JP2001076667A - Compact self-ballasted fluorescent lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dispense with heating decomposition disposal of electrodes, solve the problem of residual CO2 in a bent discharge path, and reduce the size of a lighting circuit. SOLUTION: A pair of ceramic electrodes 1c are sealed in both ends of a curved or bent light-transmitting discharge container 1a. The ceramic electrode 1c has an emissive material mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramics of a composite oxide or composite oxynitride of an alkaline earth element and transition metal element supported by a conductive substrate. The emissive material is mainly composed of the granular, spongy, or solid semiconductor ceramics made by coating surface of the composite oxide of the alkaline earth element and transition metal element with a carbide or nitride of a transition metal. The light-transmitting discharge container 1a has an outside diameter of 3 to 13 mm, a curved or bent discharge path formed therewithin, and a phosphor layer formed on an inner surface thereof, thus forming a fluorescent lamp, which is high-frequency lighted by a lighting circuit.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a compact fluorescent lamp.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A bulb-type fluorescent lamp has a structure in which a compact fluorescent lamp and a lighting circuit thereof are integrated. It has been widely used in place of incandescent lamps because it is a light source having both high lamp efficiency and long life.

In a conventional bulb-type fluorescent lamp, a filament electrode formed by applying a pair of oxide electron-emitting materials to both ends of a translucent discharge vessel is sealed. At least at the time of starting, the filament electrode is energized and heated by a lighting circuit to emit thermoelectrons. For this reason, a filament heating circuit is added to the lighting circuit.

By the way, design engineers have been actively trying to make the size of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp close to the size of the incandescent lamp for general lighting. As a result, downsizing has been steadily realized, and the tube diameter of the translucent discharge vessel of the fluorescent lamp has been reduced.

[0005] However, by further reducing the diameter of the tube of the translucent discharge vessel, it is possible to further reduce the size of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp, but this is achieved as a result of the improvement in the heat resistance and load characteristics of the phosphor. The possibility has come out.

On the other hand, in a discharge lamp such as a bulb-type fluorescent lamp, an electron-emitting substance composed of an oxide of an alkaline earth metal containing Ba and a part of a transition metal, for example, Zr is used. The electron-emitting substance is prepared by preparing a coating liquid obtained by dispersing the metal carbonate in a binder and a solvent, applying the coating liquid to a filament electrode made of a tungsten coil, and further applying a vacuum or It is obtained by thermally decomposing the above-mentioned carbonate and binder in an inert gas atmosphere. That is, the electron-emitting substance is activated by this thermal decomposition step.

The conventional hot cathode coated with an oxide electron-emitting substance has a cathode drop voltage of about 11 V for emitting a required number of electrons from the electrode surface to a discharge space, and is used for a liquid crystal backlight or the like. The discharge voltage of the discharge lamp having the cold cathode is much lower than that of the discharge lamp in the range of about 100 to 200 V, so that the cathode loss which does not contribute to the light emission is small, and thus the high lamp efficiency is high. There is an advantage that it can be obtained.

[0008] However, in order to activate the emitter, the carbonate is decomposed by heating it to about 800 to 1200 ° C.
It is necessary to completely discharge O ₂ to the outside of the translucent discharge vessel.

When CO ₂ remains in the translucent discharge vessel,
Since this CO ₂ is a molecular gas and causes vibration / rotational excitation of a low energy level, the excitation of mercury Hg is hindered and the luminous efficiency is remarkably reduced, or the breakdown of the discharge lamp is caused and the starting voltage is reduced. The discharge lamp may rise to a point.

Further, CO ₂ is dissociated into CO and O in the discharge space, and surplus O is combined with Hg to generate HgO. This HgO adheres to the inner surface of the translucent discharge vessel and does not contribute to the discharge, and thus becomes so-called mercury consumption and consumes mercury.

Further, HgO adheres to the inner surface of the translucent discharge vessel to cause blackening, impairing the appearance and reducing the luminous flux.

As described above, C is contained in the translucent discharge vessel.
The O ₂ remains, the carbonate is because insufficient undegraded or degraded, thus giving a result a fatal defect to the fluorescent lamp. The process of exhausting the fluorescent lamp and decomposing the electron-emitting material is referred to as a lighting process. Due to the above-mentioned circumstances, manufacturers take great care in this lighting process. As a result, the manufacturing time of the fluorescent lamp is lengthened, which is a bottleneck for improving the production speed.

In view of the above, it is desired that an electron-emitting substance which does not require a thermal decomposition step be developed.
No. 62 discloses in order to respond to this, the composition formula XYO
₃ (where X is at least one kind of alkaline earth metal, Y is at least one kind of transition metal of group III-VI), and its surface is coated with TaC. A granular emitter is disclosed. (Prior Art 1) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-236071 discloses that the use of an electrode in which a multi-coil filament is coated with an electron-emitting substance containing barium tantalate results in a large thermal conductivity of the electron-emitting substance. It is described that the heat capacity is reduced, the time required to reach the normal operating temperature of thermionic emission is shortened, and the amount of spatter is reduced, and as a result, the life can be extended.

[0014]

In the prior art 1, a heat decomposition treatment is not required and a good electrode can be obtained, but the surface of the oxide particles having an average particle diameter of 0.2 to 1.5 μm can be obtained. There is some difficulty in forming the TaC layer uniformly and at the mass production level.

The prior art 2 seems to be related to the semiconductor ceramics used in the present invention in that barium tantalate is used. Is a completely different technical idea.

According to the present invention, there is no need for thermal decomposition treatment for activating the electrodes, and even if the light-transmitting discharge vessel has a bent discharge path, it does not cause various problems due to residual CO ₂ and further turns on the light. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp capable of reducing the size of a circuit.

[0017]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light-bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp which is formed in a compact shape such that a bent discharge path is formed therein, and has an outer diameter of 3 to 9 mm. Discharge vessel, a phosphor layer disposed on the inner side of the translucent discharge vessel, an electron-emitting substance and an electron mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxide or a composite oxynitride of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element. A fluorescent lamp including a pair of ceramic electrodes including a conductive substrate carrying a radioactive substance and sealed at both ends of a translucent discharge vessel, and an ionization medium sealed inside the translucent discharge vessel;
A lighting circuit for lighting the fluorescent lamp at a high frequency.

In the present invention and each of the following inventions, definitions and technical meanings of terms are as follows unless otherwise specified.

<Regarding Discharge Lamp> (Regarding Translucent Discharge Vessel) The translucent discharge vessel has an outer diameter of 3 to 9 mm and is formed in a compact shape so that a bent discharge path is formed inside. Have been. For example,
One elongated glass tube is bent into a saddle shape, for example, or a plurality of U-shaped glass tubes bent in a U-shape are connected by a connecting tube, and a portion of each U-shaped glass tube is circumferentially connected. It is also possible to arrange the U-shaped glass tube on the top, to arrange the U-shaped glass tube back and forth so that it can be seen from one direction, or to wind the glass tube spirally. The light discharge vessel can be formed in a compact shape. The connecting pipe can be formed by a blow-off method, or can be formed by glass welding using a separately prepared pipe.

The outer diameter of the translucent discharge vessel can be freely selected within the above numerical range. However, if the outer diameter is less than 3 mm, the lamp current is excessively reduced, so that the desired lamp input can be reduced. In order to ensure this, the discharge path length must be compensated by increasing the discharge path length by the amount corresponding to the decrease in the lamp current, and the size cannot be reduced. In addition, since the lamp voltage increases along with this, the starting voltage also increases, the lighting circuit becomes large, and the cost increases. Therefore, the light-transmitting discharge container cannot be used if its outer diameter is less than 3 mm.

