Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080315769 | High intensity discharge lamp with enhanced dimming characteristcs - A high intensity discharge lamp comprises a discharge vessel and two electrode rods having substantially flat ends facing to each other in opposite positions within the discharge vessel. A spiral coil of wire is wound at least on a part of the surface of at least one of the electrode rods. The spiral coil protrudes over said end of the corresponding electrode rod and thus forms a hollow cavity for extending dimmable wattage range of the lamp. | 12-25-2008 |
20090251915 | THREE-MODE INTEGRATED HEADLAMP - A high intensity discharge lamp automotive headlamp system is provided for three different lighting functions. The headlamp system is a single unit that provides for low beam, high beam, and daylight running light (DRL) functions. Two optical components are used to easily and effectively switch between the different modes of operation. The first optical component is a shutter that selectively blocks a portion of the light beam output. Secondly, either a single lens or lens portions can be moved either within the light beam path or into the light beam path to alter the divergence. | 10-08-2009 |
20100013417 | CERAMIC METAL HALIDE LAMP WITH OXYGEN CONTENT SELECTED FOR HIGH LUMEN MAINTENANCE - A lamp includes a discharge vessel with electrodes extending into the discharge vessel and an ionizable fill scaled within the vessel. The fill includes a buffer gas, optionally mercury, and a halide component. The lamp includes available oxygen, sealed within the discharge vessel, at a concentration of at least 0.1 μmol O/cc. | 01-21-2010 |
20100019642 | GAS-FILLED SHROUD TO PROVIDE COOLER ARCTUBE - A lamp is provided having an arctube having a light-transmitting envelope. The arctube is surrounded by a gaseous medium confined by a containment envelope such as a hermetic shroud. The gaseous medium is preferably He or H | 01-28-2010 |
20100171422 | HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP - A high intensity discharge lamp comprising a discharge vessel having a wall enclosing a discharge space, an ionizable material contained in said space, and at least two electrodes each having an embedded portion and an electrode shaft extending from the wall of the discharge vessel and ending with a tip of the electrode, the electrodes being arranged in said space for establishment of an electric arc between said tips. Each of the electrode shafts of the electrodes comprises a thickened portion arranged between the embedded portion and the tip of the electrode, a first shaft section extending between the embedded portion and the thickened portion, the first shaft section having a first length and a first shaft diameter, and a second shaft section extending between the thickened portion and the tip of the electrode, the second shaft section having a second length and a second shaft diameter. The thickened portion has a greater overall diameter than any of the first and second shaft diameters thereby having a higher specific surface than the specific surface of the first shaft section and the specific surface of the second shaft section, respectively, and being arranged to limit the temperature of the electrode shaft at the inner wall by heat dissipation. The thickened portion has a minimum distance from the inner wall of at least 50% of the first shaft diameter, the length of the second shaft section is at least 100% of the second shaft diameter, and the first length is at most equal to the second length. | 07-08-2010 |
20110058384 | INTEGRATED LOW WATTAGE AUTOMOTIVE DISCHARGE LAMP - A first exemplary embodiment of an automotive discharge lamp assembly includes an integrated high intensity discharge lamp and driver assembly having a high voltage starter/igniter and a ballast unit contained in a common housing with a high intensity discharge lamp burner extending therefrom. A separate automotive headlamp optical assembly is mechanically and electrically joined to the integrated high intensity discharge lamp and driver assembly. The joining assembly includes snap-fit clamps received on one of (i) the headlamp assembly and (ii) the integrated lamp and driver assembly, and received in a recess/groove on the other of (i) the headlamp optical assembly and (ii) the integrated lamp and driver assembly. Another exemplary embodiment includes at least one bayonet pin extending outwardly from one of (i) the integrated lamp and driver assembly and (ii) the headlamp optical assembly for operative receipt in a recess or groove formed in the other component. | 03-10-2011 |
20110298365 | COMPACT METAL HALIDE LAMP WITH SALT POOL CONTAINER AT ITS ARC TUBE ENDPARTS - A high intensity discharge light source includes an arc tube having a longitudinal axis and a main central discharge chamber formed therein. The arc tube includes first and second electrodes having inner terminal ends spaced from one another along the longitudinal axis. Each electrode extends at least partially into the main central discharge chamber or reaches the end portions of the main central discharge chamber. The arc tube includes first and second sub-chambers located at opposite ends of a main central discharge chamber. The sub-chambers are located entirely axially outward from the inner terminal ends of the electrodes to form cold spot locations for the dose pool outside the main central discharge chamber. