the discharge tube has a tipped exhaust tube which is directed at the second end portion of the outer bulb, while the second centering member is a mica plate having an opening in which said tipped exhaust tube is accommodated, said second centering member resting against the outer bulb in longitudinal direction thereof.