JP2005347034A - Metal halide lamp, lighting device thereof and illuminating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a metal halide lamp which does not include mercury, has white light radiation approximated to black-body radiation, allows a lamp voltage characteristic to be raised to a proper value, and is excellent in a service life characteristic; and to provide a metal halide lamp lighting device and an illuminating device. <P>SOLUTION: A metal halide lamp MHL comprises an airtight container 1 made of a silica glass; a pair of electrodes 1b, 1b enclosed in the air tight container 1; and a discharge medium which includes a first halide made of metal halides for performing desired light emission, a second halide having two or more kinds of metal halides as the main ingredient. The metal halides for the second halide include at least zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn), and do not include aluminum (Al); and metal having a relatively high vapor pressure, are hard to emit light in the visible region comparing to the first halide, and emit light in a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm. Further, the lamp has discharging media including rare gases except for mercury. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a mercury-free metal halide lamp, a metal halide lamp lighting device using the same, and an illumination device.

  A metal halide lamp in which a rare gas, a metal halide, and mercury are sealed in a translucent arc tube provided with an electrode is widely used for high efficiency and high color rendering. By the way, generally used metal halide lamps have been encapsulating mercury as an essential element for a long time.

  At present, environmental problems are being highlighted on a global scale, and it is considered very important to reduce mercury from the lamp, which is an environmentally hazardous substance that has a negative impact on the environment, and even eliminate it from the lamp. Yes.

  In metal halide lamps that are currently widely used, the role of mercury is to obtain a desired lamp voltage and maintain electrical characteristics. For example, if the lamp voltage is low, the lamp current must be increased in order to obtain the desired lamp input. In such a case, the wiring capacity and heat are increased by the lamp lighting circuit, the lighting fixture, and the wiring related thereto. Problems such as occurrence occur. Further, the voltage drop of the electrode is constant depending on the lamp, and if the lamp voltage is low, the ratio of the energy loss (electrode drop voltage × lamp current) at the electrode to the input increases, and therefore the efficiency decreases. For these reasons, it is generally advantageous to make the lamp voltage as close as possible to the lamp input voltage within a range where the lamp does not go out.

  The present inventors have previously found a substance that replaces mercury to maintain the lamp voltage by experiments, and by combining this with a high-efficiency enclosure, conventional metal halides that use mercury for electrical and luminescent properties. A mercury-free metal halide run (hereinafter referred to as “mercury-free lamp” for the sake of convenience) close to the lamp could be obtained (see Patent Document 1).

  As described in Patent Document 1, mercury is at a high pressure in the arc tube, and acts to prevent heat dissipation from the arc. For this reason, in the case where mercury is not present, it is very efficient to enclose a rare gas such as argon (Ar) of about 10 kPa as in a mercury-containing metal halide lamp (hereinafter referred to as “mercury-containing lamp” for convenience). It will go down. For this reason, in the case of a mercury-free metal halide lamp, in order to maintain the efficiency to a required level, the rare gas needs to be sealed at least 1 atm. Note that among the rare gases, xenon (Xe) is suitable for maintaining efficiency because of its low thermal conductivity. In addition, when it is desired to start up the luminous flux as soon as possible after starting, such as a metal halide lamp for automobile headlamps, it is preferable to enclose Xe at 5 atm or more. As described above, when the rare gas is sealed at a high pressure, the lighting circuit needs to include a starter having a function of applying a high voltage pulse to the metal halide lamp at the time of starting.

Thus, according to the metal halide lamp described in Patent Document 1, it is very significant that the environmentally hazardous substances can be eliminated by removing mercury from the lamp. The following effects were also obtained. That is,
1. Dimming is possible.

  Light emission from a mercury-containing lamp consists of light emission of metallic elements and mercury. Even if the temperature of the arc tube changes, mercury has a very high vapor pressure, so the lighting pressure does not change, but metal halide has a significantly lower vapor pressure than mercury. The amount of evaporation changes. That is, when the lamp input is changed, the temperature of the arc tube changes, and the light emission of the metal element (for example, Sc) changes greatly even though the light emission amount of mercury does not change. In many cases where metal halide lamps are used, dimming is virtually impossible for mercury-containing lamps for the reasons described above, despite the strong demand for dimming.

  On the other hand, the mercury-free lamp is capable of dimming because the light emission of the metal element changes greatly according to the change in input as described above.

  2. With the same input, the mercury-free lamp has less change in lamp characteristics against variations in lamp shape and dimensions.

  Especially for stores, etc., the color temperature change due to the rise in the coldest part temperature due to uneven color due to the difference in color temperature of the lamp and the blackening of the arc tube over the long life becomes a big problem. So this is a big improvement.

  3. Little change in characteristics during life.

  Even if the metal halide disappears or the arc tube becomes black during the lifetime, the above 1. And 2. For this reason, the characteristic change is reduced.

  4). Good start-up characteristics of spectral characteristics for automobile headlamps.

  In other words, in the case of a mercury-containing lamp, immediately after the power is turned on, mercury has a high vapor pressure, whereas metal halide has a low vapor pressure. Continue. When the vapor pressure of the metal halide increases, the light emission of the metal is added to improve the optical characteristics, but the time until that is increased.

  On the other hand, in the mercury-free lamp, since mercury does not exist, the light emission is metal light emission from the beginning, and therefore the light characteristics are also good from the beginning.

  However, as described above, even a mercury-free lamp that is environmentally friendly and has improved lamp characteristics is expected to obtain even more characteristics. To that end, the following problems remain.

The first problem is caused by the absence of mercury emission. In HID lamps for automotive headlamps, the inclusion of ScI ₃ -NaI alone does not fall within the white range of the standard for automotive HID light sources (JEL215). However, when mercury emission is added, the effect of the emission approaches the black body locus. In the white range (see Non-Patent Document 1).

  The second halide in the mercury-free metal halide lamp described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as “mercury-free lamp” for the sake of convenience) has a difference in its effect as shown in FIG. Has the effect of approaching. However, it was not clear where the effect of approaching such a black body locus originated. In addition, FIG. 1 is FIG. 1 (non-patent document 1) (the chromaticity correction effect of the mercury substitute material).

  As a feature of the mercury-free lamp, 4. Describes that "the startup characteristic of the spectral characteristic is good for an automobile headlight or the like". This effect is described in FIGS. 14 and 19 of Patent Document 1. FIG. This case is typical, but depending on the encapsulating composition aimed at high efficiency, this effect may be difficult to achieve.

  The same can be said for the emission color during steady lighting. In a light source intended for human beings such as general lighting as well as automobile headlamps, it is desirable that the emitted light falls within a white range (Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984). If mercury is not encapsulated, the contribution of mercury emission is lost as described above, so it moves away from the black body locus and deviates from the white range.

The second problem is related to the lamp voltage. Mercury has the effect of maintaining electrical characteristics as described above. As described in Patent Document 1, the second halide maintains the lamp voltage instead of mercury. However, as described above, since the second halide such as ZnI ₂ has a vapor pressure lower than that of mercury, the adjustment range of the lamp voltage is smaller than that of mercury. As shown in, for example, the seventeenth embodiment of Patent Document 1, the lamp voltage when the second halide enclosure is enclosed is about 80% of the mercury enclosure. However, this embodiment is an example of a metal halide lamp for an automobile headlamp, which is lit horizontally and the arc is curved upward. This bending is practically regulated by a standard, and if it is within the standard, a value about half that in the case where the lamp voltage is sealed with mercury is appropriate. Therefore, according to the standard (JEL215) of the mercury-enclosed automobile headlamp HID light source, the lamp voltage center value is 85V, but in the mercury-free automobile headlamp HID light source standard (draft), the lamp voltage center value is 42V. The larger the lamp voltage, the smaller the current is required, and the larger the lamp voltage, the smaller the circuit and the lower the cost can be realized as apparent from the above. In general illumination lamps, it is desirable that the adjustment range of the lamp voltage be large. For example, in the case of a mercury-filled type, in the case of a large watt lamp of 700 W or more, a lamp voltage 260 V type or the like is used. This is also for reducing the lamp current and reducing the current capacity of the wiring or the like. In order to realize this, a measure for increasing the lamp voltage to the level of mercury is required even for a mercury-free lamp.

