JP2008123821A - Fluorescent lamp and lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluorescent lamp gentle to the earth environment and having a good manufacturing yield. <P>SOLUTION: The fluorescent lamp 1 is provided with a bulb 10 made of a soft glass which does not contain, in substance, lead, strontium, and barium and a stem 30 (20) which is sealed to the end part of the bulb 10 and has a flare 32 made of soft glass containing, in substance, no lead and an electrode 31 mounted on the flare 32. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluorescent lamp in which a stem is sealed at an end of a bulb and a lighting device including the fluorescent lamp.

In recent years, in the field of lamps, attempts have been made to manufacture fluorescent lamps using glass that does not contain lead, which is an environmentally hazardous substance, from the viewpoint of protecting the global environment. For example, in the fluorescent lamp disclosed in Patent Document 1, the bulb and the flare that is a constituent member of the stem are each formed of glass that does not contain lead.
Japanese Patent No. 3299615

However, the glass containing no lead used in the fluorescent lamp of Patent Document 1 has poor workability compared to glass containing lead, in other words, the working temperature range (temperature range from the softening point of the glass to the working point) is low. It is narrow and difficult to use as a fluorescent lamp. When a fluorescent lamp is manufactured using such a glass having a narrow working temperature range, the manufacturing yield is deteriorated.
Specifically, when glass having a narrow working temperature range is used, the workability of the valve sealing process for sealing the stem to the end of the valve is deteriorated. In the valve sealing process, when the end of the valve and the flare of the stem are heated and fused, if the amount of heating is small, the valve and the flare cannot be fused sufficiently, resulting in insufficient sealing. When the amount of heating is large, the bulb and flare are excessively deformed and the glass is distorted. However, as the working temperature range is narrowed, the amount of heat must be strictly controlled, and workability is deteriorated.

Also, in the valve molding process in which the valve is bent or bridge-connected, the amount of heating to the valve must be strictly controlled, resulting in poor workability.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lamp that is friendly to the global environment and has a good production yield. It is another object of the present invention to provide an illuminating device which is friendly to the global environment and has a high productivity provided with the fluorescent lamp.

In order to achieve the above object, a fluorescent lamp according to the present invention includes a bulb substantially made of soft glass containing no lead, strontium and barium, and is sealed at the end of the bulb and substantially contains lead. And a stem having a flare made of soft glass and an electrode mounted on the flare.
An illumination device according to the present invention includes any one of the fluorescent lamps described above.

  The fluorescent lamp according to the present invention is friendly to the global environment because lead, which is an environmentally hazardous substance, is not contained in the soft glass for bulbs and flares. In addition, the soft glass for valves does not contain strontium and barium, and it has a wider working temperature range and better workability than conventional soft glass not containing lead. Good workability. Therefore, the production yield of the fluorescent lamp is good.

In addition, in this application, a soft glass means the glass whose expansion coefficient of 30-380 degreeC is 80x10 < ^-7 > / K or more. In addition, “substantially free of lead, strontium or barium” means that it is not intentionally contained, and soft glass containing lead, strontium or barium at the impurity level does not substantially contain them. Corresponds to soft glass.

In addition, when the softening point of the soft glass of the bulb is 700 ° C. or less and the temperature difference between the softening point and the working point is 350 ° C. or more, the soft glass has sufficient workability for a fluorescent lamp. Therefore, the workability in the valve sealing process and the valve molding process is better.
In this application, the softening point is the temperature when the viscosity η of glass is η = 10 ^7.65 dPa · s, and the working point is the viscosity η of glass η = 10 ^4.0 dPa · s. It is the temperature at the time.

