JP2006059547A - Fluorescent lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluorescent lamp having a easily manufacturable and highly reliable structure while maintaining compact property and capable of greatly reducing starting voltage. <P>SOLUTION: An arc tube 2 comprises a glass tube 6 wherein two U-shaped tubes 2f wherein straight tubes 2a, 2b are connected with a bridge part 2e are connected with a bridge part 2g in parallel and electrodes 4, 5 provided at both end parts of the glass tube 6, forms a discharge path crooked inside. A base case 3 is provided with a power-feeding member 10 which holds the arc tube 2 and is a tube pin. A coiled proximity conductor 8 is provided in a thin tube 7c of the arc tube 2. One end part of the coiled proximity conductor 8 is connected with one lead wire 9 of the electrode 4, and the other end part is connected with a power-feeding member 10 through a conducting wire 14. The other lead wire 11 of the electrode 4 and lead wires 12, 13 of the electrode 5 are directly connected with the other power-feeding member 10, respectively. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluorescent lamp.

  A glass tube in which a plurality of U-shaped tubes are connected and integrated by a bridge, and electrodes are provided at both ends of the glass tube, and an arc tube having a single discharge path bent inside between the electrodes is provided. Compact fluorescent lamps are known.

  Such a compact fluorescent lamp has a small discharge tube diameter, an increased bridge portion, and a bent discharge path, so that the discharge path length is made longer but the output is increased. .

  However, as the discharge path length is long, the arc tube diameter is narrow, the number of bridges in which the discharge path is restricted increases, and the starting voltage of the lamp tends to increase. And since a high starting voltage is required, it becomes difficult to maintain compatibility with the existing lighting device, and it becomes necessary to use a new lighting device, and the lighting device becomes large and expensive. From the above, it is desired to reduce the starting voltage in the compact fluorescent lamp.

Conventionally, in order to lower the starting voltage, an auxiliary electrode is provided inside the arc tube, and this auxiliary electrode is connected to one lead wire of one main electrode to induce auxiliary discharge at the time of starting the lamp. A technique for reducing the starting voltage (see, for example, Patent Document 1), a technique in which a proximity conductor serving as a starting aid is provided outside the arc tube, and this proximity conductor is electrically connected to a power supply member of a main electrode not provided with an amalgam. Is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2000-149876 A Japanese Patent No. 3387229

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide an auxiliary electrode inside the arc tube, and it is necessary to connect a resistor between the main electrode and the auxiliary electrode in order to suppress auxiliary discharge after starting the lamp. There is. This complicates the structure of the fluorescent lamp, making it difficult to manufacture and increasing the cost.

  Moreover, although the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 eliminates the need to connect a resistor between the adjacent conductor and the main electrode, there is a problem that the effect of lowering the starting voltage with respect to the coldest spot fluorescent lamp is small. .

  Furthermore, since the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 electrically connects the auxiliary electrode or the proximity conductor and the main electrode directly, there is a problem that the connection portion is weak against external force such as tensile strength. When the contact failure occurs, there is a problem that the contact resistance increases, and the heat generation and the starting voltage increase.

  Further, in recent years, the compact fluorescent lamp has been further increased in output, so that the starting voltage has been further increased, and the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are insufficient in reducing the starting voltage. As a result, the lighting device becomes larger.

  In addition, when a large-sized and high-cost lighting device is built in a case having a base, such as a so-called bulb-type fluorescent lamp, the lamp is increased in size and cost, and the weight is increased.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has a structure that is easy to manufacture and highly reliable while maintaining compactness, and can greatly reduce the starting voltage. The object is to obtain a fluorescent lamp.

  The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1 is an arc tube having a glass tube in which a plurality of U-shaped tubes are connected together by a bridge, and electrodes provided at both ends of the glass tube, and the light emission A base case that holds the tube and has a base, and has a configuration in which, in the arc tube, a coiled proximity conductor is provided at an end of the U-shaped tube that does not have the electrode.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the fluorescent lamp according to the first aspect, wherein a thin tube is provided at an end of the U-shaped tube, and the coiled proximity conductor is wound around the thin tube. It has the structure which was made.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the fluorescent lamp according to the first or second aspect, wherein a thin tube is provided at an end of the U-shaped tube, and the coiled proximity conductor is wound around the thin tube. The amalgam is provided in the narrow tube provided with the coiled proximity conductor.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fluorescent lamp according to any one of the first to third aspects, comprising the arc tube and the base case having a lighting device therein.