On the other hand, the distance between the electrodes is preferably 6 mm or less in the case of a small, short arc type metal halide lamp used for projection such as a liquid crystal projector, for headlamps of moving bodies such as automobiles, or for general illumination with small lamp power. . Further, particularly in the case of projection such as a liquid crystal projector, it is preferably 3 mm or less, and a projector of about 0.5 mm is currently in practical use. In such a case of 3 mm or less, a measure for maintaining a lamp voltage particularly equal to that of mercury is further desired.
JP 11-238488 A The Illuminating Society of Japan, Vol.86, No.6, 362-366 (2002)

  Here, as a result of further research, the present inventor discovered that the effect of approaching the black body locus depends on light emission at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm. This effect can be obtained without being limited to a specific application.

  The present invention has been made on the basis of the above discovery. Using a plurality of types of metals that emit light having a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm, light emission having a required amount of wavelength of 460 to 490 nm is obtained, and at the same time, mercury is used. The lamp voltage is increased to the same level as the case.

  On the other hand, in metal halide lamps for projection such as automotive headlamps and liquid crystal projectors, it is important that the airtight container does not hinder high light collecting properties. Therefore, transparent quartz with a high linear transmittance is used as the material for the airtight container. Glass is used.

Incidentally, in Embodiment 25 (paragraph 0446) of Patent Document 1, Zn, Al and Mn halides are used as the second halide. However, in the case of Patent Document 1, the quartz glass is eroded by AlI ₃ in the second halide during lighting and white turbidity and cracks are generated, so that the linear transmittance is reduced and the airtight container is ruptured. It becomes easy. Therefore, it was difficult to obtain the expected life, and it was found by a test that there was a problem in practical use. In any mercury-free metal halide lamp, regardless of the application, it is extremely important in practice to achieve the lifetime for a predetermined long period.

  Therefore, the present invention is a metal halide lamp that does not contain mercury, which is an environmentally hazardous substance, can obtain white light emission close to blackbody radiation, can improve lamp voltage characteristics to an appropriate value, and has excellent life characteristics, An object of the present invention is to provide a metal halide lamp lighting device and a lighting device using the same.

  In addition, another object of the present invention is to provide a metal halide lamp suitable for a headlamp, a metal halide lamp lighting device and an illumination device using the metal halide lamp.

    A metal halide lamp according to a first aspect of the present invention is an airtight container made of quartz glass; a pair of electrodes sealed inside the airtight container; a first halide made of a metal halide that emits desired light; a vapor It is a metal that has a relatively large pressure, is less likely to emit light in the visible region than the first halide, and emits light at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm, as well as zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), hafnium ( Hf), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), a second halide mainly composed of a halide of a plurality of metals selected from the group of groups, and a rare gas, mercury A discharge medium that does not contain any of the above.

  In the present invention and each of the following inventions, the definitions and technical meanings of terms are as follows unless otherwise specified.

  [Airtight container] <Airtight container> The airtight container must be fireproof and translucent. Moreover, the internal volume can be suitably set according to a use. However, for headlamps, generally 0.005 to 0.1 cc is preferable, and 0.01 to 0.05 cc is preferable. In this case, the hermetic container preferably has a maximum diameter portion of an inner diameter of 2 to 10 mm and an outer diameter of 5 to 13 mm. In the case of projection such as a liquid crystal projector, it is 1 cc or less, preferably 0.5 cc or less. In the case of general lighting, it is set in a wide range according to the rated lamp power, and as an example, it is 0.1 cc or less at a rated lamp power of 50 W.

  By the way, an airtight container is “fireproof and translucent” if it is a material having fire resistance that can sufficiently withstand the normal operating temperature of a discharge lamp, and visible light and red light in a desired wavelength range generated by discharge. Any external light may be used as long as it can be derived outside. For example, polycrystalline or single crystal ceramics such as quartz glass, translucent alumina, and YAG can be used. If necessary, it is allowed to form a halogen-resistant or metal-resistant transparent coating on the inner surface of the hermetic container or to modify the inner surface of the hermetic container.

  Moreover, the airtight container is generally configured to include an enclosing portion and a pair of sealing portions. The surrounding portion provides an internal volume portion that functions as a discharge space having an appropriate shape, for example, a spherical shape, an elliptical spherical shape, or a substantially cylindrical shape. In addition, as a metal halide lamp for a headlamp, the discharge space can be made substantially cylindrical. Thereby, when the discharge arc is going to bend upward in horizontal lighting, the temperature rises at the upper part of the discharge vessel is accelerated because the discharge arc approaches the inner surface on the upper side of the discharge vessel. Moreover, the surrounding part can make the wall thickness comparatively large. That is, the thickness at the substantially central portion of the distance between the electrodes can be made larger than the thickness at both sides. As a result, the heat transfer of the discharge vessel is improved and the temperature rise of the discharge medium adhering to the lower part of the discharge space and the inner side surface of the discharge vessel is accelerated, so that the rise of the luminous flux is accelerated.

  The pair of sealing portions seals the surrounding portion, and is a means that supports the shaft portion of the electrode and contributes to airtight introduction of current from the lighting circuit to the electrode. It extends integrally from. And, in order to seal the electrode and introduce the current from the lighting circuit to the electrode in an airtight manner, when the material of the airtight container is preferably quartz glass, an appropriate hermetic sealing conduction means is provided inside the sealing portion. As a sealing metal foil is embedded in an airtight manner. The sealing metal foil is embedded in the sealing portion, and the sealing portion functions as a current conducting conductor in cooperation with the sealing portion to keep the inside of the enclosure portion of the hermetic container airtight. When the airtight container is made of quartz glass, molybdenum (Mo) is the most suitable material. Since molybdenum oxidizes at about 350 ° C., it is buried so that the temperature of the outer end is lower. The method of embedding the sealing metal foil in the sealing portion is not particularly limited, but can be appropriately selected and employed from, for example, a reduced pressure sealing method, a pinch sealing method, and a combination thereof. In the case of a metal halide lamp used for an automobile headlamp or the like that has a small internal volume of 0.1 cc or less and in which a gas such as xenon (Xe) is sealed at 6 atmospheres or more at room temperature, the latter is preferable.

  [Regarding a pair of electrodes] The pair of electrodes are sealed and opposed to the inside of the airtight container. The distance between the electrodes is preferably 6 mm or less in the case of a small metal halide lamp with a small distance between the electrodes used for projection or general illumination used for a headlight of a moving body such as a liquid crystal projector or an automobile. Among them, in the case of a liquid crystal projector or the like, it is preferably 3 mm or less, and may be 0.5 mm. For headlamps, a center value of 4.2 mm is standardized. The electrode is provided with a shaft portion having a straight rod shape whose diameter is preferably substantially the same along the longitudinal direction. In addition, the diameter of the shaft portion is preferably 0.25 mm or more, and more preferably 0.45 mm or less. Then, the shaft reaches the tip without increasing in diameter and forms a flat end surface, or the tip from which the arc starts forms a curved surface or a truncated cone. Alternatively, a portion larger in diameter than the shaft portion can be formed at the tip of the shaft portion.