Also, soft glass of the bulb, substantially in terms of _{oxide, SiO 2: 60~80wt%, Al} 2 O 3: 0.5~5wt%, B 2 O 3: 0~5wt%, Li 2 O _{: 0~7wt%, Na 2 O:} 3~17wt%, K 2 O: 1~12wt%, MgO: 0.5~10wt%, CaO: 0.5~10wt%, ZnO: 0~10wt%, ZrO _{: 0~5wt%, Fe 2 O 3} : 0.01~0.2wt%, Sb 2 O 3: 0~1wt%, CeO 2: If containing 0 to 1 wt% is for the soft glass fluorescent lamp Since the properties other than processability are good, the quality of the fluorescent lamp is higher.

Also, soft glass of the flare, substantially in terms of _{oxide, SiO 2: 60~80wt%, Al} 2 O 3: 0.5~5wt%, B 2 O 3: 0~5wt%, Li 2 O _{: 0.5~7wt%, Na 2 O:} 3~10wt%, K 2 O: 1~12wt%, MgO: 0.5~10wt%, CaO: 0.5~10wt%, SrO: 0~10wt% , BaO: 0~12wt%, ZnO: 0~10wt%, ZrO: 0~5wt%, Fe 2 O 3: 0.01~0.2wt%, Sb 2 O 3: 0~1wt%, CeO 2: 0 When it contains ˜1 wt%, the quality of the fluorescent lamp is higher.

Further, when the flare soft glass does not substantially contain strontium and barium, the workability of the flare soft glass is good, so that the workability in the valve sealing process is further improved.
Moreover, when the thickness of the tubular part of the flare is tmm and the outer diameter is Amm, the following relationship:
0.55 ≦ t ≦ 0.95 and 20t−9 ≦ A ≦ 20t−3
When satisfy | filling, the yield in a valve | bulb sealing process is 99% or more.

In addition, the following relationship:
t ≦ 0.9 and 20t−8 ≦ A ≦ 20t−4
When satisfy | filling, the yield in a valve | bulb sealing process is 99.7% or more.
Further, when the outer diameter of the valve is Bmm, the following relationship:
0.25B ≦ A ≦ 0.75B
In the case of satisfying the above, it is possible to obtain a fluorescent lamp with a high yield including a bulb of a general size.

When the expansion coefficient of the flare soft glass at 30 to 380 ° C. is 90 × 10 ^{−7 to} 104 × 10 ⁻⁷ / K, the difference in expansion coefficient between the electrode lead wire and the flare is small. Cracks are unlikely to occur in the portion where the lead wire is sealed.
In addition, when a base is further provided and the base is transparent or translucent, it is possible to obtain a fluorescent lamp that is better in appearance than a conventional fluorescent lamp in which the end of the bulb is covered with an opaque base. it can.

  Since the lighting device according to the present invention includes the fluorescent lamp that is gentle to the global environment and has a high production yield, it is gentle to the global environment and has high productivity.

Hereinafter, a fluorescent lamp and an illumination device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
(1) Configuration of Fluorescent Lamp and Lighting Device FIG. 1 is a partially broken plan view showing an annular fluorescent lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, the fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment is a ring-type fluorescent lamp, and includes an annular bulb 10 and stems 20 sealed at both end portions 11 and 12 of the bulb 10, respectively. 30 and a base 40 attached to cover both ends 11 and 12 of the valve 10 so as to cover them.

