Patent · US Expired

Electrodeless lamp using separate microwave energy resonance modes for ignition and operation

US5786667A · kind A · utility

52Cited by
10References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 9, 1996
Grant dateJul 28, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 9, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J65/044
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus which couples microwave energy to an electrodeless lamp. A source of microwave energy is connected to a wave guide having a slot along one wall thereof. A nominally cylindrical cavity enclosing an electrodeless lamp is closed at one end and coupled at a second end to the slot. The nominally cylindrical cavity has a non cylindrical surface portion which increases coupling from said slot to a second resonant mode which is orthogonal to a first primary resonant mode, creating a high amplitude standing wave in the region of the electrodeless lamp. Once ignition of the lamp occurs, the impedance of the lamp decreases significantly, and most of the microwave power for sustaining illumination is coupled to the electrodeless lamp in the first resonant mode producing a substantially matched load to said microwave source.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.