JP2001185382A - Lighting device of dicharge lamp and lighting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting device of discharge lamp and the lighting apparatus in which the starting voltage of the lamp can be controlled to low. SOLUTION: The change with the passage of time of the electrode voltage at one end of electrode of the lamp is measured by a measuring means of electrode voltage and the change with the passage of time of lamp voltage between both ends of electrodes is measured by a measuring means of lamp voltage time passage change, and the type of lamp is decided by a lamp type decision means based on the change with the passage of time of electrode voltage and change with the passage of time of the lamp voltage. An instruction means of the initial starting voltage gives a minimum necessary output for initial starting voltage instruction, corresponding to the type of the lamps, when the lighting instruction of the lamp are given. Also an instruction means of the restarting voltage gives a minimum necessary output for restarting voltage instruction based on type of lamps and time of no-lighting when the lighting instructions are given after a prescribed passage of time of no-lighting.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a discharge lamp lighting device and a lighting device for lighting a lamp by supplying a high frequency voltage from an inverter circuit to the lamp.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a discharge lamp lighting device converts an AC power supply voltage into a DC voltage, converts the DC voltage into a high-frequency voltage, and applies the RF voltage to a lamp to maintain the lighting. That is, an inverter circuit that alternately turns on and off a pair of switching elements and applies a high-frequency voltage to the lamp is provided, and on / off control of the switching elements is performed by a control circuit using a microcomputer.

When a lamp is lit by such a discharge lamp lighting device, the starting voltage supplied from the inverter circuit to the lamp is set to a relatively high value so that the lamp can be started even if the characteristics of the lamp vary. Is set to

[0004]

However, at the time of starting the lamp, noise is generated by the high voltage generated in the inverter circuit, and at the time of starting the lamp, the noise may adversely affect peripheral electronic devices. For this reason, at the time of starting the lamp, it is required that the starting voltage generated by the inverter circuit be minimized.

An object of the present invention is to provide a discharge lamp lighting device and a lighting device capable of suppressing the starting voltage of a lamp to be low.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discharge lamp lighting device, comprising: an electrode voltage temporal change measuring means for measuring and storing a temporal change of an electrode voltage at an electrode at one end of a lamp; A lamp voltage temporal change measuring means for measuring and storing the change; and a lamp type based on the electrode voltage temporal change measured by the electrode voltage temporal change measuring means and the lamp voltage temporal change measured by the lamp voltage temporal change measuring means. Lamp type determining means for determining whether the lamp has been turned on, and a starting voltage command means for outputting a minimum required starting voltage generation command corresponding to the lamp type determined by the lamp type determining means. And a mispoint time calculating means for calculating a mispoint time since the lamp was turned off;
When a lamp lighting command is issued after a predetermined time period, the minimum necessary restart voltage is determined based on the lamp type determined by the lamp type determination unit and the fault time calculated by the non-point time calculation unit. Restart voltage command means for outputting a command.

In the present invention and the following inventions, the meanings of terms are as follows unless otherwise specified. The electrode voltage at the electrode at one end of the lamp refers to a filament voltage in the case of a lamp having a filament, for example, an FL lamp,
In the case of a lamp having no filament, for example, an HID lamp, the detected value is zero voltage because there is no filament. The change with time of the electrode voltage is a change characteristic of the function of the time of the electrode voltage after the lamp is turned on. The lamp voltage is a voltage between a pair of electrodes, and the temporal change of the lamp voltage is a change characteristic of a function of a lamp voltage time after the lamp is turned on.

The lamp type is a type of a lamp having a filament, for example, an FL lamp, and a type of a lamp having no filament, for example, an HID lamp, and the lamp type is determined based on the aging of the electrode voltage and the aging of the lamp voltage.

The initial starting voltage is a voltage required to start the lamp when the lamp is sufficiently cooled. The initial starting voltage is calculated based on the lamp type. The faulty time is the time from when the lamp goes out to when it turns on again. The restart voltage refers to a voltage required when the lamp is restarted after the lamp is turned off from an on state. The restart voltage is calculated on the basis of the lamp type and the faulty time.

