Processing of glass tubes, manufacture of closed-loop tubular lamp and lamps therefrom

• Main Authors: WENTZEL, DAVID C, ZASLAVSKY, GREGORY, LIMA, JOSEPH V
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 26.11.1997
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CHEMISTRY; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRICITY; GLASS; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL

A closed-loop, tubular lamp envelope (50) and methods of manufacturing closed-loop, tubular lamp envelopes are disclosed. A dome (58) is formed at one end of a light-transmissive tube (52). A blister is molded on the dome (58), and a hole is formed in the molded blister. Next, a dome (62) is formed at the other end of the light-transmissive tube (52). A blister is formed on the dome (62), and a second hole is formed in the molded blister. Each of the molded blisters includes a rim (56,60) which defines the respective hole. A second tube (54) is processed in the same way. The respective rims (56,70;60,66) at the ends of the first (52) and second (54) tubes are fused together to form a sealed, closed-loop lamp envelope (50). Each tube (52,54) may be bent to provide a desired shape of the lamp envelope (50). The molding of the rims (56,60,66,70) insures that the sealing surfaces match.