JP2004170074A - Ultraviolet surface of light source and fluorescent transilluminator using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the use of a mercury-less rare gas ultraviolet fluorescent lamp with the aperture type external electrode structure in an ultraviolet surface of light source having the structure that a plurality of straight fluorescent lamps containing ultraviolet ray emission type are arranged to form a surface of light source, and to facilitate the forming of the external electrode in manufacturing the straight rare gas fluorescent lamp. <P>SOLUTION: This ultraviolet surface of light source is formed of an electrode side insulator block 2 having a plurality of grooves, which respectively has an arc-like cross section, and formed with two parallel strip conductors 4A and 4B in the inner wall of the grooves, a light emitting tube forming the straight fluorescent lamp with the conductors 4A and 4B formed in the electrode side insulator block 2, a translucent insulator block 3 having ultraviolet rays permeability and formed from the ultraviolet rays permeable material and having an arc-like cross section as a translucent block for holding the straight fluorescent lamp from an aperture 15A side of the external electrode, and inverters 6A and 6B and a switch SW for selectively lighting a plurality of straight fluorescent lamps. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultraviolet surface light source and a fluorescent transilluminator using the same as an ultraviolet radiation source.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Gel electrophoresis used in the field of biochemistry such as DNA analysis is an extremely effective means for analyzing nucleic acids and proteins. An electrophoresis apparatus used in this method is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. As mentioned above, a light source that emits ultraviolet light is indispensable.
[0003]
As described in Patent Document 1, the gel electrophoresis apparatus generally includes the following three parts. The first is a component in which a sample polymer is previously contained in a support (electrophoretic gel) made of, for example, polyacrylamide or agar, and an electric field is applied to the electrophoretic gel in the electrolytic solution. The application of an electric field to the electrophoresis gel causes the macromolecule of the sample to move in the electrophoresis gel, but the amount of the macromolecule varies depending on differences in molecular weight, shape, and the like. By utilizing this, the macromolecule of the specimen is separated.
[0004]
The second component is a component for irradiating the electrophoresis gel containing the separated sample macromolecule with ultraviolet rays. Although the separation state of the polymer separated by the first component is invisible as it is, for example, when the electrophoretic gel is stained with a fluorescent substance such as ethidium bromide that binds to a nucleic acid and irradiated with ultraviolet light, The nucleic acid part fluoresces orange. This makes the separation state of the macromolecule of the sample visible. As the ultraviolet radiation source, a fluorescent lamp of ultraviolet emission is usually used, and such an ultraviolet lamp unit as the ultraviolet radiation source and a structure capable of irradiating the electrophoresis gel with ultraviolet rays from now on are collectively referred to. , A fluorescent transilluminator.
[0005]
The third component is a component for recording and analyzing the visualized separation state of the polymer.
[0006]
The present invention relates to an ultraviolet-emitting fluorescent lamp particularly effective as the above-mentioned fluorescent transilluminator. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the fluorescent transilluminator described in FIGS. 7 and 8 of Patent Document 1 again. Referring to FIG. 2, the fluorescent transilluminator shown in FIG. 2 has a structure in which an ultraviolet lamp 8 is built in a box-shaped housing 7. A window is provided on the upper surface of the housing 7, and an ultraviolet transmissive glass 9 is fitted into the window. The ultraviolet transmitting glass 9 has a special filter characteristic of transmitting ultraviolet light but blocking visible light. Then, the electrophoretic gel 10 is placed on the ultraviolet transmissive glass 9, and the ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet lamp 8 is applied to the electrophoretic gel 10 through the ultraviolet transmissive glass 9.
[0007]
By the way, Patent Literature 1 does not describe in detail the ultraviolet lamp 9 used for the fluorescent transilluminator, but the ultraviolet light sources used as the fluorescent transilluminator include the conventional Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3. Alternatively, one disclosed in Patent Document 4 is known. That is, this is an ultraviolet surface light source in which a plurality of straight tube-type ultraviolet light-emitting fluorescent lamps are arranged in parallel to form a surface light source. In particular, in the ultraviolet surface light sources described in Patent Literature 3 and Patent Literature 4, the wavelengths of the ultraviolet rays emitted from the straight fluorescent lamps constituting the ultraviolet light sources are made different, and the fluorescent lamps are switched to be turned on to be taken out. The structure is such that the wavelength of emitted ultraviolet light can be switched.
