Patent Application
20050258758
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a resilient discharge lamp.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There exists numerous innovations for bulbs in the prior art.
FOR EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,217 to Kawamura teaches an elongated envelope for a fluorescent light bulb that is held at each of its ends, and heated to a degree by which it is bendable. The ends are then moved relatively to each other in a path by which they are turned inwardly in opposition to each other and toward the center portion of the envelope while being directed out of the plane of the center portion to in part overly the center portion.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,414 to Young teaches a fluorescent lamp of high brightness and compact size is provided by forming the envelope from vitreous tubing that is bent upon itself in such a manner that the envelope has either five or seven U-shaped sections which are disposed in tridimensional array and define a single convoluted discharge channel. The U-shaped sections are so oriented that the tubular legs of the U's are positioned in side-by-side columnar relationship with each other and the sealed ends of the tubing are located adjacent one another. The lamp thus has an arc length that is more than six or eight times as long as the overall height dimension of the convoluted envelope and generates light in a very efficient manner. The retrobent fluorescent lamps are combined with a protective housing, a base structure and operating circuits of various types to provide convection-cooled lamp units that are small enough to be used in table lamps and similar lighting fixtures but have light outputs in excess of 1,500 lumens and efficacies in the order of 60 lumens per watt. Various arrangements for including the ballast and other circuit components either as integral parts of the lamp unit or as separate components which are housed in the lighting fixture and thus permitting the lamp units to be used as direct replacements for incandescent type lamps are disclosed. Method of manufacturing the various multi-U-bent envelopes from a single piece of glass tubing employing arcuate molding components and sequential bending operations are also disclosed.
STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,055 to Komiya et al. teaches a manufacturing method of a fluorescent lamp having a bent discharge path, which comprises the steps of press-molding a straight glass tube, after heating and softening it, into a bulb having a bent discharge path, while blowing a pressurized gas into the discharge path. A fluorescent lamp having a U-shaped discharge path which is integrally connected through a narrow plate. A slit is formed at least in a portion of the narrow plate adjacent to a sealing portion.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,460 to Belfer et al. teach a bendable lighting fixture for fluorescent lighting which includes a plurality of support members, each having a mounting surface for receiving a fluorescent lamp; a socket for receiving a fluorescent lamp mounted on the mounting surface; a connector assembly for pivotally connecting each pair of adjacent support members; and the plurality of support members being movable relative to each other to form the lighting fixture into the desired curved shape.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Application Number 20020071276 to Blum teaches a lighting device having a selectably changeable shape. Such lighting device includes a flexible lighting element and an adjustable shape-retaining element coupled to the flexible lighting element which can be mounted in a transparent or translucent flexible covering. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the flexible lighting element is mounted in a flexible covering including the adjustable shape-retaining element. Preferably, the flexible covering is transparent or translucent. According to one embodiment of the invention, the flexible lighting element includes a rope light. According to another embodiment, the adjustable shape-retaining element is a metal wire. According to another embodiment of the invention, the adjustable shape-retaining element includes shapeable wires incorporated in at least part of the flexible covering. There is also provided a method for providing a shapeable lighting device, the method including coupling an adjustable shape-retaining element to a flexible lighting element. According to one embodiment of the invention, the method further includes mounting the flexible lighting element in a transparent or translucent flexible covering. According to another embodiment of the invention, the step of coupling includes providing an adjustable shape-retaining element in the flexible covering.
YET STILL ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Application Number 0030128541 to Liu teaches a structure of twisted flexible lights that mainly includes a flexible light with pearlescent or other color pigments and a connector buried vertically; wherein, a plurality of strands of flexible lights are twisted together to make a colorful flexible light and that is further formed into an arcuation, an arch or crisscrossed arcuate shapes to be mounted onto the vertically buried connector thereby to make the style of the flexible light variable and the features thereof colorful, gorgeous and not easy to fade so as to achieve the practical and beautiful effect.
STILL YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE, U.S. Patent Application Number 20030206419 teaches a rope, for example a wire rope, that is equipped with a number of luminous elements. A luminous element may in this case assume the position of a wire or of a braid, may be integrated in an insert, or may be guided in the spaces between wires or braids and preferably within the theoretical rope circumference. The luminous element may also itself be composed of luminous elements which are twisted together, are twisted or are laid. For strain relief, the luminous elements may be equipped with a reinforcement in the form of a strand, or with a mesh. The luminous element is intended to be connected to a source. In the state when it is fed, the luminous element is actively luminous. Owing to the improved visibility, rope lights may be used not only for a safety function but also for an aesthetic appearance.
ACCORDINGLY, IT IS AN OBJECT of the present invention to provide a resilient discharge lamp that has advantages not present in prior patent.
ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention to provide a resilient discharge lamp that is easy to use.
BRIEFLY STATED, STILL ANOTHER OBJECT of the present invention to provide a resilient discharge lamp. The resilient discharge lamp includes a tube, electrodes, and a gas. The electrodes are disposed at opposite ends of the tube, and the gas fills the tube. The tube is of such a diameter so as to be resilient and allows the resilient discharge lamp to be bent repetitively as desired. In an alternate embodiment, the opposite ends of the tube are widened to provide more space for the electrodes. In another alternate embodiment, the tube is bent onto itself so as to form a generally U-shape.
The figures are briefly described as follows:
Referring now to the figures, in which like numerals indicate like part, and particularly to
The resilient discharge lamp 10 comprises a tube 12, electrodes 16, and a gas 18. The electrodes 16 are disposed at opposite ends 20 of the tube 12. The gas 18 fills the tube 12.
The tube 12 is slender, elongated, and generally cylindrically-shaped, has an constant diameter, is made of glass, such as quartz, and is of such a diameter so as to be resilient and allow the resilient discharge lamp 10 to be bent repetitively as desired, for example as shown by dashed lines in
The method of forming the tube 12 includes the following steps:
A first tube 12 having a 0.35 mm diameterwas bent and yielded an approximate bend radius of 70 mm
A second tube 12 having a 0.38 mm diameter was bent and yielded an approximate bend radius of 75 mm.
A third tube 12 having a 0.41 mm diameter was bent and yielded an approximate bend radius of 80 mm.
A fourth tube 12 having a 0.51 mm diameter was bent and yielded an approximate bend radius of 80 mm.
A fifth tube 12 having a 1.04 mm diameter was bent and yielded an approximate bend radius of 200 mm.
A sixth tube 12 having a 1.40 mm diameter was bent and yielded an approximate bend radius of 200 mm.
The results of the above six examples are tabulated infra in TABLE I.
A second embodiment of the resilient discharge lamp 110 can best be seen in
The resilient discharge lamp 110 is similar to the discharge lamp bulb 10, except that the opposite ends 120 of the tube 112 are widened to provide more space for the electrodes 116.
A third embodiment of the resilient discharge lamp 210 can best be seen in
The resilient discharge lamp 210 is similar to the resilient discharge lamp 10, 110, except that the tube 212 is bent onto itself so as to form a generally U-shape.