Conversely, the outer diameter of the translucent discharge vessel is 13 mm.
Is exceeded, the translucent discharge vessel becomes large, which is not possible for further miniaturization of the compact fluorescent lamp.

The inner diameter of the light-transmitting discharge vessel is substantially proportional to the outer diameter, and is an average value obtained by subtracting twice the thickness of the light-transmitting discharge vessel from the outer diameter.

On the other hand, the length of the translucent discharge vessel can be set to an appropriate value in accordance with the lamp power of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp as long as the outer diameter is within the above range.

Further, the material of the translucent discharge vessel is not limited as long as it has the above-mentioned structure, but it can be generally made of glass. In this case, as the glass, it is economical to use a soft glass such as soda lime glass or lead glass, but if necessary, a hard or semi-hard glass such as borosilicate glass can be used.

Further, the cross-sectional shape of the translucent discharge vessel is generally circular, but may be non-circular, for example, elliptical or any other cross-sectional shape, if necessary.

(Regarding Phosphor Layer) The phosphor layer is used for converting the wavelength of ultraviolet light generated by electric discharge to obtain visible light in a desired wavelength range. The type of phosphor used is not limited, but a three-wavelength light-emitting phosphor is preferable because it can obtain excellent heat resistance and load characteristics and has excellent color rendering properties.

In the present invention, the phrase “the phosphor layer is disposed on the inner surface side of the translucent discharge vessel” means that the phosphor layer is directly formed on the inner face of the translucent discharge vessel. It means that it may be formed indirectly via a protective film, a reflective film, or the like.

(Ceramic electrodes) A pair of electrodes are sealed at both ends of the translucent discharge vessel. In the present invention, the electrodes are ceramic electrodes. The ceramic electrode has the following configuration.

That is, the ceramic electrode includes an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of semiconductor ceramics, and a conductive base supporting the electron-emitting substance.

First, the electron-emitting substance will be described.

The electron-emitting material is mainly composed of a composite oxide or a composite oxynitride semiconductor ceramic mainly composed of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element.

The electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a composite oxide semiconductor ceramic is, for example, a granular material having an average particle size of about 20 to 600 μm.
It is formed in a sponge or lump shape. When the semiconductor ceramic has these forms, the heat capacity can be reduced and the thermal conductivity can be reduced. Therefore, the temperature tends to be high as the thermionic emission starts, and a stable temperature state can be maintained. In addition, "lumpy"
This means that, for example, granules have a porous state in which a plurality of granules are connected.

Further, in the electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a composite oxide semiconductor ceramic, the surface of the semiconductor ceramic is coated with a carbide such as TaC and / or a nitride such as TiN. Forming these coatings on the surface has an effect of preventing sputtering of a thermionic emission material such as Ba. However, free B
Thermionic emission materials such as a reach the surface by thermal diffusion from the inside, so there is no problem. The coating also has a function of assisting electric conduction when the temperature of the ceramic of the composite oxide semiconductor is low, such as at the time of starting.

Next, an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a composite oxynitride semiconductor ceramic uses an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element as the semiconductor ceramic.
Preferably, Ba is used as the alkaline earth metal, and Ta is used as the transition metal to form a complex oxynitride such as BaTaO ₂ N, which is formed into fine particles.

Further, it is permissible to mix a transition metal element, for example, an oxide of Zr, as a subcomponent with the composite oxynitride semiconductor ceramics.

Next, the conductive substrate will be described.

The "conductive substrate" may be made of any material as long as it has appropriate conductivity and carries semiconductor ceramics. But,
In the case where a composite oxide containing an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element as main components is used for the semiconductor ceramic, a molded product of these composite oxides or a transition metal such as Ta or W is preferable.

The shape and structure of the conductive substrate may be any as long as the substrate can carry an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of semiconductor ceramics, but a container having an opening may be used. However, a plate shape, a tubular shape, a rod shape, a coil shape, or the like is also permitted.

When the conductive substrate is formed of a molded body of semiconductor ceramic, the outside thereof is fixed by a metal holder to facilitate connection of the ceramic electrode to the lead wire of the translucent discharge vessel. Can be.

Furthermore, the surface of the conductive substrate can be coated with a transition metal carbide and / or nitride coating, if necessary, to enhance the sputtering resistance.

Further, in order to carry an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of semiconductor ceramic on the conductive substrate, the electron-emitting substance may be directly fixed by sintering or the like.

However, for example, the melting point is 900-1600.
By sintering a powder, such as yttrium, nickel or aluminum, a paste, or a pre-sintered body thereof at a temperature lower than the sintering temperature of the electron-emitting substance, a part of the metal is melted and solidified by cooling. And acts as a binder for the electron-emitting substance, so that the electron-emitting substance can be fixed to the conductive substrate. For this reason, the fixation of the electron-emitting substance becomes easy and reliable, so that the conductive substrate is allowed to have any shape and structure such as a plate, a rod, and a cylinder.

Further, the metal as the binder does not adversely affect the discharge in the discharge space and has excellent sputtering resistance.

Further, it is preferable that the melting point of the conductive substrate is equal to or higher than that of the above-mentioned metal acting as a binder.

When the electron-emitting substance is a fine particle mainly composed of a composite oxynitride of an alkaline earth metal and a transition metal, it is convenient to use a tungsten coil filament for the conductive substrate. This is because the tungsten coil filament that has been used in conventional bulb-type fluorescent lamps can be used, and if the electron-emitting substance mainly composed of semiconductor ceramics is also fine-grained, it can be used in the same manner as a conventional emitter. This is because it can be attached to the filament.

In order to apply a fine particle of the electron-emitting substance to the coil filament, for example, a coating liquid in which the electron-emitting substance is dispersed in a binder and a solvent is prepared, and this is applied to the coil filament. Decomposition may be performed by heating to about 程度 C.

Thus, the conductive substrate carries the semiconductor ceramics and is supported by connecting to the lead wires sealed at both ends of the light-transmitting discharge vessel as required.

Next, the arrangement of the ceramic electrodes will be described.

In order to dispose a pair of ceramic electrodes inside both ends of the translucent discharge vessel, they may be sealed by a conventional method such as a flare seal, bead seal, button seal, pinch seal and the like. However, the outer diameter specified in the present invention is preferably a pinch seal, bead seal, button seal, or the like. It should be noted that only one lead wire may be sealed at both ends of the translucent discharge container unless it is specially required.

In each of the above-mentioned seal types, the lead wire is sealed and a ceramic electrode is connected to the inner end of the lead wire. If necessary, a conductive base of the ceramic electrode or a metal cylindrical holder may be used. May be directly sealed at both ends of the light-transmitting discharge vessel to directly supply power to the outer surface of the conductive substrate of the ceramic electrode exposed to the outside of the light-transmitting discharge vessel.

(Ionizing Medium) When the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge is to be performed, Hg and a rare gas of 100 to 1000 Pa are sealed in the ionizing medium sealed in the translucent discharge vessel. Hg may directly enclose pure mercury,
Ti ₃ Hg mercury getter or the like alloy Bi-
It can be encapsulated in the form of an amalgam such as In-Hg or InHg.

As the rare gas, Ar, Ne, Kr, Xi
And the like, or preferably a mixture of Ar or Ar and Ne.

