JP2008159509A - Discharge lamp device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a discharge lamp device with reliability enhanced by suppressing a pulse leak. <P>SOLUTION: The discharge lamp device according to the present invention comprises a discharge lamp DL, in which a light-emitting tube LB is held in the front end side of a socket 5 and an outer wire 2a4 and a support wire 2c leaded from a light-emitting tube LB are extended to the rear end side, and a starter IG, which includes metallic terminals 813 and 823 therein and connects the outer wire 2a4 and the support wire 2c to the metallic terminals 813 and 823 as well as the rear end side of the socket 5 to the front end side, wherein a cylindrical member 52 is extended to the rear end side of socket 5 so as to surround the outer wire 2a4; and the outer wire 2a4 and the metallic terminal 813 are connected in the cylindrical member 52. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a discharge lamp device for an automotive headlamp in which a discharge lamp and a starter are used in a substantially integrated form.

  In recent years, high-intensity discharge lamps (hereinafter referred to as discharge lamps) that can obtain a considerable brightness as compared with halogen lamps have been used as light sources for automobile headlamps. This discharge lamp is composed of an arc tube in which electric discharge is performed and a socket for holding the arc tube and connecting to a starter called an igniter. Here, in Japan, the discharge lamp is generally configured to be detachable from the starter, but in Europe and the United States, it is generally configured as a discharge lamp device in which the discharge lamp and the starter are integrated. It is.

  An example of a discharge lamp device is International Publication No. 2004/066686 (Patent Document 1). As described in Patent Document 1, the discharge lamp and the starter are connected by a method such as welding. Although there is no detailed description in this document, the discharge lamp and the starter are electrically connected inside the starter simultaneously with the mechanical connection.

International Publication No. 2004/066686 Pamphlet

  However, it has been found that when the discharge lamp device is turned on, the lamp may not turn on during the lifetime. The inventor has examined this problem, and it is found that a high-pressure pulse applied at the time of start-up leaks between the joints of the lead wires of the discharge lamp electrically connected inside the starter (hereinafter referred to as pulse leak). It turned out to be the cause.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a discharge lamp device with improved reliability by suppressing pulse leak.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the discharge lamp device of the present invention, the arc tube is held on the front end side of the socket, and the first and second lead wires led out from the arc tube extend on the rear end side. A discharge lamp that is connected, and first and second terminals inside, the first and second terminals are connected to the first and second terminals, and the rear end of the socket is connected to the front end side. A starter for connecting the end side, and a cylindrical portion through which the first lead wire is inserted is formed on the rear end side of the socket. The first lead wire and the first lead wire 1 terminal is connected inside the cylindrical portion.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the discharge lamp apparatus which improved reliability by suppressing a pulse leak can be provided.

(First embodiment)
A discharge lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a discharge lamp device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  The discharge lamp device according to the present embodiment includes a discharge lamp DL and a starter IG.

  The arc tube LB constituting the light emitting part of the discharge lamp DL has a double tube structure, and the inner tube 1 is arranged inside. The inner tube 1 is made of, for example, quartz glass and has an elongated shape. A long elliptical discharge portion 11 is formed at a substantially center in the longitudinal direction of the inner tube 1. Plate-shaped sealing portions 12a and 12b are formed at both ends of the discharge portion 11, and cylindrical non-sealing portions 13a and 13b are formed at both ends.

  Inside the discharge portion 11, a discharge space 14 having a substantially cylindrical shape at the center and a tapered shape at both ends thereof is formed. The volume of the discharge space 14 is preferably about 100 μl or less for a short arc type discharge lamp, particularly 10 μl to 40 μl for automobiles.

  The discharge space 14 is filled with a discharge medium made of a metal halide and a rare gas. As the metal halide, halides of sodium, scandium, zinc, and indium are enclosed. As the halogen bonded to the metal, it is most preferable to select iodine having low reactivity among halogens. However, the halogen is not limited to iodine, and bromine, chlorine, or a combination of a plurality of halogens may be used. May be.

  As the rare gas, xenon which has high luminous efficiency immediately after starting and mainly acts as a starting gas is enclosed. The pressure of xenon is preferably 5 atm or more, preferably 10 to 15 atm at normal temperature (25 ° C.). In addition to xenon, neon, argon, krypton, or the like can be used as the rare gas, or a combination thereof may be used.

