Pulse-excited mercury-free lamp system

摘要

A pulse-excited mercury-free lamp system, and method of sustaining the emission of light emission from such a lamp, is provided. The system includes a light-transmissive envelope having an inner surface and a phosphor layer coated thereon. A discharge-sustaining gaseous mixture of a noble gas, at a low pressure, and a metal halide, is retained inside the light-transmissive envelope. An electrical system provides a plurality of pulses to the discharge-sustaining gaseous mixture, resulting in a discharge, which causes the lamp system to emit light. The emission of light is maintained by turning the discharge on during a pulse width of each pulse in the plurality of pulses and by turning the discharge off during a remainder of each period in the plurality of pulses. Particularly in systems where the metal halide is indium-based, this maintains an efficient emission of light without the use of mercury.

主权项

1. A gas discharge lamp system, comprising:
a light-transmissive envelope having an inner surface and a phosphor layer coated thereon; a discharge-sustaining gaseous mixture retained inside the light-transmissive envelope, the discharge-sustaining gaseous mixture comprising a noble gas, at a low pressure, and a metal halide; and an electrical system configured to provide a plurality of pulses to the discharge-sustaining gaseous mixture, wherein the plurality of pulses has a period, wherein each pulse in the plurality of pulses has a pulse width less than the period, wherein the plurality of pulses results in a discharge within the light-transmissive envelope turning on during the pulse width of each pulse in the plurality of pulses and turning off during a remainder of each period in the plurality of pulses, causing the lamp system to emit light.