JP2007265789A - Arc tube, fluorescent lamp device, and lighting fixture - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an arc tube in which an area of optical output barrier face by phosphor layer is reduced in the arc tube and efficiency of optical output can be improved, and to provide a fluorescent lamp device, and a lighting fixture. <P>SOLUTION: The arc tube 11 is formed by folding back at the middle part from one end to the other end of a tube body and at least the interval areas from one end to the middle part and from the other end to the middle part are bent, and has a phosphor layer 17 on the inner circumferential face. At least a part of the cross-section of the tube body has a non-perfect-circular shape, and the major axis 111 of this cross-section is in substance parallel to the axis 19 of the arc tube 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an arc tube that has a phosphor layer on its inner peripheral surface and is bent, a fluorescent lamp device including the arc tube, and a lighting fixture.

First, a conventional example will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a front view showing a bulb-type fluorescent lamp, with a part thereof cut away.

In FIG. 7, a bulb-type fluorescent lamp 10 includes an arc tube 11 made of a tube, a partition 12 that supports the arc tube 11, and a circuit board 13 that constitutes a lighting device for the arc tube 11 and is supported by the partition 12. And a cover member 14 supported by the partition body 12, a base 15 supported by the cover member 14, and a globe 16 covering the arc tube 11 supported by the partition body 12.

The arc tube 11 is folded so as to divide one straight tubular glass tube into two equal parts, and the straight region is formed except for the pair of end portions 11b and 11c with the central region of the bisected glass tube as the top part 11a. All are bent and formed spirally without leaving. Therefore, it becomes a double spiral arc tube.

  The arc tube 11 having a spiral shape is formed by heating one straight tubular glass tube so that the tube is folded in half in a flexible state, and the central region of the further divided glass tube is defined as a top portion 11a. It is formed by winding along a mold having a spirally formed groove.

  The arc tube 11 is made of transparent lead-free glass and has a tube outer diameter of about 9.0 mm. For example, a phosphor layer 17 of three wavelengths is formed on the inner surface of the glass tube, and the height of the arc tube is set. It is configured to be about 73 mm.

  The pair of end portions 11b and 11c of the arc tube 11 are formed such that each end portion is linearly opposed and is extended and positioned in the vertical direction.

Further, each end 11b, 11c of the arc tube is sealed by a flare stem that constitutes an electrode sealing end, and the electrodes 11d, 11e are sealed by the flare stem, and each of the electrodes 11d, 11e is a pair. The filament coil is suspended on the jumet wire. The arc tube 11 is filled with a rare gas which is a discharge medium made of a mixed gas of argon (Ar) and krypton (Kr) or the like.

The lead wire led out from each end 11b, 11c is connected to the output terminal of the lighting device.

The circuit board 13 is mounted with circuit components constituting a lighting device for the arc tube 11, and the circuit components are components for constituting a lighting device for lighting the arc tube 11 at high frequency using an inverter or the like. It is composed of electronic components such as a diode for rectifying the voltage, an electrolytic capacitor for smoothing, a transistor or field effect transistor as a switching element, a resonance and ballast winding, a resonance capacitor, and a switching control component.

The cover member 14 has a substantially conical cylindrical shape having openings at the top and bottom, and is made of a heat resistant synthetic resin such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT).

A base 15 is fitted and supported on the outer surface of the opening at the other end below the cover member 14. The base 15 is made of a conductive metal material, and is attached by being electrically connected to a socket wired and connected to a commercial power source by means such as screwing. For example, the base 15 is made of an E26 type base, A space portion is formed on the inner surface, and a male screw portion 15a is formed on the outer surface.

  The globe 16 is made of a transparent or light diffusing milky white or the like, and is formed of glass or synthetic resin so as to have a smooth curved surface substantially the same shape as a glass bulb of a general incandescent bulb.

  The phosphor layer 17 on the inner peripheral surface of the arc tube 11 is erected with the top of the arc tube 11 and the phosphor suspension is injected from one end 11 b or 11 c of the arc tube 11. And formed by drying (see Patent Document 1).

FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the arc tube 11 in FIG. 7 cut along the line aa. As is apparent from the figure, the cross-sectional shape of the tubular body is a perfect circle.

  Although it is desirable that the phosphor layer 17 applied to the peripheral surface of the tubular body has a uniform thickness, the phosphor injected into the tubular body usually depends on its viscosity and gravity, but normally, FIG. As shown, the thick phosphor layer 17a is formed on the bottom of the peripheral surface of the tubular body on the lower side in the direction of gravity.

  And this thick fluorescent substance layer 17a acts as the light output obstruction surface 18 which reduces the light output radiated | emitted from a tubular body outside according to the surface area. That is, the thick phosphor layer 17a absorbs light energy, resulting in a decrease in light output.

  Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the area of the light output obstruction surface.

  Although it is not intended to reduce the area of the light output obstruction surface as compared with the prior art as described above, there is an arc tube in which the cross-sectional shape of the tube body is an ellipse or the like (see Patent Document 2).

According to the one disclosed in Patent Document 2, it can be expected to reduce the area of the light output obstruction surface.
JP 2004-186147 A JP 2003-263972 A

  However, what is shown in Patent Document 2 is a form in which an elliptical long axis that is a cross-sectional shape of the tube body is inclined with respect to the arc tube axis. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the area of the light output obstruction surface to some extent, but it is not yet sufficient, and further improvement in the efficiency of light output has been expected.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an arc tube, a fluorescent lamp device, and a lighting fixture that can reduce the area of the light output obstruction surface due to the phosphor layer in the arc tube and improve the efficiency of light output. And

The invention of the arc tube according to claim 1 is formed by folding an intermediate portion extending from one end to the other end of the tube body and bending at least from one end to the intermediate portion or from the other end to the intermediate portion. In the arc tube having a phosphor layer, at least a part of the cross section of the tube has a non-round shape, and the major axis of the cross section is substantially parallel to the axis of the arc tube. It is characterized by.

The invention of the arc tube according to claim 2 is characterized in that the cross section of the tube body is elliptical.

The invention of a fluorescent lamp device according to claim 3 is characterized by comprising the arc tube according to claim 1 or 2, and a device for supplying power to the arc tube.

The invention of the lighting fixture according to claim 4 comprises the fluorescent lamp device according to claim 3.

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

The non-true circle is a concept that excludes only a true circle and includes a polygon such as an ellipse, a triangle, a quadrangle, and a rhombus.

The intermediate part means any part extending from one end to the other end of the tubular body, and does not necessarily mean a part divided into two equal parts.

  The axis of the arc tube means a line segment that captures the direction from the end side of the arc tube toward the folded portion side or vice versa.

  The cross section of the tube means a surface cut by a plane parallel to the axis of the arc tube and perpendicular to the tube.

  The long axis is substantially parallel to the axis of the arc tube is not strictly required to be parallel, as long as the center of the thick film portion of the phosphor layer is located in the long axis direction. It often allows manufacturing errors, deviations, and the like.

  In addition, the geometrical and positional relationship in the configuration of the present invention does not mean geometrically strict contents.

  Note that the arc tube is focused on the entire arc tube, and the tube is focused on the arc tube portion, but is not strictly used separately.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an arc tube, a fluorescent lamp device, and a lighting fixture capable of reducing the area of the light output obstruction surface due to the thick film portion of the phosphor layer in the arc tube and improving the light output efficiency. Can do.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the arc tube, the fluorescent lamp device, and the lighting fixture according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same or equivalent part as the above-mentioned prior art example, and the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

First, FIG. 1 is a front view showing a bulb-type fluorescent lamp 10 as a fluorescent lamp device, with a part thereof cut away. Here, what is different from the conventional example shown in FIG. 7 is the shape of the cross section of the tube of the arc tube 11, and the cross section is elliptical.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a tube body shown by cutting the arc tube 11 in FIG. 1 along the line AA. Here, the tube of the arc tube 11 has an elliptical cross section.

