JP2003317501A - Lighter for electrodeless discharge lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighter for an electrodeless discharge lamp where a matching circuit can be fitted close to a heat conductor and a induction coil, for a smaller base part and less noise. <P>SOLUTION: The electrodeless discharge lamp lighter comprises an electrodeless discharge lamp where a discharge gas is sealed in a glass bulb comprising a dimple, an induction coil which is provided to the dimple and applies the electrodeless discharge lamp with a high frequency electromagnetic field to excite and the discharge gas for illumination, a core provided near the induction coil, a heat conductor which releases the heat in the dimple to the outside, a high frequency power source which supplies a high frequency power to the induction coil, and a matching circuit which is connected between the high frequency power source and the induction coil to match impedances between them. The matching circuit is disposed near the heat conductor, and a heat insulating member is provided between the heat conductor and the matching circuit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device for applying a high-frequency electromagnetic field to an electrodeless discharge lamp to excite and discharge a discharge gas for lighting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-302983. FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device disclosed therein. This electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device includes an electrodeless discharge lamp 1, an induction coil 2 arranged in a recess near the center of the electrodeless discharge lamp 1, and a high frequency power supply 5 for supplying high frequency power to the induction coil 2. A matching circuit 6 connected between the induction coil 2 and the high frequency power source 5 and a heat conductor 4 are provided.

The electrodeless discharge lamp 1 has a substantially spherical appearance,
It is constituted by a glass bulb 1a having a recess 1b in which a discharge gas is enclosed. And the glass bulb 1
The induction coil 2 is closely arranged along the outer periphery of the depression 1b of a. Further, the induction coil 2 is connected to the matching circuit 6, and the matching circuit 6 is connected to the high frequency power supply 5.

The matching circuit 6 is made up of electronic parts, matches the induction coil 2 and the high frequency power source 5 and efficiently supplies high frequency power to the electrodeless discharge lamp 1, and is housed in the base 10. . The high frequency power supply 5 supplies high frequency power to the matching circuit 6, and the coaxial cable 1
1 is connected to the matching circuit 6 and is provided outside the base 10.

In addition, on the outer circumference of the induction coil 2, a cylindrical metallic tube having a good thermal conductivity is formed between the glass bulb 1a and the glass bulb 1a so as to be open toward the back side of the recess 1b of the glass bulb 1a. A heat conductor 4 is provided. This is for radiating the heat generated from the induction coil 2 and the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 to the outside.

The operation of this electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device is as follows. First, from the high frequency power source 5 to the induction coil 2,
A high frequency electromagnetic field is generated in the induction coil 2 by passing a high frequency current of several MHz to several hundred MHz. As a result, the discharge gas enclosed in the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 is excited and emitted, and is converted into visible light by the phosphor applied to the inner wall of the glass bulb 1a, and the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 is turned on.

When the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 is turned on, the heat generated by the discharge heats the induction coil 2. Therefore, the induction coil 2 receives a synergistic effect with its own heat generation, resulting in a larger power loss. Therefore, in order to prevent this, the heat conductor 4 is provided to radiate the heat of the induction coil 2 to the outside. Further, in order to improve heat dissipation, the heat conductor 4
Has a structure such that the bottom part can be installed so as to radiate heat to a device or the like.

In order to turn on the electrodeless discharge lamp 1,
At the time of starting, the induction coil 2 needs to generate a high-frequency magnetic field required for the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 to start discharging. For this purpose, it is necessary to apply a high voltage to the induction coil 2. Therefore, the matching circuit 6 has a function of boosting the high frequency voltage supplied from the high frequency power supply 5 to a higher voltage and supplying the same to the induction coil 2 in addition to the matching between the induction coil 2 and the high frequency power supply 5 described above. There is.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device, the matching circuit 6 is composed of electronic parts, and in order to improve the reliability of the parts, excessive thermal stress is applied. Care must be taken not to add it.

Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the heat generated from the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 and the induction coil 2 from excessively raising the temperature of the space for accommodating the matching circuit 6 through the heat conductor 4, and therefore the heat conductor. 4 can be increased to improve heat dissipation,
It was necessary to provide a large space for accommodating the matching circuit 6 and to provide a sufficient distance between the matching circuit 6 and the heat conductor 4 to prevent heat from being transmitted. Therefore, the base 1 that houses the matching circuit 6
0 required a large volume.