  With the configuration according to claim 1, when a commercial current or a high-frequency current is applied to the coiled adjacent conductor as a preheating current, a magnetic field change occurs in the vicinity of the adjacent conductor, and the charged particles in the arc tube are energized by the induced electromotive force. Therefore, dielectric breakdown is likely to occur. Furthermore, when a starting voltage is applied between the lamp electrodes, one electrode and the coiled adjacent conductor have the same potential, and the potential gradient between the other electrode becomes steep, so that the glow discharge between the electrodes expands. This facilitates the transition to arc discharge. In addition, when a high-frequency current is applied, the change in the magnetic field generated in the vicinity of the coiled adjacent conductor further increases and the induced electromotive force increases. As a result, the starting voltage can be greatly reduced by increasing the energy given to the charged particles.

  With the configuration according to claim 2, when a commercial current or a high-frequency current is supplied to the coiled adjacent conductor as a preheating current, a magnetic field changes in the vicinity of the adjacent conductor, and energy is generated in the charged particles in the arc tube by the induced electromotive force. Therefore, dielectric breakdown is likely to occur. Furthermore, when a starting voltage is applied between the lamp electrodes, one electrode and the coiled adjacent conductor have the same potential, and the potential gradient between the other electrode becomes steep, so that the glow discharge between the electrodes expands. This facilitates the transition to arc discharge. In addition, when a high-frequency current is applied, the change in the magnetic field generated in the vicinity of the coiled adjacent conductor further increases and the induced electromotive force increases. As a result, the starting voltage can be greatly reduced by increasing the energy given to the charged particles. Moreover, since it is provided so as to be wound around the narrow tube, the number of turns can be adjusted, and the increase / decrease adjustment of the number of turns can be made. Further, since the thin tube is thin, the magnetic field can be made dense with the same number of turns, and the effect of lowering the starting voltage can be increased.

  With the configuration according to claim 3, when alternating current is supplied to the coiled adjacent conductor as a preheating current, a magnetic field is changed in the vicinity of the adjacent conductor, and energy is given to the electrons in the amalgam by the induced electromotive force. As a result, the temperature of the amalgam is increased during preheating, the mercury vapor pressure in the arc tube is increased, and the starting voltage is reduced. Further, by supplying a commercial current or a high-frequency current to the coiled adjacent conductor as the lighting current, the temperature rise of the amalgam is quickened even after the start lighting and the luminous flux rise of the fluorescent lamp can be accelerated.

  Since the starting voltage can be reduced by the configuration according to the fourth aspect, the built-in lighting device can be reduced in size and cost, so that, for example, a light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp or the like can be reduced in size and cost as a whole. . Moreover, since weight reduction can also be implement | achieved, safety | security and commercial value can be improved.

  A fluorescent lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A fluorescent lamp 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 has an arc tube 2 and a power supply member 10 that is a cap pin for supplying electric power to the arc tube 2. The cap case 3 holds the arc tube 2.

  The arc tube 2 has two U-shaped tubes 2f in which straight tube tubes 2a and 2b made of glass having an outer diameter of 17 mm, an inner diameter of 15 mm, and a length of 100 mm are connected by a bridge portion 2e, and are connected in parallel by a bridge portion 2g. One glass tube 6 and electrodes 4 and 5 provided at both ends of the glass tube 6, and one bent discharge path is formed between the electrodes 4 and 5.

  A fluorescent material (not shown) is applied to the inner surface of the arc tube 2, and an enclosed gas such as argon and mercury are enclosed in the discharge space. The base case 3 stands and holds the arc tube 2 and is provided with four power supply members 10 (two on the front side) as base pins for supplying power to the arc tube 2.

  Fine tubes 7a, 7b, 7c, and 7d are provided at the ends of the U-shaped tube 2f. The thin tubes 7c having the length of about 8 mm and the outer diameter of about 5 mm where the electrodes 4 and 5 are not arranged are 7 times. A coiled proximity conductor 8 is provided, and one end of the coiled proximity conductor 8 is connected to one lead wire 9 of the electrode 4, and the other end of the coiled proximity conductor 8 is connected to a cap case via a conductive wire 14. 3 is connected to one of the power supply members 10, which are cap pins provided at 3. The other lead wire 11 of the electrode 4 and the lead wires 12 and 13 of the electrode 5 are directly connected to the power supply member 10 which is the other three cap pins (see FIG. 2).