An auxiliary amalgam can be used to improve the luminous flux rising characteristics during lighting.

(Other Configurations) A transparent or light-diffusing outer tube surrounding the fluorescent lamp can be provided. This outer tube can be formed from glass, synthetic resin, or the like. However, a configuration without an outer tube may be used. It is better to use the presence or absence of an outer tube depending on the application.

In general, a bulb-type fluorescent lamp can be provided with a base at one end on the lighting circuit side as a power receiving means. As the base, it is preferable to use a base having the same specification as the base of the incandescent lamp to be replaced, for example, an E26 type screw base. However, if a substitute is not considered if necessary, a base having required specifications can be attached. Further, a power receiving means having a hooking sealing cap structure may be provided so that power can be directly received from the hooking sealing body. Further, the configuration may be such that two insulated conductors for power supply connection are derived.

<Regarding Lighting Circuit> The lighting circuit according to the present invention is a circuit means for starting and lighting the discharge lamp, and a power supply function for supplying electric energy for discharge to the discharge lamp and a function of the discharge lamp. It has a current limiting impedance function for compensating for negative characteristics, and if necessary, a starting voltage supply function for applying a high starting voltage between a pair of ceramic electrodes of the fluorescent lamp at the time of starting.

(Power Supply Function) As a power supply for the fluorescent lamp, a high-frequency alternating current that is small, lightweight, easy to control, and capable of efficient lighting is used.

In lighting the discharge lamp by high-frequency alternating current, a high-frequency inverter can be used.

(Regarding the Current-Limiting Impedance Function) The current-limiting impedance is the inductance,
Any one or a combination of a plurality of capacitances and resistances can be used. However, although the inductance and the capacitance are good in that the power loss is small, the inductance is optimal in consideration of the fact that the control is easier and the size can be reduced in high-frequency AC lighting.

When the inductance is at least a part of the current limiting impedance, the inductance can be secured by the leakage inductance of the choke coil and the leakage transformer.

(Regarding the starting voltage supply function) The starting voltage supply function is a function for applying a high starting voltage between the ceramic electrodes when the discharge lamp is started.

The glow discharge is generated at the time of starting the ceramic electrode, and the glow discharge is eventually transferred to the arc discharge, so that the fluorescent lamp is in a so-called lighting state. By reducing the glow-arc transition time, the starting time is reduced. Is done. In the case of using a ceramic electrode, it has been found that it is effective to increase the electric power supplied at the time of starting as much as possible in order to shorten the glow-arc transition time. By increasing the starting voltage, it is possible to increase the power supplied to the ceramic electrode.

To increase the starting voltage at start-up, for example, a capacitor is connected in parallel with the discharge lamp so that this capacitor resonates in series with the current-limiting inductance at start-up. Further, the output voltage of the high-frequency inverter may be increased for a predetermined time at the time of starting.

As a result, the peak value of the lamp current at the time of glow discharge occurring around the ceramics electrode at the time of starting increases, and the cathode drop voltage increases. At this time, the electric power supplied to the electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxide or a composite oxynitride is a product of an ion current and a cathode drop voltage, and the ion current is a lamp current at the time of glow discharge. From. When the power applied to the ceramic electrode increases, the temperature of the electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a composite oxide or composite oxynitride semiconductor ceramics rises in a short time to reach the glow-arc transition temperature required for arc discharge. And the glow-arc transition time is reduced.

<Function of the Present Invention> In the present invention, since the outer diameter of the light-transmitting discharge vessel is 3 to 9 mm, the fluorescent lamp can be further reduced in size, and the use of ceramic electrodes is also possible. Accordingly, since it is not necessary to perform the decomposition treatment of the alkaline earth metal carbonate by the exhaust-electrode electrical heating called lighting at the time of manufacture, CO ₂ in the light-transmissive discharge vessel by undegraded or degraded defective carbonate
Does not remain. Therefore, the following problem does not occur.

The residual CO ₂ causes vibration of low energy level and rotational excitation, which hinders the excitation of Hg, thereby significantly lowering the luminous efficiency and starting the fluorescent lamp due to dielectric breakdown. There is no problem that the voltage rises and leads to defects.

The CO ₂ is dissociated into CO and O in the discharge space, and the surplus O is combined with Hg to form HgO, and does not adhere to the inner surface of the translucent discharge vessel. For this reason, HgO is not blackened, and the appearance is not hindered or the luminous flux is not reduced.

When HgO is formed, Hg that contributes to light emission is consumed. Therefore, it is not necessary to enclose a large amount of Hg in advance in anticipation of consumption. In other words, the amount of Hg enclosed can be reduced.

Further, in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp, since the light-transmitting discharge vessel having a required discharge path length is bent or curved to make it compact, the emitter is formed using a conventional alkaline earth metal carbonate. When it is formed, the farther away from the exhaust pipe, the more the residual CO ₂ is distributed due to being captured by the phosphor layer, and the more difficult it is to discharge. In addition, the workability was not good because the exhaust pipe was disposed near the electrode for reasons of exhaust efficiency.

On the other hand, in the present invention, since no carbonate is used, the problem of residual CO ₂ does not occur. Also,
There is no need to provide an exhaust pipe near the electrode at the end of the translucent discharge vessel, and workability is improved.

The above means that a special effect can be obtained by using the ceramic electrode for the bulb-type fluorescent lamp.

Furthermore, the ceramic electrode of the present invention does not need to thermally decompose the carbonate, so that a so-called lighting step is not required. For this reason, the manufacturing time of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp is reduced, and the production speed can be improved.

Further, the ceramic electrode is made of CO ₂
Since there is no risk of releasing, there is no problem even if the instant start is performed. For this reason, the filament coil, which is one of the conductive substrates, can be preheated only slightly, or the filament coil, which is one of the conductive substrates, to the extent necessary for improving the darkness characteristics. In addition, the lighting circuit can be downsized. Therefore, the whole bulb-type fluorescent lamp can be made very small.

Next, since the bulb-type fluorescent lamp is a light source that is lit in a state where the fluorescent lamp and its lighting circuit are integrated, there is a gap between the ceramic electrode used in the present invention and the conventional electrode provided with an emitter. Even if there is some difference in the value of the cathode drop voltage, there is no particular problem since the compatibility of the fluorescent lamp with the lighting circuit is not required.

Further, if a high voltage is applied between the pair of ceramic electrodes of the fluorescent lamp at the time of starting the lighting circuit and starting, the power supplied to the ceramic electrodes during the glow discharge is increased, and the temperature of the semiconductor ceramic is increased. Glow
Arc transfer time can be shortened.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light-bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp having a light-transmitting discharge vessel having an outer diameter of 3 to 13 mm, which is formed in a compact shape so that a bent discharge path is formed therein. , A sponge-like or massive semiconductor in which the surface of a composite oxide of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element is coated with a carbide or nitride of a transition metal element A pair of ceramic electrodes sealed at both ends of a light-transmitting discharge vessel including an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of ceramics and a conductive substrate carrying the electron-emitting substance, and an ionized medium sealed inside the light-transmitting discharge vessel A fluorescent lamp comprising:
A lighting circuit for lighting the fluorescent lamp at a high frequency.

In the present invention, the electron-emitting substance of the ceramic electrode covers the surface of the composite oxide semiconductor ceramic with the carbide or nitride of the transition metal element, and is in the form of granules, sponges or lumps.

As the oxide of the alkaline earth element, one or more selected from the group consisting of BaO, CaO and SrO are preferably used.