In FIG. 3, FIG. 3A is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating the present embodiment. This schematic diagram shows a tube cross section obtained by cutting the tube of the arc tube 11 in a plane parallel to the axis and perpendicular to the tube, and the long axis of the cross section is parallel to the axis of the arc tube 11. I am doing. The schematic diagram corresponds to a cross-sectional view of the tube of the arc tube 11 shown in FIG. 1, specifically, a cross-sectional view of the arc tube 11 cut along the line BB in the drawing.

Reference numeral 19 is taken as the axis of the arc tube 11, and this axis 19 is a line segment that captures the direction from the end 11b, 11c side of the arc tube 11 toward the folded portion side or vice versa, and has a spiral shape. It is also the rotation center axis of the arc tube 11 forming

The cross section of the tube has an elliptical shape, and the major axis 111 and the minor axis 112 exist in the elliptical shape. Here, the major axis 111 is substantially parallel in relation to the axis 19 of the arc tube 11. It is in a state. That is, it means that the elliptical tube body is not inclined with respect to the axis 19 of the arc tube 11.

The long axis 111 is 1.7 times as long as the short axis 112. The major axis 111 is considered to have an appropriate dimensional relationship of 1.2 times or more with respect to the minor axis 112.

On the other hand, in order to facilitate the understanding of the present embodiment, the configuration shown in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2 will be schematically taken up and explained.

FIG. 3B is a cross section of the tube of the arc tube shown in Patent Document 2 corresponding to FIG. 3A, and the cross section of the tube is elliptical, but the elliptical long axis 111 is shown. Is not parallel to the axis 19 of the arc tube 11. In other words, the ellipse is tilted.

Here, the case where the phosphor layer 17 is formed on the arc tube 11 will be described. In the above-described conventional example, the top portion of the arc tube 11 is erected so that one or both ends of the arc tube 11 are disposed. The phosphor suspension is injected from the portions 11b and 11c and dried, that is, through the phosphor injection process and the drying process, the formation of the phosphor layer 17 is completed.

In this process, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the phosphor injected into the arc tube 11 travels along the peripheral surface of the phosphor and accumulates at the bottom of the peripheral surface of the tube to form a thick phosphor layer 17a. However, since the cross section of the tubular body is elliptical and the deep arc portion 11f is on the bottom surface side, the area Wa of the light output obstruction surface 18 in the thick phosphor layer 17a is reduced.

On the other hand, in the case shown in FIG. 3B, the elliptical shape of the tube cross section is inclined. For this reason, the arc 11g in the elliptical portion on the bottom surface side where the phosphor accumulates becomes shallower than in the present embodiment. That is, the arc is increased, and as a result, the area Wb of the light output obstruction surface 18 is increased.

Thus, even in comparison with that shown in Patent Document 2 shown in FIG. 3, it can be seen that the area of the light output obstruction surface 18 according to the present embodiment is small.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the area of the light output obstruction surface 18 due to the thickness of the phosphor can be reduced, and it can be said that it is efficient in emitting light from the arc tube 11 to the outside.

In the present embodiment, regarding the formation of the phosphor layer 17 of the arc tube 11, the top of the arc tube 11 is erected and the phosphor suspension is injected from one end of the arc tube 11. However, conversely, the ends 11b and 11c of the arc tube 11 may be erected so that the phosphor suspension is injected from one or both ends 11b and 11c. . Also in this case, the formation of the phosphor layer 17 is completed through the phosphor injection process and the drying process.

Next, the structure of the lighting fixture which used the lightbulb-type fluorescent lamp comprised as mentioned above as a light source is demonstrated.

As shown in FIG. 4, reference numeral 20 denotes a downlight-type lighting fixture installed on a ceiling surface X of a store or the like, and a main body case 21 having a metal box shape having an opening 21 a on the lower surface, and an opening 21 a. It is comprised with the metal reflectors 22 fitted by.