The electrode voltage aging measuring means, the lamp voltage aging measuring means, the lamp type judging means, the initial starting voltage command means, the faulty time calculating means, and the restart voltage command means are realized as functions of a microcomputer. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and includes a configuration using a logic circuit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the discharge lamp lighting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the lamp type determination means determines that the lamp is a lamp having a filament, the mis-pointing time is used. The calculating means calculates the misfiring time based on the filament resistance value at the start of lamp lighting.

The filament resistance value after the lamp is turned off is represented by a function of heat, and the misfiring time is calculated based on the heat radiation characteristic.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discharge lamp lighting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising a capacitor which is charged while the lamp is lit, and wherein the point-in-time calculating means includes a capacitor for charging the capacitor when the point is out of order. It is characterized in that the mispoint time is calculated based on the discharge level.

As the capacitor, for example, an electrolytic capacitor is used.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discharge lamp lighting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising a capacitor that is charged while the lamp is lit, and wherein the faultless time calculating means includes a charge that is charged in the capacitor. Counting the time since the lamp was turned off using the power supply as the power source, and activating the initial starting voltage command means when there is a lamp lighting command in a state after all the charges charged in the capacitor have been discharged. It is characterized by.

As the capacitor, for example, an electrolytic capacitor is used. Power is supplied from the capacitor for the counting operation of the faulty time, and a restart voltage is supplied to the lamp when a lighting command is issued during the continuation of the counting operation. On the other hand, since power cannot be supplied to the counting circuit due to discharge of the capacitor, when the counting operation is stopped, the lamp is determined to be sufficiently cooled and the initial starting voltage is supplied to the lamp.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the discharge lamp lighting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the faulty time calculating means counts a time since the lamp was turned off using a battery provided in advance. It is characterized by doing so.

The power supply for the counting operation of the faulty time is supplied from a battery. Therefore, the counting of the faulty time is reliably performed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the discharge lamp lighting device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the restart voltage designating means is provided when the time constant at which the lamp voltage at startup becomes steady is shorter than a preset time. Alternatively, when the electrode voltage is equal to or shorter than the steady-state time constant, the restart voltage is set lower than the initial starting voltage, and the time constant at which the lamp voltage becomes steady is longer than the time constant at which the electrode voltage becomes steady. In some cases, the restart voltage is set higher than the initial starting voltage.

When restarting the lamp, the restart voltage is determined in accordance with the lamp characteristics determined by the time constant at which the lamp voltage becomes steady and the time constant at which the electrode voltage becomes steady. When the time constant at which the lamp voltage becomes steady is smaller than the time constant at which the electrode voltage becomes steady, it is determined that the lamp is, for example, an FL lamp having a filament, and the restart voltage is set lower than the initial starting voltage. On the other hand, when the time constant at which the lamp voltage becomes steady is greater than the time constant at which the electrode voltage becomes steady, it is determined that the lamp is a HID lamp having no filament, and the restart voltage is set higher than the initial starting voltage. .
Thereby, an appropriate restart voltage is set according to the lamp type.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a certification device incorporating the discharge lamp lighting device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

Incorporating the discharge lamp lighting device means that a lamp is mounted on the discharge lamp lighting device, and further a part as an illumination device is mounted to obtain a completed lighting device.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A is a configuration diagram thereof, and FIG. 1B is a detailed block diagram of a control circuit.

In FIG. 1A, a power supply voltage from an AC power supply 1 having a commercial frequency is input to a lighting circuit 2. The lighting circuit 2 has a rectifying / smoothing circuit and a switching element for generating a high-frequency voltage, and is turned on and off by the control circuit 3, and the high-frequency voltage is supplied to the lamp 4. A capacitor C1 is connected to the lamp 4 in parallel. The control circuit 3 is composed of a microcomputer.

On the other hand, the operation power is supplied to the control circuit 3 from the AC power supply 1, and when the switch 5 is turned on, the operation power is supplied to the control circuit 3 via the transformer 6 and the diode D1. As a result, the control circuit 3 starts operating, outputs an ON / OFF command to the switching element of the lighting circuit 2, and supplies a high-frequency voltage to the lamp 4.

