Patent ID: 8203268

Claim:
An Alternating Current (AC) discharge lamp comprising: a light discharge tube having an interior chamber defining a light discharge part; a first and second electrode within the light discharge part arranged to permit luminous electrical discharge therebetween and emission of light energy from the light discharge tube due to said electrical discharge during operation of said lamp; wherein, heat developed at the electrodes due to conditions external to said discharge lamp during operation of said lamp is dissipated respectively by said first electrode at a different respective rate than by said second wherein said lamp further comprises an optical system arranged to intercept at least a portion of the light energy emitted from the light discharge tube during operation of said lamp, the optical system comprising at least one optical element that returns at least a portion of said intercepted light energy back to the light discharge tube wherein said lamp further comprises: a reflector having an opening part and a neck part opposite the opening part; and the reflector having a reflective interior surface for reflecting at least a portion of the light energy emitted from the light discharge tube toward said optical system; wherein, one of said first and second electrodes is a rear electrode located toward the neck part of the reflector, the rear electrode comprising a core wire extending through the light discharge part at a first end and having a coil wire wound around a second end of the core wire, the coil, the windings, forming a tip thereon, and the other of said first and second electrodes is a front electrode located toward the opening part of the reflector, the front electrode comprising a core wire extending through the light discharge part at a first end and having a coil wire wound around a second end of the core wire, the coil, the windings, forming a tip thereon; and wherein, said returned light energy is disproportional) absorbed by the front electrode wherein said difference in the respective electrode heat dissipation rates compensates for said disproportional absorption of returned light energy by the front electrode, whereby a temperature difference between the electrodes is minimized.