The transition metal element is preferably
Ta₂O₅, ZrO₂, TiO₂, V₂O₅, Nb₂O
₅, Sc₂O₃, Y₂O₃, La₂O₃, Dy₂O₃,
Ho ₂O₃, HfO₃, CrO₃, MoO₅And WO
₃One or more types are used.

Next, the conductive substrate may have any configuration as long as it can support an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of granular, sponge-like or massive semiconductor ceramics, but preferably has a container-like shape. Things are good. In this case, it is only necessary to use a single lead wire to support a predetermined position in the translucent discharge vessel. However, needless to say, a plurality of lead wires can be used.

Thus, in the present invention, by using a ceramic electrode in which a composite oxide semiconductor ceramic is housed in a conductive substrate, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the electrode. Is particularly effective when the diameter is small, and is suitable when the outer diameter is about 3 to 6 mm.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light-bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp having a light-transmitting discharge vessel having an outer diameter of 3 to 13 mm, which is formed in a compact shape so that a bent discharge path is formed therein. Phosphor layer disposed on the inner surface side of the neutral discharge vessel, a finely particulate electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxynitride of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element, and tungsten, which carries the electron-emitting substance. A fluorescent lamp including a pair of ceramic electrodes sealed at both ends of a light-transmissive discharge vessel including a coiled filament, and an ionization medium sealed inside the light-transmissive discharge vessel; And a circuit.

In the present invention, the electron-emitting substance is a fine particle mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxynitride, and the conductive substrate is a coil filament made of tungsten. As the coil filament, a structure such as a double coil filament, a triple coil filament, and a stick coil filament can be employed.

The term “fine particles” refers to a fine particle which is prepared by dispersing an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of semiconductor ceramics in a solvent and a binder and coating the coil filament on a coil filament by coating or the like. It should just be. Preferably, the average particle size of the semiconductor ceramic is 0.
3 to 1.5 μm.

Thus, in the present invention, a dispersion liquid of semiconductor ceramics is prepared by using a solvent and a binder in the same manner as in the case of the conventional electron emitting material of oxide in a filament electrode, and the dispersion liquid is coated on a filament coil by coating. The ceramic electrode can be formed by attaching the electrodes. Therefore, the bulb-type fluorescent lamp of the present invention can be manufactured by diverting the manufacturing equipment conventionally used.

As the binder, for example, when the solvent is water, a PEO aqueous solution can be used, and when the solvent is an organic solvent, nitrocellulose can be used. The binder is easily decomposed at about 500 ° C.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the fluorescent lamp has an outer diameter of 3 to 9 for the translucent discharge vessel.
mm.

The present invention specifies the range of the outer diameter of the light-transmitting discharge vessel suitable for a smaller compact fluorescent lamp. If the outer diameter exceeds 9 mm, there is no great difference from the translucent discharge vessel of the current bulb-type fluorescent lamp, and therefore, for further miniaturization, 9 mm or less is suitable. When the outer diameter of the translucent discharge vessel is 9 mm or less, a compact fluorescent lamp can be obtained in terms of size, which can be replaced with an incandescent bulb for general illumination.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the fluorescent lamp includes an auxiliary amalgam disposed near the ceramic electrode. It is characterized by having.

The present invention defines a configuration in which the auxiliary light amalgam is provided to improve the light flux rising.

The auxiliary amalgam is made of a metal that easily reacts with Hg, for example, In, and is disposed near the ceramic electrode of the translucent discharge vessel, so that Hg sealed in the translucent discharge vessel can be removed. It reacts to form amalgam, but the temperature rises by receiving heat from the ceramic electrode in the early stage of lighting, and Hg is quickly released, so that the Hg vapor pressure can be increased to improve the luminous flux rise.

In order to support the auxiliary amalgam,
A plate-like or mesh-like substrate made of stainless steel or the like is used, and In is generally plated on the substrate and supported. However, in the present invention, the configuration of the auxiliary amalgam is not limited.

Further, in order to arrange the auxiliary amalgam in the vicinity of the ceramic electrode, if the same potential as that of the ceramic electrode is set by, for example, fixing the auxiliary amalgam to the lead wire for supporting the ceramic electrode, the auxiliary amalgam may be provided behind the ceramic electrode. May be arranged. This is because, when the ceramic electrode is glow-discharged at the time of starting, the auxiliary amalgam is also wrapped in the glow discharge, so that it can be heated at that time to supply the initial mercury vapor.

Further, when the auxiliary amalgam is not conductively connected to the ceramic electrode, the auxiliary amalgam is preferably disposed on the discharge path side of the ceramic electrode. Then, the auxiliary amalgam is heated by the heat generated by the discharge of the ceramic electrode, and can supply the initial mercury vapor.

Thus, in the present invention, the auxiliary amalgam is replaced with the conventional oxide since the ceramic electrode does not need to be evacuated and thermally decomposed, which is called lighting for activating the emitter, as described above. Can be arranged closer to the ceramic electrode than in the case where the electron-emitting substance is used. As a result, the temperature of the auxiliary amalgam rises quickly, and Hg is released quickly at the beginning of lighting, so that the luminous flux rises quickly.

On the other hand, in the case of a conventional electrode using an electron-emitting material of an oxide, in order to activate the electron-emitting material of carbonic acid by decomposing the material by heating, the electrode is subjected to a so-called high-temperature overheating treatment called so-called lighting. There is a need to do. Then, during this treatment, the auxiliary amalgam is exposed to the high temperature of the electrode, so that In melts and drops, or the base is oxidized. Therefore, it is necessary to dispose the auxiliary amalgam at a position sufficiently separated from the electrode. As a result, the response at the initial stage of lighting deteriorates.

A bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the lighting circuit controls the voltage applied between the ceramic electrodes for a predetermined time at the time of starting. It is characterized in that it is set to be relatively high and to be relatively low after a predetermined time has elapsed.

In the present invention, the “predetermined time at the time of starting” means a period from when a starting voltage is applied between a pair of ceramic electrodes of a fluorescent lamp to when a glow discharge occurs and then a transition to an arc discharge occurs. Or a time obtained by adding a slight time delay from the transition to the arc discharge to the time. The predetermined time at the time of starting can be obtained from the time from when the starting voltage is applied to when the transition to arc discharge is actually detected. However, it is also possible to set an average predetermined time in advance by experimentation or calculation and set the time in a timer. The same effect is obtained when the lighting circuit is configured to automatically respond to the electrical change of the circuit or the physical change of the fluorescent lamp due to the glow-arc transition and reduce the applied voltage. Therefore, it is considered that the configuration of the present invention is provided.

The transition from glow discharge to arc discharge can be detected by electrical means, optical means, or thermal means. Then, the application voltage can be automatically controlled by feeding back the detection signal.

As described above, when the predetermined time is set in the timer, the timer may be configured to automatically control the applied voltage.

Thus, in the present invention, the glow-arc transition time in the ceramic electrode can be shortened.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the fluorescent lamp includes a β-ray source disposed near the ceramic electrode. It is characterized by having.

The present invention specifies a configuration having an initial electron emission source and having good starting characteristics in darkness.

That is, when a ceramic electrode is used,
Since there is no initial electron emission source in the fluorescent lamp, the starting characteristics in darkness may be deteriorated.

Therefore, in the present invention, a β-ray source as an initial electron emission source is arranged near the ceramic electrode.

