CA2096073C - Low-pressure discharge lamp, particularly compact fluorescent lamp, especially for outdoor and indoor use - Google Patents

Low-pressure discharge lamp, particularly compact fluorescent lamp, especially for outdoor and indoor use Download PDF

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Publication number
CA2096073C
CA2096073C CA002096073A CA2096073A CA2096073C CA 2096073 C CA2096073 C CA 2096073C CA 002096073 A CA002096073 A CA 002096073A CA 2096073 A CA2096073 A CA 2096073A CA 2096073 C CA2096073 C CA 2096073C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
legs
cross
lamp
connecting portion
discharge vessel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA002096073A
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
CA2096073A1 (en
Inventor
Hubert Schafnitzel
Sigfried Hien
Hans Schmidt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Osram GmbH
Original Assignee
Patent Treuhand Gesellschaft fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Patent Treuhand Gesellschaft fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen mbH filed Critical Patent Treuhand Gesellschaft fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen mbH
Publication of CA2096073A1 publication Critical patent/CA2096073A1/en
Priority to IN748CA1993 priority Critical patent/IN181591B/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA2096073C publication Critical patent/CA2096073C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01JELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/70Lamps with low-pressure unconstricted discharge having a cold pressure < 400 Torr
    • H01J61/72Lamps with low-pressure unconstricted discharge having a cold pressure < 400 Torr having a main light-emitting filling of easily vaporisable metal vapour, e.g. mercury
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01JELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02Details
    • H01J61/30Vessels; Containers
    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01JELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02Details
    • H01J61/30Vessels; Containers
    • H01J61/33Special shape of cross-section, e.g. for producing cool spot
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02BCLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B20/00Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

To permit operation of a compact fluorescent lamp in an outdoor environment, for example at an annual average temperature of 10°C, a U-shaped discharge vessel has two straight legs of essentially circular cross section, connected by a cross-connecting portion (10) forming a 180° bend, which, to permit such outdoor use, has its inner diameter constricted from a transition with the longitudinal legs to an apex point of the bend. Preferably, the constriction results in an essentially elliptical cross section, in which the relationship of the minor axis (d) to the major axis (D) is

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to compact fluorescent lamps which, technologically, are low-pressure discharge lamps in which the discharge excites a fluorescent coating, and more particularly to such lamps which are especially adapted for outdoor use, although they have universal application for outdoor and indoor use.
BACKGROUND
United States Patent No. 4,481,442, (Albrecht et al..) and United States Patent No. 4,853,591, Klein et al., describe compact fluorescent lamps. They are small in size and, up to now, have been used mostly for indoor illumination. The lamps are designed to have maximum light output at a temperature of about 25°C, which is a frequent indoor temperature. This temperature of about 25°C is frequently an average temperature at which these lamps are used. The maximum light output is determined by the density and the vapor pressure of mercury within the lamp at the coldest point, or cold spot within the discharge vessel. The discharge vessel, in order to provide the requisite density, or the requisite vapor pressure, respectively, are so constructed that corners of 180° bends, interconnecting parallel legs of a generally U-shaped discharge vessel are not within the path of the discharge arc, so that mercury can condense at the corners. Other constructions than unitary U-shaped discharge vessels are known.
The economical use of energy by these compact fluorescent lamps make them suitable also for outdoor illumination. The average outdoor temperature, however, which, in 20960'~~