  When an alternating current is applied as a preheating current to the fluorescent lamp 1, the electrodes 4 and 5 are preheated and the coiled adjacent conductor 8 is also energized. When an alternating current is applied to the coiled proximity conductor 8, a magnetic field changes at the end of the U-shaped tube 2f provided with the coiled proximity conductor 8, and an induced electromotive force is generated. Thereby, energy is given to charged particles made of sealed gas or mercury existing in the vicinity of the end of the U-shaped tube 2f provided with the coil-shaped proximity conductor 8, and the inside of the arc tube 2 is easily broken down. Discharge starts easily. In addition, when the starting voltage is applied to the fluorescent lamp 1, the electrode 4 and the coiled proximity conductor 8 have the same potential, so the potential gradient between the electrode 5 and the coiled proximity conductor 8 becomes steep. The glow discharge between 4 and 5 is easily expanded, and the discharge start is facilitated. These synergistic actions can greatly reduce the starting voltage.

  In addition, since the induced electromotive force generated when the alternating current is supplied to the coiled adjacent conductor 8 is proportional to the frequency of the alternating current, the effect of lowering the starting voltage is further increased by lighting the fluorescent lamp 1 at a high frequency.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the coiled proximity conductor 8 is provided so as to be wound with a metal wire, which is a conducting wire having a diameter of about 0.5 mm, with the thin tube 7c as an axis, and has a structure that is easy to manufacture. . In other words, a coil wound in advance may be inserted into the thin tube 7c or the like, or may be wound around the thin tube 7c or the like. When it is provided by wrapping around the thin tube 7c or the like, it is easy to wind the metal wire which is the material of the coiled proximity conductor 8 by forming a threaded groove in the thin tube 7c in advance, and the coiled proximity conductor 8 is formed. It becomes easy. The narrow tube provided with the coiled proximity conductor 8 may be an exhaust tube. In the case of the arc tube 2 that does not include a thin tube, the coiled proximity conductor 8 may be provided, for example, so as to be wound around the outer surface of the main body end of the U-shaped tube. In addition, when winding around a thin tube etc., the effect that the coil-shaped proximity conductor 8 becomes difficult to fall off can be acquired by thickening the front-end | tip part of a thin tube, or curving a thin tube.

  The coil-like proximity conductor 8 may be wound once, or may be other than a metal wire, for example, a metal plate or a metal paste, or a conductive path may be helically printed on the end of the U-shaped tube by metal vapor deposition or the like. Is possible. Further, other than metal, any conductive material may be used, for example, conductive plastic or conductive ceramic. The coil shape of the coiled proximity conductor 8 may not be a columnar shape, but may be a prismatic shape or a spindle shape, and it is sufficient if a magnetic field is generated.

  Alternatively, a longer lead wire 9 of the electrode 4 may be used, and the lead wire 9 of the electrode 4 may be directly wound around the thin tube 7c and then connected to the power supply member 10 of the base. As a result, the electrical contact between the coiled proximity conductor 8 and the lead wire 9 and the electrical contact between the coiled proximity conductor 8 and the conductive wire 14 are eliminated, the strength of the electrical connection is increased, the manufacturing is easy, and the reliability is increased. can do.

  Since the induced electromotive force generated when the alternating current is passed through the coiled proximity conductor 8 is proportional to the number of turns of the coil, the effect of lowering the starting voltage varies depending on the number of turns of the coiled proximity conductor 8. Therefore, by winding the conducting wire around the thin tube 7c, the number of turns can be increased, so that the starting voltage can be greatly reduced, and the number of turns can be adjusted by the length of the thin tube 7c, so that the starting voltage is adjusted. It is also possible. In addition, by winding the insulated metal wire to form the coiled proximity conductor 8, the metal wire can be densely wound or overlapped and wound in multiple layers so that the number of turns can be further increased and the starting voltage can be greatly increased. Can be reduced.

