JP2005285366A - Lamp socket, discharge lamp starting device, vehicle headlight, and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To keep a partial discharge of a lamp connected to an inner electrode from occurring around the electrode. <P>SOLUTION: A socket part 11 of a lamp socket 1 has a mating recess 13 into which the base 23 of a high-pressure discharge lamp La removably fits. The inner electrode 14 to which high voltages are applied is disposed at the center of the interior of the mating recess 13 provided in the socket part 11. An outer electrode 15 is disposed on the circumference of the interior of the mating recess 13. A cylindrical protective wall 16 projects from the inner bottom surface of the mating recess 13 in such a manner as to surround the overall circumference of the inner electrode 15 between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15. A sealing member 17 is disposed to completely fill the space between the end face of the protective wall 16 and the base 23 of the lamp La, with the base 23 of the lamp La mounted in the mating recess 13. The sealing member 17 has an isolating part 17a made of insulating material and disposed along the overall circumference of the end face of the protective wall 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a lamp socket using a high-pressure discharge lamp (HID lamp), a discharge lamp starting device, a vehicle headlamp, and a vehicle.

  In recent years, small high-pressure discharge lamps (hereinafter simply referred to as “lamps”) have been used in fields where high-luminance light sources such as vehicle headlamps and projector light sources are required.

  As this type of lamp La, for example, as shown in FIG. 18, the base 21 has a structure in which an arc tube 20 is held via a connecting wire 22, and a cylindrical cap 23 is integrally formed with the base 21. There is something formed. A post-shaped center electrode 24 is disposed inside the base part 23, and an outer peripheral electrode 25 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the base part 23.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 19, the lamp socket 1 to which the lamp La is detachably connected has a socket portion 11 formed in a cylindrical shape on one surface of the socket case 10, and the lamp La is inserted into the socket portion 11. The base part 23 is inserted. The socket case 10 is integrally provided with a connector portion 12 coupled to a harness 37 (see FIG. 16) that connects the lighting circuit 4 (see FIG. 8) described later.

  The lamp socket 1 shown in FIG. 19 includes an inner electrode 14 and an outer electrode 15 connected to the center electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 of the lamp La, respectively, inside the socket portion 11 (see FIG. 2). When starting the lamp La, it is necessary to apply a high voltage, and the voltage applied between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15 may reach about 30 kV, which is the standard of the base portion 23 of the lamp La. When using a lamp La in which the distance between the electrodes is reduced due to miniaturization as in P32d, it is an important issue to ensure insulation. That is, it is necessary to ensure insulation between the center electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 of the lamp La and between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15 provided in the lamp socket 1.

  As a technique for coping with such a problem, it is considered to use an insulating seal member. For example, in a state where the lamp La is mounted on the lamp socket 1, by using a sealing member made of an elastic material that is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the recess in which the center electrode 24 provided on the base portion 23 of the lamp La is disposed, the lamp A configuration has been proposed in which a space between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15 is prevented from being formed by sealing a space between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15 of the socket 1 (see FIG. For example, see Patent Document 1).

In addition, a configuration in which a seal member is provided for the purpose of insulation between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15 provided in the lamp socket 1 so as to be connected to the center electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 of the lamp La is also proposed. (For example, see Patent Document 2).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-320714 (paragraphs 0003-0006, FIG. 1) JP 2002-42999 A (paragraph 0021, FIG. 1)

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above, the seal member is disposed so as to be in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the recess provided in the lamp La, so that the center to which the high voltage is applied is disposed inside the recess. It is considered that a gap communicating between the electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 is not formed, and energy leakage at the time of applying a high voltage can be suppressed. However, since a gap is left between the center electrode 24 and the seal member, an air layer exists between the lamp electrode 1 and the bottom surface of the recess provided in the lamp La. Therefore, it cannot be said that the effect of suppressing the occurrence of partial discharge due to corona discharge generated around the center electrode 24 is sufficient.