The bulb 10 has a protective layer (not shown) and a phosphor layer (not shown) sequentially laminated on the inner surface thereof, an amalgam particle 50 for supplying mercury vapor therein, and an argon gas which is an example of a rare gas. And are enclosed.
2A and 2B are views for explaining the stem before valve sealing, in which FIG. 2A is a view showing each member constituting the stem, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing the stem. Since the stem 20 and the stem 30 have substantially the same configuration, the stem 30 will be described as a representative example thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the stem 30 includes an electrode 31, a flare 32 on which the electrode 31 is mounted, and an exhaust pipe 33 fused to the flare 32. The stem 30 is formed by assembling a filament coil 34, a pair of lead wires 35 and 36, a flare tube 32 'and a glass thin tube 33' as shown in FIG.
The electrode 31 includes a filament coil 34 and a pair of lead wires 35 and 36, and the filament coil 34 is disposed between the ends of one of the pair of lead wires 35 and 36 (which is disposed in the bulb 10). Attached by caulking or welding.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the flare 32 includes a mount part 37a to which the lead wires 35 and 36 are sealed, a cylindrical part 37b extending from the mount part 37a to the opposite side of the filament coil 34, It consists of a collar portion 38 extending from the tubular portion 37b to the opposite side of the filament coil 34.
The flare 32 is obtained by processing the flare tube 32 ', and the straight portion 37' of the flare tube 32 'is partially melted and joined with one end of the glass thin tube 33' to mount part 37a. Form. Further, the remaining portion becomes the cylindrical portion 37b without being melted or deformed. The flare portion 38 ′ of the flare pipe 32 ′ becomes the flange portion 38 of the flare 32 as it is. The flange portion 38 is melt-bonded to the end portion of the glass tube 10 ′, which is a precursor of the bulb 10, in the bulb sealing step. The glass composition of the flare 32 can be specified by the composition of the cylindrical portion 37b that does not mix with the glass of other members.

The cylindrical portion 37b has an outer diameter A and a wall thickness t that are substantially uniform throughout. The outer diameter A of the cylindrical portion 37b is substantially the same as the outer diameter A ′ of the straight portion 37 ′ of the flare tube 32 ′, and the thickness t of the cylindrical portion 37b is the thickness t ′ of the flare tube 32 ′. Is almost the same.
The exhaust pipe 33 is obtained by processing a glass thin tube 33 'as shown in FIG. 2 (a). The exhaust pipe 33 exhausts the gas to make the inside of the valve 10 into a vacuum, and the rare gas and the amalgam grains 50 are introduced therein. Used to do. One end of the glass thin tube 33 ′ is fused to the mount portion 37 a of the flare 32. On the other hand, the other end is sealed after the argon gas is put into the bulb 10 and further the amalgam grains 50 are put therein. The exhaust pipe (not shown) of one stem 20 is sealed by burning the tip in advance before sealing the stem 20 to the valve 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the base 40 includes a main body 41 and a plurality of connection pins 42 provided on the main body 41.
The ends 11 and 12 of the valve 10 are accommodated at both ends of the main body 41. Since the stem 30 (20) is sealed to the end 12 (11) of the valve 10, the flare 32 of the stem 30 (20) is located inside the main body 41.

The main body 41 is transparent so that the entire ends 11 and 12 of the bulb 10 can be seen from the outside. Therefore, light can also be taken out from the end portions 11 and 12, and the appearance of the entire lamp when it is turned on has a favorable annular shape.
In general, when glass containing lead is processed, lead in the glass is precipitated as an oxide and the processed portion becomes black. Therefore, the flare formed with the glass containing lead becomes a blackish color. Since the conventional fluorescent lamp uses such a flare, the end of the bulb with the flare is covered with an opaque base, and the appearance of the fluorescent lamp is kept good. However, since the end portions were covered with an opaque base, the light flux from these end portions could not be taken out, and the light emitting portion of the annular fluorescent lamp did not become a preferable annular shape.

In the fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, since glass containing lead is not used for the flare 32, the flare 32 does not become a blackish color. Therefore, it is not necessary to cover the end portions 11 and 12 with an opaque base, and the bulb end accommodating portions 42 and 43 can be made transparent, so that the light emitting portion can have a preferable annular shape.
The valve end accommodating portions 42 and 43 are not necessarily transparent, and may be opaque. However, if the bulb end accommodating portions 42 and 43 are transparent or translucent, the above-described effects can be obtained. Such a configuration is particularly close to the end portions of the bulb, such as an annular fluorescent lamp, a double annular fluorescent lamp, a square fluorescent lamp, a double square fluorescent lamp, and a twin fluorescent lamp. This is effective in the case of a single die type fluorescent lamp. However, even a double base type fluorescent lamp in which both ends of a bulb such as a straight tube type fluorescent lamp are separated from each other is effective in that a larger amount of light can be extracted.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an illumination apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the illuminating device 100 which concerns on this Embodiment is provided with the fluorescent lamp 1 mentioned above as a light source. The fluorescent lamp 1 is accommodated in the apparatus main body 101 and is turned on by a lighting means 102 attached to the apparatus main body 101.
(2) Manufacturing method of fluorescent lamp The manufacturing method of a fluorescent lamp is demonstrated based on FIGS.

