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US3801850A - Getter-containing electric discharge devices - Google Patents

Getter-containing electric discharge devices Download PDF

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Publication number
US3801850A
US3801850A US00303106A US3801850DA US3801850A US 3801850 A US3801850 A US 3801850A US 00303106 A US00303106 A US 00303106A US 3801850D A US3801850D A US 3801850DA US 3801850 A US3801850 A US 3801850A
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United States
Prior art keywords
electric discharge
getter
getter element
discharge device
bore
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00303106A
Inventor
H Maegdefessel
H Verma
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Siemens AG
Siemens Corp
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Siemens Corp
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Publication date
Priority claimed from DE19712155875 external-priority patent/DE2155875C3/en
Application filed by Siemens Corp filed Critical Siemens Corp
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Publication of US3801850A publication Critical patent/US3801850A/en
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Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01JELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J7/00Details not provided for in the preceding groups and common to two or more basic types of discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J7/14Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the vessel
    • H01J7/18Means for absorbing or adsorbing gas, e.g. by gettering
    • H01J7/186Getter supports

Definitions

  • the invention relates to electric discharge devices and more particularly to getter-containing electric discharge tubes.
  • the invention provides a getteredelectric discharge device that substantially eliminates the prior art drawbacks.
  • the invention provides a gettered electric discharge device wherein the gettered element includes a nonvaporizable' gettering material that is adequately degassed at temperatures in therange of 450 to 600 C.,
  • FIGURE is an. elevated schematic side view, partially in section, illustrating an embodiment of the invention.
  • the invention provides electric discharge devices, particularly disk-seal electric discharge tubes having an evacuation bore therein, having a non-vaporizable getor carbon.
  • a gettering mixture consisting of about 83 percent by weight of zirconium and about 17 percent by weight of graphite (carbon) has particular advantages.
  • a getter element is preferably formed into an annular body so that the gettering materialis exposed along the inner surface thereof, however, other forms of getter elements are also useful.
  • the getter element is positioned in an axial bore communicating with an anode of an electric discharge device and soldered thereto, along with a sleeve-like tubing seal so as to prevent it from accidentally breaking loose from the bore walls.
  • the preferred gettering material has such cohesion to the various particles thereof as well as to the container thereof that no protective measures have to be undertaken to prevent portions of the gettering mass, i.e., particles thereof, from fallingout of the getter element.
  • Zirconium-carbon mixtures have been previously utilized in systems that could be heated either'periodically at any desired repetition rate orcontinuously, such as a layer on a heating coil or filament insulated with aluter element secured within such bore and designed for tered highly porous mixture of at least 70 percent by weight of zirconium and up to about 30 percent by weight of carbon.
  • the container is composed of a hightemperature resistant material, such as of molybdenum minum oxide.
  • zirconium-carbon gettering material is the excellent adhesion such material exhibits toward an appropriate base. Further, this gettering mixture has excellent internal cohesion to its own particles so that no loose particles occur and the gettering mixture may be formed into very thick layers. Such thick gettering mixture layers have a gas absorption capacity which even in the cold state exceeds the gas absorption capacity of heretofore known gettering materials.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an electric discharge disk-seal tube '1.
  • the various conventional electrodes of such a tube are not shown and only a partial sectional view of the anode la is shown.
  • the anode 1a has a central or axial bore 2 for evacuation of the tube 1.
  • the upper portion, such as at 3 of axial bore 2 is of a wider cross-section than the lower portion thereof.
  • a sleeve-like tubing seal 4 is positioned along the upper portion 3 of bore 2 so as to abut on the flange-like surfaces 3a joining the narrower cross-section portion of the bore with the wider cross-section portion 3 and is directly soldered thereto.
  • getter element 7 is positioned between the flange-like surface 3a and the lower surfaces of the tubing seal 4.
  • the getter element 7 consists of an annular container 5, such as composed of sheet molybdenum, which is open to the interior of bore 2.
  • a sintered highly porous zirconium-carbon gettering mixture 6 is positioned within the container 5. Once the getter element 7 and the tubing seal 4 are properly positioned within the bore 2, they are both soldered to the bore walls along with other parts of the discharge device assembly,
  • the getter element is secured to an electric discharge device by hard soldering at about 850 C. in a protective gas atmosphere consisting of a conventional composition, i.e., H and N in a ratio of about 20 percent:80 percent. During evacuation of the electric discharge tube, subsequent heating of only up to about 400 to 600 C. occurs. Despite such low temperature heating of the getter element, it is surprisingly highly effective, even at room temperatures.
  • the invention provides, among other things, a means of incorporating a getter element into any electric discharge device having an evacuation bore in a simple and highly economical manner.
  • the invention does not require any modification of the production method utilized in assembling a given electric discharge device. Further, the invention does not alter in any disadvantageous manner the normal function of a given electric discharge device.
  • an electric discharge device including an anode having an evacuation bore and a tubing seal means mating with a portion of said bore, the improvement comprising, a non-vaporizable'g'etter element consisting of an open-ended container formed of a hightemperature resistant material and a gettering mass within such container consisting of a sintered highly porous mixture of at least percent by weight of zirconium and up to 30 percent by weight of carbon, said getter element being positioned within said evacuation bore adjacent said tubing seal means and attached to the bore walls and tubing seal means by solder.
  • An electric discharge device comprising a housing including a cathode and an anode positioned therein in working relation to each other, said anode including an evacuation bore having one portion of a given crosssection, another portion of a larger cross-section and flange-like surfaces joining said portions to one another; a getter element comprised of an annular openended container composed of a high-temperature resistant material and a gettering mass within such container consisting of a sintered highly porous mixture of at least 70 percent by weight of zirconium and up to 30 percent by weight of carbon, said getter element being positioned within said evacuation bore on the flangelike surfaces thereof; and a sleeve-like tubing seal means positioned within said evacuation bore at the larger cross-section portion thereof and on said getter element, said tubing seal means and said getter element being secured to said evacuation bore by solder.

