Thomas Edison granted a patent for the incandescent light bulb
- When
- 1880
- Where
- Menlo Park
- Episodes
- 1
Thomas Edison received U.S. Patent 223,898 for an incandescent electric lamp on January 27, 1880, following his November 1879 filing. The patent covered a carbon filament connected to platina contact wires, marking a key step in his commercial electrical lighting system development at Menlo Park.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. Edison began working on an electrical lighting system in 1878 to replace gas lamps. He filed his first patent application for electric lights in October 1878. By November 1879, he filed for a specific patent covering a carbon filament lamp, which was granted in January 1880, establishing his commercial rights.
Patent Details. The granted patent described an electric lamp using a carbon filament or strip coiled and connected to platina contact wires. It included various methods for creating the carbon filament, such as using cotton, linen, or wood. Edison's team later found that carbonized Japanese bamboo lasted over 1200 hours.
Commercial Context. Edison aimed to create a commercially viable electric light bulb and an electric utility to compete with gas light utilities. The patent grant in 1880 supported his efforts to deploy a large-scale commercial utility, distinct from earlier experimental demonstrations.
People involved
- Thomas Edison · Inventor
Sources
- Thomas Edison Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-04
- Incandescent light bulb Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-23
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