4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a method for manufacturing a fluorescent lamp, wherein FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating a phosphor layer forming process, and FIGS. 4B and C are diagrams illustrating a bulb sealing process. (D) is a figure explaining a valve | bulb shaping | molding process.
First, in the phosphor layer forming step, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), a phosphor suspension 60 of three wavelengths is poured into a glass tube 10 ′ having a protective film formed on the inner surface, and the glass tube 10 ′. Is wetted with the phosphor suspension 60. Next, the phosphor suspension 60 is dried and baked at 550 to 660 ° C. for about 1 minute in a baking furnace to form a phosphor layer.

Next, in the bulb sealing step, after removing the phosphor layers near both ends of the glass tube 10 ′, as shown in FIG. 4B, stems 20 and 30 are inserted into the both ends, respectively. Seal at the position shown in 4 (c).
As typical methods for sealing the stems 20 and 30 to the end portions 11 and 12 of the valve 10, a drop seal method and a butt seal method will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the drop seal method. In the drop seal method, first, the glass tube 10 ′ is fixed vertically as shown in FIG. 5 (a), and the stem 30 is inserted into the tube through the lower opening 11 ′ as shown in FIG. 5 (b). To do. Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the flange portion 38 of the stem 30 and the glass tube 10 ′ near the flange portion 38 are heated by the burners 61 and 62, as shown in FIG. 5 (d). The flange portion 38 and the glass tube 10 ′ are fused. The extra portion 14 of the glass tube 10 'is dropped and separated by its own weight.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the butt seal system. In the butt seal method, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the glass tube 10 'is fixed sideways, and the edges thereof are heated by the burners 63 and 64 so as to narrow the opening 10'. Next, the stem 30 is inserted into the narrowed opening 10 ′ as shown in FIG. 6B, and as shown in FIG. The glass tube 10 ′ in the vicinity of the flange portion 38 is heated, and the flange portion 38 and the glass tube 10 ′ are fused as shown in FIG. 6 (d).

Returning to FIG. 4, in the bulb forming process, as shown in FIG. 4D, the straight glass tube 10 ′ is placed in a furnace whose atmosphere is controlled at about 700 to 900 ° C. and bent into an annular shape. To do.
Thereafter, in the exhaust process, the impure gas in the valve 10 is exhausted through the unsealed exhaust pipe 33. Next, in the rare gas sealing step, argon gas is put into the valve 10 through the exhaust pipe 33, and in the amalgam sealing step, the amalgam particles 50 are put into the valve 10 from the exhaust pipe 33. Thereafter, the tip of the exhaust pipe 33 is burned off and sealed.

In the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, a method of exhausting only from one side of the valve 10 is adopted, and an exhaust pipe (not shown) of one stem 20 is preliminarily burned off and sealed. .
Finally, the cap 40 is attached to both end portions 11 and 12 of the bulb 10 to complete the fluorescent lamp 1.