a temperate zone, is at an average of about 10°C, does not permit maximum light emission from these lamps, since the maximum light emission capability is not utilized at the lower temperature.
THE INVENTION
It is an object to provide a low-pressure discharge lamp, and especially a compact fluorescent lamp, which has optimum light output even at lower ambient temperatures than those for which the lamps were heretofore designed.
In one aspect, the invention provides low-pressure discharge lamp, especially compact fluorescent lamp, having a discharge vessel comprising at least one U-bent glass tube defining two tube legs of essentially circular cross section, and a cross-connecting portion bent essentially 180°; electrodes located at terminal ends of the tube legs of the discharge vessel;
a fill gas including mercury and at least one noble gas within the discharge vessel; a luminescent coating at the interior of the discharge vessel; and wherein, in accordance with the invention, the inner diameter of the essentially 180° cross-connecting portion decreases from a transition with the legs to an apex (I) of said cross-connecting portion to have, in cross section at said apex, essentially elliptical shape, in which the relationship of the minor axis (d) of the ellipse to the major axis (D) of the ellipse is defined by 0.5 < d < 0.9;
D
the minor axis (d) is positioned in a plane essentially parallel to the direction of said legs; and wherein the major axis (D) has 20960"l3 a dimension which corresponds essentially to the dimension of the diameter of said legs.
In another aspect, the invention provides low-pressure discharge lamp, especially compact fluorescent lamp, having a discharge vessel comprising two essentially parallel tube legs of essentially circular cross section, and a cross-connecting portion interconnecting said tube legs; electrodes located at the terminal end of the tube legs of the discharge vessel; a fill gas including mercury and at least one noble gas; a fluorescent coating at the interior of the discharge vessel, said electrodes, when energized, establishing a continuous discharge within the vessel, which discharge extends through said essentially parallel legs and, in and about 180° bend, through the cross-connecting portion, said legs and said cross-connecting portion being formed to establish, in the presence of the discharge, cold spots in regions remote from the legs where the electrodes are located, and wherein at least one of: the tube legs and the cross-connecting portion are dimensioned and shaped to result in cold spots, in operation of the lamp, when the lamp is subjected to an average ambient surrounding temperature in the order of about 10°C.
Briefly, the lamps have a discharge vessel which is arranged to provide for cold spots in regions remote from the base of the lamp. In one embodiment, the lamps have two leg portions and a cross-connecting portion to form an essentially 180° bent U-tube. In accordance with a feature of the invention, the inner diameter of the cross-connecting portion providing for an essentially 180° turn discharge arc decreases from a transition 209~0'~3 region with the legs by thickening the glass walls in the region of the cross connection. In unitary lamps with an integral cross connection, the inner cross section of this cross connection decreases from the essentially circular cross section of the leg portions to assume essentially elliptical shape. The smaller axis d of the ellipse extends in a direction, or is located in a plane, which is essentially parallel to the direction of the legs. The larger axis D of the ellipse has a dimension which corresponds essentially to the diameter of the leg portions. The relationship of the smaller axis d to the larger axis D is given by the formula:
0.5 _< _d _< 0.9 D
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the relationship of the diameters is given by:
0.6 _< _d _< 0.8 D
The wall thickness s of the cross connection at the apex of the bend is related to the wall thickness w of the legs of the discharge tube by the relationship:
1.0 x w < s < 3.0 x w In accordance with preferred feature, the relationship is:
1.5 x w < s < 2.5 x w By constricting the inner diameter of the discharge vessel in the region of the 180° bend to an ellipse, the cold spots are placed closer to the discharge arc. If this lamp is ~o~so~~

operated indoors, that 1s, with the higher normally present interior temperature, the temperature would be too high for maximum light output. Yet, when operated outdoors, with the lower average outdoor temperature, the appropriate temperature range for maximum light output is obtained. Since lamps are used at night, higher daytime temperatures do not matter.
Thickening the discharge vessel in the region of the 180° bend, by thickening the outer glass wall, is particularly suitable to improve the utility of the compact fluorescent lamps at low ambient temperatures. Thickening the wall improves the heat insulation, so that even extremely low external ambient temperatures do not have a large influence on the light output.
Tnvestigations have shown that optimum results are obtained when the wall thickness varies between 1-3 times, and particularly between 1.5 to 2.5 times the wall thickness of the straight leg portions of a U-bent unitary discharge vessel.
DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a highly schematic side view of a compact fluorescent lamp embodying the present invention, and illustrating, also schematically, the lamp in a base;
Figure 2 is a schematic side view, with part of one lamp wall cut away and partly in section, of the discharge vessel of the lamp of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a cross section through the apex of the discharge vessel at the section lines I-I' in Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through the discharge vessel using multiple, in the example two interconnected U-tubes;
~o~oo~~

