Gas discharge lamps, especially deuterium lamps

Abstract

Known gas discharge lamps, such as deuterium lamps, have a lamp bulb filled with gas and surrounding an electrode insert. To provide a gas discharge lamp with high radiance and simple structure, while ensuring good ignition and low maintenance voltage, it is proposed that the electrode insert (1) comprises: (a) intermediate walls (21, 22) made of an electrically insulating material; (b) a cathode-side assembly (200) mounted on the front surface of the intermediate walls and including a cathode, a cathode window, and a light-emitting window; and (c) an anode-side assembly mounted on the rear surface of the intermediate walls and including an anode (7) and at least one diaphragm (51-53), the diaphragm defining an optical axis (11) together with the light-emitting window, along which a beam generated by a discharge is emitted from the light-emitting window. At least the anode and the diaphragm are grouped together to form a component assembly (4), and at least one holding profile (3) for holding the component assembly protrudes from the rear part (21) of the intermediate walls.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas discharge lamp, in particular a deuterium lamp, having high local radiance. Gas discharge lamps of this kind are used, for example, for spectroscopic applications. [Background technology]

[0002] For deuterium lamps, the current commercially available design for producing high radiance levels is based on an elongated channel-like diaphragm. However, this embodiment has the drawback that it is difficult to ignite the lamp in the case of a single long channel. The arc voltage of the lamp is also significantly increased by the long diaphragm channel compared to a standard deuterium lamp with a single flat diaphragm, which has a negative effect on the service life.

[0003] In particular, to compensate for the effects of more difficult ignition, additional electrodes must be introduced into the lamp, which increases the complexity in the design and electrical control of the lamp.

[0004] The UV discharge lamp known from DE 19628925 A1 comprises a lamp bulb made of quartz glass and an electrode housing with an anode and a cathode arranged in the lamp bulb. Between the two electrodes there is a diaphragm arrangement consisting of several optical diaphragms made of a high melting point material. The diaphragm opening serves to constrict the arc discharge occurring between the electrodes. The multiple diaphragm arrangement leads to a strong increase or multiplication of the radiance by the formation of several plasma spheres at a relatively low cost. In a preferred embodiment, three diaphragms are provided, each of which is individually connected to the voltage source of the electrodes via a controllable switch, and the diaphragms are ignited one after the other. In this case, the diaphragms perform an auxiliary anode function that allows for a staged ignition of the deuterium lamp, which results in an increased reliability of the ignition.

[0005] EP 1437760(A1) describes a deuterium lamp with a glass airtight lamp bulb with a lamp foot (base) and a cylindrical side wall, a part of which serves as a light emitting window. A light emitting assembly (electrode insert) has a conductive housing made of nickel and is accommodated in the lamp bulb. A shaft connected to the lamp foot is welded to the distal housing end. The light emitting assembly comprises a disk-shaped anode and a number of diaphragms defining a discharge path. The anode is welded to the distal end of an upright pin, which in turn is fixed to the lamp foot. The diaphragms are made of molybdenum or tungsten and have a diaphragm opening with a diameter of about 0.5 mm to 1 mm. Each of these is fixed to the housing via a metal support plate. Also fixed to the housing is a metal front cover with a light passage opening in the optical axis direction. The cathode is accommodated in the cathode chamber of the housing transversely to the optical axis. This prevents material sputtered or vaporized by the cathode from adhering to the light exit window.

[0006] DE 10 2014105028 A1 discloses a deuterium lamp with a gas-filled lamp bulb that surrounds an electrode insert, which includes a diaphragm between the anode and the cathode and a ceramic housing partition, on one side of which the cathode, the cathode window and the light-emitting window are arranged, and on the other side the anode. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] As a result of the multiple diaphragms, known gas discharge lamps have a relatively high radiance. However, their electrode inserts are composed of multiple individual components. During assembly and adjustment of these components, their distance and orientation relative to each other and to the optical axis must be maintained accurately and reproducibly, which is particularly problematic when the components must be positioned by holding rods and welded connections. Especially when the requirements for dimensional precision and accuracy of gas discharge lamps are high, the manufacturing effort in terms of time and cost, as well as the rejection rate, are high.

[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gas discharge lamp having high radiance which is characterized by a simple structural design and at the same time good ignition and a low arc voltage.