(3) Soft glass for bulbs and stems Soft glass for bulbs is a soft glass containing substantially no lead, strontium and barium. The composition of the soft _{glass, SiO 2: 60~80wt%, Al} 2 O 3: 0.5~5wt%, B 2 O 3: 0~5wt%, Li 2 O: 0~7wt%, Na 2 O: _{3~17wt%, K 2 O: 1~12wt} %, MgO: 0.5~10wt%, CaO: 0.5~10wt%, ZnO: 0~10wt%, ZrO: 0~5wt%, Fe 2 O 3 _{: 0.01~0.2wt%, Sb 2 O 3} : 0~1wt%, CeO 2: is preferably 0 to 1 wt%. Each component will be described in detail below.

SiO ₂ is a component that forms the skeleton of the glass. If the amount is too small, the viscosity of the glass is lowered and the processability is too poor. Moreover, when it increases too much, the viscosity of glass will become hard and it will become difficult to deform | transform. A preferable content of SiO ₂ is 60 to 80 wt%.
Al ₂ O ₃ is a component that improves chemical durability. If the amount is too small, the chemical durability is deteriorated and storage is difficult. Moreover, when it increases too much, glass becomes inhomogeneous and striae increases. A preferable content of Al ₂ O ₃ is 0.5 to 5 wt%.

B ₂ O ₃ is an optional component and has an effect of reducing devitrification by lowering the expansion coefficient when added in a small amount. However, if too much is added, the working point temperature decreases and the working temperature range becomes too narrow, making machining difficult. A preferable content of B ₂ O ₃ is 0 to 5 wt%.
Na ₂ O has the effect of decreasing the viscosity and increasing the expansion coefficient when added, and if the amount is too small, the effect cannot be obtained. Moreover, when it increases too much, chemical durability will worsen and it will become difficult to preserve | save. The preferable content of Na ₂ O is 3 to 17 wt%.

When K ₂ O is added, the same effect as Na ₂ O can be obtained, but the degree of influence of the increase in expansion coefficient is greater than that of Na ₂ O. Further, by coexisting with Na 2 _O, exert mixed alkali effect, also exhibits the effect of increasing the electrical resistivity. If the amount is too small, the effect cannot be obtained, and if the amount is too large, the expansion coefficient becomes too large. The preferable content of K ₂ O is 1 to 12 wt%.

When Li ₂ O is added, the same effect as Na ₂ O or K ₂ O can be obtained, but the increase in expansion coefficient is smaller than that of Na ₂ O. Further, by coexisting with Na ₂ O or K ₂ O, a further mixed alkali effect is exhibited, and an effect of further increasing the electrical resistivity is also exhibited. If the amount is too small, the effect cannot be obtained, and if the amount is too large, the glass may be phase-separated. A preferable content of Li ₂ O is 0 to 7 wt%.

MgO, CaO and ZnO have the effect of increasing chemical durability when added. If the amount is too small, the effect cannot be obtained, and if the amount is too large, the glass may be devitrified. The preferable content of MgO is 0.5 to 10 wt%, the preferable content of CaO is 0.5 to 10 wt%, and the preferable content of ZnO is 0 to 10 wt%.
ZrO is an optional component and has the effect of increasing hardness when added. If too much, the glass may crystallize. A preferable content of ZrO is 0 to 5 wt%.

Fe ₂ O ₃ is a substance mixed as an impurity of various raw materials, but the amount of Fe ₂ O ₃ can be adjusted by refining the raw materials, and ultraviolet rays can be absorbed by the addition. If the amount is too small, the effect cannot be obtained, and if the amount is too large, the glass may be colored. The preferable content of Fe ₂ O ₃ is 0.01 to 0.2 wt%.
Sb ₂ O ₃ is an optional component and has an effect of efficiently clarifying gas generated from the raw material in the glass melting furnace, but if it is too much, the glass may be colored. A preferable content of Sb ₂ O ₃ is 0 to 1 wt%.

CeO ₂ is an optional component, and has the effect of absorbing ultraviolet rays when added, but if it is too much, so-called solarization that is colored by ultraviolet irradiation may occur. The preferable content of CeO ₂ is 0 to 1 wt%.
The soft glass for the bulb is manufactured by putting a glass raw material prepared so as to have a predetermined composition into a glass melting furnace, melting it at 1500 to 1600 ° C., and vitrifying it. The obtained molten glass is formed into a tubular shape by a tube drawing method such as the Danner method, and then cut into a predetermined size to obtain a glass tube for a bulb.

