Method and apparatus for stabilizing the pressure of a gas in a

Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – With conveying means to supply successive receivers – Horizontal axis conveyer

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141 66, 316 30, H01J 9395

Patent

active

043646174

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to an apparatus for stabilizing the pressure of a gas to be sealed in a tubular bulb like that of a fluorescent lamp.


BACKGROUND ART

In the manufacture of, for example, a fluorescent lamp, a gas such as argon is sealed in a tubular bulb at a prescribed pressure. One of the known gas-sealing processes is the co-called flow evacuation method which comprises introducing the same kind of gas as is to be sealed into one end of a tubular bulb in the capacity of a purge gas, thereby expelling impure gases such as air and nitrogen from the tubular bulb. After replacing the impure gases by the desired gas, an exhaust tube is sealed. With this flow evacuation method, the pressure of the purge gas in a tubular bulb during flow evacuation gives rise to variations of, for example, 5.+-.2 torr depending on the different diameters of an exhaust tube. If, in this case, the purge gas itself is introduced as a seal gas, then the pressure of the seal gas is subject to wide variations.
To avoid such an undesirable event, the conventional process comprises reducing the gas pressure in the tubular bulb to a level of about 0.5 torr after flow evacuation, introducing a desired gas into the bulb at a pressure of, for example, about 2.5 torr and thereafter sealing the exhaust tube. In this case, however, an appreciable length of time is consumed to decompress the interior of the tubular bulb (it takes about 30 seconds to reduce the gas pressure in the tubular bulb from, for example, 5 torr to a level of 0.5 torr), thus decreasing the operation efficiency of high output production. Further, this method, which comprises decompressing the interior of a tubular bulb and again sealing a gas therein, is undesirably complicated.
It is accordingly the object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for easily and quickly stabilizing the pressure of a gas to be sealed in a tubular bulb to a prescribed level.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A seal gas pressure-stabilizing apparatus according to this invention includes a hollow body having a first pipe with a conductance C.sub.1, a second pipe with a conductance C.sub.2 and a third pipe with a conductance C.sub.3, which communicate with each other. The conductance C.sub.1 is lower than either of the conductances C.sub.2 and C.sub.3. The first pipe is connected to a source of the same kind of gas as that which is to be finally sealed in a tubular bulb, the second pipe to a decompressing system, and the third pipe to a tubular bulb. Under the condition in which the gas from the source constantly flows from the first pipe to the second pipe, the conductances C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 are set at such a level that the pressure of a gas running through the third pipe retains a level the same as or lower than a desired pressure of a gas to be sealed in the tubular bulb. The corresponding method is also a part of the present invention. Thus, this invention permits the easy setting of the pressure of a gas to be sealed in the tubular bulb.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically shows the arrangement of the whole of a gas-sealing system comprising a gas pressure-stabilizing apparatus according to this invention; and
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the gas pressure-stabilizing apparatus according to this invention.


BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

This invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide a full understanding thereof.
FIG. 1 schematically indicates the arrangement of the whole of a gas-sealing system comprising a gas pressure-stabilizing apparatus according to this invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a tubular bulb of a fluorescent lamp. An one end of the bulb 1 an exhaust pipe 2 communicating with the bulb is provided. The exhaust pipe 2 is held airtight by a head 4 fixed to a spider 3 of an exhausting machine (not shown). The head 4 is fitted with a connection pipe 5 communicating with the exhaust pipe 2. The other end of the connection pipe 5 is connect

REFERENCES:
patent: 2215100 (1940-09-01), Gustin
patent: 2542636 (1951-02-01), DeGroat
patent: 3589790 (1971-06-01), Beane
patent: 3598518 (1971-08-01), Goto
patent: 3967871 (1976-07-01), Kerekes

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