  Moreover, you may comprise the metal halide lamp of this invention so that it may light by either alternating current and direct current | flow. Therefore, a pair of electrodes have the same structure when operated with an alternating current, but when operated with a direct current, the anode generally has a large temperature rise, so use a heat dissipation area larger than that of the cathode, and therefore the main part is thicker. Can do.

  In addition, the pair of electrodes is refractory and conductive metal, such as pure tungsten (W), doped tungsten containing a dopant, triated tungsten containing thorium oxide, rhenium (Re) or tungsten-rhenium ( W-Re) alloy or the like can be used.

  [Discharge Medium] The discharge medium is sealed in an airtight container and acts as a medium that generates a discharge in a vapor or gas state, and contains a halide and a rare gas. The halide includes the first and second halides.

    <Regarding First Halide> The first halide is made of a metal halide that emits desired light. Moreover, as a 1st halide, it can select suitably from the various known metal groups which generate | occur | produce radiation | emission of a desired wavelength range according to the use of a metal halide lamp, and can use single type or multiple types.

    <Regarding Second Halide> The second halide is composed mainly of a plurality of types of metal halides selected from the following groups. The group consists of zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti) and nickel (Ni). Each of these metals has a relatively high vapor pressure, is less likely to emit light in the visible region than the first halide, and emits light relatively strongly at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm. This is common in that it has a relatively small effect on the life characteristics of each. However, among the above groups, zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), and titanium (Ti) are particularly preferable because they are excellent in all of the above actions. In addition, any of the above metals can be satisfactorily adapted regardless of whether the hermetic container is made of quartz glass or ceramics.

  Each metal included in the group has a characteristic of emitting light at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm as described above. Note that “light emission at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm” means light emission when a corresponding metal halide is enclosed alone.

Next, the emission lines included in the wavelength range of 460 to 490 nm of each metal included in the group will be listed.
Zn: 468.0, 472.2, 481.0nm
Mn: 460.5, 462.6, 476.2, 476.5, 476.6, 478.3, 482.3 nm
Hf: 469.9, 470.8, 477.4, 478.2nm
Zr: 460.2, 462.6, 465.4, 468.7, 471.0, 471.9nm
Ti: 461.7, 462.3, 463.7, 463.9, 464.5, 473.1, 474.2, 475.8, 479.2, 480.8, 485.6, 487.0, 488.5, 489.9 nm
Ni: 460.5, 464.8, 471.4, 478.6, 485.5, 486.6nm
Further, Table 1 shows vapor pressures of halides of the respective metals included in the above group. Table 1 shows the temperature at which the halide of each metal becomes 1 atm. That is, it means that the lower the temperature at 1 atmosphere, the higher the vapor pressure. Note that these values differ somewhat depending on the literature, and therefore the temperature values in Table 1 are approximate values.
[Table 1]
Second halide Temperature at 1 atm (° C)
ZnI ₂ 727
MnI ₂ 827
NiI ₂ 747
TiI ₄ 377
ZrI ₄ 431
HfI ₄ 427

On the other hand, aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), antimony (Sb), chromium (Cr), gallium (Ga), rhenium (Re), magnesium (Mg) and cobalt (Co) are also mercury substitutes. Although known and having an emission line at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm, these metals are excluded from the above group for the following reasons.

  That is, aluminum (Al) has emission lines at wavelengths of 460.9, 463.3, 463.6, 463.9, 464.0, 464.8, 465.3, 470.1, 477.4, 487.9, 489.8, and 489.9 nm, and the amount of emitted light is large. Although the pressure is high, when the hermetic container is made of quartz glass, as described above, it reacts with the quartz glass and erodes the hermetic container, so that the lamp life is shortened. Therefore, it is impossible to enclose as a main component, but if it is within about 10% by mass with respect to the entire second halide, it is allowed to be contained as a subcomponent. As a result, it is possible to contribute to improving the lamp voltage and approaching black body radiation. When the airtight container is made of translucent ceramics, the above problem is eliminated, so that it can be added as a main component to the above group, and thereby the desired action and effect of the present invention can be achieved.

  Iron (Fe) is not possible because it forms an alloy with a low melting point with tungsten (W) constituting the electrode, which melts and damages the electrode.

  Since antimony (Sb) has a relatively low vapor pressure, it contributes little to improving the lamp voltage and emits relatively little light at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm.

  Chromium (Cr) has emission lines at wavelengths of 462.2, 463.2, 463.9, 466.3, 466.5, 466.6, 469.8, 470.8, 471.8, 475.2, 475.6, 476.4, 480.1, 487.1 nm, but the amount of light emission is sufficient In addition, the vapor pressure is relatively low, and the contribution to the lamp voltage improvement is relatively small.

  Gallium (Ga) is allowed to be contained as a subcomponent if it is within 10% by mass with respect to the entire second halide for the same reason as Al. Moreover, when an airtight container consists of translucent ceramics, it can add to the said group as a main component, and can show | play the effect | action and effect of this invention by this.

  Rhenium (Re) and magnesium (Mg) do not contribute sufficiently to light emission at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm and an improvement in lamp voltage.

  Cobalt (Co) is almost the same reason as Fe.

    <Regarding the rare gas> The rare gas acts as a starting gas and a buffer gas for the metal halide lamp, and a kind of a group of argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), and xenon (Xe) is used alone, or a plurality of kinds are mixed. Can be encapsulated. Among the rare gases, xenon has a relatively low thermal conductivity because its atomic weight is larger than that of other rare gases. Therefore, by enclosing it at 5 atm or more, it contributes to the formation of the lamp voltage immediately after lighting, and the halogen It is effective as a metal halide lamp for a headlamp because it emits white visible light when the vapor pressure of the compound is low and contributes to the rise of the luminous flux. In this case, the preferable sealing pressure of xenon is 6 atmospheres or more, more preferably in the range of 8 to 16 atmospheres. For this reason, it is possible to satisfy the above-mentioned standards for the rise of luminous flux immediately after lighting and the white emission as an HID light source for automobile headlamps.

    <Mercury> Further, mercury will be mentioned. In the present invention, it is preferable for mercury (Hg) not to contain at all to reduce environmentally hazardous substances, but it is acceptable even if it is contained to the extent of impurities.

  [Regarding the Action of the Present Invention] According to the present invention having the configuration described above, white light emission close to black body radiation can be obtained without including mercury as an environmental load substance, and almost the same as a lamp containing mercury. A metal halide lamp excellent in high lamp voltage characteristics and life characteristics can be obtained. Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be described in detail.

  First, in the present invention, it will be described that the effect of bringing the emission color closer to the black body locus is due to the emission of light having a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm. This effect can be obtained without being limited to a specific application, but will be described based on a metal halide lamp as an automobile headlamp HID light source.

That is, the lamp has a structure shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and will be described later, and its arc tube has an internal volume of 0.025 cc, and a total amount of 0.4 mg of ScI ₃ -NaI and Xe 10 atm is the basic configuration. It is enclosed. With this basic component lamp, the emission color does not fall within the white range. When ZnI ₂ is added thereto, the white range is entered. When ZnI ₂ is encapsulated alone, a spectral distribution as shown in FIG. 5 is produced. That is, continuous light emission in the visible region, which is considered to be based on molecular light emission of ZnI, is superimposed on the above-described zinc emission lines with wavelengths of 468.0, 472.2, 481.0, and 636.2 nm. If the foundation structure of _ScI 3 -NaI-ZnI ₂ sealed lamp was added ZnI _2, to be deprived of energy for light emission of the light emitting easy Sc and Na, as shown in FIG. 6, light emission of Zn, the wavelength 468 Only seen at 0.0, 472.2 and 481.0 nm. As a result, the light having a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm falls within the white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 as shown in FIG. However, zinc iodide (ZnI ₂ ) has a lower vapor pressure than mercury and does not evaporate more than a certain amount even if the amount of encapsulation is increased. Therefore, even if the amount of sealing is increased further, it only adheres to the tube wall, and the pressure in the arc tube does not increase. That is, in the enclosure of ZnI ₂ alone, the adjustment range of chromaticity improvement is much smaller than that of mercury.

