JP2003168388A - Compact self-ballasted fluorescent lamp and luminaire - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact self-ballasted fluorescent lamp capable of realizing high output and high illumination without needlessly increasing a starting voltage. <P>SOLUTION: An arc tube 3 is composed by arranging a plurality of bent bulbs 3a nearly on a circumference, and an electric conductors 8 having a reflecting action are mounted on the outside surfaces of the bent bulbs 3a facing an inside space 3c surrounded by the bent bulbs 3a. The starting voltage of the arc tube 3 can be lowered by the electric conductors 8, and a small and simplified lighting circuit 2 can be used. Light loss among the arc tube 3 parts facing the inside space 3c can be prevented, and light is effectively emitted from the arc tube 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a self-ballasted fluorescent lamp in which a conductor is formed on the outer surface of a glass bulb of an arc tube to reduce a starting voltage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Light bulb type fluorescent lamps are generally 60W, 100W due to their small size, high efficiency, power saving and long life.
It is widely used in place of the incandescent bulb equivalent to W. Such a bulb-type fluorescent lamp is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-23182.
No. 5, for example.

[0003]

In such a conventional light bulb type fluorescent lamp, there is a demand for higher output and higher illuminance. However, there is a limit in achieving high output and high illuminance while maintaining the external dimensions of the conventional light bulb type fluorescent lamp. Therefore, by increasing the discharge path length of the arc tube while sacrificing the external dimensions to some extent, the size is slightly larger than the incandescent lamp size, but high output and high illuminance can be achieved.

However, increasing the discharge path length of the arc tube increases the starting voltage of the arc tube. Since the lighting circuit used in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp must be housed in a cover that is miniaturized to correspond to the size of an incandescent bulb, a miniaturized and simplified one is used. In the bulb-type fluorescent lamp using such a lighting circuit, it is difficult to excessively increase the starting voltage of the arc tube, and it is not possible to secure sufficient starting performance.

Further, in order to reliably start an arc tube having a high starting voltage characteristic, in order to increase the output voltage of the lighting circuit, there is a problem that the lighting circuit becomes large and the cost increases. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has a high output without increasing the starting voltage more than necessary.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp capable of achieving high illuminance.

[0007]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a self-ballasted fluorescent lamp in which a plurality of U-shaped bent bulbs each having a straight portion and a bent portion are arranged along the circumference of the bulb. An arc tube that is arranged in parallel by connecting the straight parts of the bent bulb so that one discharge path is formed by a connecting tube; one side supports the arc tube, and the other side is equipped with a base. And a cover body in which a lighting circuit for lighting the arc tube is housed; and having a reflecting action formed on the outer surface of the bent bulb facing the internal space surrounded by the bent bulb of the arc tube. And a conductor.

The internal space referred to here is a space surrounded by a plurality of U-shaped bent bulbs of the arc tube. For example, when the straight portions of three valves bent in a U shape are arranged side by side on the circumference of three valves and are arranged side by side, it means a space having a substantially regular triangular prism shape surrounded by the valves when viewed from the bent portion side. . Also, 4
When the straight parts of the bent valve of the book are arranged side by side on the circumference and are arranged side by side, it means a space having a substantially rectangular shape surrounded by the valves when viewed from the bent part side.

Further, in the U-shaped bent bulb, the bent portion has a semi-circular shape or a U-shape even when one translucent discharge vessel is curved in a U shape. You can do it. Further, the two translucent discharge vessels may have a shape in which the vicinity of opposite ends is connected by a connecting pipe.

The electrically conductive material having a reflection function means one formed by depositing a metal material such as silver, aluminum, tin, nickel or chromium by vapor deposition or coating, or one formed by depositing a film. To do.