[0008]
The reason why the light source is a surface light source is that, as described in Patent Document 2, when used as a fluorescent transilluminator, uniformity of luminance is important. The wavelength of the emitted light is made variable for the following reason. As mentioned earlier, DNA itself is not visible to the naked eye, but it can be made visible by irradiating it with ultraviolet light, stained with a reagent that binds to DNA such as ethidium bromide and emits fluorescence. it can. By the way, there are three types of ultraviolet rays, UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C, depending on the wavelength from the long wavelength side. UV-A is an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 315 to 380 nm, UV-B is an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 280 to 315 nm, and UV-C is an ultraviolet ray having a wavelength of 100 to 280 nm. It has the property of emitting light efficiently with respect to UV-B. However, some of the observed DNAs may be killed by UV-B, and in that case, it is desirable to use UV-A having a longer wavelength and lower light energy.
[0009]
Here, a gas containing mercury vapor was conventionally used as a discharge medium for each fluorescent lamp of the ultraviolet surface light source having a structure in which a plurality of the straight tube-type fluorescent lamps described above are arranged in parallel. A mercury-excited ultraviolet fluorescent lamp is mainly used. For example, in the variable wavelength ultraviolet surface light source described in Patent Document 3, mercury vapor is emitted by discharge to the inner wall of a glass tube in a UV-A light emitting fluorescent lamp and a UV-B light emitting fluorescent lamp. A fluorescent lamp in which a phosphor that emits UV-A or UV-B when excited by ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 254 nm is formed in a layer shape is used. Further, as the UV-C emission fluorescent lamp, a fluorescent lamp having a structure in which ultraviolet light of 254 nm from mercury vapor is directly extracted through a glass tube without using a phosphor is used. This UV-C emitting ultraviolet fluorescent lamp is known as a so-called germicidal lamp.
[0010]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-5-215714 (paragraphs [0002] to [0004], FIGS. 7 and 8)
[Patent Document 2]
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,342 (column 1, lines 5-55 and FIG. 3)
[Patent Document 3]
U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,801 (column 2, column 32 to column 7, line 7, FIGS. 1 and 3)
[Patent Document 4]
U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,786 (col. 1, lines 5-53 and FIG. 3)
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, a conventional ultraviolet surface light source has a structure in which a plurality of straight tube-type fluorescent lamps are arranged in parallel, and a mercury-excited ultraviolet fluorescent lamp is used for each fluorescent lamp.
[0012]
Therefore, the conventional ultraviolet surface light source has various problems related to the properties of the mercury-excited ultraviolet fluorescent lamp itself and a problem caused by using the ultraviolet fluorescent lamp having such properties as a component of the fluorescent transilluminator. Will be. The first problem is that the load on the environment is large. The second problem is that deterioration of the tube glass and electrodes due to mercury is inevitable, and the life of the fluorescent lamp is not long. Thirdly, it takes a long time for the mercury vapor pressure inside the tube to stabilize immediately after lighting, and the luminance rises slowly. For this reason, in the fluorescent transilluminator using the ultraviolet fluorescent lamp excited by mercury, there is a problem that the observed DNA may be killed before the luminance reaches a predetermined steady state. Furthermore, since mercury emits light in the visible region in addition to ultraviolet light, the visible light masks DNA stained with ethidium bromide or the like, making it difficult to see, and the accuracy of analysis is reduced. In order to avoid this phenomenon, as described above, a filter must be provided in a window on the upper surface of the fluorescent transilluminator housing 7 (see FIG. 2). The ultraviolet transmitting glass 9 in FIG. 2 plays the role of the filter, which is very expensive because it has to have a special property of passing ultraviolet rays but blocking visible light. It accounts for about 80% of the price of transilluminators.