  Moreover, since the technique described in Patent Document 2 is provided with a sealing member for insulation between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15 provided in the lamp socket 1, the lamp La is connected to the lamp socket 1. In the mounted state, a gap is formed between the central electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 of the lamp La, and there is a possibility that a discharge occurs between the central electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 of the lamp La. The effect of suppressing the leakage of energy when a high voltage is applied cannot be expected.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned reasons, and the purpose thereof is to form a gap that communicates not only between the inner electrode and the outer electrode but also between both electrodes of the lamp when the lamp is mounted. A lamp socket that sufficiently suppresses the occurrence of partial discharge by reducing almost no space around the electrode of the lamp connected to the inner electrode, and reduces energy loss when a high voltage is applied, The object is to provide a discharge lamp starting device, a vehicle headlamp, and a vehicle.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a socket portion having a fitting recess into which a cap portion of a lamp, which is a high-pressure discharge lamp, is detachably fitted, and a central portion in the fitting recess are applied with a high voltage. The inner electrode, the outer electrode disposed on the periphery of the fitting recess, and the inner electrode is projected from the inner bottom surface of the fitting recess so as to surround the entire circumference between the inner electrode and the outer electrode. When the lamp cap part is fitted in the fitting recess, the entire circumference of the front end face of the protective wall is filled so that there is no gap between at least the front end face of the protective wall and the lamp base part. And a sealing member made of an insulating material having an isolation portion disposed over the space.

  According to this configuration, the gap between the front end surface of the protective wall provided between the inner electrode and the outer electrode and the base portion of the lamp is an isolation portion provided on the seal member over the entire circumference of the front end surface of the protective wall. Since it is filled without any gaps, creeping discharge between the inner and outer electrodes can be prevented when the lamp is mounted, as well as partial discharge that may occur around the inner electrode is suppressed. The loss due to the high voltage partial discharge applied to the lamp from the inner electrode at the start of the lamp can be prevented, thereby reducing the possibility that the start will be delayed or failed. it can. Further, miniaturization is possible by suppressing creeping discharge and partial discharge.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the seal member is made of an elastic material, is formed integrally with the isolation portion, and extends along the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall. An outer piece that fills a gap between the lamp and the base portion of the lamp is provided, and an inner dimension of the outer piece is smaller than an outer dimension of the protective wall.

  According to this configuration, since the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall and the base portion of the lamp is filled with the outer piece, creeping discharge between the inner electrode and the outer electrode can be prevented. Moreover, since the sealing member is made of an elastic material and the inner dimension of the outer piece is smaller than the outer dimension of the protective wall, the sealing member is in close contact with the protective wall, and can prevent displacement of the sealing member when the lamp is inserted and removed. it can. Further, since the seal member is held by the frictional force between the seal member and the protective wall, the shape of the seal member is simple, and an increase in the manufacturing cost of the seal member can be suppressed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the seal member is made of an elastic material, is formed integrally with the isolation portion, and extends along the inner peripheral surface of the protective wall. The lamp comprises an inner piece that fills a part of the gap between the central electrode connected to the inner electrode and the inner peripheral surface of the protective wall, and the outer dimension of the inner piece is larger than the inner dimension of the protective wall. And

  According to this configuration, since the inner piece covers the periphery of the center electrode of the lamp connected to the inner electrode together with the isolation portion, partial discharge that may occur around the center electrode of the lamp can be suppressed. In particular, since the sealing member made of an insulating material is disposed so as to fill the gap in the vicinity of the center electrode of the lamp, the effect of suppressing the occurrence of partial discharge is enhanced. In addition, since the seal member is an elastic material and the outer dimension of the inner piece is smaller than the inner dimension of the protective wall, the seal member is in close contact with the protective wall, thereby preventing displacement of the seal member when the lamp is inserted and removed. it can. Further, since the seal member is held by the frictional force between the seal member and the protective wall, the shape of the seal member is simple, and an increase in the manufacturing cost of the seal member can be suppressed. In particular, in the configuration combined with the configuration of the invention of claim 2, the protective wall is sandwiched between the outer piece and the inner piece, so that the seal member can be firmly held.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, the inner electrode is a leaf spring, and the inner electrode is located between the protective wall and the inner electrode when the lamp cap is mounted on the socket. It bends so that a piece may be clamped.