The lighting circuit is preferably a high frequency inverter type, but is not limited to this due to the nature of the present invention.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the electric bulb type fluorescent lamp is formed by forming a conductor having a reflecting action on the outer surface of the bulb facing the inner space surrounded by the plurality of U-shaped bent bulbs. Since the body acts as a proximity conductor (starting auxiliary electrode), the starting voltage of the arc tube can be reduced, and the conductor has a reflective function, so the light emitted to the internal space side is reflected to the outside of the arc tube. As a result, the output light from the arc tube can be increased.

The light bulb type fluorescent lamp according to a second aspect is characterized in that the discharge path length of the light bulb type fluorescent lamp according to the first aspect is 500 mm or more.

Increasing the output light of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp can be realized by increasing the distance between the electrodes as compared with the conventional one and increasing the discharge path length. Generally, if the discharge path length is 500 mm or more, the light output can be increased as compared with the conventional bulb-type fluorescent lamp, but since the starting voltage also rises, the lighting circuit becomes large and the cost is low. It has not been realized because it will rise. Therefore, the present invention is particularly effective for a compact fluorescent lamp having a discharge path length of 500 mm or more.

Even if the discharge path length is 400 mm or more, it can be used as a high-power bulb-type fluorescent lamp, and the same effect can be obtained. However, the remarkable decrease in the starting voltage appears when the discharge path length of the arc tube is 500 mm or more.

In the self-ballasted fluorescent lamp according to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the discharge path length is 500 mm or more, the output light can be increased without an excessive increase in the starting voltage, and the high output can be obtained. Can be realized.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the light bulb type fluorescent lamp according to the second aspect, the cover body of the light bulb type fluorescent lamp has a holder for supporting the arc tube, and a reflector is provided on a surface of the holder on the arc tube side. It is characterized by being.

The reflector may be the same as the conductor of claim 1 formed on the holder. Further, a metal plate or the like may be attached to the holder, or the holder itself may be formed of a metal plate. That is, the material and the forming method are not limited as long as they can reflect visible light emitted from the arc tube and have conductivity. If the reflector has a function of reflecting heat rays, it can be expected that the temperature rise of the lighting circuit is suppressed.

In addition to the effect of the first or second aspect, the light bulb type fluorescent lamp according to the third aspect reflects visible light in the bending portion direction of the arc tube to further increase the output, and the reflector is conductive. Since it has the property, it also functions as a proximity conductor, and the starting voltage of the arc tube is further reduced.

An illumination fixture according to a fourth aspect comprises the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp according to any one of the first to third aspects; and a fixture main body to which the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp is mounted.

According to the lighting equipment of claim 4 of the present invention,
It is possible to provide a lighting fixture equipped with the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp having the action of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

[0022]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing a first embodiment of a bulb-type fluorescent lamp of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the compact fluorescent lamp of FIG.

The light bulb type fluorescent lamp 1 contains a light emitting tube 3 having one meandering discharge path, a lighting circuit 2 for lighting the light emitting tube 3, and a cover body having a base 4 attached to one end thereof. It is composed of 5.

The arc tube 3 is formed by connecting three U-shaped bent bulbs 3a, 3a, 3a having a tube diameter of 9 to 16 mm. The bent bulbs 3a, 3a of the arc tube 3,
3a is composed of a bent portion 3a ₁ and a pair of straight portions 3a ₂ extending from both ends of the bent portion 3a ₁ . Bent valve 3a, together with the straight portions 3a ₂ are arranged on the circumference, respectively, of the bent-shaped valve 3a adjacent straight portions 3a
_{Two of them} are connected by a connecting pipe 3b.

A pair of electrodes (filament electrodes) 6 and 6 are sealed at both ends of the arc tube 3, and a meandering discharge path is formed between the pair of electrodes 6 and 6. A phosphor film (not shown) is deposited on the inner surface of the bent bulb 3a, and a discharge medium such as mercury and an argon gas as a rare gas is sealed inside. Here, mercury is sealed in the exhaust pipe of the arc tube 3 in the form of bismuth (Bi) -indium (In) amalgam, bismuth (Bi) -indium (In) -tin (Sn) amalgam, or the like. This amalgam releases mercury vapor immediately by the heat generation of the bulb 3a, and controls the mercury vapor pressure to an optimum value.