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  • Gas-Filled Discharge Tubes (AREA)
  • Common Detailed Techniques For Electron Tubes Or Discharge Tubes (AREA)
  • Discharge Lamp (AREA)

Abstract

An open-ended non-vaporizable getter element is secured to an anode axial bore of a disk-seal electric discharge tube with a sleeve-like tubing seal. The getter element comprises an openended container, as of molybdenum, filled with a sintered highly porous mixture of at least 70 percent by weight of zirconium and up to 30 percent by weight of carbon. The getter element is soldered to the bore walls and to the tubing seal during initial assembly of the discharge tube.

Description

United States Patent Maegdefessel et al. Apr. 2, 1974 [5 GETTER-CONTAINING ELECTRIC 1,937,706 12/1933 McCullough 313/174 DISCHARGE DEVICES 3,719,433 3/1973 Rabusin 313/181 X [75] Inventors: Heinz Maegdefessel, Haslach; I-Iari FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Verma, Krailling, both Of 2 005 2 2 2 9 9 France Germany [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Berlin & P i y ExaminerJames W. Lawrence MuniCh, Germany Assistant Examiner-Wm. H. Punter [22] Filed, Nov 2 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hill, Sherman, Meroni,
Gross & Simpson [21] Appl. No.: 303,106
57 ABSTRACT [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 1 Nov 10 971 Germany 2155875 An open-ended non-vaporizable getter element is secured to an anode axial bore of a disk-seal electric dis- 52 US. Cl. 313/174 313/7 charge tube with a sleeve'like tubing Seal- The [51] Int. Cl. H016 19/70 element comprises an open'ended container as of Field f Search u 181 7 7 lybdenum, filled with a sintered POI'OUS mixture 1 of at least 70 percent by weight of zirconium and up to 30 percent by weight of carbon. The getter element [56] References Cited is soldered to the bore walls and to the tubing seal during initial assembly of the discharge tube.
5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure GETTER-CONTAINING ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION stant assignee.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The inventionrelates to electric discharge devices and more particularly to getter-containing electric discharge tubes. I
2. Prior Art It is known to completely enclose vaporizable getter materials within a container and positioned thesame within an electric discharge tube so that a getter material mirror-like film is produced on the envelope of the tube, as by HE (high frequency) annealing. A serious drawback with such vaporizable getter. material is that it is difiicult to controlthe getter material vapors and it is extremely important to avoid depositing getter material film on any-important parts of a discharge tube, particularly on any insulating parts thereof.
Such drawbacks are substantially eliminated with non-vaporizable getter materials, however, nonv'aporizable getter materials must be heated, either periodically at a desired repetition rate or continuously by special heating devices within the discharge tube, thereby rendering such getters uneconomical. I
The invention provides a getteredelectric discharge device that substantially eliminates the prior art drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a gettered electric discharge device wherein the gettered element includes a nonvaporizable' gettering material that is adequately degassed at temperatures in therange of 450 to 600 C.,
I even when heating in a protective gas atmosphere has BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The single FIGURE is an. elevated schematic side view, partially in section, illustrating an embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention provides electric discharge devices, particularly disk-seal electric discharge tubes having an evacuation bore therein, having a non-vaporizable getor carbon. In practice, a gettering mixture consisting of about 83 percent by weight of zirconium and about 17 percent by weight of graphite (carbon) has particular advantages.
A getter element is preferably formed into an annular body so that the gettering materialis exposed along the inner surface thereof, however, other forms of getter elements are also useful. The getter element is positioned in an axial bore communicating with an anode of an electric discharge device and soldered thereto, along with a sleeve-like tubing seal so as to prevent it from accidentally breaking loose from the bore walls.
The preferred gettering material has such cohesion to the various particles thereof as well as to the container thereof that no protective measures have to be undertaken to prevent portions of the gettering mass, i.e., particles thereof, from fallingout of the getter element.
Zirconium-carbon mixtures have been previously utilized in systems that could be heated either'periodically at any desired repetition rate orcontinuously, such as a layer on a heating coil or filament insulated with aluter element secured within such bore and designed for tered highly porous mixture of at least 70 percent by weight of zirconium and up to about 30 percent by weight of carbon. The container is composed of a hightemperature resistant material, such as of molybdenum minum oxide. During a systematic investigation of such systems, it was discovered that zirconium-carbon mixtures may be utilized in different forms to obtain increased gettering capacity. Theproperties of such mixtures, particularly in a sintered highly porous condition, allows formation of getter members which are only heated once during the production process of a particular discharge device. This single heating step drives suf- Y ficient gas from the gettering material so that it attains a large gettering capacity over a long period of time,