  According to this configuration, since the inner electrode is used for holding the seal member, it is possible to more reliably prevent the displacement of the seal member when the lamp is inserted and removed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, a conductive plate connected to the inner electrode is embedded in the bottom surface of the fitting recess formed in the socket portion, and the sealing member The cover piece which covers the site | part corresponding to a conductive plate is extended from the at least one part of the outer side piece of this.

  According to this configuration, even when the withstand voltage of the material forming the socket portion is low, the insulation between the conductive plate to which a high voltage is applied and other parts can be secured by the seal member, The voltage property can be improved, and the socket portion can be downsized.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, the seal member is formed integrally with the protective wall by synthetic resin injection molding.

  According to this configuration, a process for assembling the seal member to the socket portion is not required, so that the processing cost is reduced.

  The invention of claim 7 is a discharge lamp starting device, and generates a high voltage to be applied between the lamp socket according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and the inner electrode and the outer electrode. The pulse transformer used for this purpose is provided in one socket case.

  According to this configuration, since the pulse transformer used for generating a high voltage is provided in the same socket case as the lamp socket, the distance between the inner electrode to which the high voltage is applied and the pulse transformer can be reduced. The high voltage generated by the transformer can be applied to the inner electrode without loss.

  The invention of claim 8 is a discharge lamp starting device, wherein the pulse transformer is sealed by an envelope made of a withstand voltage synthetic resin.

  According to this configuration, since the pulse transformer is sealed with a voltage-resistant synthetic resin, partial discharge does not occur around the pulse transformer, and the inner electrode is not lost without losing the high voltage generated in the pulse transformer. Can be applied.

  A ninth aspect of the present invention is a vehicle headlamp, comprising the lamp socket according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.

  According to this configuration, since the small lamp socket is used for the vehicle headlamp, the vehicle headlamp can be downsized.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is a vehicle headlamp device, comprising the discharge lamp starting device according to the seventh or eighth aspect.

  According to this configuration, since the small discharge lamp starting device provided with the pulse transformer in the socket case is used, the vehicle headlamp apparatus can be miniaturized.

  The invention of claim 11 is a vehicle, comprising the vehicle headlamp apparatus of claim 9 or claim 10.

  According to this structure, since the small vehicle headlamp apparatus can be used, the arrangement space of the headlamp apparatus in the vehicle can be reduced.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, the isolation member provided between the front end surface of the protective wall provided between the inner electrode and the outer electrode and the base portion of the lamp is provided on the seal member over the entire periphery of the front end surface of the protective wall. Since it is filled with no gaps in the area, it is possible to prevent creeping discharge between the inner electrode and the outer electrode when the lamp is mounted, as well as partial discharge that may occur around the inner electrode. The loss due to the partial discharge of the high voltage applied from the inner electrode to the lamp at the start of the lamp can be prevented, thereby reducing the possibility that the start will be delayed or failed. There is an advantage that you can.

(Embodiment 1)
The present embodiment is a lamp socket 1 for connecting a high-pressure discharge lamp (lamp La) having the shape shown in FIG. 18, and as shown in FIG. 2, a cylindrical cap 23 projecting from the lamp La. Has a shape in which a cylindrical socket portion 11 that can be inserted and removed is projected from one surface of the socket case 10. A fitting recess 13 into which the base part 23 is inserted is formed inside the socket part 11. The socket part 11 has a center part of the lamp La in a state where the base part 23 of the lamp La is coupled to the socket part 11. An inner electrode 14 that contacts the electrode 24 and an outer electrode 15 that contacts the outer peripheral electrode 25 of the lamp La are disposed. That is, the inner electrode 14 is disposed in the center portion in the fitting recess 13, and the outer electrode 15 is disposed in the peripheral portion in the fitting recess 13. A cylindrical protective wall 16 projects from the inner bottom surface of the fitting recess 13 so as to surround the inner electrode 14 between the inner electrode 14 and the outer electrode 15 over the entire circumference.