On the other hand, when MnI ₂ is enclosed alone in the arc tube, the result is as shown in FIG. As described above, Mn has emission lines at wavelengths of 460.5, 462.6, 476.2, 476.5, 476.6, 478.3, and 482.3 nm. _Therefore, ScI 3 in the arc tube of the NaI-ZnI ₂ enclosed lamp, shown in FIG. 9 the spectral distribution of further comprising the addition of _{MnI 2 ScI 3 -NaI-ZnI 2} -MnI 2 enclosed lamp. Comparing FIG. 9 and FIG. 6, in FIG. By this light emission, it can be seen that the ScI ₃ —NaI—ZnI ₂ —MnI ₂ encapsulated lamp in the chromaticity diagram of FIG. That is, MnI ₂ and ZnI ₂ are typical examples, but in the present invention, a plurality of types of metal halides having an emission line at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm are added to the first halide as the second halide. According to this, it is possible to obtain a white light-colored lamp that compensates for the lack of mercury emission. By using multiple types of metal to be encapsulated, the adjustment range of the chromaticity point becomes much larger.

  Next, the lamp voltage will be described.

That is, in the present invention, it is described in Patent Document 1 that the lamp voltage is improved to almost the same level as that of a mercury-containing lamp by enclosing a halide of a plurality of types of mercury-substituting metals as the second halide. However, it will be specifically described with reference to a metal halide lamp for headlamps shown in FIG. As described above, the arc tube of this lamp has an internal volume of 0.025 cc. The distance between the electrodes is 4 mm, and a total amount of 0.4 mg of ScI ₃ -NaI and Xe 10 atm is enclosed as a basic structure. The lamp voltage of this lamp is 31V. When 0.2 mg of mercury is added to this, a lamp voltage of 85V is obtained. When 0.2 mg of ZnI ₂ is added to the basic structure, the lamp voltage becomes 48V. However, even if the amount of enclosed ZnI ₂ is further increased, it does not increase to 52 V or more. This is because the vapor pressure of ZnI ₂ is much smaller than that of mercury, so that it only adheres to the tube wall even if the amount of sealing is increased. When 0.2 mg of MnI ₂ is added thereto, the lamp voltage becomes 68V. When reviewing the composition of inclusions, such as ZnI ₂ to _ScI 3 NaI in a total amount of 0.2 mg 0.25mg, the MnI ₂ when 0.25mg enclosed, the lamp voltage becomes 86V.

  In addition, according to the present invention, since the plurality of types of metals constituting the second halide are selected from the predetermined group, the extraordinary influence on the lamp life due to the inclusion of the second halide is caused. Never give.

  Furthermore, the rated lamp power is not particularly limited, and the present invention is applicable to various uses such as a headlamp, a projection for a liquid crystal projector, and a general illumination.

    The metal halide lamp of the invention according to claim 2 is the metal halide lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first halide is one selected from the group consisting of sodium (Na), scandium (Sc) and rare earth metals, or It is characterized by multiple types of halides.

  The present invention defines a first halide suitable for obtaining white light with high efficiency. In particular, an embodiment containing a halide of sodium (Na) and scandium (Sc) is more preferable. Therefore, the present invention is suitable for a metal halide lamp for a headlamp.

    The metal halide lamp of the invention according to claim 3 is the metal halide lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second halide is a halide of zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn).

  The present invention defines a preferred configuration for the second halide. In particular, the present invention is suitable for a metal halide lamp for a headlamp. Zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) are particularly effective in improving chromaticity (entering the white range) and increasing lamp voltage.

    A metal halide lamp according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the metal halide lamp according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the rated lamp power is for a headlamp of 100 W or less.

  The present invention stipulates that the metal halide lamp is used for a headlamp as an example of a suitable use of a mercury-free lamp in which a second halide is enclosed instead of mercury. Further, the present invention provides a centralized arrangement that distributes light emission via an optical system such as a reflection mirror and an optical fiber to metal halide lamps individually disposed in each headlamp and all headlamps of the vehicle. It is allowed to have various modes such as a headlight system.

    A metal halide lamp according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the metal halide lamp according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the emission color is within the white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 immediately after starting. It is characterized by that.

  In the present invention, since the second halide is enclosed instead of mercury, the halide vapor can contribute to the light emission immediately after the start. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily put the emission color within the white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 immediately after starting.

  And according to this invention, since predetermined illumination can be performed promptly after starting in various uses, it does not produce a sense of incongruity. In particular, a metal halide lamp for a headlamp does not cause a sense of incongruity after starting, thus contributing to safe and comfortable vehicle operation.

    A metal halide lamp according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the metal halide lamp according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the emission color falls within a white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 when it is steadily lit. It is characterized by.

  It is useful in various applications that the metal halide lamp emits white light in a steady state. In particular, in a metal halide lamp for a headlamp, white light emission in a steady state is indispensable to satisfy the standard.

  Thus, according to the present invention, since light emission with a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm is emitted by the second halide, white light emission that easily satisfies the above requirements is easily emitted, and therefore a metal halide lamp suitable for various applications can be obtained. Can be obtained.

    A metal halide lamp according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the metal halide lamp according to the third aspect, wherein the second halide has a mass ratio of a manganese (Mn) halide to a zinc (Zn) halide from 5: 1. It is characterized by being in the range of 1: 5.

  The present invention defines a general tolerance for the mass ratio between manganese (Mn) halide and zinc (Zn) halide, which is a preferred metal combination in the second halide. Since the mass of the manganese (Mn) halide is large, if the mass ratio deviates from the above range, the lamp voltage is low and the emission color is located at the end of the white range. Further, since the mass of zinc (Zn) halide is large, there is a problem that when the mass ratio is out of the above range, the lamp voltage is similarly low and the emission color is located at the end of the white range. In addition, the suitable range of the said mass ratio is the range of 2: 1 to 1: 1.

    The metal halide lamp of the invention according to claim 8 is the metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mass ratio of the first halide to the second halide is in the range of 1: 5 to 8: 5. It is characterized by being within.

  The present invention defines a general tolerance for the mass ratio between the first halide and the second halide. Since the mass of the halide of the first halide is large, there is a problem that the lamp voltage is lowered when the mass ratio is out of the above range. In addition, since the mass of the second halide is large, there is a problem in that light emission of the metal of the first halide that maintains high efficiency decreases when the mass ratio is out of the above range. In addition, the suitable range of the said mass ratio is the range of 3: 10-1: 1.

    A metal halide lamp according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the metal halide lamp according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the rare gas is sealed at a pressure of 1 atm or more.

  In the present invention, the rare gas is sealed at a pressure of 1 atm or more, so that the rare gas can hardly escape the heat of discharge in place of mercury, and the luminous efficiency of the lamp can be kept high. That is, the rare gas can be sealed by mixing one or more of argon, krypton, and xenon. By making the enclosure pressure of the rare gas 1 atmosphere or more, the thermal conductivity is reduced, and the luminous efficiency of the metal halide lamp can be maintained high. Among the rare gases, xenon is particularly effective because it has the largest atomic weight and the smallest thermal conductivity.

    A metal halide lamp according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the metal halide lamp according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the emission color falls within a range of a deviation of ± 0.01 uv with respect to black body radiation at the time of steady lighting. It is characterized by.

  The present invention defines a configuration that emits light close to black body radiation during steady lighting.