Β-rays are radiation composed of electrons. As the β-ray source, promethium ¹⁴⁷ Pm has a short half-life of 2.62 years, is highly safe, and can be obtained relatively easily. The ¹⁴⁷ Pm to be disposed in the vicinity of the ceramic electrode supports, for example ceramic electrode ¹⁴⁷
Pm can be plated on the lead wire. The addition of BN having relatively good initial electron emission characteristics to the composite oxide semiconductor ceramic of the electrode is also effective for initial electron emission.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a compact fluorescent lamp according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the ionizing medium contains a rare gas and mercury introduced by amalgam. And

The amalgam in the present invention is also called a main amalgam and is distinguished from an auxiliary amalgam.

Further, as amalgam, for example, Bi
-In-Hg, Bi-In-Sn-Hg, or the like can be used.

Further, the amalgam may be housed in an exhaust pipe attached to the light-transmissive discharge vessel, or may be fixed to an end of the light-transmissive discharge vessel by an appropriate means. it can.

In the present invention, Hg is not consumed by HgO because of the provision of the ceramic electrode. Therefore, by enclosing Hg with amalgam, the Hg content in the amalgam is kept constant. Therefore, fluctuation of the vapor pressure of Hg can be suppressed.

Further, since Hg is not easily consumed, Hg
g can be reduced, and the environment can be considered accordingly.

A ninth aspect of the present invention provides the bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to the third aspect, wherein the ionizing medium contains mercury and a rare gas of one or both of Ar and Ne. And

In the present invention, it was found that when the rare gas was Ar and / or Ne, the cathode drop voltage increased by at most 4 V as compared with the electrode using the electron emission property of the conventional oxide. .

The light-bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp of the present invention has a light-transmitting discharge vessel having an outer diameter of 3 to 13 mm, and thus varies depending on the design. Therefore, even if the cathode drop voltage is somewhat higher due to the ceramic electrode as compared with the conventional oxide electron-emitting material, the effect is small and there is no practical problem.

A tenth aspect of the present invention provides a bulb-type fluorescent lamp.
The lighting circuit according to claim 3 or 9, wherein the lighting circuit includes an instant start type starting circuit.

In the present invention, at the time of instant start of the fluorescent lamp, in order to improve the dark characteristics, one or both of the ceramic electrodes are connected to each other by 10 times.
Light heating up to about 0 ° C is acceptable. However, if necessary, it is not necessary to preheat any of the pair of ceramic electrodes.

To preheat the ceramic electrode, a resonance capacitor connected in parallel to the fluorescent lamp is connected to the main power supply via the ceramic electrode, or a filament heating transformer is provided to connect the filament heating winding. This can be done by connecting to both ends of the coil filament of the ceramic electrode. However, the heating of the ceramic electrode is limited to a minimum to the extent that the initial electrons are supplied by heating, so that the lamp efficiency can be increased as much as possible and the dark characteristics can be improved.

The filament heating transformer can be constituted by magnetically coupling a filament heating winding to a current limiting inductor connected in series with the fluorescent lamp. Further, a filament heating transformer may be provided separately from the current limiting inductor, and this may be connected in parallel to the main power source for lighting.

[0120] Then, according to the present invention, be employed instant start, because no CO ₂ emissions, CO ₂
The discharge raises the lamp voltage and does not lead to any fault.

On the other hand, when a conventional oxide electron-emitting substance is used, CO ₂ is released from the residual carbide due to ion bombardment at the time of starting by the instant start, and the above-described problem occurs. There is danger.

The bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to the eleventh aspect of the present invention
A spherical light-transmitting discharge vessel, a phosphor layer disposed on the inner surface side of the light-transmitting discharge vessel, a pair of ceramic electrodes sealed in the light-transmitting discharge vessel so as to be spaced apart from each other, and a light-transmitting discharge vessel A glow discharge type fluorescent lamp having an ionization medium sealed in a lamp; a lighting circuit for lighting the fluorescent lamp at a high frequency;
It is characterized by having.

The present invention defines a bulb-type fluorescent lamp in which a part of the fluorescent lamp is constituted by a glow discharge type fluorescent lamp.

In the present invention, the term “transparent discharge vessel” being “spherical” means that the outer shape is a solid shape such as a true sphere or an elliptical sphere, and expresses a geometric shape. is not. Therefore, the translucent discharge container may be shaped like a cubic.

The conductive substrate of the ceramic electrode may be made of a metal such as Ni or Fe or an alloy containing these as a main component. To secure initial electrons, it is necessary to use thorium Th, promethium ¹⁴⁷ Pm, or the like. Can be used.

The conventional glow discharge type bulb-type fluorescent lamp has a single filament coil disposed inside a spherical translucent discharge vessel, and is generated at both ends of the filament coil when the filament coil is energized. An end glow discharge is generated by a potential difference, and the phosphor layer is excited by ultraviolet rays emitted at that time to generate visible light.

In such a glow discharge type fluorescent lamp, the cathode and the anode are constituted by a single filament coil. Since both the electrodes are in a conductive state, it is not necessary to apply a high starting voltage, and Since the resistance of the filament coil becomes a current limiting impedance, the structure is greatly simplified.

However, since the power loss due to the resistance of the filament coil is large, it is necessary to increase the cold resistance of the filament coil in order to reduce this as much as possible. To achieve this, the total length of the filament coil must be increased, which makes it difficult to reduce the size.

Further, as a configuration different from that of the conventional glow discharge type bulb-type fluorescent lamp described above, a filament type cathode and an anode are sealed inside a spherical translucent discharge vessel so as to be spaced apart and opposed to each other. Is known.

However, this bulb-type fluorescent lamp is premised on DC lighting and has a problem that electrode loss is large.

On the other hand, according to the present invention, with the above-described structure, a sufficient thermoelectron emission is obtained by the ceramic electrode to increase the light output, and the lighting circuit is further downsized by high frequency lighting. , Weight reduction becomes possible.

Further, since a pair of ceramic electrodes are sealed inside the translucent discharge vessel while facing apart from each other,
There is no need to activate the electrode surface by energizing heating, so that the number of manufacturing steps is reduced.

[0133]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.
It is a front view which shows embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a developed view showing a fluorescent lamp.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view mainly showing a ceramic electrode.

In each figure, 1 is a fluorescent lamp, 2 is a lighting circuit, 3 is an envelope, and 4 is a base.

<About Fluorescent Lamp 1> Fluorescent Lamp 1
Includes a translucent discharge vessel 1a, a phosphor layer 1b, a ceramic electrode 1c, an electrode holder 1d, and a lead wire 1e.

The translucent discharge vessel 1a has three outer diameters of 8 mm.
The U-shaped glass tubes 1a1 are connected by a connecting tube 1a2, and the U-shaped glass tubes 1a1 are formed so as to be evenly distributed on the circumference. Each U-shaped glass tube 1a1
Both ends thereof are pinch-sealed, and each one thin tube 1a11 projects outside from the pinch seal portion. The thin tube 1a11 is used for exhausting the inside of the translucent discharge vessel 1a and for filling an ionizing medium described later.

The connecting pipe 1a2 is formed by a blow-off method.

The phosphor layer 1b is mainly composed of a three-wavelength light emitting phosphor, and is arranged on the inner surface side of the translucent discharge vessel 1a.

The ceramic electrode 1c includes a container-shaped conductive base 1c1 having an opening and an electron-emitting substance 1c2.
Consists of

The conductive substrate 1c1 is made of Ba (Zr, Ta)
Of a composite oxide semiconductor ceramic formed in a cup shape, and a TaC film having a thickness of several μm is formed on the surface thereof.