Since the voltage supplied from the matching circuit 6 to the induction coil 2 is a high frequency high voltage, its wiring is
The shorter the better. This is because the influence of the stray capacitance and the inductance due to the wiring can be reduced as the wiring becomes shorter, and the noise generated from the electric wire can be reduced as the wiring becomes shorter.

However, in the above-mentioned electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device, the wiring length between the induction coil 2 and the matching circuit 6 is set from the position of the induction coil 2 through the heat conductor 4 and further, the thermal shield is provided. It is necessary to have a length that reaches the matching circuit 6 through the doubled space.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device in which a matching circuit can be mounted closer to a heat conductor or an induction coil. Especially.

[0014]

The invention according to claim 1 is
An electrodeless discharge lamp in which a discharge gas is enclosed in a glass bulb having a recess, an induction coil which is provided in the recess to apply a high-frequency electromagnetic field to the electrodeless discharge lamp to excite the discharge gas to emit light, and the vicinity of the induction coil Connected to the core, a heat conductor that radiates the heat in the recess to the outside, a high frequency power supply that supplies high frequency power to the induction coil, and the high frequency power supply and the induction coil. An electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device comprising: a matching circuit for matching the impedance of the heat conductor, the matching circuit being arranged in the vicinity of the heat conductor, and a heat insulating member being provided between the heat conductor and the matching circuit. Is characterized by.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the heat conductor also serves as a part of a circuit element forming the matching circuit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the matching circuit according to the first or second aspect, the matching circuit has a load side as seen from the high frequency power source, which is generated when the temperature of the induction coil rises and the inductance value changes. Is characterized by having a temperature characteristic that reduces the amount of change in impedance of the.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, at least one of the circuit elements forming the matching circuit is a capacitor whose capacitance decreases when the temperature rises.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the matching circuit is housed in a housing integrated with the electrodeless discharge lamp. .

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the high frequency power source is provided outside the housing.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect, a part of the matching circuit is provided outside the casing.

The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that, in claim 6 or 7, the matching circuit is a capacitor connected in series to the induction coil.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth or seventh aspect, the matching circuit is a capacitor connected in parallel to the induction coil.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the heat conductor has a substantially cylindrical shape, the core and the induction coil are arranged at one end, and the other end is the other. It has a structure that can be attached to the object of
The structure is such that the heat of the core and the induction coil can be dissipated to an attached object.

[0024]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

This electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device includes an electrodeless discharge lamp 1, an induction coil 2 arranged in a recess 1b of the electrodeless discharge lamp 1, and a core 3 electromagnetically coupled to the induction coil 2. A high frequency power supply 5 for supplying high frequency power to the induction coil 2, a matching circuit 6 connected between the induction coil 2 and the high frequency power supply 5, and a heat conductor 4.

The electrodeless discharge lamp 1 has a substantially spherical appearance,
It is constituted by a glass bulb 1a having a recess 1b in which a discharge gas is enclosed. And the glass bulb 1
A heat conductor 4 is closely arranged along the outer periphery of the depression 1b of a, a core 3 is provided in the vicinity of the outer side thereof, and an induction coil 2 insulated with, for example, a fluororesin is wound on the outer side thereof. Further, the induction coil 2 is connected to a matching circuit 6 composed of electronic components, and the matching circuit 6 is housed inside a casing formed by the heat conductor 4 and the base 10. A high frequency power supply 5 is provided outside the base 10 and is connected to the matching circuit 6.

The heat conductor 4 will be described in detail.
Has a substantially cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical core 3 and an induction coil 2 are arranged at one end, and the other end is mounted so that the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 can be attached to a main body of a lighting fixture that also serves as a lighting pole or a heat sink. It has a structure. And after mounting, core 3
In order to dissipate the heat of the induction coil 2 to the attached object, the induction coil 2 is made of aluminum or copper having good heat conductivity.

What is important here is that the matching circuit 6 is provided in the vicinity of the heat conductor 4 and that the heat insulating member 7 is provided between the heat conductor 4 and the matching circuit 6. The heat insulating member 7 has a cylindrical shape and is provided with a flange on one side. And the heat insulating member 7
Is attached such that the flange portion thereof faces the heat conductor 4 in a direction away from the induction coil 2.