  Here, the discharge space 14 essentially does not contain mercury. “Essentially free of mercury” means an amount equivalent to no mercury or little sealed even when compared with a conventional mercury-containing discharge lamp, for example, less than 2 mg per ml, Preferably, even if an amount of mercury of 1 mg or less is present, it is acceptable.

  Mounts 2a and 2b are sealed to the sealing portions 12a and 12b. The mounts 2a and 2b include metal foils 2a1 and 2b1, electrodes 2a2 and 2b2, coils 2a3 and 2b3, and outer leads 2a4 and 2b4.

  The metal foils 2a1 and 2b1 are made of molybdenum and sealed so that their planes are parallel to the plate-like surfaces of the sealing portions 12a and 12b.

  The electrodes 2a2 and 2b2 have one end connected to the end of the metal foils 2a1 and 2b1 on the discharge part 11 side, and the other end maintaining a predetermined interelectrode distance in the discharge space 14 so that the tips of each other face each other. Is arranged. Here, the “predetermined interelectrode distance” is preferably about 5 mm or less for a short arc type lamp and about 4.2 mm when used for an automobile headlamp. Note that the electrode used in this embodiment is a so-called tritan electrode in which a small amount of thorium oxide is doped in tungsten.

  The coils 2a3 and 2b3 are made of, for example, doped tungsten, and are spirally wound around the electrodes 2a2 and 2b2 from the ends of the metal foils 2a1 and 2b1 toward the discharge space 14.

  The outer leads 2a4 and 2b4 are made of molybdenum. One end of the outer lead 2a4 is connected to the end of the metal foil 2a1, and the other end extends from the outside of the sealing portion 12a in the direction of the socket 5 described later. One end of the outer lead 2b4 is connected to the end of the metal foil 2b1, and the other end extends to the outside of the sealing portion 12b. One end of an L-shaped support wire 2c made of nickel is connected to the other end of the outer lead 2b4, and the other end of the support wire 2c extends in the direction of a socket 5 described later. The support wire 2c portion parallel to the tube axis is covered with an insulating sleeve 3 made of ceramic.

  On the outer side of the inner tube 1 configured as described above, a cylindrical outer tube 4 having translucency and ultraviolet blocking properties is provided so as to cover most of the inner tube 1. These connections are made by welding both end portions of the outer tube 4 to the outer ends of the non-sealing portions 13a and 13b. The space sealed by the inner tube 1 and the outer tube 4 is filled with about 0.1 atm of nitrogen.

  The socket 5 is connected to the non-sealing portion 13a side of the arc tube LB configured as described above. These connections are made by attaching a metal band 61 mounted on the outer periphery of the outer tube 4 to four metal tongues 62 formed on the front end side of the socket 5 (three of which are shown in FIG. 2). ). In addition, you may laser-weld the overlap part of those metals further.

  Here, the structure of the socket 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2A is a view of the socket from the rear end side, FIG. 2B is a view of the AA ′ section viewed from the arrow direction, and FIG. 2C is a view of the BB ′ section viewed from the arrow direction. is there.

  The socket 5 is made of PPS resin, which is a material excellent in voltage resistance, heat resistance, and moldability, and includes a main body 51, a cylindrical portion 52, and a small cylindrical portion 53. The main body 51 is formed with a space 54 whose front end is open. The cylindrical portion 52 is formed at the center of the back surface of the main body portion 51 so as to protrude in the rear end direction, and a space 55 is formed therein. The space 55 is narrow in the vicinity of the center, and the front end side and the rear end side thereof are relatively wide. Therefore, one end of the arc tube LB is inserted in the front end side, and the outer lead 2a4 is inserted in the vicinity of the center and the rear end side. Will be. The small cylindrical portion 53 is formed in the vicinity of the cylindrical portion 52 on the back surface of the main body portion 51 so as to protrude in the rear end direction, and a space 56 is formed therein. Since the space 56 is relatively wide on the front end side and narrow on the rear end side, one end of the insulating sleeve 3 is inserted into the front end side, and the support wire 2c is inserted into the rear end side.

  A notch 521 is formed on the rear end side of the cylindrical portion 52. The notch 521 is formed so as to avoid a space between the cylindrical portion 52 and the small cylindrical portion 53. A cylindrical wall 522 is formed on the front end side of the cylindrical portion 52 so as to protrude into the space 54 in order to secure a creepage distance and suppress the occurrence of pulse leak. Further, as can be seen from (C), a slit 523 is formed on the rear end side of the cylindrical portion 52 where the space 55 is narrowed. This is formed by injection-molding the socket 5 with a mold in which protrusions are formed on the portion. Although this portion has a resin thickness, it is difficult for pressure to be applied at the time of injection molding. However, it is easy to apply pressure to the portion by using a protruding mold. That is, the formation of the slit 523 increases the resin density in the vicinity of the portion, makes it difficult for voids (cavities) to be generated inside the resin, and prevents a decrease in voltage resistance. Since the portion where the slit 523 is formed becomes a portion where the resin thickness is small and the voltage resistance is substantially low, it is desirable not to provide the slit 523 in a straight line between the outer lead 2a4 and the support wire 2c.