The electron-emitting substance 1c2 is mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxide of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element.
Ta and Zr are used as transition metal elements,
A composite oxide of Ba (Zr, Ta) is formed, and the powder is sintered to form a granule having an average particle size of 120 μm. Then, on the surface of the granules, a T
An aC coating is formed. In addition, electron-emitting substance 1
As for c2, a large number of granules are filled and stored in the conductive substrate 1c1, and are fixed to the conductive substrate 1c1 by sintering.

The electrode holder 1d is made of Ni, is press-formed in a cup shape, inserts the conductive base 1c1 of the ceramic electrode 1c into its cylindrical portion, and fixes and supports the ceramic electrode by caulking. .

The introduction wire 1e is sealed at both ends of the translucent discharge vessel 1a, and the center of the back surface of the electrode holder 1d is welded to the tip inside the translucent discharge vessel 1a.

As the ionizing medium, amalgam 1f made of Bi-In-Hg is housed in thin tube 1a11.

<Regarding Lighting Circuit 2> The lighting circuit 2 is for energizing and lighting the fluorescent lamp 1, and details thereof will be described later with reference to FIG. I have.

<Regarding Enclosure 3> The envelope 3 is composed of a light-transmitting globe 3a and a light-shielding base 3b.

The light-transmitting globe 3a is made of glass having an opalescent light-diffusing property by coating light-diffusing fine particles on the inner surface, and has a bottomed cylindrical shape. Then, the fluorescent lamp 1 is housed inside to mechanically protect the fluorescent lamp 1, and the visible light emitted from the fluorescent lamp 1 is led out to the outside with reduced luminance.

The light-shielding substrate 3b is formed in a cup shape by molding a synthetic resin, and has an open end covering the open end of the translucent globe 3a. The lighting circuit 2 is housed inside.

<Regarding the Base 4> The base 4 is made of an E26 type screw base, is mounted on the base end of the light-shielding base 3b of the envelope 3, and is connected to the input end of the lighting circuit 2.

FIG. 4 shows the first embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.
It is a circuit diagram showing a lighting circuit in the embodiment.

In the figure, AS is a low-frequency AC power supply, f is an overcurrent fuse, NF is a noise filter, RD is a rectified DC power supply, HFI is a high-frequency inverter, LC is a load circuit, and FL is a fluorescent lamp.

The low-frequency AC power supply AS comprises a commercial AC power supply.

The overcurrent fuse f is, for example, a pattern fuse integrally formed on the wiring board of the lighting circuit.
This protects the lighting circuit from burnout when an overcurrent flows.

The noise filter NF is a low-frequency AC power supply A
Interposed between S and the rectified DC power supply RD, high-frequency noise generated by high-frequency switching in the high-frequency inverter HFI is removed so as not to flow to the low-frequency AC power supply AS.

The rectified DC power supply RD comprises a bridge type rectifier circuit BRC and a smoothing capacitor C1, and converts a low frequency AC voltage into a smoothed DC voltage.

The high-frequency inverter HFI comprises a first switching means Q1, a second switching means Q2, a gate drive circuit GDC, a starting circuit ST, and a gate protection circuit GP to form a half-bridge type inverter.

The first switching means Q1 is composed of an N-channel MOSFET, the drain of which is connected to the positive electrode of the rectified DC power supply RD, and the source of which is connected to the source of the second switching means Q2.

The second switching means Q2 is composed of a P-channel MOSFET, and has its drain connected to the negative electrode of the rectified DC power supply RD.

The gate drive circuit GDC includes feedback means F
B, series resonance circuit SRC and gate voltage output means GV
Consists of O.

The feedback means FB is constituted by an auxiliary winding which is magnetically coupled to a current limiting inductance L2 to be described later.

The series resonance circuit SRC has an inductance L
1 and a series circuit of a capacitor C2, both ends of which are connected to both ends of the feedback means FB.

The gate voltage output means GVO is configured to extract a resonance voltage appearing across the capacitor C2 of the series resonance circuit SRC via the capacitor C3.
One end of the capacitor C3 is connected to a connection point between the capacitor C2 and the inductance L1, and the other end of the capacitor C3 is connected to respective gates of the first switching means Q1 and the second switching means Q2. .

The other end of the capacitor C2 is connected to the sources of the first and second switching means Q1, Q2. With such a circuit configuration, the resonance voltage appearing at both ends of the capacitor C2 is applied between the gate and source of the first and second switching means Q1, Q2 via the gate voltage output means GVO.

The starting circuit ST includes resistors R1, R2, R3
Consists of

The resistor R1 has one end connected to the positive electrode of the smoothing capacitor C1 and the other end connected to the first switching means Q1.
1 and one end of the resistor R2 and to the gate-side output terminal of the gate voltage output means GVO of the gate drive circuit GDC, that is, the other end of the capacitor C3.

The other end of the resistor R2 is connected to a series resonance circuit SRC
Is connected to the connection point of the inductance L1 of the first and second feedback means BF.

The resistor R3 has one end connected to the first and second resistors.
Are connected to the connection point of the switching means Q1, Q2, that is, the source and the output terminal on the source side of the gate voltage output means GVO, and the other end is connected to the negative electrode of the rectified DC power supply RD.

The gate protection means GP has a pair of zener diodes connected in series and connected in parallel to the gate voltage output means GVO to clamp the gate voltage to a required value.

The load circuit LC has a current-limiting inductance L
2. DC cut capacitor C4 and resonance capacitor C
5 and a fluorescent lamp FL connected in parallel to the resonance capacitor C5.

The current limiting inductance L2 has one end connected to the sources of the first and second switching means Q1 and Q2, and the other end connected to the other end of the DC cut capacitor C4.

The fluorescent lamp FL is the fluorescent lamp shown in FIGS.

Next, the circuit operation of the lighting circuit will be described.

When the low-frequency AC power supply AS is turned on, a DC voltage smoothed by the rectified DC power supply RD is obtained.
Then, a DC voltage is applied between both drains of the first and second switching means Q1 and Q2 connected in series. However, the first and second switching means Q1,
Q2 is in the off state because the gate voltage in the drive direction is not applied between the gate and the source.

Since the DC voltage is simultaneously applied to the starting circuit ST, both ends of the resistor R2 are mainly connected to the resistor R.
A voltage appears according to a proportional ratio of the resistance values of 1, R2, and R3. The terminal voltage of the resistor R2 is applied as a drive voltage between the gate and the source of the first switching means Q1 via the feedback means FB. As a result, the first switching means Q1 is turned on because it is set to exceed the threshold voltage.

On the other hand, the second switching means Q
The voltage applied via the feedback means FB between the gate and the source of the second transistor has the polarity opposite to the drive direction, and thus remains off.

When the first switching means Q1 is turned on, the load circuit LC, that is, the current-limiting inductance L2, the DC cutoff, is connected from the positive electrode of the rectified DC power supply RD to the drain-source of the first switching means Q1. A current flows through the negative electrode path of the rectified DC power supply RD through the capacitor C4 and the resonance capacitor C5, and the resonance capacitor C5 is charged. At this time, the current limiting inductance L2 of the load circuit LC and the resonance capacitor C5 cause series resonance, so that the terminal voltage of the resonance capacitor C5 increases, and at the same time, this high voltage is applied to the fluorescent lamp FL as a starting voltage.