and Figure 5 is a graph relating temperature to light flux of lamps of the prior art and the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The lamp of Figure 1 is a compact fluorescent lamp having a power rating of 18 W. The lamp 1 has a discharge vessel 2, the length of which is not to scale and shown by the chain-dotted cut lines in reduced size. The discharge vessel 2 is retained in a base 3 of the type 2 G 11. The base 3 has four connecting pins or connecting lugs 4, 5, 6, 7 which provide electrical energy to the lamp from a suitable socket which may, also, contain accessory circuits, ballasts, starters and the like.
The discharge vessel 2 is shown in Figure 2, again in foreshortened representation. It has a length of 19.6 cm and is formed of two straight, parallel legs 8, 9, coupled by a part-circular cross-connecting portion 10, forming a 180° bend. The free ends of the two leg portions 8, 9 have current supply leads 11, 12 and 13, 14, respectively, pinch-sealed therethrough. The current supply leads 11, 12 and 13, 14, respectively, are connected to electrode filaments 15, 16, retained in position by glass beads 17, 18 within the interior of the discharge vessel. -The longitudinal legs, in cross section, are essentially circular and have an inner diameter of 15.5 mm. The wall thickness is about 1 mm. A fluorescent coating 22 is applied to the interior of the legs as well as the cross-connecting portion 10. In one of the two pinch seals 19, 20, as shown in the pinch seal 20, an exhaust-and-fill tube 21 is melt-sealed which, after filling the discharge vessel 2, is tipped off. The discharge vessel retains a fill of mercury and a noble gas.
In accordance with a feature of the invention, the 180°
cross-connecting bend 10 constricts towards the central region or the apex of the cross connection, as shown by section line I-I' in Figure 3. The inner diameter of the bent cross connection has a transition region to the longitudinal legs 8, 9 and their essentially circular inner diameter of 15.5 mm. Towards the center of the cross connection, the transition region constricts to an elliptical form, having a major axis D of 15.5 mm, that is, the same diameter as the longitudinal legs, and a minor axis d of 10 mm. The minor axis d extends essentially parallel to the direction of the longitudinal legs 8,9.
In accordance with a feature of the invention, the wall of the discharge vessel 10, at the outer surface of the 180°
connecting bend 10 is thickened. At the portion of the ellipse closest to the base 3, the wall thickness is about 1 mm. At the remote, or outer side 10a, the wall thickness increases to about 2 mm.
The invention is not limited to a low-pressure discharge tube having a discharge vessel with only one U-shaped glass tube.
The discharge vessel may be formed of a plurality of U-shaped glass tubes, as described in detail, for example, in the referenced United States Patent x,853,591, Klein et al. In that case, the 180° bend of each one of the U-tubes is formed in accordance with the present invention, so that the lamp will have the high light output even at low ambient operating temperatures.
In a two-tube unit, one unit will have first and second longitudinal legs 8a, 8b, and the other unit legs 9a, 9b. One of the legs of each unit has a filament 114, 115 therein. The two units are interconnected by a cross connection 23, close to the lower or base end of the units, to form a two-tube interconnected fluorescent tube lamp 1'.
Figure 5 illustrates the relative light outputs as a function of the ambient temperature for two different compact fluorescent lamps having a rated wattage of 24 W, in base-up operating position.
Curve H illustrates the light output of a conventional compact fluorescent lamp having a U-shaped discharge vessel with rectangular corners such as is described, for instance, in United States 4,481,442, Albrecht et al. Curve A illustrates the light output of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention having a U-shaped discharge vessel for the use in outdoor fixtures. The maximum light emission of Curve B is at 25°C to 30°C; in Curve A the maximum light emission is about 15°C lower.
Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the inventive concept.

Claims (6)

1. Low-pressure discharge lamp, especially compact fluorescent lamp, having a discharge vessel comprising at least one U-bent glass tube defining two tube legs of essentially circular cross section, and a cross-connecting portion bent essentially 180°;
electrodes located at terminal ends of the tube legs of the discharge vessel;
a fill gas including mercury and at least one noble gas within the discharge vessel;
a luminescent coating at the interior of the discharge vessel; and wherein, in accordance with the invention, the inner diameter of the essentially 180° cross-connecting portion decreases from a transition with the legs to an apex (I) of said cross-connecting portion to have, in cross section at said apex, essentially elliptical shape, in which the relationship of the minor axis (d) of the ellipse to the major axis (D) of the ellipse is defined by the minor axis (d) is positioned in a plane essentially parallel to the direction of said legs; and wherein the major axis (D) has a dimension which corresponds essentially to the dimension of the diameter of said legs.
2. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said relationship of the minor axis (d) to the major axis (D) is:

3. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the wall of the 180° cross-connecting portion, at the region remote from a base of the lamp has a wall thickness s which is related to the wall thickness w of the legs of the discharge vessel by the relationship
4. The lamp of claim 3, wherein said relationship is:

5. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said discharge vessel comprises two U-bent glass tubes, each one of said U-bent glass tubes having one electrode in one of the respective legs, only;
and a through-interconnection connecting the legs of the two U-bent tubes which do not carry electrodes, to form a continuous discharge path through both U-bent glass tubes.
6. Low-pressure discharge lamp, especially compact fluorescent lamp, having a discharge vessel comprising two essentially parallel tube legs of essentially circular cross section, and a cross-connecting portion interconnecting said tube legs;
electrodes located at the terminal end of the tube legs of the discharge vessel;
a fill gas including mercury and at least one noble gas;
a fluorescent coating at the interior of the discharge vessel, said electrodes, when energized, establishing a continuous discharge within the vessel, which discharge extends through said essentially parallel legs and, in and about 180°
bend, through the cross-connecting portion, said legs and said cross-connecting portion being formed to establish, in the presence of the discharge, cold spots in regions remote from the legs where the electrodes are located, and wherein at least one of: the tube legs and the cross-connecting portion are dimensioned and shaped to result in cold spots, in operation of the lamp, when the lamp is subjected to an average ambient surrounding temperature in the order of about 10°C.
CA002096073A 1992-05-13 1993-05-12 Low-pressure discharge lamp, particularly compact fluorescent lamp, especially for outdoor and indoor use Expired - Fee Related CA2096073C (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IN748CA1993 IN181591B (en) 1993-05-12 1993-12-02

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEP4215674.2 1992-05-13
DE4215674A DE4215674A1 (en) 1992-05-13 1992-05-13 Low pressure discharge lamp

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA2096073A1 CA2096073A1 (en) 1993-11-14
CA2096073C true CA2096073C (en) 2002-07-16

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ID=6458709

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA002096073A Expired - Fee Related CA2096073C (en) 1992-05-13 1993-05-12 Low-pressure discharge lamp, particularly compact fluorescent lamp, especially for outdoor and indoor use

Country Status (7)

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EP (1) EP0569814B1 (en)
JP (1) JPH0620650A (en)
KR (1) KR930024080A (en)
CN (1) CN1081020A (en)
CA (1) CA2096073C (en)
DE (2) DE4215674A1 (en)
HU (1) HU213967B (en)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2577967B2 (en) * 1988-08-05 1997-02-05 日立建機株式会社 Engine remote control
DE19515380A1 (en) * 1995-05-02 1996-11-07 Walter Holzer Power saving gas-discharge lamp
DE19517993A1 (en) * 1995-05-18 1996-11-21 Walter Holzer Electrical gas discharge bulb
DE19601733A1 (en) * 1996-01-19 1997-07-24 Holzer Walter Prof Dr H C Ing Gas discharge vessel with cold spots e.g. for low pressure gas discharge lamp
DE29602733U1 (en) * 1996-02-20 1996-04-04 Holzer Walter Prof Dr H C Ing Energy-saving lamp with coiled gas discharge vessel and separable ballast
HU218642B (en) * 1996-12-30 2000-10-28 General Electric Co Single ended discharge lamp
DE60043914D1 (en) * 1999-04-22 2010-04-15 Panasonic Corp Fluorescent lamp and process for its manufacture
DE60043132D1 (en) 1999-05-19 2009-11-26 Panasonic Corp U-shaped low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp and manufacturing method for such a lamp

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3112878A1 (en) * 1981-03-31 1982-10-14 Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft für elektrische Glühlampen mbH, 8000 München MERCURY VAPOR LOW-PRESSURE DISCHARGE LAMP AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
JPH0746598B2 (en) * 1986-05-29 1995-05-17 東芝ライテック株式会社 Fluorescent lamp
SE8800747D0 (en) * 1988-03-02 1988-03-02 Lumalampan Ab Low pressure gas discharge lamp
JPH083997B2 (en) * 1988-12-12 1996-01-17 東芝ライテック株式会社 Low pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp
DE4012588C2 (en) * 1990-04-20 1994-02-17 Norka Norddeutsche Kunststoff Luminaire for low ambient temperatures
DE9207139U1 (en) * 1992-05-26 1992-07-16 Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft Fuer Elektrische Gluehlampen Mbh, 8000 Muenchen, De

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0569814A1 (en) 1993-11-18
HUT64158A (en) 1993-11-29
JPH0620650A (en) 1994-01-28
DE59308264D1 (en) 1998-04-23
CN1081020A (en) 1994-01-19
DE4215674A1 (en) 1993-11-18
KR930024080A (en) 1993-12-21
CA2096073A1 (en) 1993-11-14
HU213967B (en) 1997-11-28
HU9301381D0 (en) 1993-09-28
EP0569814B1 (en) 1998-03-18

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