[0009] This object is achieved by a gas discharge lamp, in particular a deuterium lamp, with the features of claim 1, a gas-filled lamp bulb surrounding an electrode insert. (a) a partition made of an electrically insulating material; (b) a cathode side assembly mounted on the front surface of the partition wall and including a cathode and a light emitting window; (c) an anode side assembly attached on a rear surface of the partition, the anode side assembly including an anode and at least one diaphragm defining an optical axis together with the light emission window, wherein radiation generated by the discharge is emitted from the light emission window along the optical axis; At least the anode and at least one diaphragm combine to form a component assembly, and at least one retention profile protrudes from a rear surface of the septum for retaining the component assembly.

[0010] The electrode insert is a group of components that generate the light of the arc discharge between the anode and the cathode and emit it through a light emitting window onto the lamp bulb of the discharge lamp. The electrode insert comprises a partition wall made of an electrically insulating material, for example ceramic, in particular aluminum oxide ceramic. The partition wall carries a cathode side assembly on one of its walls (herein referred to as the "front surface") and an anode side assembly on the other wall (herein referred to as the "rear surface").

[0011] The anode side assembly comprises an anode and at least one diaphragm, preferably at least two diaphragms. Optionally, the diaphragms are spaced apart and electrically insulated from each other such that each diaphragm opening constricts the arc discharge, causing the formation of a plasma ball and a "halo" in front of and behind the diaphragm opening, which generates additional radiance.

[0012] At least the diaphragm and the anode are combined to form a common component assembly, preferably a stacked component assembly, hereinafter also referred to as a "component stack."

[0013] A holding profile for holding the component assembly protrudes from the rear face of the partition. The holding profile is, for example, perpendicular to the rear face of the partition. It is preferably an integral component of the partition or is connected to it directly or indirectly via an intermediate element. The holding profile consists of a single holding element, for example a cylindrical or conical profile element, or of several holding elements, for example several cylindrical and / or conical profile elements. These are, for example, distributed over the rear face of the partition so as to define a laterally more or less closed receiving space around the optical axis, which serves for receiving the component assembly. This receiving space has, for example, a cylindrical internal shape, but can also extend conically from the rear face over at least part of its extension length. The wall of the profile element facing the receiving space may be straight or curved in plan view and preferably has, for example, a U-shaped, V-shaped, C-shaped or horseshoe-shaped cross section in plan view. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the holding profile comprises at least two tube-shell shaped profile parts, which are arranged around the optical axis with their open sides facing each other.

[0014] The component assembly is accommodated in or on the holding profile. Apart from at least one diaphragm and the anode, the component assembly can include at least one further diaphragm and other components, such as spacer elements or insulating elements. All components of the assembly can be connected to each other in a press-fit, friction-fit or form-fit manner, so that the component assembly as a whole is held in or on the holding profile. For this reason, the individual components of the assembly, in particular the stack, do not have to be held separately. This facilitates the installation of the electrode insert.

[0015] In the case of stacked component assemblies, the components generally have a disk or ring shape and are placed on or next to each other to form an essentially cylindrical component stack with parallel planar contact surfaces. By forcing the contact surfaces together, a friction or force fit connection is created. This configuration of components simplifies assembly and increases the accuracy of positioning the components relative to each other.

[0016] If at least one diaphragm is designed as an electrically active component with an separately adjustable potential, a particularly simple electrical contact is facilitated if at least one of the diaphragms, preferably the frontmost diaphragm, has a contact for an electrical connection pin.

[0017] The contacts are preferably designed as sockets for receiving the contact pins, for example with elastically deformable walls which elastically surround and secure the contact pins.

[0018] In the case of a component assembly designed as a component stack, with regard to the interaction of the component stack with the retaining profile, an embodiment is preferred in which the component stack has a stack height and a stack perimeter, and the retaining profile at least partially surrounds the stack perimeter over the stack height.

[0019] The retaining profile protruding from the bulkhead rear face consists of one profile element or of several profile elements distributed around the optical axis, which define a space around the optical axis serving to receive the component stack. The space is laterally closed or more or less open laterally. The height of this space is determined by the length of the profile elements, i.e. by the distance of the free end of the shortest retaining profile from the bulkhead rear face. This height is greater than the stack height, so that the component stack can be accommodated completely within the retaining profile receptacle.

[0020] Here, it proves to be advantageous if the component stack comprises a spring element designed to press the component stack against the partition wall.

[0021] The spring element exerts a compressive force in the direction of the central axis of the component stack. As a result of the compression of the spring element, all components of the stack located between the bulkhead rear face and the spring element are pressed against each other and are therefore fixed in both axial and radial positions by friction or force-fit connections.