Here, the current detector 7 detects the electrode current If flowing through the electrode at one end of the lamp 4 and inputs the detected current to the control circuit 3. This current detector 7 detects the filament current when the lamp 4 is a lamp having a filament, for example, an FL lamp, and when the lamp 4 is, for example, an HID lamp without a filament, the detected value is zero. Becomes

The electrode voltage V of the electrode at one end of the lamp 4
An electrode voltage detector 8 for detecting f is provided, and the electrode voltage Vf detected by the electrode voltage detector 8 is also input to the control circuit 3. The electrode voltage detector 8 detects the filament voltage when the lamp 4 is a lamp having a filament, for example, an FL lamp, and detects the detected voltage when the lamp 4 is, for example, an HID lamp without a filament. Becomes zero. The lamp voltage detector 9 is connected to the lamp 4
The lamp voltage VL applied between the electrodes at both ends of
It is input to the control circuit 3.

The control circuit 3 inputs the electrode current If, the electrode voltage Vf, and the lamp voltage VL, and measures the starting voltage when the lamp 4 is started for the first time. On the other hand, the lamp voltage V
The change with time of L and the change with time of the electrode voltage Vf are measured and stored. Further, the presence or absence of a filament circuit and the filament resistance value are calculated based on the electrode current If and the electrode voltage Vf, so that it is possible to judge the lamp type and to estimate the faulty time.

FIG. 1B is a detailed block diagram of the control circuit 3. The electrode voltage temporal change measuring means 11 receives the electrode voltage Vf from the electrode voltage detector 8 and measures and stores the temporal change. The lamp voltage change measuring means 12 receives the lamp voltage VL from the lamp voltage detector 9 and measures and stores the change with time.

FIG. 2 shows the electrode voltage Vf and the lamp voltage VL.
5 is a characteristic curve of a change with time in the first start of the apparatus. In a lamp having a filament (for example, an FL lamp), the electrode voltage Vf rises with a predetermined time constant t2, and the lamp voltage VL1 has a characteristic that is stabilized at a constant value with a relatively short time constant t11. On the other hand, in a lamp having no filament (for example, an HID lamp), the electrode voltage Vf is zero, the lamp voltage VL2 rises relatively slowly with a time constant t12, and the lamp voltage VL2 changes. It has the characteristic that the width is large.

The lamp type determining means 13 determines the lamp type based on the electrode voltage aging change measured by the electrode voltage aging change measuring means 11 and the lamp voltage aging change measured by the lamp voltage aging change measuring means 12.

Next, when there is an instruction to turn on the lamp next time, the initial starting voltage commanding means 14 responds to the lamp type determined by the lamp type determining means 13 to the minimum required for the switching element of the lighting circuit 2. The first starting voltage command is output as much as possible. For example, when the lamp 4 is a lamp having a filament (for example, an FL lamp),
A relatively low initial starting voltage (for example, V1) stored in the microcomputer in advance is output. Similarly, in the case of a lamp having no filament (for example, an HID lamp), a relatively high initial starting voltage (for example, V2) is output.

As described above, the control for generating the minimum required starting voltage in accordance with the lamp type is performed. As a result, once the characteristic curve of the temporal change of the lamp voltage VL is stored, the initial starting voltages V1 and V2 determined by the characteristic curve are generated from the next time onward, so that the minimum necessary starting voltage is sufficient. .

The faulty time calculating means 15 calculates the faulty time after the lamp 4 is turned off. For this mispointing time, for example, a timer measurement in a microcomputer is used. Further, when the lamp type determining means 13 determines that the lamp is a lamp having a filament, the mispointing time is calculated based on the filament resistance value.

When there is an instruction to turn on the lamp 4 within a predetermined time period, the restart voltage instruction means 16
The minimum required restart voltage command is output based on the lamp type determined by the lamp type determination means 13 and the fault time calculated by the fault time calculation means 15.

The restart voltage specifying means 15 outputs the lamp voltage V
When the time constant t1 of L is smaller than the time constant t2 of the electrode voltage Vf (at time t11), for example, when it is determined to be FL, the restart voltage is set lower than the initial starting voltage V1, and the lamp voltage VL When the time constant t1 is larger than the time constant t2 at which the electrode voltage becomes steady (at t12), for example, HID
Is determined, the restart voltage is set higher than the initial starting voltage V2.