The heat insulating member 7 suppresses the temperature of the electronic parts used in the matching circuit 6 to about 100 ° C. or less when the temperature of the heat conductor 4 at the position where the heat insulating member 7 is in close contact is 100 to several tens of degrees. If desired, the thermal conductivity may be several tens mW / m · k and the thickness may be several hundreds μm or more.

When the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device configured as described above is turned on, the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 and the induction coil 2 provided around the recess 1b of the glass bulb 1a,
The core 3 generates heat and its temperature rises. Therefore, the heat of these heating elements is radiated to the outside through the heat conductors 4 arranged close to them, and the temperature of the induction coil 2 and the core 3 is lowered. Therefore, the temperature of the heat conductor 4 becomes higher as it gets closer to the induction coil 2, and becomes lower as it gets farther away. Further, the heat insulating member 7 reduces the amount of heat transferred from the heat conductor 4 to the matching circuit 6, and alleviates the thermal stress on the electronic components forming the matching circuit 6.

According to this embodiment, the heat from the heat conductor 4 is less likely to be transmitted to the matching circuit 6, and as a result, the matching circuit 6 can be arranged close to the induction coil 2 having a high temperature. The wiring distance between the matching circuit 6 and the induction coil 2 can be shortened. Therefore, noise generated from the electric wire can be reduced.
Further, it is not necessary to provide a space for reducing the influence of heat between the matching circuit 6 and the heat conductor 4, and a space formed by the heat conductor 4 and the base 10 for housing the matching circuit 6 The volume of can be reduced.

In the configuration of FIG. 1, the range in which the heat insulating member 7 covers the heat conductor 4 is not provided in the recess 1b of the glass bulb 1a, but the heat conductor 4 is located at the place out of the glass bulb 1a. It is provided. Thereby, the cross-sectional areas of the core 3 and the heat conductor 4 can be set to a maximum, which is almost equal to the inner diameter of the recess of the glass bulb 1a, without considering the thickness of the heat insulating member 7. Therefore, thickening the heat insulating member 7 does not affect the cross-sectional areas of the core 3 and the heat conductor 4, and the characteristics of the core 3 and the heat conductor 4 do not change.

Further, the lower the heat conductivity of the heat insulating member 7 and the thicker the heat insulating member 7, the higher the degree of heat shielding. Therefore, the heat generation amount of the electrodeless discharge lamp, the shape of the heat conductor 4 and the matching circuit 6
Depending on the situation, such as the heat resistance performance of the electronic components that make up the
A material having an appropriate thickness and thermal conductivity may be selected.

2 to 4 are application examples of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a first application example in which the heat insulating member 7 is provided between the induction coil 2 and the glass bulb 1a of the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 and around the entire recess 1b of the glass bulb 1a. In the configuration of FIG. 2, if the heat insulating member 7 is made of a rubber tube or the like that shrinks due to heat, the induction coil 2
It is also possible to hold the windings of.

Further, in FIG. 3, a heat insulating member 7 is also provided between the glass bulb 1a of the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 and the matching circuit 6.
It is a second application example. In the configuration of FIG. 3, the matching circuit 6 is
The influence of heat from the glass bulb 1a is less likely to occur, and the thermal stress on the electronic components forming the matching circuit 6 can be reduced.

Further, in FIG. 4, the matching circuit 6 is attached to the base, and a space is provided between the matching circuit 6 and the heat insulating member 7.
It is a third application example. In this configuration, because of the space provided,
The matching circuit 6 is less likely to receive heat from the heat conductor 4,
It is possible to relieve thermal stress on the electronic components that form the matching circuit 6.

In each of the application examples shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the high frequency power source 5 and its wiring are not shown in the drawings and are omitted in any case.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to the embodiment of FIG. This electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device is a modification of the configuration of the matching circuit 6 in the first embodiment.