[0022] Installation by means of spring elements, for example spring washers or spring clips, furthermore has the advantage that it can be carried out quickly and easily.

[0023] The spring element thus contributes to the simplification of assembly and the repeatability of component positioning. The spring element is usually, but not necessarily, the outermost component of the component stack. The spring element rests against an abutment located on the outer side of the component stack, for example on a retaining bracket.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment of the gas discharge lamp, the component assembly comprises an insulating element and at least one spacing compensation element.

[0025] The insulating elements are used on the one hand to electrically insulate the diaphragms from each other or from other components at different potentials, and on the other hand, due to their thickness alone, they allow for precise adjustment of the desired distance between adjacent diaphragms.

[0026] The spacing compensation element serves to set a predetermined height for the component stack.

[0027] In the above-described component assemblies, at least one disk-shaped diaphragm, preferably two or more disk-shaped diaphragms, an anode and further components are combined to form a component stack, which represents the invention that can be used in gas discharge lamps, regardless of how it is held, the arrangement of the components of the assembly relative to one another and any advantageous embodiments of the individual components.

[0028] In the case of a component assembly that is at least partially laterally enclosed in a receptacle of the holding profile, a certain mechanical play may exist in the holding profile receptacle. In particular, however, the diaphragm opening or openings should be located as accurately as possible on the optical axis. In order to improve the radial positioning of the individual diaphragms or the axial alignment of the diaphragms in the component stack, at least one of the diaphragms, preferably all of the diaphragms, in a preferred embodiment has a spring element that is supported, for example, on the holding profile.

[0029] The spring elements are ideally integral components of the diaphragm. They can be made, for example, by making more or less peripheral cuts into the diaphragm material on both sides of the diaphragm starting at the diaphragm edge, so that an elongated bracket is formed at the diaphragm edge that remains connected to the remaining diaphragm material and is elastically deformable within the cut width.

[0030] Optionally, the at least one diaphragm is designed as a diaphragm disc and the integral spring element is designed with flexible brackets created by peripheral disc edge cuts on both sides of the diaphragm disc.

[0031] Optionally, an abutment on which the spring element rests is assigned to the holding profile receptacle. The spring force occurring as a result of the elastic deformation is absorbed by another contact point located on the opposite side of the receptacle as seen in the direction of the force. Overall, the two spring elements of the diaphragm result in four defined contact points in the holding profile receptacle and thus in a reproducible and precise four-point mounting of the diaphragm in the receptacle. This contributes to an easy assembly and a precise adjustment of the diaphragm opening in the optical axis.

[0032] In the embodiment of the component assembly with several disk-shaped diaphragms, and when using diaphragms with other disk-shaped components in the component stack, it is preferred that all diaphragms are provided with such spring elements, so that the diaphragm openings of the diaphragms that are axially spaced apart from one another and each mounted in a receptacle by means of a four-point mounting are aligned on the optical axis. By pressing the flat sides of the disk-shaped components of the stack, the joint connection of the components of the stack is also achieved only by frictional connection (= non-positive connection), and thus a precise positioning of the entire component stack is achieved.

[0033] Irrespective of its arrangement type in the component stack or other possible advantageous embodiments of the diaphragm, the above-described embodiment of the diaphragm with integrated spring element represents an invention that can be used in gas discharge lamps.

[0034] In another preferred embodiment of the gas discharge lamp, a mounting plate is arranged on the rear face of the partition wall, the mounting plate being provided with through holes through which connecting elements extend for establishing electrical connections to the cathode side assembly and the anode side assembly.

[0035] The bulkhead and the mounting plate are preferably designed as one piece, the mounting plate protruding, for example, at a right angle from the rear face of the bulkhead.

[0036] The electrical connections to the cathode and anode assemblies are guided through holes in the mounting plate, allowing the potentials at the anode, cathode and other components, such as the diaphragm, to be adjusted by connecting them to a voltage source external to the lamp bulb.

[0037] Additionally, a retaining rod, which serves to secure the electrode insert within the lamp bulb, may engage the mounting plate.

[0038] Furthermore, the mounting plate can be connected to a hollow mounting base that extends in the installed state towards the lamp foot of the gas discharge lamp.

[0039] The mounting base, which is preferably made of ceramic, can additionally serve to mount the electrode insert in the lamp foot of the lamp bulb. The mounting base is hollow on the inside so that electrical connection pins or lines and / or holding rods can also be guided through it while being electrically insulated from one another.