  By the way, in a state where the base portion 23 of the lamp La is inserted into the fitting recess 13, the gap between the center electrode 24 (or the inner electrode 14) and the outer peripheral electrode 25 (the outer electrode 15) is as shown in FIG. Gaps are likely to occur at the locations indicated by the hatched portion A. As described in the conventional configuration, if a gap communicating with this portion is generated, creeping discharge may occur between the center electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 on the high voltage side. Further, if there is a gap around the center electrode 24 on the high voltage side, partial discharge occurs, and there is a risk that high voltage energy applied when starting the lamp La will be lost. When such energy loss occurs, the start of the lamp La may be delayed, and the lamp La may not start. In the conventional configuration, although the creeping discharge is considered, the partial discharge generated in the vicinity of the electrode on the high voltage side is not considered, and energy loss is caused by the partial discharge.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, the thickness dimension is such that the space between the front end surface of the protective wall 16 and the inner bottom surface of the base portion 23 of the lamp La is filled with no gap over the entire circumference of the protective wall 16. By disposing the seal member 17 including the isolation portion 17a in which is set, an attempt is made to prevent energy loss when a high voltage is applied. The seal member 17 is made of an insulating material having elasticity, and for example, silicon rubber is used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the sealing member 17 has a cylindrical shape that fits into the protective wall 16 as a whole, and extends continuously and integrally along the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall 16 from the isolation portion 17 a. An outer piece 17b and a cylindrical inner piece 17c extending continuously and integrally along the inner peripheral surface of the protective wall 16 from the isolation portion 17a are provided. That is, both the outer piece 17 b and the inner piece 17 c are formed over the entire circumference of the protective wall 16. The outer piece 17b has a length over the entire length of the projecting dimension of the protective wall 16, and the inner piece 17c has a length of a part of the projecting dimension of the protective wall 16. Accordingly, the inner piece 17c has a shorter projecting dimension from the isolation portion 17a than the outer piece 17b. Further, the inner dimension (inner diameter) of the outer piece 17b is formed slightly smaller than the outer dimension (outer diameter) of the protective wall 16, and the outer dimension (outer diameter) of the inner piece 17c is smaller than the inner dimension (inner diameter) of the protective wall 16. It is slightly larger. Accordingly, the outer piece 17b and the inner piece 17c are in close contact with the protective wall 16, and the seal member 17 is held on the protective wall 16 by a large frictional force. When the lamp La is inserted and removed, the seal member 17 is detached from the lamp socket 1. Can be prevented. Further, the outer piece 17b and the inner piece 17c are gaps between a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the base portion 23 of the lamp La and the protective wall 16 and a gap between the center electrode 24 of the lamp La and the protective wall 16. The thickness dimension is set so that it can be completely filled.

  Since the sealing member 17 described above sandwiches the protective wall 16 from inside and outside, the sealing member 17 is held by the lamp socket 1 when the sealing member 17 comes into close contact with the protective wall 16, and the sealing member 17 is coupled to the protective wall 16. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sealing member 17 from dropping off from the protective wall 16 without forming a structure such as irregularities. That is, the mold for forming the seal member 17 can be a simple structure that does not require a slide core or the like, and the mold cost and the cost for producing the seal member 17 can be reduced. In addition, if the unevenness | corrugation for anti-slip is formed in the surface (inner peripheral surface and outer peripheral surface) of the protective wall 16, position shift of the sealing member 17 can be prevented more reliably.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4A, the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall 16 is not inclined with respect to the direction in which the lamp La is inserted or removed (the direction orthogonal to the inner bottom surface of the socket portion 11), or 0 even if it is inclined. .5 degrees or less. As shown in FIG. 4B, when the angle formed by the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall 16 with respect to the direction orthogonal to the inner bottom surface of the socket portion 11 exceeds 0.5 degrees, the lamp La is inserted and removed. This is because the seal member 17 is easily removed from the protective wall 16 and the seal member 17 may be displaced, or the seal member 17 may fall off the lamp socket 1. That is, since the angle formed by the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall 16 with respect to the direction orthogonal to the inner bottom surface of the socket portion 11 is 0.5 degrees or less, the positional displacement of the seal member 17 when the lamp La is inserted and removed can be prevented. .