    A metal halide lamp lighting device according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is a metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 10; a starter that generates a start pulse voltage and applies the start pulse voltage to the metal halide lamp when the metal halide lamp is started; And a metal halide lamp lighting circuit for lighting the metal halide lamp.

  The present invention defines a configuration for lighting the metal halide discharge lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

  Since the starter generates a high voltage pulse at the time of starting the metal halide lamp and applies it to the metal halide lamp, the metal halide lamp is easily started.

  The lighting circuit supplies the electric power for continuing the lighting to the started metal halide lamp to stably light the metal halide lamp. Further, the lighting circuit can be configured to change the power for lighting in a required pattern according to the use of the metal halide lamp as desired. For example, when turning on a metal halide lamp for a headlamp, supply a current more than twice the rated lamp current immediately after the metal halide lamp is turned on, and then reduce the current to the rated lamp current as time passes. Can be configured. If it does so, the metal halide discharge lamp lighting device which satisfies the light beam rise characteristic requested | required for headlamps is obtained. Note that the metal halide lamp and the lighting circuit may be either AC operation or DC operation.

    An illuminating device according to a twelfth aspect includes an illuminating device main body; and a metal halide lamp lighting device according to the eleventh aspect disposed in the illuminating device main body.

  In the present invention, the “illuminating device” is a concept that includes all of the devices that are used to illuminate the metal halide lamps of claims 1 to 10 for any purpose. For example, light projectors such as automobile headlights, liquid crystal projectors, overhead projectors, and various lighting fixtures such as downlights, direct ceiling lights, road lighting fixtures, tunnel lighting fixtures and projectors It is allowed to be various lighting fixtures for lighting, lighting fixtures for stores such as spotlights, and display devices.

    According to the invention of claim 1, white light emission close to blackbody radiation can be obtained without containing mercury as an environmental load substance, lamp voltage characteristics can be improved to an appropriate value, and life characteristics are excellent. A metal halide lamp can be provided.

    According to the invention of claim 2, in addition, since the first halide is selected from the group consisting of sodium (Na), scandium (Sc) and rare earth metal, it is possible to obtain white light with high efficiency. A suitable metal halide lamp can be provided.

    According to the invention of claim 3, in addition, the second halide is a halide of zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn), thereby improving chromaticity (entering the white range) and increasing lamp voltage. A metal halide lamp that is particularly effective can be provided.

    According to invention of Claim 4, the metal halide lamp for headlamps with the rated lamp electric power of 100 W or less can be provided.

    According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a metal halide lamp that does not cause a sense of incongruity in illumination by allowing the emission color to enter a white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 immediately after starting. Can do.

    According to the invention of claim 6, in addition, when the emission color falls within the white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 during steady lighting, a metal halide lamp useful in various applications can be provided. .

    According to the invention of claim 7, in addition, the mass ratio of the second halide manganese (Mn) halide to zinc (Zn) halide is in the range of 5: 1 to 1: 5. A metal halide lamp can be provided in which these are within a general allowable range.

    According to the invention of claim 8, in addition, since the mass ratio of the first halide to the second halide is in the range of 1: 5 to 8: 5, these are within the general allowable range. A metal halide lamp can be provided.

    According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the rare gas is sealed at a pressure of 1 atm or more, so that the rare gas does not easily escape the heat of the discharge in place of mercury, and the light emission efficiency is maintained high. Can be provided.

    According to the invention of claim 10, it is possible to provide a metal halide lamp in which the emission color is within the range of ± 0.01 uv deviation from the black body radiation at the time of steady lighting, so that the emission can be felt close to natural light. .

    According to invention of Claim 11, the metal halide lamp lighting device which has the effect of Claims 1 thru | or 10 can be provided.

    According to invention of Claim 11, the illuminating device which has the effect of Claims 1 thru | or 10 can be provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

    2 to 4 show a metal halide lamp for an automobile headlamp as a first embodiment for carrying out the metal halide lamp of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the entire lamp, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the arc tube portion. The metal halide lamp MHL includes an arc tube IT, an insulating tube T, an outer tube OT, and a base B, and is lit horizontally.

  The arc tube IT includes an airtight container 1, a pair of electrodes 1b and 1b, a sealing metal foil 2, a pair of external lead wires 3A and 3B, and a discharge medium.

  The airtight container 1 includes an enclosing portion 1a and a pair of sealing portions 1a1. The surrounding portion 1a is formed into a hollow spindle shape, and a pair of elongated sealing portions 1a1 are integrally formed at both ends thereof, and an elongated substantially cylindrical discharge space 1c is formed therein. The internal volume of the discharge space 1c is 0.05 cc or less.

  The pair of electrodes 1b and 1b are made of pure tungsten wire, the diameter of the shaft portion is the same over the distal end portion, the intermediate portion and the proximal end portion in the axial direction, and a part of the distal end portion and the intermediate portion is in the discharge space 1c Is exposed. Further, the base end portion of the electrode 1b is welded to a sealing metal foil 2 to be described later embedded in the sealing portion 1a1, and the intermediate portion is loosely supported by the sealing portion 1a1, whereby the predetermined portion of the airtight container 1 is set. Arranged in position. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, an elliptical large-diameter portion 1b1 is formed at the tip of the electrode 1b.

  In each figure, after the left sealing portion 1a1 is formed, the sealing tube 1a2 is integrally cut from the lower portion of the sealing portion 1a1 without being cut, and extends into the base B.

  The sealing metal foil 2 is made of molybdenum foil, and is hermetically embedded in the sealing portion 1 a 1 of the hermetic container 1.

  The discharge medium is composed of first and second halides and a rare gas. The first halide is made of a metal halide that emits desired light. For example, a halide of at least one metal selected from sodium (Na), scandium (Sc), and rare earth metals can be used.

  The second halide has a relatively high vapor pressure, is less likely to emit light in the visible region than the first halide, and emits light at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm. It consists of halides of a plurality of metals selected from among them. The group consists of zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti) and nickel (Ni). In addition, a plurality of types of metal halides selected from this group constitute the main component of the second halide.

  The rare gas is made of, for example, xenon.

  The distal ends of the pair of external lead wires 3A and 3B are welded to the other end of the sealing metal foil 2 in the sealing portions 1a1 at both ends of the airtight container 1, and the proximal end sides are led out to the outside. In each figure, the external lead wire 3A led to the right from the discharge vessel IT is folded back along an outer tube OT described later, introduced into a later-described base B, and disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the base B. It is connected to one of the cap terminals t1 having a ring shape. In FIG. 2, the external lead wire 3 </ b> B led out from the discharge vessel IT to the left extends along the tube axis and is led into the base B so as to have a pin shape disposed in the center (not shown). Is connected to the base terminal.

  The outer tube OT has an ultraviolet ray cutting performance, accommodates the discharge vessel IT therein, and has reduced diameter portions 4 at both ends (only one end on the right side is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3). Glass is welded to the sealing portion 1a1 of the discharge vessel IT. However, the inside of the outer tube OT is not airtight but communicates with the outside air.

  The insulating tube T is made of a ceramic tube and covers the external lead wire 3A.

  The base B is standardized for automobile headlamps, supports the discharge vessel IT and the outer tube OT along the central axis, and is detachable from the back of the automobile headlamp. Installed. In addition, a ring-shaped base terminal t1 disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion so as to be connected to a lamp socket (not shown) on the power source side when mounted, and formed inside the cylindrical portion. The other end terminal having a pin shape is provided so as to protrude in the axial direction at the center in the recessed portion opened at one end.

  Example 1 is a metal halide lamp for an automobile headlamp shown in FIGS. The arc formed in the discharge space 1c in the hermetic vessel 1 of the arc tube IT bends upward, but the degree of the bend conforms to the standard (standard of mercury enclosed automotive headlamp HID light source (JEL215)). ing. Since the bending of the arc is suppressed, the lamp voltage becomes smaller than when the bending is large.

