Electric lamp or space discharge component or device manufacturi – Process – With assembly or disassembly
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-15
2003-08-05
Ramsey, Kenneth J. (Department: 2379)
Electric lamp or space discharge component or device manufacturi
Process
With assembly or disassembly
C313S113000, C228S175000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06602104
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to arc lamps, and specifically to components and methods used to reduce the cost of manufacturing xenon arc lamps.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Short arc lamps provide intense point sources of light that allow light collection in reflectors for applications in medical endoscopes, instrumentation and video projection. Also, short arc lamps are used in industrial endoscopes, for example in the inspection of jet engine interiors. More recent applications have been in color television receiver projection systems.
A typical short arc lamp comprises an anode and a sharp-tipped cathode positioned along the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical, sealed concave chamber that contains xenon gas pressurized to several atmospheres. U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,465, issued Feb. 24, 1998, to Roy D. Roberts, describes such a typical short-arc lamp. A typical xenon arc lamp, such as the CERMAX marketed by ILC Technology (Sunnyvale, Calif.) has a three-legged strut system that holds the cathode electrode concentric to the lamp's axis and in opposition to the anode.
The manufacture of high power xenon arc lamps involves the use of expensive and exotic materials, and sophisticated fabrication, welding, and brazing procedures. Because of the large numbers of xenon arc lamps being produced and marketed, every opportunity to save money on the materials and/or assembly procedures is constantly being sought. Being the low-cost producer in a market always translates into a strategic competitive advantage.
For example, the CERMAX-type arc lamp
100
shown in
FIG. 1
is a common type sold in the commercial market. The manufacturing of lamp
100
can easily cost the biggest part of one hundred dollars for material and labor. The total manufacturing costs set the minimum amount that can be charged at retail, so the production volumes that can be sold are limited by the high price points that must be charged. The lamp
100
is conventional and comprises an optical coating
102
on a sapphire window
104
, a window shell flange
106
, a body sleeve
108
, a pair of flanges
110
and
112
, a three-piece strut assembly
114
, a two percent thoriated tungsten cathode
116
, an alumina-ceramic elliptical reflector
118
, a metal shell
120
, a copper anode base
122
, a base support ring
124
, a tungsten anode
126
, a gas tabulation
128
, and a charge of xenon gas
130
. All of which are brazed together in several discrete brazing operations.
Fewer parts, less expensive materials, simpler tooling, and fewer assembly steps would all help to reduce the costs of making such CERMAX-type arc lamps.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a xenon ceramic lamp that is less expensive to produce than conventional designs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a low-cost xenon ceramic lamp that works equally as well as more expensive conventional designs.
Briefly, an arc lamp embodiment of the present invention comprises nine component parts that are brought together in three brazes and one TIG-weld to result in a finished product. An anode assembly is brazed with the rest of a body sub-assembly in one step instead of two. A single-bar cathode-support strut is brazed together. A window flange and a sapphire output window are brazed together with the product of the strut braze step in a mounted-cathode-braze step. A copper-tube fill tubulation, a kovar sleeve, a ceramic reflector body, an anode flange, and a thoriated-tungsten anode are all brazed together in a “body-braze” step. The products of the mounted-cathode-braze step and body-braze step are tungsten-inert-gas (TIG) welded together in a final welding step. A lamp is finished by filling it with xenon gas and pinching off the tubulation.
An advantage of the present invention is that a ceramic arc lamp is provided that is less expensive to manufacture compared to prior art designs and methods.
Another advantage of the present invention is that a ceramic arc lamp is provided that is simple in design.
A further advantage of the present invention is that a ceramic arc lamp is provided that has a single-bar cathode-support strut.
A still further advantage of the present invention is that a ceramic arc lamp is provided that requires fewer sub-assemblies.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing figures.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3495118 (1970-02-01), Richter
patent: 3731133 (1973-05-01), McRae et al.
patent: 5721465 (1998-02-01), Roberts
patent: 5789863 (1998-08-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 6181053 (2001-01-01), Roberts
patent: 6281629 (2001-08-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6316867 (2001-11-01), Roberts et al.
Berck K A
EG&G ILC Technology
Law Offices of Thomas E. Schatzel A Prof. Corp.
Ramsey Kenneth J.
Schatzel Thomas E.
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