  Moreover, in the configuration of the present embodiment, since the inner piece 17c is provided, a part of the center electrode 24 in the lamp La is covered with the inner piece 17c, so that there are few gaps around the center electrode 24 and partial discharge is caused. As a result, energy loss when applying a high voltage is reduced. Further, when the seal member 17 is mounted, if the position is shifted with respect to the protective wall 16, the inner piece 17 c cannot be pushed in by being placed on the protective wall 16. Defects can be easily confirmed visually.

  The seal member 17 may be formed separately from the socket portion 11 by an insulating material such as silicon rubber as described above, but is integrated with the socket portion 11 by injection molding using a synthetic resin such as an elastomer. You may form in. If the sealing member 17 is formed integrally with the socket portion 11 in this way, the process of mounting the sealing member 17 on the socket portion 11 is reduced, and the cost can be reduced by reducing the number of steps.

  By the way, the lamp socket 1 of this embodiment is integrally provided with an igniter 2 (see FIG. 9) that generates a high starting voltage at the time of starting. The igniter 2 has a configuration shown in FIG. 8, for example, and has a function of generating a high voltage for starting the lamp La connected to the socket portion 11. The illustrated igniter 2 includes three input terminals t11 to t13. A voltage applied to the input terminal t13 is used as a reference potential, and the remaining input terminals t11 and t12 are connected to a lighting circuit 4 described later (see FIG. 9). For example, voltages of 600V and -380V are applied. A charging capacitor C1 is connected between the input terminals t12 and t13 via the socket portion 11, and a series circuit of the primary winding of the pulse transformer PT and the discharging gap SG is connected between both ends of the charging capacitor C1. . A secondary winding of the pulse transformer PT is connected between the input terminals t11 and t12 through the socket portion 11.

  For example, when used for a vehicle headlamp, as shown in FIG. 9, a lamp socket 1 integrated with an igniter 2 is housed in a lamp housing 3 of the headlamp together with a lamp La, A 12V battery mounted on the battery is connected to the lighting circuit 4 used for the power source DC. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the lamp La is connected to the socket portion 11 provided in the lamp socket 1. The lighting circuit 4 includes an inverter circuit, converts the power source DC, which is a direct current power source, into an alternating voltage that can light the lamp La, and applies the alternating voltage to the igniter 2.

  The socket unit 11 includes three output terminals t21 to t23, the output terminal t21 becomes the inner electrode 14, and the output terminals t22 and t23 become the outer electrode 15. The reason why the two output terminals t22 and t223 are used as the outer electrode 15 is to open the space between the output terminals t22 and t23 in a state where the lamp La is not attached to the socket portion 11, During t23, the lamp La is short-circuited. The output terminal t21 is connected to the input terminal t11 via the secondary winding of the pulse transformer PT, the charging capacitor C1 is connected between the output terminal t22 and the input terminal t13, and the output terminal t23 is connected to the input terminal t12. The Therefore, in a state where the lamp La is not mounted on the socket portion 11, the output terminals t22 and t23 are open, and the charging capacitor C1 is not charged, thereby preventing a high voltage from being generated in the inner electrode 14. be able to.

  In order to light the lamp La, a charging current is supplied from the lighting circuit 4 to the charging capacitor C1 through the input terminals t12 and t13 in a state where the lamp La is mounted on the socket portion 11. When the voltage across the charging capacitor C1 reaches the breakover voltage of the discharge gap SG, the discharge gap SG is discharged, current flows in the primary winding of the pulse transformer PT, and a high voltage is generated in the secondary winding. Therefore, a high starting voltage can be applied to the lamp La connected between the output terminals t21 and t23, and the lamp La can be started.