That is, the thermal time constant t1 (t11, t1) of the gas inside the lamp is determined based on the temporal change of the lamp voltage VL.
2) is determined, and the thermal time constant t2 of the filament is determined based on the change over time of the electrode voltage Vf. And t1 <t
In the case of 2 (in the case of t11), the restart voltage is set lower than the initial starting voltage (for example, in the case of an FL lamp). On the other hand, when t1> t2 (when t12),
The restart voltage is set higher than the initial starting voltage (for example, in the case of an HID lamp).

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This second embodiment is shown in FIG.
In addition to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a capacitor C2 that is charged while the lamp 4 is turned on is additionally provided, and the control circuit 3
The pointless time calculating means 16 calculates the pointless time based on the discharge level of the capacitor C2 at the start of lamp lighting. Hereinafter, the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicate description will be omitted.

In FIG. 3, while the lamp 4 is on, the resistance R
Is charged to the capacitor C2 via the. And
When the switch 5 is turned off and the lamp 4 is turned off, the charge stored in the capacitor C2 is discharged via the diode D. On the basis of the discharge characteristics in this case, the dead time calculation means 16 of the control circuit 3 measures the dead time.

That is, the switch 5 is turned on, and the discharge level of the capacitor C2 at the time when the lamp 4 is restarted is observed by the microcomputer, thereby estimating the faulty time. The restart voltage command means 15 outputs the minimum necessary restart voltage command based on the time of failure and the type of lamp.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. This third embodiment is shown in FIG.
In contrast to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a capacitor C3 charged during the operation of the lamp 4 is provided, and the miscalculation time calculating means 16 of the control circuit 3 uses the electric charge charged in the capacitor C3 as a power source for the lamp 4 Is counted after the lamp is turned off, and when a lamp lighting command is issued in a state after all the charges charged in the capacitor C3 have been discharged, the initial starting voltage command means 14 is started. is there. In this case, the capacity of the capacitor C3 is set to a level at which the time until the lamp 4 cools sufficiently can be counted.
Hereinafter, the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicate description will be omitted.

In FIG. 4, while the lamp 4 is lit, the switch 5 is turned on, and the capacitor C3 is charged through the transformer 6 and the diode D1. When the switch 5 is turned off and the lamp 4 is turned off, the capacitor C3
Is supplied to the control circuit 3, and the charge from the capacitor C3 is used as a power supply to operate the faultless time calculation means 16 of the control circuit 3.

Since the capacity of the capacitor C3 is set to a level at which the time until the lamp 4 cools sufficiently can be counted, the switch 5 is turned on and the lamp 4 is restarted before the electric charge of the capacitor C3 is completely discharged. When activated, the mispointed time calculation means 16 is counting the misregistration time. Therefore, the minimum necessary restart voltage command is output based on the faulty time and the type of lamp.

On the other hand, when the lamp lighting command is issued after all the charges charged in the capacitor C3 have been discharged, the faulty time calculating means 16 is in a state in which the supply of the operating power is stopped, and the operation is stopped. It became impossible, and the counting of the unsatisfactory time has been stopped. In this state, since the lamp 4 is sufficiently cooled, the initial starting voltage command means 14
Start

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This fourth embodiment is similar to FIG.
As compared with the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the faulty time calculating means 16 of the control circuit 3 uses the battery 10 provided in advance as a power source and counts the time since the lamp 4 was turned off. is there. Hereinafter, the same elements as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the duplicate description will be omitted.

In FIG. 5, while the lamp 4 is on, the switch 5 is turned on, and the operating power is supplied to the control circuit 3 via the transformer 6 and the diode D1. When the switch 5 is turned off and the lamp 4 is turned off, operating power is supplied from the battery 10 to the control circuit 3, and the dead time calculation means 16 of the control circuit 3 operates.

When the switch 5 is turned on and the lamp 4 is restarted, the faulty time calculating means 16 is counting the faulty time by the power supply from the battery 10. Therefore, the minimum necessary restart voltage command is output based on the faulty time and the type of lamp. If the counted faulty time is equal to or longer than the time when the lamp 4 is sufficiently cooled,
The initial starting voltage command means 14 is started.

In the fourth embodiment, since the control circuit (microcomputer) 3 is supplied with current by the battery 10,
The counting operation can be reliably maintained.