On the other hand, when a current flows through the current limiting inductance L2, a voltage is induced in the feedback means FB which is magnetically coupled. When a voltage is induced in the feedback means FB, the series resonance circuit SRC resonates in series. Then, a boosted negative voltage is generated in the capacitor C2 due to the series resonance, so that the first and second capacitors are connected via the gate protection means GP.
Is applied between the gate and source of the switching means Q1, Q2.

When the gate voltage is applied, the gate of the second switching means Q2 exceeds the threshold voltage and turns on. On the other hand, the first switching means Q1 is turned off because the gate voltage has a polarity opposite to the driving direction.

When the second switching means Q2 is turned on, the charge of the resonance capacitor C5 of the load circuit LC is released, and the path of the DC cut capacitor C4, the current limiting inductance L2, the second switching means Q2 and the resonance capacitor C5 is passed. Electric current flows.

As a result, a voltage is induced in the feedback means FB, and the first switching means Q1 is turned on again, and the second switching means Q2 is turned off. Thereafter, the above operation is repeated to apply a high high-frequency voltage at the time of starting to both ends of the fluorescent lamp FL.

By the way, the high-frequency output voltage of the high-frequency inverter HFI is limited by the current-limiting inductance L.
Since the voltage is increased and applied between the ceramic electrodes by the series resonance of the resonance capacitor 2 and the resonance capacitor C5, an instant start is performed and a glow discharge occurs around the ceramic electrode. At this time, the electric power supplied to the ceramic electrode increases, and the time to reach the glow-arc transition temperature is shortened. Further, as can be understood from the above description, the high-frequency inverter of the present embodiment has the first switching means Q composed of an N-channel MOSFET.
Since the starting is performed from the beginning, the circuit configuration of the starting circuit is simplified.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.
It is an important section expanded sectional view showing a fluorescent lamp in an embodiment.

In the figure, the same portions as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The present embodiment is different in that an auxiliary amalgam 5 is provided near the ceramic electrode 1c.

That is, the auxiliary amalgam 5 is constituted by supporting an amalgam-forming metal 5b made of indium In on a base 5a made of stainless steel.
a is welded to the lead wire 1e supporting the ceramic electrode 1c. The amalgam-forming metal 5b is carried on the base 5a by plating.

Then, the mercury vapor separated and evaporated from the main amalgam (not shown) enclosed in the translucent discharge vessel 1a is captured by the amalgam-forming metal of the auxiliary amalgam 5 when the fluorescent lamp is turned off to form amalgam. are doing.

At the time of starting, when the ceramic electrode 1c starts glow discharge, the auxiliary amalgam 5 has the same potential as that of the ceramic electrode 1c, so that the auxiliary amalgam 5 is wrapped in glow discharge and is heated to supply initial mercury vapor.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.
It is an important section expanded sectional view showing a fluorescent lamp in an embodiment.

In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The present embodiment is different in that an auxiliary amalgam 5 is provided on the discharge side of the ceramic electrode 1c.

That is, a second lead wire 1g, which is insulated from the lead wire 1e supporting the ceramic electrode 1c, is provided, and the auxiliary amalgam 5 is positioned at the tip of the lead wire near the discharge side of the ceramic electrode 1c. Welded.

Since the auxiliary amalgam 5 is arranged during the discharge of the ceramic electrode 1c, it is heated to supply the initial mercury vapor.

FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.
It is an important section expanded sectional view showing a fluorescent lamp in an embodiment.

In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description is omitted.

In the present embodiment, the β-ray source 6 is disposed on the lead wire 1e of the ceramic electrode 1c.

That is, the β-ray source 6 is composed of ¹⁴⁷ Pm, and is disposed on the introduction line 1e by plating.

Since the β-ray source 6 is provided, initial electrons can be supplied even in darkness.
The starting characteristics of the fluorescent lamp are improved.

FIG. 8 shows a fifth embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.
It is a partial sectional front view showing the embodiment.

In the figure, the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the fluorescent lamp 1 'is constituted by a glow discharge type fluorescent lamp.

That is, the translucent discharge vessel 1'a has a substantially spherical shape, and the flare stem 1'a4 is sealed to the neck 1'a3. And the neck part 1'a3
Is inserted into the central opening of the light-shielding substrate 3b 'and is fixed by the silicone adhesive 7, so that the light-shielding substrate 3b'
b 'is integrally supported.

The phosphor layer 1'b is made of a light-transmitting discharge vessel 1'a
And is disposed on the inner surface side thereof over substantially the entire exposed portion.

[0206] The ceramic electrode 1'c is disposed opposite to and apart from the tip of a pair of introduction wires 1'e which are air-tightly introduced into the flare stem 1'a4 of the translucent discharge vessel 1'a.

Thus, a pair of ceramic electrodes 1'c
When a high-frequency voltage is applied from the lighting circuit 2 ′ during the period, a glow discharge occurs between the ceramic electrodes 1 ′ c, and ultraviolet rays are generated to excite the phosphor layer 1 ′ b. It is released to the outside of the container 1'a.

FIG. 9 shows a sixth embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a development view showing a fluorescent lamp in the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a front view showing the same ceramic electrode mount.

In each figure, the same parts as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

This embodiment is different mainly in the configuration of the ceramic electrode.

That is, the ceramic electrode 1c 'has a conductive substrate 1c1' made of a double coil filament and an electron-emitting substance 1c2 'made of a fine particle mainly composed of a fine-particle composite oxynitride semiconductor ceramic. . The ceramic electrode 1c 'is suspended from the electrode mount EM.

The conductive substrate 1c1 'is a double-coil filament similar to that generally used in the prior art in which a tungsten wire is wound around a double coil, and has a two-turn double coil portion K at the center in the longitudinal direction. And coil part K
Are provided with single coil leg portions L at both ends.

The electron-emitting substance 1c2 ′ is composed of BaTaO ₂ N, a complex oxynitride used as an alkaline earth element and Ta as a transition metal element, and 5% by weight of ZrO ₂ mixed therein. And is attached to the double coil portion K of the conductive substrate 1c1 '.

The electrode mount EM has a glass bead bg,
It is composed of a pair of lead wires lw, ceramic electrode 1c 'and auxiliary amalgam 5.

The glass bead bg insulates and fixes a pair of lead wires lw at predetermined intervals.

The pair of introduction lines 1w are separated substantially in parallel by a glass bead gb, and the leading ends are flattened.
In the flat portion, the conductive substrate 1 of the ceramic electrode 1c 'is formed.
The ceramic electrode 1c 'is fixed by caulking the leg portions L at both ends of c1'.

The auxiliary amalgam 5 is formed by plating In5b with stainless steel as the base 5a, and is fixed by welding the base to the lead wire 1w.

The electrode mount EM is sealed at both ends of the translucent discharge vessel 1a between the glass bead gb and the base end of the lead wire 1w by a pinch seal.