  The airtight container 1 of Example 1 has an internal volume of 0.025 cc. The distance between the electrodes is 4.2 mm.

In the discharge medium, the first halide consists of 0.13 mg of ScI ₃ and 0.26 mg of NaI. Further, experimental lamps having Xe of 10 atm as a rare gas and having different specifications of TlI as the second halide and the additive of the first halide are shown in Examples 1-1 to 1 in Table 2. -3. Further, Comparative Examples 1-1 to 1-4 in which a substance different from Example 1 was encapsulated in place of the second halide were produced, and are listed together in Table 2.

実施例および比較例の各メタルハライドランプを、始動時に７５Ｗが入力され、時間とともにランプ電流が低減して小さくなり、定常点灯時には３５Ｗが入力されるように構成された点灯回路を用いて点灯した。

Each metal halide lamp of the example and the comparative example was lit using a lighting circuit configured such that 75 W was input at start-up, the lamp current decreased with time and decreased, and 35 W was input during steady lighting.

  Table 3 shows the experimental results. In Table 3, “middle” in the white range indicates that it is in the center of the white range, “end” indicates that it is in the end of the white range, and “out” indicates that Each indicates that it is out of the white range.

表３には、以下のことが示されている。すなわち、
比較例１−１は、水銀入りタイプであり、ランプ電圧は８５Ｖを維持できるが、始動時には色特性の悪い水銀が発光するために、白色の範囲に入るのに１８秒を要している。

Table 3 shows the following. That is,
Comparative Example 1-1 is a mercury-containing type, and the lamp voltage can be maintained at 85 V, but it takes 18 seconds to enter the white range because mercury with poor color characteristics emits light at the start.

  Although Comparative Example 1-2 is a mercury-free type, the lamp voltage is on the order of 40 V and is in the white range, but is at the end of the white range. Therefore, depending on the variation in the lamp characteristics, the white color may be off.

  Comparative Examples 1-3 and 1-4 are improved versions of Comparative Example 1-2, and although the luminous efficiency is improved by adding TlI to the first halide, the lamp voltage is still low. . In addition, although Comparative Example 1-3 is in the white range, the time to enter the white range is further increased. Further, Comparative Example 1-4 is out of the white range.

  In Examples 1-1 to 1-6, all of the emission colors are in the white range close to the black body radiation located in the center of the white range, and the lamp voltage is in Comparative Examples 1-2 to 1. Compared to -4, it is about 150% or more, and further enters the white range within 1 second immediately after lighting. In addition, the total luminous flux is equivalent to Comparative Examples 1-2 to 1-4. In Examples 6 and 7, the luminous efficiency is improved by adding TlI to the first halide.

  Example 2 is the same as Example 1 except that the composition of the second halide is different and that TlI as an additive of the first halide is not included. That is, in Example 2, Hf, Zr and Ti are used as the second halide instead of Mn or Zn in Example 1. Comparative Examples 1 and 2 have the same configuration as Comparative Examples 1-1 and 2-1 in Example 1. The specifications and results of Example 2 are shown in Table 4.

表４に示されているように、実施例２によれば、そのいずれも発光色が白色範囲内の中央の部位に入り、ランプ電圧が比較例１、同−２より明らかに高く、白色範囲に入る時間も２秒以内である。これに対して、比較例１、同２は、そのいずれも白色範囲の端であり、ランプ電圧が相対的に低く、しかも白色範囲に入る時間も明らかに長い。

As shown in Table 4, according to Example 2, the emission color enters the central part in the white range, and the lamp voltage is clearly higher than Comparative Examples 1 and -2, and the white range. The time to enter is also within 2 seconds. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 are both at the end of the white range, the lamp voltage is relatively low, and the time to enter the white range is clearly long.

  In Example 3, the mass ratio of the halide of zinc (Zn) and the halide of manganese (Mn), which is highly effective in improving chromaticity (entering the white range) and increasing the lamp voltage, Example 1 is the same as Example 1 except that the relationship with the lamp voltage is clarified. Table 5 shows the results. Comparative Examples 1 and 2 have the same configurations as Comparative Examples 1-1 and 1-2 in Example 1.

表５に示されているように、実施例３によれば、比較例１、同２よりランプ電圧が２０％以上増加する。なお、表５には示していないが、白色範囲についての効果もまたランプ電圧の増大効果と比例した関係が得られた。また、マンガン（Ｍｎ）のハロゲン化物と亜鉛（Ｚｎ）のハロゲン化物との質量比が５：１ないし１：５の範囲において特に優れた効果が得られた。

As shown in Table 5, according to Example 3, the lamp voltage is increased by 20% or more compared to Comparative Examples 1 and 2. Although not shown in Table 5, the effect on the white range was also proportional to the effect of increasing the lamp voltage. A particularly excellent effect was obtained when the mass ratio of the manganese (Mn) halide to the zinc (Zn) halide was in the range of 5: 1 to 1: 5.

Example 4 shows the ratio A: B of the total mass A (mg) of ScI ₃ and NaI as the first halide to the total mass B (mg) of MnI ₂ and ZnI _{2 as} the _second halide. This is the same as Example 1 except for shaking. The mass ratio of ScI ₃ and NaI was fixed at 1: 2, and the mass ratio of MnI ₂ and ZnI ₂ was fixed at 1: 1. Table 6 shows the results.

表６に示されているように、実施例４によれば、表５の比較例１、同２よりランプ電圧が２０％増加する８：５からＭｎＩ_２およびＺｎＩ_２の総質量Ｂ（ｍｇ）の割合が多い領域が、ランプ電圧が特に高くなる好適な範囲である。しかし、ＳｃＩ_３およびＮａＩの総質量Ａ（ｍｇ）が小さい場合（ランプ１、２）は、高効率を維持するためのＳｃやＮａの発光が弱くなる。

As shown in Table 6, according to Example 4, the total mass B (mg) of MnI ₂ and ZnI ₂ from 8: 5 in which the lamp voltage is increased by 20% from Comparative Example 1 and 2 in Table 5. A region where the ratio is large is a preferable range in which the lamp voltage is particularly high. However, when the total mass A (mg) of ScI ₃ and NaI is small (lamps 1 and 2), the light emission of Sc and Na for maintaining high efficiency is weakened.

Therefore, it is preferable that the total mass A (mg) of ScI ₃ and NaI as the first halide and the total mass B (mg) of MnI ₂ and ZnI _{2 as} the _second halide are suitable. The ratio A: B range was found to be 1: 5 to 8: 5.

    FIG. 10: is a front view which shows the metal halide lamp for general illumination as a 2nd form for implementing the metal halide lamp of this invention. In the figure, 11 is an arc tube, 12 is a first support band, 13 is a first conductor frame, 14 is a flare stem, 15 is a starter, 16 is a second support band, 17 is a second conductor frame, 18 is a conducting wire, 19 is an outer tube, 20 is a base, and 21 is a getter.

  The arc tube 11 is set to a predetermined inter-electrode distance by sealing a pair of main electrodes and one auxiliary electrode close to one main electrode at both ends of an elongated quartz glass tube. The first support band 12 holds the pinch seal portion on the upper side in the figure of the arc tube 11 and is fixed to the first conductor frame 13. The first conductor frame 13 is fixed to the flare stem 14 and applies a voltage to the main electrode at the top of the arc tube 11. The flare stem 14 is sealed to the neck portion of the outer tube 19. The starter 15 forms a starting circuit including a lighting tube 15a, and applies a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the main electrode adjacent to the starting auxiliary electrode at the time of starting.