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298366 | HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE ARC TUBE AND ASSOCIATED LAMP ASSEMBLY - The discharge light source includes an arc tube with a discharge chamber having a predetermined location for a metal halide dose or salt pool that minimizes the impact on the light emitted from the light source. The discharge chamber is preferably asymmetric about a second axis that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis. In one embodiment, the discharge chamber preferably includes first and second generally spheroidal portions of different diameters spaced along the longitudinal axis. The arc tube has different wall thicknesses in yet another arrangement. In a further exemplary embodiment, a portion of a wall that forms the discharge chamber includes a generally concave surface. These features may be used individually or in combination. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298367 | ARC SHAPED DISCHARGE CHAMBER FOR HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE AUTOMOTIVE LAMP - A method of forming a discharge lamp and the resultant discharge lamp include providing an arc tube having first and second ends offset from a central arcuate or curvilinear portion of the discharge chamber formed between the arc tube ends. Electrodes extend from the first and second ends and at least partially into the discharge chamber which is locally substantially rotationally symmetric, i.e., substantially circular cross-section over a length thereof. Preferably, the arc tube and discharge chamber have a curvilinear conformation where the first and second ends are located below the central portion of the arc tube and associated discharge chamber in horizontal orientation during operation. Terminal ends of the electrodes preferably follow a local axis of the curvilinear conformation. The wall thickness of the discharge chamber may be alternatively constant or non-constant along a longitudinal extent thereof. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298368 | DISCHARGE CHAMBER FOR HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP - A high intensity discharge light source includes an arc tube having a longitudinal axis and discharge chamber formed therein. The light source includes first and second electrodes having inner terminal ends spaced from one another along the longitudinal axis. Each electrode extends at least partially into the discharge chamber. The discharge chamber is deformed so that its internal geometry is substantially rotationally asymmetric about its longitudinal axis, and is substantially mirror-symmetric relative to a plane spanned by the longitudinal axis and by another transverse axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and is vertical in a horizontal arc tube orientation, as well as substantially mirror-symmetric relative to a central plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. In a preferred embodiment of the disclosure the discharge lamp is of a single ended construction and the arc tube of the lamp is of double ended configuration, the discharge lamp having proximal and distal end electric lead wires to connect the arc tube to the lamp base, and the distal end electric lead wire is running below and parallel to the longitudinal discharge chamber axis in a horizontal lamp orientation, and its lateral direction coincides with the lateral direction of the central convex portion of the laterally complex concave-convex-concave deformed surface portion all along the longitudinal axis of the discharge chamber. | 12-08-2011 |
20110316406 | CERAMIC ARC TUBE FOR A DISCHARGE LAMP AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME - A High Intensity Discharge lamp and method of making same having an arc tube defining a discharge chamber with opposite ends of the tube each receiving an electrode extending into the discharge chamber and define an axial gap therebetween. A thermal shield extends from each opposite end of the arc tube and defines a radial gap with the tube. The thermal shields in some embodiments extend from end plugs in the arc tube; and, in another embodiment use formed, integrally with one arc tube sections and the tube sections joined. | 12-29-2011 |
20120119645 | COMPACT HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP WITH TEXTURED OUTER ENVELOPE - A compact mercury-free high intensity discharge (HID) lamp particularly suitable for automotive headlamp application has a pair of spaced and opposing electrodes sealed in a transparent enclosure defining an arc chamber. An outer transparent envelope has a first and second textured light scattering stripe on its interior surface on substantially opposite sides thereof extending continuously from one electrode to the other. The stripes widen the cross-sectional luminance distribution of the arc discharge image and make the image of the arc straighter while keeping light scattering losses at minimum so that the reduced arc peak luminance is still at the desired level. In other versions, a plurality of textured light scattering stripes of smaller widths are employed to replace a single wider light scattering stripe. | 05-17-2012 |
20120182752 | PROJECTOR TYPE HEADLAMP OF MAXIMIZED LIGHT COLLECTING EFFICIENCY - An improved light collecting efficiency in a projector type automotive headlamp is achieved by including a curved mirror to re-direct light otherwise absorbed by a rear surface of the blocking cut-off shield in “low beam” operating mode of the headlamp. When the shield is moved to a second non-blocking position, a mirror segment conforms to the curved surface of the substantially ellipsoidal reflector to maximize lumen output in “high beam” operating mode of the headlamp. In addition, auxiliary mirror segments may be used to provide a more complete substantially ellipsoidal reflector configuration that maximizes the light collection efficiency. Preferably, the cap holder is purposefully offset in order to position the centerline of the bowed arc of the arc discharge light source in alignment with the optical axis of the optical system in order to maximize light collection efficiency. | 07-19-2012 |