Three U-shaped bent valves 3a, 3a,
3a is arranged so that the bent portion 3a ₁ is located on three sides of a substantially equilateral triangle when viewed from the bent portion 3a ₁ side, and the bent valve 3a
The internal space 3c surrounded by each a is formed.

The straight portion 3 of the outer surface of the bent valve 3a
A conductor 8 having a reflecting action is formed on a predetermined portion of the surface of a ₂ , the bent portion 3a ₁ , and the connecting pipe 3b connecting the bent valves 3a, which faces the internal space 3c. The conductor 8 is a metal vapor deposition film having a mirror surface and having a reflecting action, a metal plating, a metal tape, or the like, but in the present embodiment, it is formed of an aluminum vapor deposition film.

The arc tube 3 has a height of 110 mm and a tube diameter of 12 m.
m, the discharge path length is 670 mm, and the lamp power is 25 W to 50 W.

The cover body 5 has a base 4 on one end side, and the arc tube 3 is attached to the other end side. The cover body 5 is composed of two divided bodies, an upper cover 5a and a lower cover 5b, and each is molded of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin having heat resistance. The upper cover 5a and the lower cover 5b each have a locking portion and a locked portion, which are not shown, and are fitted and integrated with each other.

The other end side of the lower cover 5b, that is, the lower end side of the cover body 5 is made of PBT resin and functions as a holder portion 7 for supporting the arc tube 3. Non-bent portion 3a of arc tube 3
The end portion on the _first side is fixed to the disc-shaped holder portion 7 with a thermosetting adhesive material (not shown).

On the surface of the holder 7 facing the arc tube 3,
A reflector 9 made of a metal material is provided. As the metal material, for example, aluminum, silver, chromium, tin or the like having high reflectance is used. The reflector 9 is formed on the surface of the holder portion 7 made of synthetic resin facing the arc tube 3 by vapor deposition or plating.

Further, the lighting circuit 2 is housed in the cover body 5. The lighting circuit 2 is composed of a well-known small and simple high-frequency lighting circuit such as a half-bridge inverter in which electronic components such as a transistor, an electrolytic capacitor, a film capacitor, a resistor and an inductor are mounted on a circuit board 2a. The circuit board 2a is fitted and fixed to the inner wall of the lower cover 5b. The lighting circuit 2 is electrically connected to the base 4 and the pair of electrodes 6 and 6 of the arc tube 3, and when power is supplied through the base 4, it is 10
High-frequency power of kHz or higher is output to light the arc tube 3.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

When the lighting circuit 2 is supplied with power through the base 4, the lighting circuit 2 starts a switching operation, and a high frequency starting voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes 6 and 6 of the arc tube 3.
When this high-frequency starting voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes 6 and 6, the conductor 8 formed on the outer surface of the bent valve 3a on the side of the internal space 3c performs a starting assisting action as a proximity conductor. Although the discharge tube length of the arc tube 3 is as long as 670 mm, the starting assist can be performed without excessively increasing the starting voltage due to the starting assisting action of the conductor 8. In the case of the present embodiment, the starting voltage (discharge starting voltage) is about 400V, but the starting voltage was about 600V without the conductor 8. Arc tube 3
When a discharge is generated between the pair of electrodes 6 and 6, the phosphor film is excited by the emission of ultraviolet rays and emits visible light.

Since the conductor 8 has a reflecting action,
Visible light emitted from the arc tube 3 toward the internal space 3c is mainly reflected in the outer peripheral direction of the arc tube 3, and the light output is improved. That is, most of the visible light emitted from the arc tube 3 to the internal space 3c side is repeatedly reflected again on the internal space 3c side and is absorbed by the bent bulb 3a and the like, and is a loss component not emitted from the arc tube. . By reflecting the loss of visible light in the outer peripheral direction of the arc tube 3 by the conductor 8, it is possible to improve the light output. The conductors 8, 8 formed on the three bent valves 3a, 3a, 3a, respectively,
Since 8 is also formed in each of the connecting pipes 3b, it has the same potential and acts as a proximity conductor.