[0040] The bulkhead, the mounting plate and the mounting base are preferably designed as one piece, which avoids gaps in the components that could cause an electrical flashover during ignition of the discharge.

[0041] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the gas discharge lamp, the anode side assembly comprises an anode housing enclosing the retaining profile and the component stack held thereon, and the cathode side assembly comprises a cathode housing for receiving the cathode.

[0042] The additional enclosure of the assembly shields the discharge arc from the environment and prevents parasitic secondary discharges, thus supporting the routing of the discharge arc through the diaphragm opening.

[0043] In particular with regard to the simple and precise assembly of the gas discharge lamp, it has proven to be particularly advantageous if the cathode housing is made up of a number of molded parts which are connected to one another by means of a plug-in connection, in particular an interlocking connection consisting of an insertion tab and a slot.

[0044] If the cathode housing has bendable insertion tabs that correspond to the longitudinal slots in the partition, this also contributes to easy and dimensionally accurate assembly of the gas discharge lamp.

[0045] The assembly process for securing the cathode housing to the bulkhead includes inserting the insertion tab into the longitudinal slot and folding the insertion tab.

[0046] The anode housing is preferably provided with a longitudinal slot, which in the installed state runs coaxially with the longitudinal slot of the partition. As a result, during assembly of the cathode housing, the anode housing can also be attached to the partition in one movement by inserting the plug-in tabs through the longitudinal slots of the partition as well as through the longitudinal slots of the anode housing and bending them. In this embodiment of the gas discharge lamp, the three components, namely the partition, the anode housing and the cathode housing, are connected to each other simultaneously and with dimensionally accurate positioning by the interlocking connection of the insertion tabs and slots.

[0047] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the gas discharge lamp, the gas discharge lamp comprises a glass foot plate mounted in the lamp bulb, to which are attached a number of retaining rods and a number of electrical connection pins, the foot plate, the retaining rods and the connection pins forming a prefabricated assembly that is electrically and mechanically connected to the electrode insert. The mounting plate is preferably locked onto the retaining rods by widening the retaining rod areas directly above and / or below the mounting plate. Additionally or alternatively, the locking is performed above the mounting plate by slitting the upper retaining rod end and bending the slit end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0048] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and patent drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of an embodiment of an electrode insert for a deuterium lamp. [Diagram 2] 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a cathode side housing for the electrode insert of FIG. 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an assembly diagram of the cathode side housing of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2A-2C are multiple views of the electrode insert of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] Photograph of a ceramic septum for an electrode insert in a top view of the retention profile with the frontmost diaphragm inserted. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 shows a three-dimensional representation of an alternative embodiment of a septum for an electrode insert. [Figure 7] 2 is a photograph of an electrode insert similar to that of FIG. 1 having a ceramic septum with the retaining profile broken away to reveal the component stack disposed therein; [Figure 8]8 is a photograph of the electrode insert of FIG. 7 assembled with the holding rod, electrical connection pin, and glass plate (as the foot of the deuterium lamp) and other individual parts of the electrode insert. [Figure 9] 13 is a photograph showing two modified examples of the housing of the anode side assembly. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas discharge lamp according to the invention seen from the back. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a disk-shaped diaphragm with lateral spring elements and receiving sockets for electrical connection pins.

[0050] The directional cross drawn on the exploded view of the electrode insert according to FIG. 1 serves to indicate position or orientation information used in the following description of the electrode insert.

[0051] The central component of the electrode insert 1 is a ceramic diaphragm 2, which serves as a carrier assembly for a number of components. From the rear face 21 of the ceramic diaphragm 2, two structurally identical, substantially cylindrical and C-shaped in plan view, project vertically, the holders 3 facing each other with their open C-side, also referred to below as "C-towers" 3. The C-towers 3 define an essentially cylindrical intermediate space extending coaxially with the optical axis 11. It serves to receive and hold a stack of a number of components arranged one after the other, which stack is assigned the overall reference number 4 and is also referred to below as "diaphragm stack". In the exemplary embodiment, the substantially cylindrical intermediate space has an approximately circular cross section with a minimum internal diameter of 8 mm.