20120299476 | CONFIGURABLE VEHICLE SOLID STATE LIGHTING - A vehicle signal light assembly includes: at least one color mixing light source; a support element configured to support the at least one color mixing light source on a vehicle as a signal light; and a controller configured to selectively drive each color mixing light source to generate light of a selected visually perceived color based on a received control signal. In some such embodiments, each color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) of at least two constituent colors. In some such embodiments, the controller is configured to operate each color mixing light source of the vehicle signal light assembly using time domain multiplexing (TDM) to generate the light of the selected visually perceived color. In some such embodiments, the vehicle signal light assembly comprises a taillight assembly. In some of the embodiments, the vehicle light assembly comprises an ambient or auxiliary lighting, or a dashboard lighting assembly. | 11-29-2012 |
20130093310 | HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP WITH COILED WIRE IGNITION AID - This disclosure features a high intensity discharge lamp comprising an electrically insulating arc tube comprised of light transmissive material. Electrical conductors or electrodes are each spaced apart from each other inside the arc tube. A shroud comprised of light transmissive material encloses the arc tube. An electrically conductive frame member is disposed in an interior of the shroud and is electrically connected to one of the electrical conductors. An ignition aid is electrically attached to the frame member and comprises a coil of electrically conductive wire that is disposed around the arc tube. | 04-18-2013 |
20130093318 | Conductive Layer Net Ignition Aids - Embodiments of the present invention relate to high intensity discharge (“HID”) lamps which have an electrically insulating arc tube including a central portion with an interior discharge region and two legs each extending from an end of the central portion, the central portion being a larger size than the legs. Electrical conductors extend through each of the legs and are ending in electrode components which are spaced apart from each other in the discharge region. A light transmitting envelope encloses the arc tube, and a frame member is electrically attached to one of the electrical conductors. Pursuant to some embodiments, an ignition aid is provided which includes an electrically conductive element disposed on one of the legs. The ignition aid includes a conductive layer that extends from the electrically conductive element to the central portion. | 04-18-2013 |
20130093319 | HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP WITH CROWN AND FOIL IGNITION AID - A high intensity discharge lamp includes an electrically insulating arc tube including a central portion with an interior discharge region and two legs each extending from an end of the central portion. The central portion is a larger size than the legs. Electrical conductors extend through each of the legs and are spaced apart from each other in the discharge region. A light transmitting envelope encloses the arc tube. A frame member is electrically attached to one of the conductors. An ignition aid includes an electrically conductive foil disposed around one of the legs and in electrical contact with the frame member. An electrically conductive crown disposed in electrical contact with the foil is located on or near the central portion. | 04-18-2013 |
20130154475 | HIGH INTENSITY DISCHARGE LAMP WITH IMPROVED STARTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE - A lamp includes a discharge vessel; electrodes spaced apart in the discharge vessel comprising tungsten or tungsten alloy; and a fill sealed within the vessel having a pressure between 50-200 mbar. The fill includes: a starting gas which comprises: xenon, krypton, argon or combinations thereof with the exception of pure argon; optionally radioactive Kr | 06-20-2013 |
20140333200 | OPTIMIZED HID ARC TUBE GEOMETRY - The geometry of a High Intensity Discharge (HID) arc tube is controlled to improve lamp color control and temperature distribution. In some embodiments, conical sections located at the transition zones near the electrodes are included to provide tunnel-like body-leg interface portions. The body-leg interface portions are shaped so as to advantageously control the temperature distribution along the internal surface of the discharge chamber wall so that it monotonically decreases resulting in a stable local cold spot location at the body-leg interface. | 11-13-2014 |
20150084501 | ELECTRODE DESIGN IN A CERAMIC METAL HALIDE (CMH) LAMP - Provided is an electrode assembly for a CMH lamp containing: primary mandrel surrounded by a secondary mandrel, which is nested inside of a coil overwind. The assembly of the primary mandrel, secondary mandrel, and coil overwind are connect to an electrode on one end and a lead wire on the other end and housed in ceramic housing. This assembly is efficient for increased thermal resistance of a CMH electrode while at the same time allowing seal glass to penetrate seal voids within the ceramic assembly. | 03-26-2015 |