Since the soft glass for bulbs does not contain lead which is an environmental load substance, the fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment including the bulb 10 made of the soft glass is friendly to the global environment. Moreover, since the soft glass for valves does not contain strontium and barium, the working temperature range is wide.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a working temperature range of glass. As is clear from FIG. 7, the working temperature range of the glass for a valve according to the present embodiment is wider than the working temperature range of the conventional glass not containing lead (the glass of Comparative Example 1), and the glass containing lead. Even if it compares with the working temperature range of (the glass of the comparative example 2), it is inferior. Therefore, the workability is good in the bulb sealing step for sealing the stems 20 and 30 to the end portions 11 and 12 of the bulb 10 and the bulb forming step for bending the glass tube 10 ', and the production yield of the fluorescent lamp 1 is good. .

Next, the glass for flare is demonstrated. Flare glass is substantially free of lead. The flare soft glass differs from the valve soft glass in that it may contain strontium and barium, but the other components basically have the same configuration as the valve soft glass. .
The composition of the soft glass for _{flare, SiO 2: 60~80wt%, Al} 2 O 3: 0.5~5wt%, B 2 O 3: 0~5wt%, Li 2 O: 0.5~7wt%, _{Na 2 O: 3~10wt%, K} 2 O: 1~12wt%, MgO: 0.5~10wt%, CaO: 0.5~10wt%, SrO: 0~10wt%, BaO: 0~12wt%, _{ZnO: 0~10wt%, ZrO: 0~5wt} %, Fe 2 O 3: 0.01~0.2wt%, Sb 2 O 3: 0~1wt%, CeO 2: is preferably 0 to 1 wt% .

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the composition of the glass for flare. Examples of the glass satisfying the above composition and containing strontium and barium include No. 1 shown in FIG. 1 and no. 2 glass.
Since SrO and BaO are oxides of elements having a large atomic radius, they have an effect instead of PbO, that is, an effect of increasing the electrical resistivity. If the amount is too large, there is a drawback that the working point becomes too low and the working temperature range becomes too narrow, so that machining becomes difficult.

The preferable content of SrO is 0 to 10 wt%, and the preferable content of BaO is 0 to 12 wt%. If the soft glass for flare does not contain strontium and barium, the working temperature range is widened, so the workability in the process of sealing the stem to the valve is further improved.
The preferable content of Na ₂ O is 3 to 17 wt% in the case of glass for bulbs, but 3 to 10 wt% in the case of glass for flare. A glass in which Na ₂ O exceeds 10 wt%, such as No. 1 in FIG. 3 or No. Glass such as 4 is not preferable for flare for sealing the lead wires 35 and 36 because the electric resistance is too low. Therefore, no. 1 and no. Glass having a Na ₂ O content of 10 wt% or less due to the mixed alkali effect, such as glass No. ₂ , is preferred.

The components other than SrO, BaO, and Na ₂ O are the same as the soft glass for flare, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
Since the flare soft glass is a glass that seals the dumet wires as the lead wires 35 and 36, it is more preferable to adjust the expansion coefficient in order to reduce the sealing failure. Here, the expansion coefficient of the dumet wire is 94 × 10 ⁻⁷ / K at 30 to 380 ° C., and the expansion coefficient of the soft glass for the bulb is about 100 × 10 ⁻⁷ / K at 30 to 380 ° C. The expansion coefficient of the soft glass for use is preferably 90 × 10 ^{−7 to} 104 × 10 ⁻⁷ / K at 30 to 380 ° C.