[0013]
The above-mentioned various problems caused by using a mercury-excited ultraviolet fluorescent lamp can be avoided by a mercury-less rare gas fluorescent lamp using only a rare gas containing no mercury vapor as a discharge medium. This rare gas fluorescent lamp is a fluorescent lamp that has already been put into practical use, for example, a white light emitting lamp is used as a light source of a document reading section of an OA device such as a scanner, a copying machine, or a facsimile machine. A typical example is a rare gas fluorescent lamp having an aperture type external electrode structure.
[0014]
Referring to FIG. 3 showing a perspective view of a straight tube type rare gas fluorescent lamp having an aperture type and an external electrode structure, two parallel strip electrodes 14A and 14B are provided on the outer surface of a cylindrical glass tube 11. I have. These are the external electrodes. These two external electrodes 14A and 14B are both formed by, for example, attaching an elongated tape of aluminum foil along the longitudinal direction of the glass tube 11, and are separated by two upper and lower gaps 15A and 15B. In an insulated state.
[0015]
A rare gas 12 as a discharge medium is sealed in the glass tube 11. The rare gas 12 is, for example, xenon gas or a gas obtained by mixing the same with another rare gas such as neon or argon, and contains no mercury vapor. The sealing pressure is about 100 to 200 Torr. A phosphor layer 13 is formed on the inner wall of the glass tube 11. The phosphor layer 13 has a portion corresponding to the gap 15A between the external electrodes 14A and 14B removed.
[0016]
In this aperture type, straight tube type rare gas fluorescent lamp having an external electrode structure, when a high frequency and a high voltage such as, for example, 30 kHz and 1500 V are applied from the external inverter 16 between the two external electrodes 14A and 14B, a dielectric substance is generated. Through a certain glass tube 11, a dielectric barrier discharge occurs inside the tube. As a result, the phosphor 13 is excited by the ultraviolet light of mainly 172 nm emitted by xenon and emits light, and the light is transmitted through the aperture (the gap 15A between the external electrodes and the corresponding phosphor layer 13 are not formed). The light is extracted to the outside through a slit-shaped light extraction portion).
[0017]
If a straight tube type rare gas fluorescent lamp having an external electrode structure as outlined above is used, a plurality of such lamps may be arranged in parallel to realize a mercury-free surface light source. However, by simply arranging a plurality of straight tube rare gas fluorescent lamps having the above-described structure, a visible light emitting mercury-less surface light source can be obtained, but an ultraviolet light emitting surface light source cannot be obtained.
[0018]
That is, in the fluorescent lamp of the external electrode type, since the electrodes 14A and 14B are provided outside the glass tube 11, the insulation between the electrodes is affected by the external environment such as humidity and adhesion of foreign matter. In addition, since a high frequency and a high voltage are applied between the electrodes, a leak easily occurs between the electrodes. Therefore, an insulator must be provided at least between the electrode 14A and the electrode 14B to improve the insulating property. It is desirable that the insulating structure covers the entire glass tube 11 with an insulator from the viewpoint of the effect of improving the insulating property and the safety in handling. Therefore, conventionally, a heat-shrinkable tube (not shown) covers the entire glass tube 11 from above the external electrode. This insulating tube is easy to process and has good light transmittance in the visible region, but has the property of blocking UV-B ultraviolet light. Therefore, the external electrode type fluorescent lamp having the conventional structure in which the glass tube 11 is covered with the heat shrinkable tube cannot be used for the fluorescent transilluminator.
[0019]
Also, from a manufacturing point of view, in the manufacturing process of the aperture type and the straight tube type fluorescent lamp of the external electrode structure, a tape of an elongated aluminum foil used for the external electrodes 14A and 14B must be attached to a round tube one by one. Processing is very difficult. It is particularly difficult when the diameter of the glass tube 11 is small and narrow. In order to improve the difficulty of manufacturing the aperture type external electrode, a manufacturing method in which two parallel conductor bands are spirally wound around a glass tube has been considered. The electrodes must be made of a translucent material, which limits the choice of electrode materials, the difficulties in manufacturing technology associated with the use of new materials, and the low electrical conductivity of the electrodes Another problem arises, such as the increase in the cost.
[0020]
Therefore, the present invention provides an ultraviolet surface light source having a structure in which a plurality of straight tube-type fluorescent lamps including a plurality of ultraviolet light-emitting lamps are arranged as a surface light source, wherein the straight tube-type ultraviolet fluorescent lamp has an aperture-type external electrode structure. A mercury-free rare gas ultraviolet fluorescent lamp can be used.