[0052] The diaphragm stack 4 is made up of a number of assembled diaphragms. In the exemplary embodiment, there are three diaphragms 51, 52, 53 made of molybdenum, which are separated and electrically insulated from one another by ceramic spacer rings 61, 62. Adjacent to the rear there is an anode 7 with a central hole 7a and a connection tab 7b, which is bounded on both sides by ceramic disks 81, 82. The diaphragm stack 4 is completed by an outer spring washer 9. To fix the diaphragm stack 4 between the C-towers 3, a molybdenum retaining bracket 10 is used, which is guided through a hole 10a in the C-tower 3. This serves as an abutment for the spring washer 9, which by its spring force presses the diaphragm stack 4 forward in the direction of the ceramic partition rear face 21. The spacer rings 61, 62 and the ceramic disks 81, 82 are circular and have a diameter of 7.9 mm. Any areas of the other components 51, 52, 53, 7, 9 that protrude beyond the circular shape extend through the free gap between the two C-towers 3 and therefore also fit into the intermediate space. They are used to support the alignment of the components during assembly and contribute to protecting them against rotation.

[0053] The diaphragms 51, 52, 53 have diaphragm holes 51a, 52a, 53a with a diameter of 0.3 mm, respectively, and the center points of the diaphragm holes 51a, 52a, 53a are on the optical axis 11. The front diaphragm 51 is also provided with a contact leg 51c for receiving an electrical connection pin (26), through which an additional auxiliary ignition pulse can be applied to the front diaphragm 51. Another role of the diaphragms 51, 52, 53 is to constrict the plasma of the deuterium lamp and thus generate a plasma with high local radiance, which is precisely localized.

[0054] Each diaphragm 51, 52, 53 has two elastically resilient integral brackets, which are made by lateral peripheral cuts at the diaphragm edges and are referred to below as "spring legs" 51b, 52b, 53b. In the installed state, the spring legs 51b, 52b, 53b exert a force on the diaphragms 51, 52, 53, directed perpendicularly to the optical axis 11, pressing the diaphragms 51, 52, 53 against the two contact beads 31 of the upper half of the C-tower 3. The two spring legs 51b, 52b, 53b support themselves against two other contact beads 32 of the lower half of the C-tower 3, so that all diaphragms 51, 52, 53 are held between the C-tower 3 with a total of four contact points (four-point mounting). The two contact beads 31 of the upper half of the C-tower 3 are on the same radius starting from the optical axis 10. This ensures, without further assistance, centering of all diaphragms 51, 52, 53 of the diaphragm stack 4 on the optical axis 11 of the deuterium lamp, which is important for optimal radiance of the deuterium lamp.

[0055] The diaphragms 51, 52, 53 of the diaphragm stack 4 aligned on the optical axis 11 of the deuterium lamp form channels on the projection of the optical axis 11, the diameter of which channel corresponds to the diameter of the individual diaphragm holes 51a, 52a, 53a. The disadvantages of correspondingly long individual channels in terms of the ignition behavior are avoided by the separation of the diaphragms 51, 52, 53 by ceramic spacer rings 61, 62.

[0056] The diaphragms have a thickness in the range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, which is 0.5 mm in the exemplary embodiment. The ceramic spacer rings 61, 62 determine the spacing of the diaphragms and have a thickness in the range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, which is 0.25 mm in the exemplary embodiment. The front ceramic disk 81 is placed behind the last diaphragm 53 and has a thickness in the range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, which is 0.8 mm in the exemplary embodiment. The thickness of the rear ceramic disk 82 is designed so that the total length of the diaphragm stack 4 (without spring washers 9 and retaining brackets 10) is 4 mm. The electrical connection pin 26 (anode pin) is welded to the anode pin of the lamp foot at the connection tab 7b of the anode 7.

[0057] During operation, the deuterium lamp is heated to an operating temperature above room temperature. The thickness of the spring washer 9 of 0.2 mm and its bending radius of 6 mm are designed, on the one hand, so that the components in the component stack 4 cannot slip, and, on the other hand, so that the thermal expansion of the component stack 4 can be compensated for during operation of the deuterium lamp. Despite the lack of play, the spring-type mounting of the diaphragms 51, 52, 53 also allows compensation for the different thermal expansions of ceramic (of the spacer disks and insulating disks) and molybdenum (of the diaphragms). The choice of molybdenum as the diaphragm material ensures spring characteristics over the entire temperature range.