  Further, in the fluorescent lamp of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, lighting can be confirmed even when the voltage is 85% with respect to the commercial voltage of 100 V by providing one coiled proximity conductor. In the case where the adjacent conductor was not provided, the lighting did not occur when the voltage was 90% or less.

  Next, the fluorescent lamp which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  The fluorescent lamp according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3 has the same basic structure as the fluorescent lamp according to the first embodiment except that one lead wire 13 of the electrode 5 and the base pin are different. The conductive wire 16 connected to the power supply member 10 is connected via a coiled proximity conductor 15 provided in the thin tube 7b, and includes two coiled proximity conductors 8 and 15.

  Thereby, an induced electromotive force is generated in both the thin tubes 7b and 7c, and the effect of expanding the glow discharge is generated in both the electrodes 4 and 5 by connecting the coiled adjacent conductors 8 and 15 to the electrodes on the opposite side. As a result, the starting voltage is significantly reduced.

  Next, a fluorescent lamp that is a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  The fluorescent lamp according to the third embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4 has the same basic structure as the fluorescent lamp according to the first embodiment, except that the narrow tube 7c covered with the coiled proximity conductor 8 is used. The amalgam 17 is provided inside.

  Thus, an alternating electromotive force is applied to the coiled adjacent conductor 8 as a preheating current, so that an induced electromotive force is generated, and energy is given to free electrons existing in the amalgam 17. As a result, the temperature of the amalgam 17 rises from the preheating time, and the mercury vapor pressure in the arc tube 2 increases, so that the starting voltage can be lowered.

  When such a fluorescent lamp 1 is turned on at a high frequency, an alternating current is applied to the coiled adjacent conductor 8 as a preheating current, so that a magnetic field change occurs in the vicinity of the coiled adjacent conductor 8, and an amalgam is induced by the induced electromotive force. Energy is given to the electrons in 17. As a result, the temperature of the amalgam 17 is increased during preheating, the mercury vapor pressure in the arc tube 2 is increased, and the effect of lowering the starting voltage is obtained. Furthermore, in such a fluorescent lamp whose mercury vapor pressure is an amalgam control system, such as a compact fluorescent lamp or a bulb-type fluorescent lamp, the rise of the luminous flux can be accelerated by arranging the amalgam in the vicinity of the coiled adjacent conductor. it can. As shown in FIG. 4, since the amalgam 17 is disposed in the narrow tube 7c provided with the coiled proximity conductor 8, induction is caused by an alternating current being passed through the coiled proximity conductor 8 as a preheating current and a lighting current. Electric power is generated and energy is given to free electrons present in the amalgam 17. As a result, the temperature rise of the amalgam 17 starts from the preheating time, and the temperature rise after the start-up lighting is also quickened, so that the effect of increasing the luminous flux of the fluorescent lamp is obtained.

  Next, the fluorescent lamp which is the 4th Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated.

  A fluorescent lamp 31 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 is provided with electrodes 18 and 19 at both ends of a glass tube 21 in which three U-shaped tubes are bridge-connected and integrated, and is bent inside. The arc tube 20 having the discharge path and a base case 22 for standing and holding the arc tube 20 are provided. 5 is a bottom cross-sectional view of the base case 22 in which the arc tube 20 is erected.

  The arc tube 20 is erected and held in a circumferential shape in the base case 22, and the coil-shaped proximity conductors 23, 24, 25, 26 are U-shaped thin tubes 27, which are not provided with the electrodes 18, 19. 28, 29, and 30.

  Thus, by providing the coiled proximity conductors 23, 24, 25, and 26 at a plurality of locations, the number of locations where dielectric electromotive force is generated is increased, and the effect of lowering the starting voltage is also increased. Further, when the coiled proximity conductor is provided so as to obtain a synergistic effect of the respective magnetic fields in the thin tube provided with the coiled proximity conductor, a better effect can be obtained. In addition, there is a possibility that coil-shaped proximity conductors and wiring may come into contact with each other due to the increase in the number of coil-shaped proximity conductors to be used. By coating, electrical contact can be prevented. Further, even when the lighting device is built in the base case 22, it is possible to prevent the coil-like proximity conductor and the wiring of the lighting device from making electrical contact. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the luminous flux rise of the fluorescent lamp can be further accelerated by disposing the amalgams in the narrow tubes 7b and 7c, respectively.