  The lamp socket 1 is a socket case 10 in which a socket block 18 having the shape shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is housed in a socket case 10 serving as an outer shell. The socket block 18 has a conductive plate embedded in a synthetic resin molded product. Each electronic component constituting the igniter 2 is mounted on the molded circuit board 19. The molded circuit board 19 has a connection port 19a formed in a cylindrical shape so as to form the socket portion 11 together with the socket case 10, and a protective wall 16 is formed inside the connection port 19a. Further, a part of the conductive plate is exposed to the peripheral wall of the connection port 19a to form the outer electrode 15, and the other part of the conductive plate is exposed to the inner side of the protective wall 16 to show the inner electrode 14 (shown in FIG. 5). Not formed).

  By the way, since a high voltage is generated by the pulse transformer PT, partial discharge may also occur in the pulse transformer PT. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the entire outer periphery of the pulse transformer PT is sealed with an outer package 19b of a synthetic resin (referred to as a voltage-resistant resin) that is unlikely to cause partial discharge. As this type of resin, an epoxy resin or a polyamide resin can be used. By sealing the pulse transformer PT with a withstand voltage resin, a partial discharge does not occur around the pulse transformer PT, and a high voltage generated by the pulse transformer PT can be applied to the inner electrode 14 without loss. .

(Embodiment 2)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, a plurality of pressing protrusions 17 d are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer piece 17 b of the seal member 17, and the seal member 17 is attached to the protective wall 16. In addition, it is possible to apply a pressing force to the pressing protrusion 17d, and the work of mounting the seal member 17 on the socket portion 11 is facilitated. In the illustrated example, four pressing protrusions 17d are provided at intervals of 90 degrees in the circumferential direction of the seal member 17, but the same effect can be expected with two pressing protrusions 17d provided at intervals of 180 degrees in the circumferential direction of the seal member 17. Other configurations and functions are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
As shown in FIG. 11, the present embodiment includes a pair of receiving pieces 14 a made of leaf springs as the inner electrode 14 disposed in the socket portion 11, and each receiving piece 14 a has a direction in which the tip portions are separated from each other. It is formed in a bent shape. The minimum interval between the receiving pieces 14a is smaller than the diameter of the center electrode 24 provided on the lamp La. The leading edge of the receiving piece 14 a faces the inner piece 17 c of the seal member 17.

  In the configuration of the present embodiment, when the base portion 23 of the lamp La is connected to the socket portion 11, the center electrode 24 is inserted between the two receiving pieces 14 a, thereby increasing the distance between the receiving pieces 14 a. The leading edge of 14 a elastically contacts the inner piece 17 c of the seal member 17. That is, the leading edge of the inner piece 14 a hooks the side surface of the inner measuring piece 17 c of the sealing member 17, and the receiving piece 14 a bends with the inner piece 17 c of the sealing member 17 sandwiched between the inner peripheral surface of the protective wall 16. It will be. With this configuration, the seal member 17 is held by the inner electrode 14, and the displacement of the seal member 17 can be more reliably prevented. Other configurations and functions are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 4)
In each of the above-described embodiments, the seal member 17 includes the outer piece 17b and the inner piece 17c in addition to the isolation portion 17a that fills the gap between the tip surface of the protective wall 16 and the base portion 23 of the lamp La without gaps. Although the present invention is used, the object of the present invention is to prevent partial discharge around the center electrode 24 to which a high voltage is applied, so that the minimum configuration is to have only the isolation portion 17a.

  In the example shown in FIG. 12, the inner piece 17c is not provided, and the outer piece 17b is shorter than that of the first embodiment. The isolation portion 17a extends to a portion that contacts the center electrode 24 of the lamp La, and fills a gap in a portion along the base 21 of the lamp La around the center electrode 24 of the lamp La. Generation of partial discharge in the surroundings can be prevented. Further, since the projecting dimension of the outer piece 17b from the isolation portion 17a is shorter than that of the first embodiment, the projecting dimension of the protective wall 16 can be reduced, and as a result, the lamp socket 1 can be made thinner. It becomes possible.

