All Terrain Thinking

A Compendium of things I think are Important

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How to improve

Incandescent Halogen,
Sodium Halogen,
Mercury Vapor
and
similar lamps

The problem

A variety of lamps consist of two globes, one surrounding the other. Depending on the lamp, the outer globe exists to protect electrical contacts, to absorb ultraviolet light, captures glass if the inner globe breaks, etc.

However, this lamp design has a fundamental problem that prevents even distribution of light from all sides of the lamp: One of the electrical conductors is in the way.

Simplified illustration of dual-globe lamp.

In the shown illustration, the tungsten filament or the gas discharge arc (depending on the lamp type) inside the inner globe is shown in yellow. The electrical conductors are shown in red and green.

Simplified illustration of dual-globe lamp shown rotated 90 degrees from the previous position.

The problem is that in most designs, the lamp maker uses the most direct path for the electrical conductor connecting to the end of the inner globe furthest away from the screw base. This means that on one side of the lamp, the electrical conductor will block most or all of the light from the filament or electrical arc.

The idea

Use a slightly longer electrical conductor, and bend it into an elongated "Z" shape.

Simplified illustration of dual-globe lamp shown with the modified electrical conductor.

This alteration means that the electrical conductor is never running parallel to the filament or gas discharge arc, and the shadow is virtually eliminated. The added cost to making the lamp in this way is almost zero.

Patent Blocking Statement

In the patent business, this document is known as "prior art". Because this prior art exists describing this idea and at least three applications of that idea, and this document has been published and copyrighted, no manufacturer can patent this idea as their own. The existence of this document doesn't prevent manufacturers from making lamps that use this idea, they just can't claim it as their own and restrict other makers from using a similar technique. Manufacturers: Please start making these now.

Now Lets Build them...

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