  The second support band 16 is fixed to the second conductor frame 17 by holding the lower pinch seal portion in the figure of the arc tube 11. The second conductor frame 17 is fixed to the top portion of the outer tube 19. The conducting wire 18 has one end connected to the lead wire of the flare stem 14, the other end connected to the second support band 16, and connected to the other main electrode of the arc tube 11 via the second conductor frame 17. ing. The outer tube 19 encloses the above-described components including the arc tube 11 and the starter 15 inside. The base 20 is a screw-type base and is attached to the neck portion of the outer tube 19. The getter 21 is supported on the second conductor frame 17 by welding. Although not shown, an initial getter is attached to adsorb the impure gas inside.

  Example 5 is a metal halide lamp shown in FIG. 10, and has a rated lamp power of 400 W, an inner diameter of the arc tube 11 of 18 mm, and a distance between electrodes of 42 mm. Argon (Ar) 2 atm is enclosed as a rare gas. The first and second halides and results are shown in Table 7.

表７に示されているように、いずれも比較例を示すランプ１、６においては、水銀を封入すると、水銀の発光の効果により白色範囲に入る。しかし、実施例１〜４の場合の小形ランプと異なり、本実施例のように定格ランプ電力が大きなランプでは、発光管の場所による発光の偏倚があるため、比較例を示すランプ２、３、７、８のように波長４６０〜４９０ｎｍに発光する第２のハロゲン化物が１種類では、その量を増加させても白色範囲に入らない。

As shown in Table 7, in the lamps 1 and 6 showing comparative examples, when mercury is sealed, the white range is entered due to the effect of light emission of mercury. However, unlike the small lamps in the cases of Examples 1 to 4, in the lamp having a large rated lamp power as in this example, there is a deviation of light emission depending on the location of the arc tube, so that the lamps 2, 3, When the number of second halides that emit light at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm, such as 7 and 8, is not increased, the amount of the second halide does not enter the white range.

  On the other hand, the white range is not entered until two kinds of second halides that emit light having a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm are encapsulated as in the lamps 4, 5, 9, and 10 shown in the present embodiment.

    FIG. 11 is a front view showing a metal halide lamp having a larger rated lamp power than that of FIG. 10 for general illumination as a third embodiment for implementing the metal halide lamp of the present invention. In the figure, the same parts as those in FIG. The starter 15 includes a bimetallic contact.

  Example 6 is a metal halide lamp shown in FIG. 11, and has a rated lamp power of 1000 W and a lamp voltage of 260 V class. The inner diameter of the arc tube 11 is 29 mm and the distance between the electrodes is 90 mm. Argon (Ar) 2 atm is enclosed as a rare gas. The first and second halides and results are shown in Table 8.

表８に示されているように、実施例６において説明した傾向がさらに顕著になる。すなわち、比較例を示すランプ１に見られるように、水銀を封入すると、水銀の発光の効果で白色範囲に入り、またランプ電圧２６０Ｖ級が容易に得られる。しかし、実施例１〜４における小形ランプと異なり、本実施例のように定格ランプ電力が大きなランプでは、発光管の場所による発光の偏倚があるため、比較例を示すランプ２、３、４のように波長４６０〜４９０ｎｍに発光する第２のハロゲン化物が１種類では、その量を増加させても白色範囲に入らない。これに対して、本実施例を示すランプ６、７、８、９のように波長４６０〜４９０ｎｍに発光する第２のハロゲン化物を２種類封入することで初めて白色範囲に入り、また必要な２６０Ｖ級のランプ電圧が得られる。

As shown in Table 8, the tendency described in Example 6 becomes more remarkable. That is, as can be seen in the lamp 1 showing the comparative example, when mercury is enclosed, the white light range is entered by the effect of mercury emission, and a lamp voltage of 260 V class can be easily obtained. However, unlike the small lamps in Examples 1 to 4, a lamp with a large rated lamp power as in this example has a deviation in light emission depending on the location of the arc tube. Thus, when the second halide emitting at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm is one kind, even if the amount is increased, it does not fall within the white range. On the other hand, as in the lamps 6, 7, 8, and 9 showing the present embodiment, the second halide that emits light with a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm is sealed, and the white range is entered for the first time, and the necessary 260 V is applied. Class lamp voltage.

    FIG. 12 is a front view of an essential part showing a metal halide lamp for a liquid crystal projector as a fourth embodiment for implementing the metal halide lamp of the present invention. In the figure, 31 is an airtight container, 32 and 32 are a pair of electrodes, 33 is a sealing metal foil, 34 is an introduction conductor, 35 is a base, and 36 is a connection conductor. Inside the hermetic vessel 31, a discharge medium is enclosed.

  The airtight container 31 is made of quartz glass, and includes a central surrounding portion 31a and first and second sealing portions 31b and 31c at both ends. The surrounding portion 31a has a spheroid shape whose outer shape is almost a sphere, but a discharge space 31a1 having an elongated spheroid shape whose inside is long in the tube axis direction is formed. The first and second sealing portions 31b and 31c are integrally connected to both ends of the surrounding portion 31a by a reduced pressure sealing structure.

  The electrode 32 includes an electrode shaft 32a, an electrode main portion 32b, and a holding coil 32c. The electrode shaft 32a is made of a pure tungsten rod. The electrode main part 32b is formed by winding a pure tungsten wire twice around the tip of the electrode shaft 32a by dense winding several times. The holding coil 32c is wound with a pure tungsten thin wire at an appropriate pitch at a portion facing at least the first and second sealing portions 31b and 31c in the middle portion of the electrode shaft facing the holding portion made of quartz glass. .

  The sealing metal foil 33 is made of molybdenum. The sealing metal foil 33 is welded to the distal end of the electrode shaft 32 a and the distal end of the introduction conductor 34 is welded to the proximal end to form an electrode mount. The first and second sealing portions 31b and 31c are embedded in an airtight manner.

  The discharge medium is composed of first and second halides and a rare gas.

  The introduction conductor 34 is made of molybdenum (Mo) wire, and the distal end is welded to the proximal end of the sealing metal foil 33, and the proximal end is exposed to the outside from the first sealing portion 31b. Although the lead-in conductor 34 has a symmetrical structure in the figure, the right-hand lead conductor is not visible from the outside because it is located in a base 35 described later.

  The base 35 includes a cylindrical base body 35a and a screw terminal 35b. The base body 35a is made of a metal such as brass, and one end portion thereof is fixed to the end portion of the first sealing portion 31b by a base cement, that is, an inorganic adhesive. The screw terminal 35b has a thread groove formed in the outer periphery, is formed integrally with the base body 35a, protrudes outward along the tube axis from the central part of the base body 35a, and is formed at the central part thereof. The introduction conductor is inserted into the through hole and connected to the introduction conductor by welding. The screw terminal 35b contributes to supplying power by fixing a high-pressure discharge lamp at a predetermined position by screwing a lamp plug (not shown) into the screw terminal 35b and connecting it to one output terminal of the lighting circuit. be able to.

  The leading end of the connection conductor 36 is welded to the introduction conductor 34 that protrudes outward from the second sealing portion 31c. Then, the other output terminal of the lighting circuit is connected via the connection conductor 36, which can contribute to power feeding.

FIG. 13 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of an optical system of an RGB color separation type liquid crystal projector. In the figure, 41 is a metal halide lamp shown in FIG. 12, 42 reflector 43 is UV-IR cut filter, 44a, 44b are color separation dichroic _{mirrors, 45 B, 45 G, 45} R liquid crystal panel, 46a, 46b are Mirrors 47a and 47b are color combining mirrors, 48 is a projection lens, B is a blue optical axis, G is a green optical axis, and R is a red optical axis.