  Further, the example shown in FIG. 13 has a configuration in which the inner piece 17b is omitted from the sealing member 17 shown in the first embodiment, and the outer piece 17b is extended as compared with the configuration shown in FIG. The gap between the socket 1 and the lamp La can be reduced, and the creeping distance between the center electrode 24 and the outer peripheral electrode 25 is also increased. Furthermore, compared to the configuration shown in FIG. 12, the contact area of the outer piece 17b with the outer peripheral surface of the holding wall 16 is larger, so the effect of preventing the positional displacement of the seal member 17 when the lamp La is inserted and removed is also shown in FIG. It can be said that it is higher than the structure shown. Other configurations and functions are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 5)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a cover piece 17 d extending from a part of the outer piece 17 b of the seal member 17 shown in the first embodiment along the inner bottom surface of the fitting recess 13 is provided. It is a thing. As described in the first embodiment, since the inner electrode 14 is provided on a part of the conductive plate embedded in the molded circuit board 19, the conductive plate 14b connected to the inner electrode 14 has a fitting recess. It will be extended along the bottom surface of the place 13. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the linear distance between the outer peripheral electrode 25 of the lamp La and the conductive plate 26 connected to the inner electrode 14 becomes relatively small, so that the material of the molded circuit board 19 has sufficient withstand voltage. Otherwise, when electric field concentration occurs, discharge may occur along the path indicated by the broken line B in FIG.

  Thus, the broken line described above is provided by continuously providing the cover piece 17d on the seal member 17 and covering the portion overlapping the conductive plate 14b connected to the inner electrode 14 on the inner bottom surface of the fitting recess 13 with the cover piece 17d. The insulation of the path B is enhanced, and discharge in this path can be prevented. That is, the high voltage generated by the pulse transformer PT can be transmitted to the inner electrode 14 without loss. Further, if the configuration of the present embodiment is employed, the depth dimension of the fitting recess 13 in the socket portion 11 can be reduced as compared with the case where the cover piece 17d is not provided, so that the lamp socket 1 is thin. Leading to Other configurations and functions are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  The lamp socket 1 of each of the embodiments described above functions as a discharge lamp starting device because the igniter 2 is integrally provided. However, each of the above-described embodiments is also possible with the configuration of the lamp socket 1 alone without providing the igniter 2. A configuration similar to that of the embodiment can be employed.

  Moreover, the lamp socket 1 which functions as the discharge lamp starting device described above or the igniter 2 is omitted can be used for a vehicle 30 which is an automobile as shown in FIG. In general, a high pressure discharge lamp is used as a light source in the vehicle 30, and a headlamp 32 having lamp sockets 1 is disposed on both the left and right sides of the front portion of the vehicle body 31.

  The headlamp apparatus 32 used for such an application has the configuration shown in FIG. The illustrated headlamp fixture 32 is one in which the lamp socket 1 provided with the igniter 2 described above, the reflecting plate 33, and the lamp La are housed in the lamp housing 3 fixed to the vehicle body. A lamp lens 34 is attached to the opening provided on the front surface. An opening 35 for replacing the lamp La is provided at the rear part of the lamp housing 3, and a removable cap 36 is attached to the opening 35. A lighting device 38 in which the above-described lighting circuit 4 is housed in a case is attached to the lower outer side of the lamp housing 3, and the lighting device 38 is connected to a power line 39 for supplying power using a battery as a power source DC. Further, the lighting device 38 and the lamp socket 1 are connected by a harness 37. Thus, when the lamp socket 1 is housed together with the lamp La in the lamp housing 3, the lamp socket 1 is heated to a high temperature of about 170 ° C. On the other hand, since discharge tends to occur at high temperatures, the configuration for preventing partial discharge as in the present invention is particularly suitable for the vehicle headlamp apparatus 32 used in a high temperature environment.

