Appeal No. 1998-1651
Application No. 08/594,964
BACKGROUND
The appellants’ invention relates to a lamp with mercury release structure and
method for dispensing mercury into a lamp. An understanding of the invention can be
derived from a reading of exemplary claim 1, which is reproduced below.
1. A lamp comprising:
a sealed transparent elongated envelope containing a gas fill;
a coil at each of two ends of said elongated envelope, said coils extending
widthwise of said envelope;
first and second lead-in wires connected to each of said coils and connectable to
an external source of electric current; and
a capsule containing mercury and mounted within said envelope at one of said
ends of said envelope, said capsule being connected to one of said first and second
lead-in wires of one of said coils, said capsule being disposed adjacent to a center portion
of said one coil and having a body portion extending axially in said envelope toward the
other of said coils;
said other coil being adapted, upon energization by said current, to emit electrons
toward said capsule to heat and burst said capsule, to release said mercury into said
envelope.
The prior art reference of record relied upon by the examiner in rejecting the
appealed claims is:
Parks, Jr. et al. (Parks) 5,278,473 Jan. 11, 1994
Claims 1-15 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over
Parks.
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