  A convex portion 57, a concave portion 58, and an adjustment portion 59 are formed at the circumferential end of the back surface of the socket 5. The protrusion 57 is formed in a ring shape, and a protrusion 571 is further formed at the center of the protrusion 57. The convex portion 57 has a width of 1.0 mm and a height of 0.70 mm with respect to the back surface of the main body 51, and the protrusion 571 has a width of 0.2 mm and a height of 0.15 mm. The concave portion 58 is formed on both sides along the convex portion 57 and has a width of 0.75 mm and a depth of 0.50 mm with respect to the back surface of the main body portion 51. A total of eight adjustment parts 59 are formed by shifting the position by 45 degrees, and each height is 0.5 mm.

  Next, the configuration of the starter IG will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a state before each component constituting the starter is assembled. As can be seen from the figure, the starter IG includes a front container 71, a rear container 72, circuit assemblies 81 and 82, a front shield case 91, and a rear shield case 92.

  4A and 4B are views for explaining the structure of the front container, in which FIG. 4A is a view seen from the front end side, and FIG. 4B is a view seen from the direction of the arrow of C-C ′. The front container 71 is made of PPS resin, and its outer surface has a two-step shape as shown in FIG. 3, and a fitting protrusion 711 is formed on the low step portion. A mounting surface 712 is formed on the front end side of the front container 71. A through hole 713 sized to allow the cylindrical portion 52 and the small cylindrical portion 53 to be inserted is formed in the center of the mounting surface 712. In addition, a ring-shaped convex portion 714, a protruding portion 7141, and a concave portion 715 are formed at the side end of the placement surface 712. The protrusions 714, the protrusions 7141, and the recesses 715 are positioned so as to coincide with the protrusions 57, the protrusions 571, and the recesses 58 formed on the rear end side when the socket 5 is disposed on the mounting surface 712. And the same size. A partition wall 716 located between the circuit assemblies 81 and 82 is formed inside the front case 71.

  FIGS. 5A and 5B are views for explaining the structure of the back surface container. FIG. 5A is a view as seen from the front end side, and FIG. 5B is a view as seen from the direction of the arrow of D-D ′. The back container 72 is made of PPS resin, and an oval enclosure wall 721 is formed at the center of the back container 72 so as to protrude from the bottom to the front end side. A cutout 722 is formed on the side of the back container 72.

  The circuit assemblies 81 and 82 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 which is a view of the state where the discharge lamp and the circuit assembly are assembled in the front case as viewed from the rear end side.

  The circuit assembly 81 mainly includes a transformer 811, and a connection terminal 812 is formed at one end thereof. On the other side, a holding part 814 made of PPS resin and having a metal terminal 813 built therein is formed.

  The circuit assembly 82 includes a circuit element including a resistor, a gap, a capacitor, and a noise removing coil on a substrate 821. A connection terminal 822 for connecting to a metal terminal 813 of the circuit assembly 81 is formed at one end. Has been. A metal terminal 823 is formed near the center of the substrate 821.

  The shield cases 91 and 92 are cases for removing noise generated at the time of lighting, and have a shape surrounding the entire front container 71 and rear container 72 excluding the placement surface 712. The shield cases 91 and 92 are made of aluminum, for example.

  The discharge lamp DL and the starter IG configured as described above are integrated by connecting the rear end side of the socket 5 and the front end side of the front case 71. A hot plate welding method is used for the connection. The hot plate welding method is a method in which a metal hot plate is heated by an electromagnetic induction device and a target is heated and welded. The projection 57 of the socket 5, the projection 571, the projection 714 of the front container 71, and the projection After melting 7141 with a hot plate, they are welded together by bonding.

  Next, a state in which the discharge lamp DL and the starter IG are integrated will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining the vicinity of the alternate long and short dash line E in FIG.