The liquid crystal panel 46 _B is driven by image signals of blue, 46 _G is green, and 46 _R is red.

  Thus, the RGB color separation type liquid crystal projector separates each color light of RGB and performs color synthesis again. Therefore, if the chromaticity of the lamp is not within the white range, the color balance of the three colors is lost, and the liquid crystal projector The performance of is worse.

Example 7 is a metal halide lamp shown in FIG. 12, and has a rated lamp power of 100 W, an inner diameter of the airtight container 31 of 12 mm, and a distance between electrodes of 2 mm. Discharge medium, _DyI 3 4 mg as a first halide, a _NdI 3 4 mg, the Xe2 atmospheres as a rare gas and sealed, respectively. Table 9 shows the second halide, the first halide additive, and the results. The metal halide lamp is started using a starter that generates a high voltage pulse.

  The metal halide lamp of FIG. 12 was incorporated in the RGB color separation type liquid crystal projector shown in FIG. 13, and the screen illuminance was measured.

表９に示されているように、本実施例のランプは電極間距離が小さいので、比較例を示すランプ２では、ランプ電圧が４０Ｖ以下である。そのため、ランプ電流が大きくなり、これに伴って電極損失が大きいので、効率も低い。一方、スクリーン照度は、水銀フリーの場合、アークが細くなるので、大きくなる。実施例を示すランプ３〜６は、ランプ２に比較してさらにアークが細くなり、スクリーン照度がランプ２よりさらに性能が向上している。また、ランプ電圧も水銀入りの比較例を示すランプ１と同等である。

As shown in Table 9, since the distance between the electrodes of the lamp of this example is small, the lamp 2 showing the comparative example has a lamp voltage of 40 V or less. As a result, the lamp current increases and the electrode loss increases accordingly. On the other hand, when the mercury is free, the screen illuminance increases because the arc becomes thin. In the lamps 3 to 6 showing the examples, the arc is further narrower than that of the lamp 2, and the screen illuminance is further improved than the lamp 2. The lamp voltage is also equivalent to that of the lamp 1 showing a comparative example containing mercury.

    FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram of one embodiment for implementing the metal halide lamp lighting device of the present invention. In the figure, 51 is a DC power source, 52 is a step-up chopper, 53 is an inverter, 54 is a control circuit, 55 is a starter, and 56 is a metal halide lamp.

  The DC power source 51 includes a battery power source, a rectified DC power source, and the like, and has a smoothing capacitor C1 connected between DC output terminals.

  The step-up chopper 52 boosts the DC voltage supplied from the DC power source 51 to a required voltage, smoothes it, and supplies the input voltage to an inverter 53 described later.

  The inverter 53 is a full bridge type inverter. Then, four switching elements Q1 to Q4 are bridge-connected, and a pair of switching elements Q1 and Q3 constituting the opposite two sides and a pair of switching elements Q2 and Q4 constituting the other two opposite sides are alternately switched. Then, a rectangular wave AC voltage is output between the output terminals.

  The control circuit 54 controls the boost chopper 52 and the inverter 53 as required.

  The starter 55 outputs a high voltage pulse when the metal halide lamp 56 is started and applies it to the metal halide lamp 56.

  The metal halide lamp 56 is a metal halide lamp shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4 or FIG. 13. A high voltage pulse generated from the starter 55 at the start is applied, and the metal halide lamp 56 is turned on by a rectangular wave alternating current generated from the inverter 53.

    FIG. 15 is a conceptual diagram showing a headlamp as an embodiment for carrying out the illumination device of the present invention. In the figure, 61 is a headlamp body, 62 is a lighting circuit, 63 is a starter, and 64 is a metal halide lamp.

  The headlamp body 61 has a container shape, and includes a reflecting mirror 61 a inside, a lens 61 b on the front surface, a lamp socket not shown in the figure, and the like.

  The lighting circuit 62 is mainly composed of the boost chopper 52, the inverter 53, and the control circuit 54 shown in FIG. 14, and can be attached to the headlamp body 61.

  The starter 63 is integrated with the lighting circuit 62.

  The metal halide lamp 64 is a metal halide lamp shown in FIGS.

In FIG. 1 of Non-Patent Document 1, a chromaticity diagram showing the relationship between the white range of an automotive HID lamp and various lamps. The front view which shows the metal halide lamp for motor vehicle headlamps as a 1st form for implementing the metal halide lamp of this invention Similarly bottom view Similarly, an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the arc tube Graph showing the spectral distribution of the encapsulated lamp ZnI ₂ alone ScI ₃ graph showing the spectral distribution of NaI-ZnI ₂ enclosed lamp Chromaticity diagram showing a relationship between emission colors of the white range and _ScI 3 -NaI-ZnI ₂ sealed lamp and _ScI 3 _{-NaI-ZnI 2} -MnI 2 enclosed lamps as specified in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 Graph showing the spectral distribution of the encapsulated lamp MnI ₂ alone Graph showing the spectral distribution of ScI _{3 -NaI-ZnI 2} -MnI 2 enclosed lamp The front view which shows the metal halide lamp for general illumination as a 2nd form for implementing the metal halide lamp of this invention The front view which shows the metal halide lamp whose rated lamp electric power is larger than FIG. 10 for the general illumination as a 3rd form for implementing the metal halide lamp of this invention The principal part front view which shows the metal halide lamp for liquid crystal projectors as the 4th form for implementing the metal halide lamp of this invention Conceptual explanatory diagram of optical system of RGB color separation type liquid crystal projector The circuit diagram of one form for carrying out the metal halide lamp lighting device of the present invention The conceptual diagram which shows the headlamp as one Embodiment for implementing the illuminating device of this invention

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airtight container, 1a ... Enclosing part, 1a1 ... Sealing part, 1b ... Electrode, 1c ... Discharge space, 2 ... Sealing metal foil, 3A ... External lead wire, 3B ... External lead wire, B ... Base, IT light emission Tube, MHL ... Metal halide lamp, OT ... Outer tube, T ... Insulated tube

Claims (12)

Fireproof and translucent airtight container;
A pair of electrodes sealed inside an airtight container;
A first halide made of a metal halide that emits light in a desired manner, has a relatively large vapor pressure, is less likely to emit light in the visible region than the first halide, and emits light at a wavelength of 460 to 490 nm. And a plurality of metal halides selected from the group consisting of zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), hafnium (Hf), zirconium (Zr), titanium (Ti) and nickel (Ni). A second halide as a component, and a discharge medium containing noble gas and no mercury;
A metal halide lamp characterized by comprising: 2. The metal halide lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first halide is one or a plurality of halides selected from the group consisting of sodium (Na), scandium (Sc), and rare earth metals. The metal halide lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second halide is a halide of zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn). The metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the metal halide lamp is for a headlamp having a rated lamp power of 100 W or less. The metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the emission color falls within the white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 immediately after starting. The metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the luminescent color falls within a white range defined in Japanese Industrial Standard JIS D5500-1984 during steady lighting. 4. The metal halide lamp according to claim 3, wherein the second halide has a mass ratio of manganese (Mn) halide to zinc (Zn) halide in the range of 5: 1 to 1: 5. . The metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a mass ratio of the first halide to the second halide is in a range of 1: 5 to 8: 5. The metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rare gas is sealed at a pressure of 1 atm or more. The metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the emission color falls within a range of deviation of ± 0.01 uv with respect to black body radiation during steady lighting. A metal halide lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 10;
A starter for generating a starting pulse voltage and applying it to the metal halide lamp when starting the metal halide lamp;
A metal halide lamp lighting circuit for lighting the metal halide lamp;
A metal halide lamp lighting device comprising: A lighting device body;
The metal halide lamp lighting device according to claim 11 disposed in the lighting device body;
An illumination device comprising:

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