Since the reflector 9 formed on the holder portion 7 also reflects the light emitted from the arc tube 3, it is possible to improve the light output. Also, a lot of heat rays are radiated from the arc tube 3, but in particular, since the arc tube 3 is of high output type, the electrodes 6,
Since 6 becomes a high temperature, radiant heat increases. Since the reflector 9 formed on the holder portion 7 can also efficiently reflect a large amount of heat rays emitted from the arc tube 3, the temperature rise inside the cover body 5 is suppressed, and the lighting circuit 2 of the lighting circuit 2 is suppressed. Failure due to thermal deterioration and temperature rise is suppressed. Further, since the temperature rise inside the cover body 5 is suppressed, it is possible to use an amalgam arranged in the cover body 5 having a high mercury vapor pressure, and it is possible to improve the rising characteristics of the light flux. Become.

Further, the reflector 9 can reduce deterioration of the holder portion 7 with time due to ultraviolet rays or infrared rays emitted from the arc tube 3. Furthermore, the reflector 9 is also a conductor 8.
At the same time, it can act as a close conductor, and the starting of the arc tube 3 can be further facilitated. In this case, it is desirable that the reflector 9 and the conductor 8 be electrically connected.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an embodiment of the lighting fixture of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is the bulb-type fluorescent lamp of the first embodiment. Reference numeral 10 denotes an embedded lighting fixture main body, which is composed of a base 11, a socket 12, and a reflector 13.

[0039]

According to the invention described in claim 1, a plurality of U's are provided.
Since a conductor having a reflecting action is formed on the outer surface of the bulb facing the inner space surrounded by the bulb bent in a letter shape, the starting voltage of the arc tube can be reduced and the conductor has a reflecting action. A light bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp capable of increasing the output light from the arc tube by reflecting the light emitted to the inner space side to the outside of the arc tube can be provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if the discharge path length is 500 mm or more, it is possible to increase the output light without causing an excessive increase in the starting voltage. A fluorescent lamp can be provided.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 1 or 2, visible light is reflected in the direction of the bent portion of the arc tube to further increase the output, and the reflector is made of a conductive material. Therefore, it is possible to provide a bulb-type fluorescent lamp in which the starting voltage of the arc tube is further reduced.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a lighting fixture equipped with the bulb-type fluorescent lamp having the action of the first aspect of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway sectional view showing an embodiment of a light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial side sectional view of an embodiment of the lighting fixture of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fluorescent lamp, 2 ... Lighting device, 3 ... Arc tube, 4 ... Base, 5 ... Cover body, 6 ... Electrode, 7 ... Holder, 8 ... Conductor, 9 ... Reflective film.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of U-shaped bent valves having a straight portion and a bent portion are bent so that the straight portion is arranged along the circumference and one discharge path is formed by a connecting pipe. -Shaped bulbs connected in parallel with each other by connecting straight-lined portions; a cover supporting the above-mentioned bulbs on one side, a base attached to the other side, and a lighting circuit housed therein for lighting the bulbs A light-bulb shape, comprising: a body; and a conductor having a reflecting action formed on an outer surface of the bent bulb facing an inner space surrounded by the bent bulb of the arc tube. Fluorescent lamp. 2. The bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein the discharge path length of the arc tube is 500 mm or more. 3. The cover body has a holder for supporting the arc tube, and a conductive reflector is provided on a surface of the holder on the arc tube side. Light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp. 4. A lighting fixture comprising: the light bulb type fluorescent lamp according to claim 1; and a fixture main body to which the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp is mounted.