[0021]
Another object of the present invention is to facilitate formation of an external electrode, particularly in the manufacture of a straight-tube rare gas fluorescent lamp having an aperture-type external electrode structure constituting the ultraviolet surface light source.
[0022]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The ultraviolet surface light source of the present invention constitutes a surface light source by arranging a plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps having an aperture-type external electrode structure, and the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps includes an ultraviolet light emitting straight tube fluorescent lamp. An ultraviolet light source having a structure in which the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps are fitted one by one on one plane, and having a plurality of parallel grooves having an arc-shaped cross section. The inner wall has a structure in which two strip-shaped conductors serving as external electrodes of a straight tube fluorescent lamp fitted into a groove are formed, and the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps are on the side opposite to the aperture side of the external electrode. And an arc tube fitted into a groove of the insulating block, a mercury-free rare gas serving as a discharge medium is sealed therein, and a phosphor layer is formed on an inner wall. A band formed on the inner wall of the groove of the insulating block A straight tube fluorescent lamp having the aperture-type external electrode structure integrated with the conductor of the light emitting tube, which emits light having a wavelength corresponding to the phosphor layer formed on the inner wall; A light-transmitting block that is in close contact with one surface of the insulating block and holds the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps from an aperture side of an external electrode, the light-transmitting block being made of an ultraviolet-transmissive material, On the surface in contact with, each of the straight tube fluorescent lamps, an ultraviolet-transmitting light-transmitting block having a plurality of arc-shaped grooves arranged in parallel in cross section, and the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps Switching and lighting means.
[0023]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 (a) showing a perspective view of a fluorescent transilluminator according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 (b) showing a disassembled state in a sectional view, with reference to FIG. A plurality of (four in this example) straight tube fluorescent lamps 1 having an aperture type and an external electrode structure are embedded in a solid block-shaped insulator in parallel with a space therebetween. In this case, the lamp that is turned on by switching the switch SW can be switched. (In FIG. 1A, the fluorescent lamp formed on the inner wall of the fluorescent lamp is simplified in order to simplify the drawing and to make it easier to understand. Body layers are omitted). The block-shaped insulator has a structure in which the electrode-side insulating block 2 located on the lower side of the drawing sheet and the two portions of the light extraction-side insulating block 3 located on the upper side are in close contact with the fluorescent lamp 1 interposed therebetween. Has become.
[0024]
The light extraction side insulating block 3 is made of a material having ultraviolet transmittance. This light-extraction-side insulating block 3 is different from the ultraviolet-transmissive glass 9 (see FIG. 3) in the conventional fluorescent illuminator in that it has a special property that it allows ultraviolet light to pass but does not allow light in the visible region to pass. It has the property of passing from the ultraviolet region to the visible region. Such an insulating material may be glass or plastic, but it does not require special optical properties as in the case of the conventional ultraviolet transmissive glass 9 (same as above). It is easily available and inexpensive. If it is glass, the same glass material as the glass tube 11 can be used. If it is a plastic, a methacrylic resin material (for example, manufactured by Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd., registered trademark: Acrylite, or manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., registered trademark: Sumipex) can be used. On the other hand, the electrode-side insulating block 2 does not need to be particularly ultraviolet-transmitting. Rather, it is preferable to use a light-shielding material in consideration of deterioration of other members due to ultraviolet rays. However, it is needless to say that the light-blocking side insulating block 2 may be made of the same material.
[0025]
Each of the four straight tube fluorescent lamps 1 is a mercury-less rare gas fluorescent lamp having an aperture-type external electrode structure, but unlike this type of conventional fluorescent lamp, both of the external electrodes 4A and 4B are Instead of being provided on the glass tube 11, it is provided on the electrode-side insulating block 2. A xenon gas 12 is sealed in the glass tube 11 as a discharge medium at a pressure of 100 Torr. The discharge medium is not limited to xenon gas, but may be a mixture of other gases such as neon, argon, and krypton. The sealing pressure is not limited to this example, and a pressure of about 50 to 300 Torr is usually used.