  As can be seen from FIG. 6, in the connected state of the discharge lamp DL and the starter IG, the holding portion 814 of the circuit assembly 81 is fitted in the notch 521 of the socket 5. The outer lead 2a4 and the support wire 2c of the discharge lamp DL are connected to the metal terminals 813 and 823 of the starter IG, respectively. Here, the connection between the outer lead 2a4 and the metal terminal 813 is made inside the cylindrical portion 52, as can be seen from FIG. Accordingly, the cylindrical portion 52 is interposed between the connection portions, and the insulation is improved between the connection portions. That is, a high-pressure pulse is applied between the outer lead 2a4 and the support wire 2c of the discharge lamp DL from the metal terminals 813 and 823 of the starter IG at the time of starting, but the lamp is short-circuited between the connecting portions. The occurrence of non-lighting can be suppressed. Further, since the holding portion 814 is fitted into the notch 521, the alignment of the discharge lamp DL becomes accurate, and the connection between the discharge lamp DL and the starter IG can be performed firmly and reliably.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the front container 71 and the rear container 72 are combined, the surrounding wall 721 of the rear container 72 is interposed between the outer lead 2a4 and the metal terminal 813, and the support wire 2c and the metal terminal 823. Is possible. However, this alone can lead to unlighted light during the lifetime. This is considered to be because the resin of the surrounding wall 721 deteriorates due to the repeatedly applied high-pressure pulse and permeates the portion, and in particular, mercury-free, in which the discharge starting voltage between the electrodes is higher than before. This problem is likely to occur in lamps. In other words, in the discharge lamp apparatus as in the present embodiment in which insulation is difficult to ensure because the connection portion is short, long-term pulse leakage is achieved not only on the starter IG side but also on the discharge lamp DL side. It is effective to suppress this.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the outer wire 2a4 and the metal terminal 813 are connected to each other inside the cylindrical portion 52 formed so as to surround the outer wire 2a4 on the rear end side of the socket 5. Since the cylindrical portion 52 is interposed between the support wire 2c and the metal terminal 823, which is a connecting portion of the metal, and the insulation is increased, a pulse lamp can be suppressed over a long period of time and a highly reliable discharge lamp device is provided. can do.

  Further, the holding portion 814 that holds the outer wire 2a4 is fitted into the notch portion 521 formed in the cylindrical portion 52, so that the outer wire 2a4 and the metal terminal 813 are connected to the cylindrical portion 52 inside the notch portion. Therefore, it is possible to accurately align the discharge lamp DL with respect to the starter IG.

  The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above, and may be modified as follows, for example.

  In the present embodiment, the outer lead 2a4 is configured as the first lead wire and the support wire 2c is configured as the second lead wire. However, the outer lead 2b4 is bent at a right angle of 2 degrees and extends to the rear end side of the socket 5. Accordingly, the outer lead 2b4 may be configured as the second lead wire.

The figure for demonstrating the discharge lamp apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure for demonstrating a socket. The figure for demonstrating the state before incorporating each component which comprises a starter. The figure for demonstrating a front container. The figure for demonstrating a back container. The figure which looked at the state which assembled the discharge lamp and the circuit assembly in the front container from the rear end side. The perspective view for demonstrating the dashed-dotted line E vicinity of FIG. The figure for demonstrating the cross section of a discharge lamp apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DL discharge lamp LB arc tube IG starter 1 inner tube 11 discharge part 2a, 2b mount 2a1, 2b1 metal foil 2a2, 2b2 electrode 2a4, 2b4 outer wire 2c support wire 3 insulating sleeve 4 outer tube 5 socket 51 body part 52 cylindrical part 53 Small cylindrical part 61 Metal band 62 Tongue piece 71 Front container 712 Mounting surface 713 Through hole 716 Partition wall 72 Rear container 721 Enclosure walls 81 and 82 Circuit assemblies 813 and 823 Metal terminal 814 Holding part

Claims (2)

A discharge lamp in which the arc tube is held on the front end side of the socket and the first and second lead wires extended from the arc tube are extended on the rear end side;
A starter having first and second terminals therein, connecting the first and second lead wires to the first and second terminals, and connecting the rear end side of the socket to the front end side And
A cylindrical portion extends from the rear end side of the socket so as to surround the first lead wire, and the first lead wire and the first terminal are connected inside the cylindrical portion. A discharge lamp device characterized by comprising:   The cylindrical portion is formed with a notch, and the holding portion for holding the first terminal is fitted into the notch, so that the first lead wire and the first terminal are The discharge lamp device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge lamp device is connected inside the cylindrical portion.

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