  Since the soft glass for flare does not contain lead as an environmental load substance, the fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment including the stems 20 and 30 having the flare 32 made of the soft glass is the earth. Environmentally friendly. Further, when strontium and barium are not contained in the flare soft glass, the working temperature range is wide, so the yield in the valve sealing process is good.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the yield in the sealing process of the fluorescent lamp according to the present invention. From the results shown in FIG. 9, the dimensions of the flare 32 satisfy both the relationship of the following formula 1 and the relationship of the formula 2 when the thickness of the cylindrical portion 37b of the flare 32 is tmm and the outer diameter is Amm. It is preferable.
0.55 ≦ t ≦ 0.95 (Formula 1)
20t-9 ≦ A ≦ 20t-3 (Formula 2)
The reason will be described below.

In the fluorescent lamp 1 having a configuration in which the stem 30 is sealed to the end portions 11 and 12 of the bulb 10, the outer diameter Bmm of the bulb 10 is generally 15.5 ≦ B ≦ 38.
In such a situation, if 0.55> t, the outer diameter of the stem 30 (20) becomes too small because the wall thickness t of the cylindrical portion 37b is thin, and the heat of the burner heated from the outside of the valve 10 is reduced. The flare 32 is not sufficiently transmitted and the sealing is insufficient. On the other hand, if t> 0.95, the thickness t of the tubular portion 37b is too thick to sufficiently melt the glass of the flare 32, and the sealing becomes insufficient.

Next, when 0.55 ≦ t ≦ 0.95 and 20t−9> A is satisfied, the amount of glass is insufficient to form the mount portion 37a, and the mount portion 37a cannot be formed. Further, when A> 20t-3 is satisfied, the amount of glass becomes too large, so that the amount of heat is required when the stems 20 and 30 are sealed, and the strain remains in the valve 10 in a wide range, resulting in poor yield.
By satisfying the above conditional expression, it has been found that the yield is stable not only when the stems 20 and 30 are sealed by the drop seal method, but also when the stems 20 and 30 are sealed by the butt seal method.

  In the butt seal system, since equipment with a high production rate is used, it is necessary to heat the glass of the flare 32 in a short time. However, if the glass forming the stems 20 and 30 is replaced by glass containing lead instead of glass containing lead, a greater amount of heat must be applied to bring the glass to the desired viscosity, and as a result, Due to the heating, the flare 32 is temporarily strained, which causes the cracking yield to deteriorate. Nevertheless, by setting the flare 32 to a size that satisfies the above conditional expression, the magnitude of the temporary strain can be reduced, and as a result, the yield can be improved.

As described above, the glass of the flare 32 is replaced with a lead-free glass that does not contain lead, and the flare 32 is dimensioned to satisfy the above conditional expression, thereby improving the yield without changing the construction method. can do.
Further, if 0.25B> A, the space between the bulb 10 and the tubular portion 37b of the flare 32 is widened, and the flange portion 38 must be more widened. Due to uneven heating, it is not preferable because shape defects such as the ridges 38 undulate easily occur. Further, when A> 0.75B, the gap between the valve 10 and the flare 32 becomes narrow, and when the stem 30 is inserted into the valve 10, defects such as cracking due to contact with each other are likely to occur.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the yield in the sealing process of the fluorescent lamp of Comparative Example 2. As can be seen from a comparison between FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment has a sealing yield of 99.7% or more (range indicated by “◯” in the table) in the comparative example. It is equivalent to a fluorescent lamp, and the sealing yield is 99.0% or more (the range indicated by “◯” and “Δ” in the table) is wider than the fluorescent lamp of the comparative example. Therefore, the fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment has a sealing yield higher than that of a conventional fluorescent lamp using glass containing lead, although the glass containing lead is not used in the bulb 10 and the flare 32. Can be evaluated as good.

  As mentioned above, although the fluorescent lamp and the illuminating device which concern on this invention have been concretely demonstrated based on embodiment, the content of this invention is not limited to said embodiment.