The difference from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that the heat insulating member 7 is made of a dielectric material and that a thin plate conductor 8 is wound around the outer circumference of the heat insulating member 7. .
Then, one end of the induction coil 2 is connected to this conductor 8 (wiring b), the other end of the induction coil 2 is connected to the heat conductor 4 (wiring a), and the conductor 8 and the heat conductor 4 are respectively high frequency waves. Power 5
Is connected (wiring c, wiring d). The other components that are the same as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

What is important here is that a part of the circuit elements forming the matching circuit 6 is formed of the heat conductor 4.
Specifically, a heat insulating member 7 made of a dielectric material is sandwiched between a thin plate conductor 8 and a heat conductor 4 to form a capacitor, which is used as a matching circuit 6. As a result,
A parallel circuit of the capacitor and the induction coil 2 is formed for the output of the high frequency power supply 5.

When the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device configured as described above is turned on, the induction coil 2 and the core 3 generate heat and the temperature rises, as in the first embodiment. Then, the temperature of the heat conductor 4 arranged close to these becomes high, and the heat is transmitted to the heat insulating member 7 and the thin plate conductor 8 which are close to the heat conductor 4.

According to this embodiment, since the matching circuit 6 is made up of the structural members such as the heat conductor 4, the heat insulating member 7 and the thin plate conductor 8, the matching circuit 6 has a higher thermal efficiency than the electronic parts. It becomes possible to be strong against stress. Therefore, the volume of the space formed by the heat conductor 4 and the base 10 for housing the matching circuit 6 can be reduced.

Since the matching circuit 6 is composed of the heat conductor 4 and the heat insulating member 7, the wiring distance between the matching circuit 6 and the induction coil 2 is equal to the wiring a and the wiring shown in FIG. It is possible to reduce the length to b. Therefore, noise generated from the electric wire can be reduced.

FIG. 6 shows an example in which the wiring of the induction coil 2 and the conductor 8 is changed to form a series circuit of a capacitor and the induction coil 2 for the output of the high frequency power supply 5. That is, one side of the high frequency power source 5 is connected to the conductor 8 (wiring f), the heat conductor 4 is connected to one end of the induction coil 2 (wiring a), and the other end of the induction coil 2 is connected to the other side of the high frequency power source 5. By (wiring e), a series circuit of the capacitor and the induction coil 2 is formed.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to the embodiment of FIG. The difference from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that a capacitor 6a whose capacity decreases when the temperature rises is used as a circuit element forming the matching circuit 6.

When the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device is turned on, the induction coil 2 and the core 3 are turned on as in the first embodiment.
Heats up and the temperature rises. At this time, the induction coil 2 undergoes thermal expansion, and the value of its inductance changes. Therefore, the combined impedance of the matching circuit 6 and the induction coil 2 changes, and eventually the electric characteristics of the electrodeless discharge lamp 1 also try to change. However, the temperature of the capacitor 6a provided in the matching circuit 6 similarly rises, and the capacitor 6a
The matching circuit 6 and the induction coil 2 change due to the change in the inductance value due to the decrease in the capacitance a.
Acts to prevent changes in the combined impedance of. For this reason, the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device can perform lighting in a state in which there is less variation in electrical characteristics due to self-temperature rise, as compared with the embodiment of FIG.

According to this embodiment, the capacitor 6a whose capacity decreases when the temperature rises is used as the circuit element forming the matching circuit 6, so that the electric characteristics of the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device in the lighting state can be improved. The fluctuation can be reduced.

[0048]

According to the invention of claim 1, an electrodeless discharge lamp in which a discharge gas is sealed in a glass bulb having a recess, and a high-frequency electromagnetic field is applied to the electrodeless discharge lamp provided in the recess. An induction coil that excites the discharge gas to emit light, a core provided in the vicinity of the induction coil, a heat conductor that radiates the heat in the recess to the outside, and a high-frequency power supply that supplies high-frequency power to the induction coil. In the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device, which is connected between the high-frequency power source and the induction coil and which matches the impedance of both, the matching circuit is arranged in the vicinity of the heat conductor,
By providing the heat insulating member between the heat conductor and the matching circuit, the heat from the heat conductor is not directly transmitted to the matching circuit, and the matching circuit can be mounted closer to the heat conductor or the induction coil. As a result, the wiring length between the induction coil and the matching circuit can be shortened as compared with the conventional one. Therefore, the inductance and stray capacitance due to the wiring can be reduced, noise can be reduced, and uncertainties in designing the matching circuit can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the heat conductor also serves as a part of a circuit element forming the matching circuit, so that the wiring length between the induction coil and the matching circuit is increased. It can be further shortened as compared with the above, and the effect described in claim 1 can be further enhanced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the matching circuit, the amount of change in impedance on the load side as seen from the high frequency power source, which is caused by the temperature of the induction coil rising and the inductance value changing. The temperature characteristic is set to be small.
Alternatively, in addition to the effect of the second aspect, it is possible to suppress the fluctuation of the electrical characteristics of the electrodeless discharge lamp due to the self-temperature rise.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, at least one of the circuit elements forming the matching circuit is a capacitor whose capacitance decreases when the temperature rises. Has the same effect as the one.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the matching circuit is the same as that described in the first to fourth aspects, because the matching circuit is housed in a housing integrated with the electrodeless discharge lamp. Have an effect.