  In the fluorescent lamp whose mercury vapor pressure is an amalgam control system, the effect of reducing the starting voltage can be obtained by arranging the amalgam in the vicinity of the coiled adjacent conductor.

  In this way, the high-frequency fluorescent lamp equivalent to the output 42W having the arc tube formed by bridging three U-shaped tubes has high output and many bridge portions. Therefore, when no adjacent conductor is provided, the ambient temperature is 25 ° C. A high voltage of about 550 V is required for lighting, but the one provided with the coiled proximity conductor as shown in FIG. 5 could be lowered to about 450 V. Here, in the conventional fluorescent lamp in which the power supply member connecting the base pin and the electrode lead wire and the proximity conductor provided near the outer surface of the bridge portion of the arc tube, the starting voltage is 480V.

  From the above, it was confirmed that the fluorescent lamp according to the present invention can greatly reduce the starting voltage due to the synergistic action of the induced electromotive force and the adjacent conductor.

  Since the fluorescent lamp according to the present invention can reduce the starting voltage, when using a copper iron type lighting device, it is not necessary to use a large new lighting device, and an existing copper iron type lighting device should be used. Can do. Furthermore, when using a high frequency lighting device, it is possible to prevent an increase in the size and cost of the lighting device for generating a high voltage. Since it is not necessary for the lighting device to generate a higher voltage, the lighting device 32 is reduced in size and cost in the fluorescent lamp 35 with a built-in lighting device 32 shown in FIG. 6 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the fluorescent lamp 35 incorporating the lighting device 32 in the base case 33 holding the arc tube 34 can be made compact and cost-effective. Also, since the coiled proximity conductor is wound around a thin tube, it is different from the conventional one in which the electrode and the base pin are directly connected, so the tensile strength is enhanced and the reliability is high, and a high starting voltage is generated. Since the use of a large lighting device can be eliminated, the weight can be reduced, and safety and commercial value can be improved.

  In addition, in the fluorescent lamp of the present invention, disclosed in the embodiment, examples, drawings, etc. of the invention in the shape and arrangement location of the coiled proximity conductor, the configuration of the arc tube, the presence or absence of the lighting device, etc. It is not limited to a thing, It can select arbitrarily.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be effectively used for a fluorescent lamp that can stably maintain a reduction in starting voltage, a reduction in size, a reduction in cost, a reduction in weight, and reliability, and can be easily manufactured and can quickly increase the luminous flux.

The partially cutaway front view of the fluorescent lamp which is the 1st Embodiment of this invention Similarly, AA cross-sectional bottom view in FIG. The partially cutaway front view of the fluorescent lamp which is the 2nd Embodiment of this invention The partially cutaway front view of the fluorescent lamp which is the 3rd Embodiment of this invention Sectional drawing of the bottom face of a cap case in which an arc tube of a fluorescent lamp according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is erected The partially cutaway front view of the fluorescent lamp which is the 5th Embodiment of this invention

Explanation of symbols

1, 31, 35 Fluorescent lamp 2, 20, 34 Arc tube 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d Straight tube 3, 22, 33 Base case 4, 5, 18, 19 Electrode 6, 21 Glass tube 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 27, 28, 29, 30 Narrow tube 8, 15, 23, 24, 25, 26 Coiled proximity conductor 9 Electrode lead wire 10 Feed member 11, 12, 13 Lead wire 14, 16 Conductor 17 Amalgam 32 Lighting device

Claims (4)

An arc tube having a single glass tube in which a plurality of U-shaped tubes are connected together by a bridge and electrodes provided at both ends of the glass tube, and a base that holds the arc tube and has a base A fluorescent lamp, wherein a coiled proximity conductor is provided at an end of the U-shaped tube that does not have the electrode among the arc tubes. 2. The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein a thin tube is provided at an end of the U-shaped tube, and the coiled proximity conductor is wound around the thin tube. A narrow tube is provided at an end of the U-shaped tube, and the coiled proximity conductor is provided so as to be wound around the capillary tube, and the inside of the capillary tube provided with the coiled proximity conductor is provided. The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an amalgam is provided in the lamp. The fluorescent lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the arc tube and the base case having a lighting device therein.

Images