[0220]

According to the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, an electron-emitting material mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxide or a composite oxynitride of an oxide of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element is used. A ceramic electrode supported on a substrate is sealed at both ends of a light-transmitting discharge vessel having an outer diameter of 3 to 13 mm and formed in a compact shape so that a bent discharge path is formed therein. A fluorescent lamp in which an ionizing medium is sealed in a neutral discharge vessel is configured to be turned on at a high frequency by a lighting circuit. since it is not necessary to perform, without such light-transmissive discharge vessel is CO ₂ emission is difficult to be curved or bent remain, Therefore luminous efficiency low The starting voltage rises, leading to inconsistencies. HgO is formed and blackened, causing no problems such as impaired appearance, reduced luminous flux, and consumption of Hg. It is possible to provide a compact, compact bulb-type fluorescent lamp by performing an instant start since there is no CO ₂ emission and simplifying the circuit configuration.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition, the surface of the semiconductor ceramic of the composite oxide of the oxide of the alkaline earth element and the transition metal element is made of a transition metal carbide or nitride. The coated granule, sponge or lump has no problem in sealing the ceramic electrode even if the fluorescent lamp is reduced in diameter by making the conductive base into a container or the like. And a bulb-type fluorescent lamp free from the risk of disconnection.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above, the electron-emitting substance of the ceramic electrode is formed of fine particles mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxynitride of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element, and has a conductive property. Since the base is a coil filament, a bulb-type fluorescent lamp that can be manufactured using the same manufacturing equipment as a conventional fluorescent lamp using an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of an oxide can be provided.

According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the fact that the outer diameter of the translucent discharge vessel is 3 to 9 mm, it is possible to provide a more compact bulb-type fluorescent lamp.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the auxiliary amalgam disposed in the vicinity of the ceramic electrode is additionally provided, the step of writing the ceramic electrode is not required. To provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp in which an auxiliary amalgam is disposed at a position near a ceramic electrode which is optimal for improving the rise of a light beam.

According to the invention of claim 6, in addition, the lighting circuit is configured to relatively increase the voltage applied to the ceramic electrode for a predetermined time at the time of starting, and to relatively decrease the voltage after a predetermined time has elapsed. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp in which the input power of the glow discharge is increased and the glow-arc transition time is reduced.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the provision of the β-ray source disposed near the ceramic electrode, the initial electrons are supplied, so that the bulb shape having good starting characteristics in darkness is provided. A fluorescent lamp can be provided.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition, the ionizing medium is Hg introduced by a noble gas and amalgam.
, The HgO is not consumed by HgO, so that the Hg content in the amalgam is constant and Hg
It is possible to provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp with a small variation in vapor pressure.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition, since the rare gas in the ionization medium is Ar or Ar and Ne, the cathode drop voltage is lower than that in the case where a conventional oxide electron-emitting material is used. It is possible to provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp that has no inferiority.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the lighting circuit includes the starting circuit of the instant start system, even if it is of the instant start system, the CO 2
_Since there is no ₂ emission, it is possible to provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp in which the lamp voltage does not increase due to CO ₂ emission as in a conventional oxide electron-emitting substance and does not lead to any point.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, a pair of ceramic electrodes are disposed inside a spherical translucent discharge vessel having a phosphor layer disposed on the inner surface thereof while being separated and opposed to each other, and an ionizing medium is sealed therein. The glow discharge fluorescent lamp is designed to be lit at high frequency, so that sufficient thermionic emission can be obtained, and the process of activating the electrode surface by energizing heating is not required, facilitating manufacture and furthermore, activating at high frequency. As a result, a compact fluorescent lamp with a small lighting circuit can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a first embodiment of a bulb-type fluorescent lamp of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a development view showing the same fluorescent lamp.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view mainly showing a ceramic electrode.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a lighting circuit of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a fluorescent lamp according to a second embodiment of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a fluorescent lamp according to a third embodiment of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a fluorescent lamp according to a fourth embodiment of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional front view showing a fifth embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part showing a fluorescent lamp according to a sixth embodiment of the compact fluorescent lamp of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a front view showing the same electrode mount.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fluorescent lamp 1a ... Translucent discharge container 1a1 ... U-shaped glass tube 1a11 ... Thin tube 1a2 ... Connecting tube 1b ... Phosphor layer 1c ... Ceramics electrode 1c1 ... Conductive substrate 1c2 ... Electron emitting substance 1d ... Electrode holder 1e ... Introductory line 1f… Amalgam

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Yoto 4-3-1 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Toshiba Litec Corporation (72) Inventor Nobuhiro Tamura 4-3-1 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo No. Toshiba Litec Corporation F-term (reference) 5C015 AA04 BB02 CC02 CC03 CC04 5C043 AA12 AA20 CC09 CD10 DD02 EA03 EB15 EC01

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A light-transmitting discharge vessel having an outer diameter of 3 to 13 mm, which is formed in a compact shape so that a bent discharge path is formed therein, and is disposed on the inner surface side of the light-transmitting discharge vessel. A translucent discharge vessel including a phosphor layer, an electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a composite oxide or a composite oxynitride of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element, and a conductive substrate supporting the electron-emitting substance. A fluorescent lamp comprising a pair of ceramic electrodes sealed at both ends, and an ionizing medium sealed inside a translucent discharge vessel;
A lighting circuit for illuminating the fluorescent lamp at a high frequency; 2. A light-transmitting discharge vessel having an outer diameter of 3 to 13 mm, which is formed in a compact shape so that a bent discharge path is formed therein, and is disposed on an inner surface side of the light-transmitting discharge vessel. Emissive materials and electrons mainly composed of granular, sponge-like or massive semiconductor ceramics in which the surface of a phosphor layer, a composite oxide of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element is coated with a carbide or nitride of a transition metal element A fluorescent lamp including a pair of ceramic electrodes including a conductive substrate carrying a radioactive substance and sealed at both ends of a translucent discharge vessel, and an ionization medium sealed inside the translucent discharge vessel; And a lighting circuit for lighting at a high frequency. 3. A light-transmitting discharge vessel having an outer diameter of 3 to 13 mm, which is formed in a compact shape so that a bent discharge path is formed therein, and is disposed on the inner surface side of the light-transmitting discharge vessel. Transparent discharge vessel including a phosphor layer, a finely particulate electron-emitting substance mainly composed of a semiconductor ceramic of a complex oxynitride of an alkaline earth element and a transition metal element, and a coil filament made of tungsten carrying the electron-emitting substance A fluorescent lamp including a pair of ceramic electrodes sealed at both ends of the fluorescent lamp, and an ionization medium sealed in a translucent discharge vessel; and a lighting circuit for lighting the fluorescent lamp at high frequency. Characteristic bulb-type fluorescent lamp. 4. The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said light-transmitting discharge vessel has an outer diameter of 3 mm.
The bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the distance is from 9 to 9 mm. 5. The bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein the fluorescent lamp includes an auxiliary amalgam disposed near the ceramic electrode. 6. The lighting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the voltage applied between the ceramic electrodes is relatively high for a predetermined time at the time of starting, and is relatively low after a predetermined time has elapsed. Item 6. A bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to any one of Items 1 to 5. 7. The bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein said fluorescent lamp includes a β-ray source disposed near said ceramic electrode. 8. The compact fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein the ionizing medium contains a rare gas and mercury introduced by amalgam. 9. The bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to claim 3, wherein the ionization medium contains mercury and one or both of rare gases of Ar and Ne. 10. The fluorescent lamp according to claim 3, wherein the lighting circuit includes a starting circuit of an instant start system. 11. A light-transmitting spherical discharge vessel, a phosphor layer disposed on the inner surface side of the light-transmitting discharge vessel, a pair of ceramic electrodes sealed inside the light-transmitting discharge vessel so as to be spaced apart from each other, and A bulb-type fluorescent lamp, comprising: a glow discharge type fluorescent lamp including an ionizing medium enclosed in a translucent discharge vessel; and a lighting circuit for illuminating the fluorescent lamp at high frequency.