even in a cold state. Another outstanding feature of the zirconium-carbon gettering material is the excellent adhesion such material exhibits toward an appropriate base. Further, this gettering mixture has excellent internal cohesion to its own particles so that no loose particles occur and the gettering mixture may be formed into very thick layers. Such thick gettering mixture layers have a gas absorption capacity which even in the cold state exceeds the gas absorption capacity of heretofore known gettering materials.
Referring now to the drawings, the single FIGURE illustrates an electric discharge disk-seal tube '1. The various conventional electrodes of such a tube are not shown and only a partial sectional view of the anode la is shown. The anode 1a has a central or axial bore 2 for evacuation of the tube 1. The upper portion, such as at 3 of axial bore 2, is of a wider cross-section than the lower portion thereof. Normally, a sleeve-like tubing seal 4 is positioned along the upper portion 3 of bore 2 so as to abut on the flange-like surfaces 3a joining the narrower cross-section portion of the bore with the wider cross-section portion 3 and is directly soldered thereto.
In accordance with the principles of the invention, a
getter element 7 is positioned between the flange-like surface 3a and the lower surfaces of the tubing seal 4. The getter element 7 consists of an annular container 5, such as composed of sheet molybdenum, which is open to the interior of bore 2. A sintered highly porous zirconium-carbon gettering mixture 6 is positioned within the container 5. Once the getter element 7 and the tubing seal 4 are properly positioned within the bore 2, they are both soldered to the bore walls along with other parts of the discharge device assembly,
under a protective gas atmosphere. Once properly secured, no further heating of the getter element is required for operation.
In assemblies where the axial bore is a part of the actual discharge chamber, the insertion of a getter element in accordance with the principles of the invention does not interfere with the normal operation of such a discharge assembly.
The getter element is secured to an electric discharge device by hard soldering at about 850 C. in a protective gas atmosphere consisting of a conventional composition, i.e., H and N in a ratio of about 20 percent:80 percent. During evacuation of the electric discharge tube, subsequent heating of only up to about 400 to 600 C. occurs. Despite such low temperature heating of the getter element, it is surprisingly highly effective, even at room temperatures.
The invention provides, among other things, a means of incorporating a getter element into any electric discharge device having an evacuation bore in a simple and highly economical manner. The invention does not require any modification of the production method utilized in assembling a given electric discharge device. Further, the invention does not alter in any disadvantageous manner the normal function of a given electric discharge device.
As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the present invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. For this reason, it is to be fully understood that all of the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative and is not to be construed or interpreted as being restrictive or otherwise limiting of the present invention, excepting as it is set forth and defined in the hereto-appendant claims.
We claim as our invention: 1. In an electric discharge device including an anode having an evacuation bore and a tubing seal means mating with a portion of said bore, the improvement comprising, a non-vaporizable'g'etter element consisting of an open-ended container formed of a hightemperature resistant material and a gettering mass within such container consisting of a sintered highly porous mixture of at least percent by weight of zirconium and up to 30 percent by weight of carbon, said getter element being positioned within said evacuation bore adjacent said tubing seal means and attached to the bore walls and tubing seal means by solder.
2. In an electric discharge device as defined in claim 1 wherein said getter element and said tubing seal means are soldered together during an initial assembly of said discharge device.
3. In an electric discharge device as defined in claim 1 wherein said open-ended container is composed of molybdenum.
4. In an electric discharge device as defined in claim 1 wherein said device is a disk-seal tube.
5. An electric discharge device comprising a housing including a cathode and an anode positioned therein in working relation to each other, said anode including an evacuation bore having one portion of a given crosssection, another portion of a larger cross-section and flange-like surfaces joining said portions to one another; a getter element comprised of an annular openended container composed of a high-temperature resistant material and a gettering mass within such container consisting of a sintered highly porous mixture of at least 70 percent by weight of zirconium and up to 30 percent by weight of carbon, said getter element being positioned within said evacuation bore on the flangelike surfaces thereof; and a sleeve-like tubing seal means positioned within said evacuation bore at the larger cross-section portion thereof and on said getter element, said tubing seal means and said getter element being secured to said evacuation bore by solder.