[0049]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the starting voltage of the lamp can be set to the minimum necessary level according to the lamp type. Therefore, the noise can be suppressed to a low level when the lamp is initially started or restarted. In addition, stress on the lamp due to excessive input immediately after starting can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the point-in-time is obtained from the filament resistance value at the point-in-time, so that a more appropriate restart voltage can be obtained.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the faulty time is obtained based on the discharge level of the capacitor, so that the circuit configuration for calculating the faulty time is simplified and inexpensive.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the discharge electric charge of the capacitor is used as the operating power supply for calculating the dead time.
There is no need to supply operating power for the calculation of the faulty time to the control circuit. Also, when the discharge of the capacitor is completed, the control circuit has stopped calculating the dead time,
It can be determined that the lamp is sufficiently cooled.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the lamp stop time is counted by the battery, the reliability is improved.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the lamp is restarted, the restart voltage is applied in accordance with the lamp characteristics, so that an appropriate restart voltage can be obtained.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a lighting device in which the starting voltage is set to the minimum necessary level.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an electrode voltage V according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing a characteristic curve of a change with time of f and the lamp voltage VL.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a discharge lamp lighting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... AC power supply 2 ... Lighting circuit 3 ... Control circuit 4 ... Lamp 5 ... Switch 6 ... Transformer 7 ... Current detector 8
... Electrode voltage detector 9 ... Lamp voltage detector 10 ... Battery 11 ... Electrode voltage change over time measurement means 12 ... Lamp voltage change over time measurement means 13 ... Lamp type determination means 14 ...
Initial starting voltage command means 15 ... Restart voltage command means 16
… Pointless time calculation means

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Toshihiko Sasai 4-3-1 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (72) Inventor Yuji Takahashi 4-3-1 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (72) Inventor Masahiko Kamada 4-3-1 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Toshiba Lighting-Tech Corporation (72) Inventor Shinichiro Matsumoto 4-3-1 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Toshiba Lighting & Technology (72) Inventor Hideo Kozuka 4-3-1 Higashishinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo F-term in Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (reference) 3K072 AA02 AA11 AB09 BA03 DB03 EB05 EB06 GB01 5H007 AA01 AA06 AA12 AA17 BB03 CA00 CB00 CC03 DA06 DB01 DB12 DC05 GA01 GA05

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An electrode voltage temporal change measuring means for measuring and storing a temporal change of an electrode voltage at an electrode at one end of a lamp; a lamp voltage temporal change measuring means for measuring and storing a temporal change of a lamp voltage; Lamp type determining means for determining the lamp type based on the electrode voltage temporal change measured by the temporal change measuring means and the lamp voltage temporal change measured by the lamp voltage temporal change measuring means; and when there is a lamp lighting command Means for outputting a minimum starting voltage generation command corresponding to the lamp type determined by the lamp type determining means; and starting point voltage calculating means for calculating the time required for turning off the lamp after the lamp is turned off. Time calculating means; when there is an instruction to turn on the lamp after a predetermined time, the lamp type determined by the lamp type determining means and calculated by the non-point time calculating means. A restart voltage command means for outputting a minimum required restart voltage command based on the detected fault time. 2. When the lamp type determining means determines that the lamp is a lamp having a filament, the mispoint time calculating means determines the mispoint time based on the filament resistance value at the start of lamp lighting. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein 3. A capacitor which is charged while the lamp is turned on is provided, and said point-in-time calculating means calculates the point-in-time based on a discharge level of said capacitor at the time of point-out. 2. The discharge lamp lighting device according to 1. 4. A capacitor that is charged while the lamp is turned on is provided, and the faulty time calculating means counts a time since the lamp was turned off by using a charge charged in the capacitor as a power source, and stores the time in the capacitor. 2. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first starting voltage command means is started when a lamp lighting command is issued in a state after all the charged electric charges have been discharged. 5. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein said faulty time calculating means counts the time since the lamp was turned off by using a battery provided in advance as a power source. 6. The restart voltage designating means, when the time constant at which the lamp voltage at the start becomes steady is shorter than a preset time or when the electrode voltage is equal to or shorter than the time constant at which the lamp voltage becomes steady, The restart voltage is set lower than the initial starting voltage. If the time constant at which the lamp voltage becomes steady is longer than the time constant at which the electrode voltage becomes steady, the restart voltage is set higher than the initial starting voltage. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein 7. A lighting device incorporating the discharge lamp lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.