[0026]
On the inner wall of the glass tube 11, a layer 13 of a phosphor emitting ultraviolet light is formed. The phosphor includes a luminous tube (a glass tube 11, a rare gas 12 serving as a discharge medium sealed inside the tube, and a phosphor layer 13 formed on the inner wall of the glass tube). In the case of this example, the first and third arc tubes from the left side of the drawing are provided with a layer 13A of a UV-B light emitting phosphor, and the second and fourth arc tubes are formed. A phosphor layer 13B for UV-A emission is formed in the second arc tube. In this embodiment, (Ca, Zn) ₃ (PO ₄ ) ₂ : Tl is used for the UV-B emission ultraviolet phosphor. Alternatively, Ca ₃ (PO ₄ ) ₂ : Tl can be used. Alternatively, a gadolinium (Gd) activated ultraviolet light emitting phosphor described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-395356 by the same assignee as the assignee of the present invention can also be used. Other examples of the gadolinium-activated ultraviolet light-emitting phosphor include a YF ₃ : Gd, Pr phosphor disclosed in JP-A-2001-08460 and JP-A-2001-172624 by the same assignee, YBO ₃ : Gd, Pr phosphor or YB _x O _y : Gd, Pr phosphor (x and y are arbitrary). UV-A light emitting phosphors include BaSi ₂ O ₅ : Pb phosphor, (Ba, Sr, Mg) ₃ Si ₂ O ₇ : Pb phosphor, SrB ₄ O ₇ : Eu phosphor, and YPO ₄ : Ce phosphor. , LaPO ₄ : Ce phosphor, (Mg, Ba) Al ₁₁ O ₁₉ : Ce phosphor, or the like can be used.
[0027]
The fluorescent transilluminator according to the present example is manufactured as follows. Referring to FIG. 1B which shows a cross-sectional view of the fluorescent trans illuminator in an exploded manner, first, an electrode-side insulating block 2, a light emitting tube 5, and a light extraction-side insulating block 3, which are constituent members of the fluorescent trans illuminator. Prepare In the arc tube 5, the above-mentioned ultraviolet light-emitting phosphor film 13A or 13B is formed on the inner wall of the glass tube by a conventionally known method, and xenon gas is sealed therein at a pressure of 100 Torr. No external electrodes are formed.
[0028]
The electrode-side insulating block 2 and the light-extracting-side insulating block 3 are made of an insulating material. In particular, the light-extracting-side insulating block 3 is formed of the above-described ultraviolet-transparent plastic. Then, on the opposing surfaces of the two insulating blocks 2 and 3, a groove having an arc-shaped cross section corresponding to the outer shape of the arc tube 5 is provided. On the wall surface of the groove of the electrode-side insulating block 2, two strip-shaped conductors 4A and 4B to be aperture-type external electrodes are further formed for each groove. As the electrode material, a metal paste, a metal wire, a metal foil, a metal deposition film, or the like is used. The width and thickness of the conductors 4A and 4B may be set to appropriate values according to the diameter of the glass tube 11, the electrode material, the power at the time of lighting, and the like. In order to ensure that the outer wall of the tube 11 is in close contact with the outer wall, the thickness is preferably 100 μm or more. If the adhesion between the external electrodes 4A and 4B and the glass tube 11 is not good, energy loss at the time of lighting becomes large. Therefore, it is a good method to use an elastic material for the electrode-side insulating block 2.
[0029]
Then, the arc tube 5 is fitted into the groove of the electrode-side insulating block 2, and the light-extracting-side insulating block 3 is further covered thereon, and the two insulating blocks 2 and 3 are bonded. A mechanical method such as screwing may be used, but adhesion may be good in consideration of the barrier property against the outside air.
[0030]
Finally, an AC inverter, which is a lighting power source, is connected to each of the external electrodes 4A and 4B. A dedicated inverter is prepared for each group of arc tubes having the same characteristics. That is, the inverter 6A is connected to the first and third UV-B emission fluorescent lamps from the left side of the paper, and the inverter 6B is connected to the second and fourth UV-A emission fluorescent lamps from the left. The light is switched by switching between UV-B and UV-A.
