Patent · US Expired

Electrodeless gas discharge lamp assembly with flux concentrator

US6380680B1 · kind B1 · utility

20Cited by
20References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 2, 1998
Grant dateApr 30, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 2, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J65/048
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An inductively driven gas discharge lamp assembly (20,40) which includes an electrodeless lamp (12,12′), an inductive drive coil (14), and a flux concentrator (22,42) disposed about the drive coil. The drive coil (14) is wound about the lamp (12,12′), which has a neon or other ionizable gas fill that provides a visible plasma discharge upon energization by the drive coil. The flux concentrator (22,42) can comprise a sleeve (24,44) of magnetically permeable material, such as ferrite, which confines the magnetic field generated by the drive coil (14). The flux concentrator (42) can include an end piece (46) that further confines the magnetic field at one end of the drive coil and c include a core piece (48) that extends into a central recess (50) within the lamp (12′) to concentrate the magnetic flux at a particular region within the lamp where the plasma discharge is primarily located. Also disclosed is an automotive lamp assembly (60) that incorporates the flux concentrator (22) along with an d.c. to a.c. inverter circuit (64), an r.f. shield (80), and a heat sink (106).

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