[0058] The thickness and number of diaphragms as well as the diaphragm opening diameter affect the ignition behavior, arc voltage and radiance of deuterium lamps. With an increase in the number and thickness of diaphragms and a decrease in the diameter of the diaphragm opening, the ignition of the lamp becomes more difficult and the arc voltage rises. The total length of the diaphragm channel is predetermined by the diaphragms 51, 52, 53 including the spacer disks 61, 62. It has been found that for a defined total length of the diaphragm channel, it is more advantageous to use a large number of thin diaphragms than a small number of thick diaphragms. In this case, ignition is more reliable and the arc voltage is lower. This has been demonstrated in tests. The diaphragm opening diameter is usually less than 0.5 mm (0.3 mm in the exemplary embodiment). A diaphragm thickness of 0.5 mm, a diaphragm spacing of 0.25 mm (thickness of the spacer disks 61, 62) and a number of three diaphragms results in a total channel length of 2.00 mm.

[0059] For plasma induction, both the diaphragm stack 4 on the rear face 21 of the ceramic diaphragm 2 as well as the cathode on the front face 22 are surrounded by housings 100, 200, respectively.

[0060] 2 to 11 and in the description of the figures, insofar as the same reference numbers as in FIG. 1 are used, they denote the same or equivalent components of the gas discharge lamp.

[0061] Figure 2 shows the front assembly 200, which is mounted on the front surface of the ceramic diaphragm 2 and surrounds the cathode chamber. It consists of a metal front part 201 with a light emitting window 201a corresponding to the opening in the ceramic diaphragm 3 (reference number 2a in Figure 4(c)), a metal intermediate plate 203 with a cathode window 203b, a metal top plate 204 and a ceramic bottom plate 202. For assembly, the metal intermediate plate 203, the top plate 204 and the ceramic bottom plate 202 are inserted with their tabs (202a, 203a, 204a) into the corresponding slots 201b in the metal front part 201. Figure 3 shows the metal front assembly 200 when assembled. Additionally, the position of the wound cathode 205 is shown.

[0062] The metal front part 201 is curved in a U-shape and has two rearward facing tabs 201c by which it is fixed to the front face 22 of the ceramic diaphragm 2. Here, the two tabs 201c are inserted through two corresponding slots (reference number 2b in FIG. 4(a)) in the ceramic diaphragm 2 and then bent over. This achieves a play-free attachment of the metal front assembly 200 to the diaphragm 2. Alternative techniques such as riveting or welding are more complicated. Welding also has the disadvantage that heating of the material leaves oxidation marks that can adversely affect the operation of the deuterium lamp.

[0063] On the rear face 21 of the bulkhead 2, the diaphragm stack 4 together with the anode 7 is surrounded by an anode housing 100, the rear wall 101 of which has a hole 102 on the optical axis 11, allowing the deuterium lamp according to the invention to be used in combination with an incandescent lamp. In this case, the light of the incandescent lamp is emitted through the deuterium lamp to produce a combined UV / VIS spectrum (shine-through operation). The anode housing 100 reduces secondary discharges, i.e. discharges that do not pass through the channels of the diaphragm stack 4. The anode housing 100 can be made of metal or ceramic. Preferably, the anode housing 100 is made of metal in order to keep the weight and cost of the deuterium lamp low.

[0064] For fixing to the bulkhead 2, the anode housing 100 is provided with two laterally projecting wings 103, each of which has a longitudinal slot 103a extending from top to bottom. For fixing, the tabs 201c of the front assembly 200 are also inserted through these longitudinal slots 103a.

[0065] The design principle of inserting tabs through slots and then fixing them by bending them allows for play-free mounting of the entire housing structure in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0066] The integral components of the ceramic diaphragm 2 are the mounting plate 23, which faces perpendicularly backwards, and the mounting base 24. To mount the ceramic diaphragm 2 to the foot plate 181 (shown in FIG. 8), three metallic retaining pins 25 are provided, which extend along the mounting base 24 and whose ends extend through holes (reference numeral 23a in FIG. 4(d)) in the mounting plate 23 on one side and through holes in the foot plate 181 on the other side. Thus, via the three retaining pins 25, the ceramic diaphragm 2 is mounted on the foot plate 181 of the deuterium lamp at three support points.

[0067] For fixing, the free ends of the retaining pins 25 are crimped, welded, clamped or bent. In particular, by bending them above the mounting plate 23, a play-free attachment of the ceramic diaphragm 2 to the lower support point on the foot plate 181 can be achieved, which is important for a precise localization of the plasma in the lamp operation.

[0068] In an alternative embodiment, the retaining pins 25 are clamped under the mounting plate 23 to now create support points that define the height of the ceramic diaphragm 3 above the foot plate 181. The support points are located on the retaining pins 25 directly below the mounting plate 23. They may be crimped onto the retaining pins as sleeves, or the retaining pins 25 themselves are clamped so that material protrudes beyond the actual diameter of the retaining pins 25, which acts as a support surface.