Claims (4)

  1. 2. In an electric discharge device as defined in claim 1 wherein said getter element and said tubing seal means are soldered together during an initial assembly of said discharge device.
  2. 3. In an electric discharge device as defined in claim 1 wherein said open-ended container is composed of molybdenum.
  3. 4. In an electric discharge device as defined in claim 1 wherein said device is a disk-seal tube.
  4. 5. An electric discharge device comprising a housing including a cathode and an anode positioned therein in working relation to each other, said anode including an evacuation bore having one portion of a given cross-section, another portion of a larger cross-section and flange-like surfaces joining said portions to one another; a getter element comprised of an annular open-ended container composed of a high-temperature resistant material and a gettering mass within such container consisting of a sintered highly porous mixture of at least 70 percent by weight of zirconium and up to 30 percent by weight of carbon, said getter element being positioned within said evacuation bore on the flange-like surfaces thereof; and a sleeve-like tubing seal means positioned within said evacuation bore at the larger cross-section portion thereof and on said getter element, said tubing seal means and said getter element being secured to said evacuation bore by solder.
US00303106A 1971-11-10 1972-11-02 Getter-containing electric discharge devices Expired - Lifetime US3801850A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19712155875 DE2155875C3 (en) 1971-11-10 Method for arranging a non-evaporating getter body in a disc tube

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US3801850A true US3801850A (en) 1974-04-02

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FR (1) FR2159312B2 (en)
GB (1) GB1329929A (en)
IT (1) IT1046106B (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4310781A (en) * 1977-09-30 1982-01-12 Heimann Gmbh Controllable hydrogen source with gettering effect for electronic tubes
US6489720B1 (en) * 1998-09-07 2002-12-03 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image-forming apparatus and fabrication method therefor
US20030122485A1 (en) * 2001-12-28 2003-07-03 Fujitsu Limited Gas discharge tube

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1937706A (en) * 1928-04-12 1933-12-05 Union Nat Bank Of Pittsburgh Seal for vitreous articles
US2667593A (en) * 1950-11-22 1954-01-26 Machlett Lab Inc Electron tube
FR2005282A1 (en) * 1968-04-01 1969-12-12 Siemens Ag
US3719433A (en) * 1970-04-21 1973-03-06 Getters Spa Getter device

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1937706A (en) * 1928-04-12 1933-12-05 Union Nat Bank Of Pittsburgh Seal for vitreous articles
US2667593A (en) * 1950-11-22 1954-01-26 Machlett Lab Inc Electron tube
FR2005282A1 (en) * 1968-04-01 1969-12-12 Siemens Ag
US3719433A (en) * 1970-04-21 1973-03-06 Getters Spa Getter device

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4310781A (en) * 1977-09-30 1982-01-12 Heimann Gmbh Controllable hydrogen source with gettering effect for electronic tubes
US6489720B1 (en) * 1998-09-07 2002-12-03 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Image-forming apparatus and fabrication method therefor
US20030122485A1 (en) * 2001-12-28 2003-07-03 Fujitsu Limited Gas discharge tube
US7049748B2 (en) * 2001-12-28 2006-05-23 Fujitsu Limited Display device employing gas discharge tubes arranged in parallel between front and rear substrates to comprise a display screen, each tube having a light emitting section as part of the display screen and a cleaning section connected to the light emitting section but displaced from the display screen

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Publication number Publication date
JPS5639014B2 (en) 1981-09-10
DE2155875A1 (en) 1973-05-17
GB1329929A (en) 1973-09-12
JPS4856054A (en) 1973-08-07
FR2159312A2 (en) 1973-06-22
DE2155875B2 (en) 1976-12-30
IT1046106B (en) 1980-06-30
FR2159312B2 (en) 1976-08-20

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