The reflector 22 is made of, for example, a metal plate such as stainless steel, and a decorative frame 22a is integrally formed around the lower surface. A socket 23 into which a cap of a bulb-type fluorescent lamp is screwed is installed at the center of the upper surface plate of the reflector 22.

  The base 15 of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 10 is screwed into the socket 23. As a result, a downlight type lighting fixture in which the light bulb-shaped fluorescent lamp 10 having the spiral arc tube 11 is installed is configured.

  The luminaire 20 configured in this way has a light distribution of a light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp serving as a light source approximate to a light distribution of a general incandescent light bulb, so that light to a reflector near a socket disposed in the luminaire is transmitted. The irradiation amount is sufficiently secured, and the instrument characteristics as the optical design of the reflector can be obtained.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the arc tube 11.

FIG. 5A has a substantially rhombic cross section, and the long axis 111 of the tube cross section is configured to be parallel to the axis of the arc tube 11.

Similarly, FIG. 5B has a substantially triangular cross section, and the long axis 111 of the tube cross section is configured to be parallel to the axis of the arc tube 11. In this case, when a method of injecting the phosphor suspension from one end or both ends of the arc tube 11 is set up, the deep arc portion 11f where the phosphor accumulates is formed. What is necessary is just to shape | mold a tubular body so that it may face to the top part side of the arc tube 11.

Also in these embodiments shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the area of the light output obstruction surface 18 by the phosphor layer 12 in the arc tube 11 can be reduced, and the light output efficiency can be improved. .

Furthermore, another embodiment of the arc tube of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). FIG. 6A shows a single spiral arc tube 11 in which an intermediate portion extending from one end to the other end of the arc tube 11 is folded and only one side is bent and rotated spirally. Reference numeral 15 b denotes a base connected to the end of the arc tube 11.

FIG. 6B shows an arc tube 11 in which an intermediate portion extending from one end to the other end of the arc tube 11 is folded and only one side is bent in a wave shape. Reference numeral 19 denotes an axis of the arc tube. Furthermore, 19a and 19b can also be regarded as axes.

The axis of the arc tube means a line segment that captures the direction from the end side of the arc tube toward the folded portion side or vice versa, so that not only in this embodiment but also in each of the above embodiments. A myriad of different axes can be envisaged.

As described above, the present invention can be applied to these arc tube-shaped ones.

Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to a bulb-type fluorescent lamp but also to a large-sized outdoor lighting fixture with high output.

It is a front view which partially cuts and shows the lightbulb-type fluorescent lamp which is embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged view which shows the cross section of the arc tube. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the embodiment, (a) is a cross-sectional view of the arc tube of embodiment of this invention, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the arc tube of a prior art example. It is sectional drawing which showed the lighting fixture which is the same embodiment, and showed roughly the lighting fixture installed in the ceiling surface. It is a cross-sectional view showing an arc tube as another embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the arc_tube | light_emitting_tube shape as the other embodiment. It is a front view which cuts off and shows the conventional bulb-type fluorescent lamp partially. It is an enlarged view which shows the cross section of the arc tube.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fluorescent lamp apparatus 11 Arc tube 17 Phosphor layer 19 Axis 111 Long axis 20 Lighting fixture

Claims (4)

  An arc tube having a phosphor layer on the inner peripheral surface is formed by bending an intermediate portion extending from one end to the other end of the tube and bending at least from one end to the intermediate portion or from the other end to the intermediate portion. An arc tube characterized in that at least a part of the cross section has a non-round shape, and a major axis of the cross section is substantially parallel to an axis of the arc tube.   The arc tube according to claim 1, wherein the tube has a cross section of an ellipse. An arc tube according to claim 1 or claim 2;
A lighting device for supplying power to the arc tube;
A fluorescent lamp device comprising:    A lighting fixture comprising the fluorescent lamp device according to claim 3.

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