JP2008210582A - Electrodeless discharge-lamp device and luminaire provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrodeless discharge-lamp device that prevents cores from shielding light of a discharge tube, is configured so as to allow the electrodeless discharge-lamp device to be easily fixed to a luminaire, and prevents a light flux from the discharge tube during light emission from dropping even if a temperature inside the discharge tube is high. <P>SOLUTION: The electrodeless discharge-lamp device 1 is provided with an annular discharge tube 2 sealed with discharge gas therein, a core 3a and a core 3b that apply a high-frequency electromagnetic field to the discharge tube 2, each coil 4 respectively wound around the core 3a and the core 3b, and a high-frequency power supply 5 that supplies high-frequency power to the discharge tube 2 via the core 3a and the core 3b. The electrodeless discharge-lamp device 1 can obtain excellent light output by mounting the core 3a and the core 3b onto the discharge tube 2 so that the discharge tube 2 is divided into a short part 6 and a long part 7. The short part 6 is configured so that a phosphor 8 in which a temperature of a light-flux peak is high is applied to its inside. Consequently, it allows the short part to excellently emit light without reducing a light amount even if its temperature becomes high during light emission. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrodeless discharge lamp device and a lighting fixture that excites and emits a discharge gas sealed in a discharge tube by electromagnetic induction.

  A conventional electrodeless discharge lamp device includes a discharge tube in which a discharge gas is enclosed and formed in a loop shape, a core that generates an electromagnetic field in the discharge tube, a coil wound around the core, and a core and a coil. And a high frequency power source for generating an electromagnetic field by supplying a high frequency current to the discharge tube. The electrodeless discharge lamp device generates a high-frequency electromagnetic field by flowing a high-frequency current through a coil from a high-frequency power source, and excites a discharge gas sealed in a discharge tube. The discharge gas emits ultraviolet rays when excited. A phosphor is applied to the inside of the discharge tube, and this phosphor converts ultraviolet rays emitted by the discharge gas into visible light.

  Therefore, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, the electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus includes two cores, and the two cores are arranged on the center of the discharge tube that bisects the length of the loop-shaped discharge tube. Configurations that are attached to locations are known. Also, as shown in Patent Document 2, a configuration is known in which one core has two through holes, and a loop-shaped discharge tube is passed through the through holes. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a manufacturing method capable of forming a discharge tube in an automated manufacturing process.

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, two cores that do not emit light even when the discharge tube emits light are attached to a central position on the discharge tube that bisects the length of the discharge tube. There was a problem that the light distribution efficiency deteriorated. In addition, when the electrodeless discharge lamp device is attached to a lighting fixture, the two cores provided at the central position on the discharge tube must be fixed to the lighting fixture. There has been a problem that the work of attaching the discharge lamp device to the lighting fixture becomes complicated. Furthermore, when the two cores are attached not at the center of the discharge tube but at a position where the length of the discharge tube is divided into a long part and a short part, the light distribution efficiency of the electrodeless discharge lamp device is improved. Since the temperature of the short part of the discharge tube rises due to the heat generated by the two cores, the efficiency with which the phosphor converts ultraviolet light into visible light decreases. This has caused a problem that the luminous flux from the discharge tube at the time of light emission is reduced.

Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is possible to generate a high-frequency electromagnetic field at two locations on the discharge tube without using a plurality of cores. Has a problem of blocking light emitted from the discharge tube. Furthermore, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3, discharge tubes with small dimensional errors can be mass-produced, but the amount of light from the discharge tube blocked by the core is not reduced.
JP-A-10-116591 JP 2003-086143 A JP-A-10-050218

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and reduces the amount of light from the discharge tube blocked by the core, and can easily fix the electrodeless discharge lamp device to a lighting fixture, When the temperature inside the discharge tube varies depending on the location of the discharge tube, an electrodeless discharge lamp device and a lighting fixture that do not reduce the luminous flux from the discharge tube during light emission regardless of the temperature inside the discharge tube. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a tubular body made of a light-transmitting material, which is composed of an annular discharge tube in which a discharge gas is enclosed, and a magnetic body that surrounds a part of the discharge tube. And an electrodeless discharge lamp device comprising: a coil wound around the core; and a high-frequency power source that excites and emits a discharge gas by an electromagnetic field generated by flowing a high-frequency current through the coil. The discharge tube is divided into a short part with a short length between the cores from one core to the other core and a long part with a long length between the cores. The phosphor applied on the inner side is such that the peak of the luminous flux is higher than that of the phosphor applied on the inner side of the longitudinal portion.