(A) is principal part sectional drawing of Embodiment 1, (b) is sectional drawing explaining the principle same as the above. It is an exploded perspective view same as the above. It is a perspective view which shows the sealing member used for the same as the above. (A) (b) is a figure explaining the shape of the protection wall in the same as the above. It is a perspective view from the front of the state which removed the socket cover in the same as the above. It is a perspective view from the back of the state which removed the socket cover in the same as the above. It is sectional drawing same as the above. It is a circuit diagram same as the above. It is a block diagram which shows the discharge lamp lighting device using the same as the above. 10 is a perspective view showing a seal member used in Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing Embodiment 3. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a main part sectional view showing another configuration example of the fourth embodiment. It is a front view of the state which removed the socket cover which shows Embodiment 5. It is principal part sectional drawing same as the above. It is sectional drawing which shows the headlamp fixture using the lamp socket of Embodiments 1-5. It is a perspective view which shows the vehicle using the lamp socket of Embodiments 1-5. A high pressure discharge lamp is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a perspective view. The relationship between a high pressure discharge lamp and a socket is shown, (a) is an exploded perspective view, (b) is a perspective view after coupling.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lamp socket 2 Igniter 3 Lamp body 4 Lighting circuit 11 Socket part 13 Fitting recess 14 Inner electrode 14b Conductive plate 15 Outer electrode 16 Protection wall 17 Seal member 17a Isolation part 17b Outer piece 17c Inner piece 17d Covering piece 19b Outer package 23 Base part 30 Vehicle 32 Headlamps.

La lamp PT pulse transformer

Claims (11)

  A socket portion having a fitting recess into which a cap portion of a lamp that is a high-pressure discharge lamp is detachably fitted, an inner electrode that is disposed at the center of the fitting recess and to which a high voltage is applied, and a fitting recess An outer electrode disposed on the inner peripheral portion, and a cylindrical protective wall projecting from the inner bottom surface of the fitting recess so as to surround the inner electrode over the entire circumference between the inner electrode and the outer electrode; In the state where the lamp base is mounted in the fitting recess, the isolation wall is arranged over the entire circumference on the front end surface of the protective wall so as to fill at least the gap between the front end surface of the protective wall and the base portion of the lamp. And a sealing member made of an insulating material having a portion.   The seal member is made of an elastic material, is formed integrally with the isolation portion, is extended along the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall, and fills a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the protective wall and the base portion of the lamp. 2. The lamp socket according to claim 1, further comprising a piece, wherein an inner dimension of the outer piece is smaller than an outer dimension of the protective wall.   The seal member is made of an elastic material, is formed integrally with the isolation portion, is extended along the inner peripheral surface of the protective wall, and is connected to the inner electrode in the lamp and the inner peripheral surface of the protective wall. The lamp socket according to claim 1, further comprising an inner piece that fills a part of the gap between the inner piece and the outer dimension of the inner piece is larger than the inner dimension of the protective wall.   The inner electrode is a leaf spring, and the inner electrode bends so that the inner piece is sandwiched between the inner wall and the protective wall in a state where a cap portion of the lamp is attached to the socket portion. The lamp socket according to Item 3.   A covering piece in which a conductive plate connected to the inner electrode is embedded in the bottom surface of the fitting recess formed in the socket portion, and covers a portion corresponding to the conductive plate from at least a part of the outer piece of the seal member The lamp socket according to claim 3 or 4, wherein is extended.   The lamp socket according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the seal member is formed integrally with the protective wall by injection molding of synthetic resin.   The lamp socket according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a pulse transformer used for generating a high voltage applied between the inner electrode and the outer electrode are provided in one socket case. A discharge lamp starting device characterized by the above.   8. The discharge lamp starting device according to claim 7, wherein the pulse transformer is sealed with an envelope made of a voltage-resistant synthetic resin.   A vehicle headlamp apparatus comprising the lamp socket according to any one of claims 1 to 6.   A vehicle headlamp device comprising the discharge lamp starting device according to claim 7 or 8.   A vehicle comprising the vehicle headlamp apparatus according to claim 9 or 10.

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