Electric lamp and discharge devices – With optical device or special ray transmissive envelope – Reflector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-11-06
Patel, Nimeshkumar D. (Department: 2879)
Electric lamp and discharge devices
With optical device or special ray transmissive envelope
Reflector
C362S148000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06313570
ABSTRACT:
The invention herein described relates generally to high intensity gas discharge lamp assemblies and more particularly to such lamp assemblies that are compact for aircraft lighting applications
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
High intensity discharge (HID) lamps offer significant advantages over other lamps conventionally used in aircraft applications, such as quartz halogen or incandescent sealed beam lamps used as utility/cargo bay lights, wing and engine scan lights, logo lights, landing lights and taxi lights. When compared with quartz halogen lamps, HID lamps provide (i) nearly twice the photometric performance at less than half the energy consumption, (ii) extended lamp life by a factor of about four, (iii) better shock resistance and (iv) less heat generation. However, presently known HID lamp assemblies have required a larger envelope than the existing quartz halogen or incandescent sealed beam lamps presently in use in aircraft applications. Even automotive applications would benefit from a HID lamp assembly having a smaller envelope size than the HID lamp assemblies presently in use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an HID lamp assembly that has a relatively small envelope size enabling use of the lamp assembly in aircraft applications as well as other applications. According to one aspect of the invention, a lamp assembly comprises a reflector; a discharge lamp mounted to the reflector; and a ballast which controls the delivery of power to the discharge lamp, the ballast being mounted to and carried by the reflector.
According to another aspect of the invention, a lamp assembly comprises a reflector that tapers from a wide front end to a narrow rear end; a discharge lamp mounted to the rear end of the reflector; and a ballast which controls the delivery of power to the discharge lamp, the ballast being axially aligned with the reflector and the transverse dimensions of the ballast being less than the corresponding dimensions of the reflector at its wide front end.
According to a further aspect of the invention, a lamp assembly comprises a reflector; a discharge lamp including a discharge lamp bulb and a bulb base mounted to the reflector; and a ballast which controls the delivery of power to the discharge lamp, the ballast at least partially surrounding the bulb base.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail one or more illustrative embodiments of the invention, such being indicative, however, of but one or a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.
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Bergkvist Kjell Kristoffer
Bergkvist Lars Anders
Hopper Todd Reed
Patel Nimeshkumar D.
Renner , Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP
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