Method and apparatus for forming apertures in fluorescent lamps
US5116272A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 3, 1990 |
| Grant date | May 26, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 3, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01J9/20
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus for making an aperture in a coating on an inside surface of a lamp envelope such as a miniature fluorescent lamp envelope. The apparatus includes a magnetic scraping tool disposed adjacent to the inside surface of the lamp envelope and a magnet disposed adjacent to the outside surface of the lamp envelope so as to influence the scraping tool. The magnet acts on the magnetic scraping tool to maintain a scraping portion of the scraping tool in contact with the inside surface of the lamp envelope. As the magnet is moved along the outside of the lamp envelope, the scraping tool is pulled through the inside of the lamp envelope with sufficient clamping force to scrape a desired width of coating from the inside surface of the lamp envelope. In one embodiment, a guide is provided to guide the scraping tool through the lamp envelope. In a preferred embodiment, the scraping tool and the magnet are coupled to the guide. The guide moves the magnet and the scraping tool along the lamp envelope. A scraping insert on the scraping tool is sized to remove the coating from a predetermined area of the inside surface of the lamp envelope.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.