[0031]
The ultraviolet surface light source according to the present invention uses only a rare gas containing no mercury vapor in a discharge medium. The emission spectrum of the discharge medium containing mercury vapor contains components in the visible region, whereas when the discharge medium is only a rare gas, the emission spectrum has no components in the visible region due to the mercury vapor. Therefore, when the ultraviolet surface light source according to the present invention is used for a fluorescent transilluminator, an expensive filter having a special property of passing ultraviolet light but blocking visible light, which was conventionally required to block visible light, was used. Is not necessary. Of course, there are various problems associated with the use of mercury vapor as a medium, that is, there is a high risk of environmental pollution, deterioration of the glass tube and electrodes is inevitable, or it takes a long time for the luminance to stabilize immediately after lighting. Such problems are eliminated or alleviated.
[0032]
In the ultraviolet light source according to the present invention, in order to insulate and secure safety between the electrodes of the fluorescent lamp having the external electrode structure, the fluorescent lamp is replaced with a block-shaped glass or plastic instead of using a conventional heat-shrinkable tube. Embedded inside. Some glasses and plastics have ultraviolet transmittance. Therefore, by selecting such glass or plastic having ultraviolet transmittance and using it for the light extraction part, in a conventional external electrode type fluorescent lamp in which the fluorescent lamp is covered with a heat shrinkable tube, the heat shrinkable tube is It can be applied to the use of fluorescent transilluminator, which could not be applied because it does not pass ultraviolet light.
[0033]
Since the fluorescent lamp is embedded in a block-shaped insulator, when the ultraviolet surface light source according to the present invention is used as a fluorescent transilluminator, the electrophoretic gel 10 (see FIG. 2) is extracted. It can be directly mounted on the side insulating block 3. Therefore, in extreme terms, the housing which was conventionally required is unnecessary, and the structure is simplified accordingly.
[0034]
In the ultraviolet surface light source according to the present invention, the electrodes of the aperture type and the straight tube type fluorescent lamp having the external electrode structure are provided not on the arc tube 5 but on the insulating block 2. This facilitates the formation of the external electrode and reduces the displacement and peeling of the electrode as compared with the conventional manufacturing method of attaching the electrode to the glass tube.
[0035]
When the ultraviolet surface light source according to the present invention is used for a fluorescent transilluminator, it is preferable to use a gadolinium (Gd) activated ultraviolet light emitting phosphor as the UV-B light emitting ultraviolet phosphor. As described above, other ultraviolet phosphors in this region include, for example, (Ca, Zn) ₃ (PO ₄ ) ₂ : Tl phosphor and Ca ₃ (PO ₄ ) ₂ : Tl phosphor. Although it can be used, gadolinium (Gd) activated ultraviolet light emitting phosphors have higher emission intensity and a sharper spectrum than these phosphors.
[0036]
In the embodiment, the structure for switching between UV-B and UV-A has been described as an example. However, the combination of the emission wavelengths is not limited to these two types, and may be a combination of other wavelength regions. Good. Furthermore, instead of two types, for example, UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C may be switched in three types of wavelength regions, and more visible light such as white light may be added. May be emitted. Further, for example, even in the case of ultraviolet light in the same UV-B region, the wavelength of emitted light may be different in the UV-B region by changing the composition of the phosphor.
[0037]
In the ultraviolet surface light source according to the present invention, it is not necessary that all the fluorescent lamps constituting the ultraviolet light source emit different wavelengths. There may be more than one emitting the same wavelength. In that case, fluorescent lamps that emit light of the same wavelength are turned on simultaneously.
[0038]
In the embodiments, the case where the present invention is used for a fluorescent transilluminator of an electrophoresis apparatus has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it can be used as a light source for curing an ultraviolet curable resin, which is often used in a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device such as an LSI or a passive electronic component such as a capacitor.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, in an ultraviolet surface light source having a structure in which a plurality of straight tube-type fluorescent lamps including those emitting ultraviolet light are arranged as a surface light source, an aperture is provided on the straight tube-type ultraviolet fluorescent lamp. It is possible to use a mercury-less rare gas ultraviolet fluorescent lamp having a shaped external electrode structure.