[0069] In yet another embodiment, the retaining pin 25 is not bent to one side above the mounting plate 23, but is slit in the middle and the slit ends are bent symmetrically in two directions.

[0070] Further through-holes in the mounting plate 23 serve for the electrical contact of the electrodes (anode, auxiliary anode and cathode (with two terminals)). For this purpose, electrical connection pins 26 extend on the one hand through the through-holes in the mounting plate 23 to the corresponding electrodes and on the other hand through the through-holes in the foot plate to the electrical connection elements of the deuterium lamp.

[0071] Further details can be seen from the view of the electrode insert 1 in Figure 4, such as the slot 2b in the ceramic septum 2 in the front view of Figure 4(a) and rear view of Figure 4(c), as well as the through hole 23a in the mounting plate in the top view of Figure 4(d). Figure 4(b) shows a side view of the electrode insert 1 and Figure 4(e) shows the assembly.

[0072] 5, from the top view of the holding profile 3 with the foremost diaphragm 51 inserted therein, the two lateral spring legs 51b and the kerfs 51d for their creation are clearly visible. To ensure a four-point attachment of the diaphragm 51, the spring legs 51b abut against the two lower contact points 32 of the C-tower 3 and press the diaphragm 51 against the two upper contact points 31. The picture shows a variant of the ceramic intermediate plate 2, which is laterally provided with double slots 2d for the insertion of corresponding connection tabs for assembling the anode and cathode housings.

[0073] 6 shows an embodiment of a septum 62 for an electrode insert with an alternative retention profile and a diaphragm stack 4 mounted therein. The alternative retention profile is formed from two structurally identical cylindrical profiles 63 projecting perpendicularly from the rear face 62a of the septum 62. In cross section, the profiles 63 are essentially rectangular, each with recessed longitudinal sides facing each other and defining a receiving space for the diaphragm stack 4.

[0074] The photograph of Fig. 7 shows an electrode insert 71 with a ceramic diaphragm 72 having a cutout 182 in the area of ​​one of the retaining profiles 3. The cutout 182 makes visible the diaphragm stack 4 and its fixation by the spring washer 9 and the retaining bracket 10. The structure of the electrode insert 71 essentially corresponds to the structure of the electrode insert 1 of Fig. 1.

[0075] The photograph of FIG. 8 shows the foot plate 181 once (a) connected to the mounting plate 23 of the electrode insert 71 of FIG. 7 (with the additional notch 182) and once (b) connected only to the retaining rod 25 and the contact pin 26. The foot plate 181 can consist of soft glass or quartz glass. In the case of soft glass, the contact pin 26 preferably consists of an iron-nickel-cobalt alloy with a thermal expansion coefficient adapted to that of the soft glass, and in the case of quartz glass, the contact pin 26 preferably consists of molybdenum. The assembly of the components foot plate 181, retaining rod 25 and contact pin 26 is preferably a prefabricated assembly that only needs to be electrically and mechanically connected to the electrode insert 71 during further processing to form a gas discharge lamp.

[0076] Part (c) is the housing 700 of the anode side assembly and part (d) is the housing 800 of the cathode side assembly. The housing 700 is provided with a double slot 701 and the housing 800 is provided with double tabs 801 for attachment to the ceramic diaphragm 72. For this purpose the ceramic diaphragm 72 likewise has a suitable double slot 72a.

[0077] Figure 9 shows pictures of two alternative embodiments of the housing for the anode side assembly. The housing (a) is made of Al2O3 ceramic. The housing (b) is made of nickel. The back wall in each case has a hole 702 that allows the use of a deuterium lamp in combination with an incandescent lamp.

[0078] The sketch of Fig. 10 shows a schematic rear view of a gas discharge lamp 1000 according to the invention. As explained with reference to Fig. 1, the gas discharge lamp 1000 comprises a lamp bulb 1001 made of quartz glass mounted on a ceramic base 1002, which contains a filling gas in the form of pure deuterium and encloses an electrode insert 1. The electrode insert 1 comprises a ceramic partition 2 to which are mounted several components, including a cathode housing 200 with an emission window 201a. The lamp bulb 1002 comprises a flat foot plate 181. The attachment of the holding rod 25 to the foot plate 181 by means of crimp connections 181a formed on both sides of the foot plate 181 (representing all further holding rods 25 described with reference to Fig. 1) is shown diagrammatically. Similarly, the guidance of the connecting pin 26 through the pinch 181b of the foot plate 181 is shown.