According to the present invention of claim 6, in addition to the effect described in claim 5, the high frequency power source is provided outside the casing, so that the high frequency power source is provided with an electrodeless discharge lamp or an induction coil. It can be placed in a place that is not easily affected by heat from a heating element such as a core.

In the invention according to claim 7, since a part of the matching circuit is provided outside the casing, in addition to the effect described in claim 6, a part of the matching circuit is electrodeless. It can be placed in a place that is unlikely to be affected by heat from a heating element such as a discharge lamp, an induction coil, or a core.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the matching circuit is a capacitor connected in series with the induction coil, so that the matching circuit has the same effect as that of the sixth or seventh aspect.

In the invention according to claim 9, since the matching circuit is a capacitor connected in parallel to the induction coil, the matching circuit has the same effect as that described in claim 6 or 7. .

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the heat conductor has a substantially cylindrical shape, the core and the induction coil are arranged at one end, and the other end has a structure that can be attached to another object. However, after the attachment, the heat of the core and the induction coil can be radiated to the attached object.
In addition to the effect described in claim 9, it is possible to more easily release the heat generated by the induction coil, the core and the like to the outside, and reduce the temperature rise of the induction coil, the core and the matching circuit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a first application example of the above electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second application example of the above electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a third application example of the above electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an application example of the above electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to a conventional example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 electrodeless discharge lamp 1a glass bulb 1b hollow 2 induction coil 3 core 4 heat conductor 5 high frequency power supply 6 Matching circuit 6a capacitor 7 Insulation member 10 base

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 3K014 AA01 EA01 EA04                 3K072 AA16 CA16 CB06 GA10 GB01                       HA03 HA09                 5C039 NN02

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An electrodeless discharge lamp in which a discharge gas is enclosed in a glass bulb having a recess, and an induction coil which is provided in the recess to apply a high-frequency electromagnetic field to the electrodeless discharge lamp to excite the discharge gas to emit light. A core provided in the vicinity of the induction coil, a heat conductor that radiates the heat in the recess to the outside, a high frequency power supply that supplies high frequency power to the induction coil, and a space between the high frequency power supply and the induction coil. And a matching circuit for matching the impedances of the both, and in the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device, the matching circuit is arranged in the vicinity of the heat conductor, and heat insulation is provided between the heat conductor and the matching circuit. An electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device characterized in that a member is provided. 2. The heat conductor also serves as a part of a circuit element forming the matching circuit.
The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device described. 3. The matching circuit has a temperature characteristic that reduces the amount of change in impedance on the load side as seen from the high-frequency power source, which is caused by a rise in temperature of the induction coil and a change in inductance value. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. 4. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the circuit elements forming the matching circuit is formed of a capacitor whose capacity decreases when the temperature rises. 5. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting according to claim 1, wherein the matching circuit is housed in a housing integrated with the electrodeless discharge lamp. apparatus. 6. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the high-frequency power source is provided outside the housing. 7. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 6, wherein a part of the matching circuit is provided outside the casing. 8. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 6, wherein the matching circuit is a capacitor connected in series to the induction coil. 9. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 6, wherein the matching circuit is a capacitor connected in parallel to the induction coil. 10. The heat conductor has a substantially cylindrical shape, the core and the induction coil are arranged at one end, and the other end has a structure capable of being attached to another object. 10. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, having a structure capable of radiating the heat of the induction coil to an object to which the induction coil is attached.