[0040]
Another object of the present invention is to facilitate formation of an external electrode, particularly in the manufacture of a straight tube-type rare gas fluorescent lamp having an aperture-type external electrode structure constituting the ultraviolet surface light source.
[0041]
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention has a particularly remarkable effect when used for a fluorescent transilluminator.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ultraviolet light source according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a sectional view showing an exploded state.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a sectional view of a conventional fluorescent transilluminator.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a straight fluorescent lamp having an aperture type and an external electrode structure.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 fluorescent lamp 2 electrode side insulating block 3 light extraction side insulating block 4A, 4B external electrode 5 arc tube 6A, 6B inverter 12 rare gas 15A, 15B gap SW switch

Claims (9)

Each uses only a mercury-free rare gas as the discharge medium, has an aperture-type external electrode structure, and has a structure in which a plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps that emit light of a specific wavelength are arranged side by side. In the light source, the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps includes a surface light source including one that emits ultraviolet light, and lighting means for switching and lighting the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps,
An ultraviolet surface light source having a structure in which the wavelength of emitted light is switched by switching and lighting the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps. In a structure in which a plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps are embedded in parallel in a block of solid insulator, a surface light source including a straight tube fluorescent lamp of ultraviolet light emission, and the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps are switched. Lighting means,
Both straight tube fluorescent lamps have an aperture-type external electrode structure and a fluorescent lamp having a structure using only mercury-free rare gas as a discharge medium,
An aperture type external electrode of each straight tube fluorescent lamp is provided on the block side of the insulator,
An ultraviolet surface light source, wherein the light extraction portion of the insulating block is made of an ultraviolet transmitting material. An ultraviolet surface light source having a structure in which a plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps having an aperture type external electrode structure are arranged to form a surface light source, and the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps include a straight tube fluorescent lamp emitting ultraviolet light. And
A plurality of straight tube-shaped fluorescent lamps, each having a plurality of parallel arc-shaped cross-sections, each of which is fitted in a plane, and a straight tube-type fluorescent lamp fitted into the groove on the inner wall of each groove; An insulating block that holds the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps from a side opposite to the aperture side of the external electrodes, with a structure in which two strip-shaped conductors that become external electrodes are formed,
An arc tube fitted into the groove of the insulating block, a mercury-free rare gas serving as a discharge medium is sealed therein, and a phosphor layer is formed on an inner wall of the arc tube. A straight tube fluorescent lamp having the aperture-type external electrode structure is formed integrally with the strip-shaped conductor formed on the inner wall, and the light having a wavelength corresponding to the phosphor layer formed on the inner wall is formed. An arc tube that emits light,
A light-transmitting block that is in close contact with one surface of the insulating block and holds the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps from an aperture side of an external electrode, and is made of an ultraviolet-transmissive material. On the contacting surface, an ultraviolet-transmissive light-transmitting block having a plurality of parallel-arranged grooves having an arc-shaped cross section, which is in close contact with each straight tube fluorescent lamp,
Means for switching and lighting the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps. The ultraviolet surface light source according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of straight tube fluorescent lamps include a plurality of types of ultraviolet light emitting fluorescent lamps having different emission ultraviolet light wavelengths. The radiation ultraviolet light of the plurality of types of ultraviolet light-emitting fluorescent lamps belongs to different wavelength bands of the UV-A band, the UV-B band, and the UV-C band. UV light source. The ultraviolet light source according to claim 5, wherein a gadolinium-activated phosphor is used as a phosphor of the straight tube fluorescent lamp that emits ultraviolet light having a wavelength belonging to the UV-B band. The ultraviolet surface light source according to claim 3, wherein a thickness of a conductor forming an external electrode of the straight tube fluorescent lamp is 100 µm or more. The ultraviolet light source according to claim 3, wherein the light-transmitting block is made of a plastic having ultraviolet transmittance. In a fluorescent transilluminator having a structure that incorporates an ultraviolet light source and irradiates the electrophoretic gel with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet light source,
4. A fluorescent transilluminator, wherein the ultraviolet light source according to claim 3 is used as the ultraviolet light source, and the electrophoresis gel is directly mounted on a transparent block of the ultraviolet light source.

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