[0079] FIG. 11 shows diagrammatically in an enlarged plan view the planar side of the disk-shaped diaphragm 51 of FIG. 1. The diaphragm 51 has a diaphragm hole 51a and two elastic brackets 51b on either side, which are integral components of the diaphragm 51. They are made by cutting into the diaphragm material, which starts from the edge and extends substantially circumferentially along the edge over a circumferential angle of approximately 45°. In the installed state, the spring legs 51b made in this way rest on two upper and two lower contact points of the cage 3, which are indicated in FIG. 11 by reference number 51d.

Claims

1. A gas discharge lamp having a gas-filled lamp bulb surrounding an electrode insert (1), said electrode insert comprising: (a) a partition (2) made of an electrically insulating material; (b) a cathode side assembly mounted on the front surface of the partition wall, the cathode side assembly comprising a cathode (205), a cathode window (203b) and a light emitting window (201a); (c) an anode side assembly mounted on a rear surface of the partition, the anode side assembly comprising an anode (7) and at least one diaphragm (51; 52; 53) defining an optical axis (11) together with the light emitting window (201 a), wherein radiation generated by discharge is emitted from the light emitting window (201 a) along the optical axis (11); At least the anode (7) and the at least one diaphragm (51; 52; 53) are combined to form a component assembly (4), and at least one holding profile (3) for holding the component assembly (4) protrudes from the rear face (21) of the partition wall (2). Gas discharge lamp.

2. 2. A gas discharge lamp as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the component group is designed as a component stack (4).

3. 3. A gas discharge lamp as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the component assembly (4) comprises at least two diaphragms (51; 52; 53).

4. 4. A gas discharge lamp as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that at least one diaphragm (51) of the diaphragms (51; 52; 53) has a contact (51c) to an electrical connection pin.

5. 5. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 2, characterized in that the component stack (4) has a stack height and a stack perimeter, and the retaining profile (3) at least partially surrounds the stack perimeter over the stack height.

6. 6. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 2, characterized in that the component stack (4) comprises a spring element (9) designed to press the component stack (4) against the partition wall (2).

7. 6. A gas discharge lamp according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the component stack (4) comprises an insulating element and at least one spacing compensation element (82).

8. 8. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the holding profile (3) comprises at least two tube-shell shaped profile sections arranged around the optical axis with their open sides facing each other.

9. 9. Gas discharge lamp according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one diaphragm (51; 52; 53) has an integral spring element (51b).

10. 10. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 9, characterized in that the at least one diaphragm (51; 52; 53) is designed as a diaphragm disk and the integrated spring element (51b) is designed as a flexible bracket created by peripheral disk edge cuts on both sides of the diaphragm disk.

11. 11. Gas discharge lamp according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the integral spring element (51b) is supported on the retaining profile (3).

12. 12. Gas discharge lamp according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the partition (2) and the holding profile (3) are designed in one piece.

13. 13. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that a mounting plate (23) is arranged on the rear face of the partition (2), the mounting plate being provided with a through hole through which an electrical connection is guided to the anode side assembly.

14. 14. A gas discharge lamp as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that a retaining rod (25) for mounting the electrode insert (1) in the lamp bulb engages in the mounting plate.

15. 15. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the mounting plate (23) is connected to a hollow mounting base (24) which in the installed state extends towards a lamp foot of the gas discharge lamp.

16. 16. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 15, characterized in that the partition (2), the mounting plate (23) and the mounting base (24) are designed in one piece.

17. 17. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 2, characterized in that the anode side assembly comprises an anode housing (100) surrounding the holding profile (3) and the component stack (4) held thereon, and the cathode side assembly comprises a cathode housing (200) for receiving the cathode (205).

18. 18. Gas discharge lamp according to claim 17, characterized in that the cathode housing (200) is made up of several molded parts (201, 202, 203, 204) connected to one another by plug-in connections.

19. 19. Gas discharge lamp according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that the cathode housing (200) has bendable insertion tabs (201c) which correspond to longitudinal slots in the partition (2).

20. 20. A gas discharge lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partition (12) is made of ceramic.

21. 21. A gas discharge lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the gas discharge lamp comprises a glass foot plate (181) mounted in the lamp bulb, to which a number of retaining rods (25) and a number of electrical connection pins (26) are attached, the foot plate (181), the retaining rods (25) and the connection pins (26) forming a prefabricated assembly that is electrically and mechanically connected to the electrode insert (1; 71).

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