  The present invention relates to general fluorescent lamps such as an annular fluorescent lamp, a double annular fluorescent lamp, a square fluorescent lamp, a double square fluorescent lamp, a twin fluorescent lamp, a straight fluorescent lamp, and an illuminating device including these fluorescent lamps. Can be widely used.

1 is a partially broken plan view showing an annular fluorescent lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the stem before valve | bulb sealing, Comprising: (a) is a figure which shows each member which comprises a stem, (b) is sectional drawing which shows a stem The perspective view which shows the illuminating device which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the manufacturing method of a fluorescent lamp, (a) is a figure explaining a fluorescent substance layer formation process, (b) and (c) are figures explaining a bulb sealing process, d) A diagram illustrating the valve molding process. Diagram explaining the drop seal method Diagram explaining the butt seal system Figure showing the working temperature range of glass Diagram showing composition of glass for flare The figure which shows the yield in the sealing process of the fluorescent lamp which concerns on this invention The figure which shows the yield in the sealing process of the fluorescent lamp of the comparative example 2

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fluorescent lamp 10 Bulb 11,12 End part 20,30 Stem 31 Electrode 32 Flare 37b Tubular part 40 Base

Claims (11)

A bulb made of a soft glass substantially free of lead, strontium and barium;
A fluorescent lamp comprising: a flare that is sealed at an end portion of the bulb and includes a flare made of soft glass that does not substantially contain lead; and an electrode mounted on the flare.   The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein the soft glass of the bulb has a softening point of 700 ° C. or lower and a temperature difference between the softening point and the working point is 350 ° C. or higher. The soft glass of the bulb is substantially in terms of oxide,
SiO _2: 60~80wt%,
Al ₂ O _3: 0.5~5wt%,
B ₂ O _3: 0~5wt%,
Li ₂ O: 0 to 7 wt%
Na ₂ O: 3~17wt%,
K ₂ O: 1 to 12 wt%
MgO: 0.5 to 10 wt%,
CaO: 0.5 to 10 wt%,
ZnO: 0 to 10 wt%,
ZrO: 0 to 5 wt%,
Fe ₂ O _3: 0.01~0.2wt%,
Sb ₂ O _3: 0~1wt%,
CeO _2: 0~1wt%,
The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, comprising: The flare soft glass is substantially in terms of oxide,
SiO _2: 60~80wt%,
Al ₂ O _3: 0.5~5wt%,
B ₂ O _3: 0~5wt%,
Li ₂ O: 0.5~7wt%,
Na ₂ O: 3 to 10 wt%
K ₂ O: 1 to 12 wt%
MgO: 0.5 to 10 wt%,
CaO: 0.5 to 10 wt%,
SrO: 0 to 10 wt%,
BaO: 0 to 12 wt%,
ZnO: 0 to 10 wt%,
ZrO: 0 to 5 wt%,
Fe ₂ O _3: 0.01~0.2wt%,
Sb ₂ O _3: 0~1wt%,
CeO _2: 0~1wt%,
The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:   The fluorescent lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flare soft glass contains substantially no strontium and barium. When the thickness of the tubular portion of the flare is tmm and the outer diameter is Amm, the following relationship:
0.55 ≦ t ≦ 0.95 and 20t−9 ≦ A ≦ 20t−3
The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein: The following relationships:
t ≦ 0.9 and 20t−8 ≦ A ≦ 20t−4
The fluorescent lamp according to claim 6, wherein: When the outer diameter of the valve is Bmm, the following relationship:
0.25B ≦ A ≦ 0.75B
The fluorescent lamp according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: 9. The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, wherein the flare soft glass has an expansion coefficient of 90 × 10 ^{−7 to} 104 × 10 ⁻⁷ / K at 30 to 380 ° C. 10.   The fluorescent lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a base, wherein the base has transparency or translucency.   An illuminating device comprising the fluorescent lamp according to claim 1.