  Moreover, invention of Claim 2 is a lighting fixture provided with the electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus of Claim 1.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the electrodeless discharge lamp device has a discharge tube with a short part between the cores from one core to the other and a short part with a short length between the cores and a long part with a long length between the cores. To divide, at least two cores are provided on the discharge tube, and inside the short portion is coated with a phosphor whose luminous flux peak is higher than that of the phosphor coated on the inside of the long portion. Has been. In this way, at least two cores are mounted on the discharge tube so as to divide the discharge tube into a short part and a long part, instead of dividing the length of the discharge tube into two equal parts, thereby The light emitted by is difficult to be blocked by the core. In addition, the electrodeless discharge lamp device can be easily fixed to the lighting fixture at the core. Furthermore, a phosphor corresponding to the temperature inside the discharge tube at the time of light emission is applied to the inside of the discharge tube, so that the electrodeless discharge lamp can be used even when the temperature inside the discharge tube varies depending on the part of the discharge tube. It becomes possible not to reduce the luminous flux of the apparatus.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the electrodeless discharge lamp device has an illumination device in which at least two cores for dividing the discharge tube into a short part and a long part and a short part are fitted into the lighting fixture. The fixture can be easily attached to the lighting fixture without having a complicated structure. Moreover, since the core does not block the light from the discharge tube by using only the light emitted from the longitudinal portion of the discharge tube, the luminaire can distribute light well.

  Hereinafter, an electrodeless discharge lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus according to this embodiment. The electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is a tubular body made of a translucent material, and includes an annular discharge tube 2 in which a discharge gas is sealed, and a core 3a and a core 3b having the same shape for applying a high-frequency electromagnetic field to the discharge tube 2. And the coil 4a and the coil 4b wound around the core 3a and the core 3b, respectively, and electrically connected to the coil 4a and the coil 4b, and the discharge tube 2 through the coil 4a, the coil 4b, the core 3a, and the core 3b. And a high-frequency power source 5 for supplying high-frequency power. The core 3a and the core 3b are formed in the discharge tube 2 so as to divide the discharge tube 2 into a short portion 6 having a short length between the cores 3a to 3b and a long portion 7 having a long length between the cores. It is attached.

A phosphor 8 and a phosphor 9 that generate visible light when irradiated with ultraviolet rays are respectively applied to the inside of the short portion 6 and the long portion 7. Here, the phosphor 8 and the phosphor 9 are, for example, rare earth phosphors, such as Y ₂ O ₃ : Eu ³⁺ , LaPO ₄ : Ce ³⁺ , Tb ³⁺ , or BaMg ₂ Al ₁₆ O ₂₇ : Eu ^2+. Are mixed. The discharge gas is, for example, an inert gas such as argon or krypton, or mercury vapor, and the core 3a and the core 3b are, for example, ferrite made of a metal oxide of zinc, manganese, nickel, or the like and iron. . Furthermore, the coil 4a and the coil 4b are formed of, for example, a litz wire.

  The high-frequency power source 5 generates a high-frequency electromagnetic field in the coil 4a and the coil 4b, for example, by causing a high-frequency current of 135 kHz to flow through the coil 4a and the coil 4b. When a high-frequency electromagnetic field is generated, electrons inside the discharge tube 2 are accelerated, and the electrons collide to cause ionization, resulting in a discharge state. During the discharge state, mercury atoms are excited and ultraviolet light of 254 nm is generated when returning to the ground state. The phosphor 8 and the phosphor 9 convert ultraviolet rays into visible light. The electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is lit when the converted visible light passes through the discharge tube 2 made of a transmissive material.

  When the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is lit, the inside of the discharge tube 2 near the core 3a and the core 3b is most strongly discharged. Thereby, the temperature of the discharge tube 2 near the core 3a and the core 3b becomes high due to the heat generated by the discharge. Thereby, when the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is lit, the short part 6 with a short interval between the core 3a and the core 3b becomes hotter than the long part 7 with a long interval between the core 3a and the core 3b.

  Here, it is known that the conversion efficiency for converting the ultraviolet ray into visible light is lowered in the rare earth phosphor in a high temperature state. Therefore, in the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1, the short portion 6 is heated to a higher temperature than the long portion 7 when the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is lit. It has been applied. Thereby, since the electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus 1 can convert ultraviolet rays into visible light with optimum conversion efficiency according to the temperatures of the short portion 6 and the long portion 7, it can obtain a good light output. . In the discharge tube 2, the short portion 6 and the long portion 7 are formed separately, and are combined by the core 3 a and the core 3 b, whereby the phosphor 8 having a different luminous flux peak in the short portion 6 and the long portion 7. And it becomes possible to apply | coat the fluorescent substance 9 easily.

  Next, the lighting fixture which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the lighting fixture 10 according to the present embodiment. The luminaire 10 includes a main body portion 10a in which a part of the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is incorporated, and a reflection portion 10b that reflects light emitted from the discharge tube 2 exposed from the main body portion 10a. The electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is attached to the luminaire 10 by fitting the core 3a and the core 3b, the coil 4a and the coil 4b, the high-frequency power source 5, and the short portion 6 into the main body 10a. The longitudinal portion 7 is not fitted into the main body portion 10a and is placed so that one side faces the reflecting portion 10b. Thus, the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is easily attached to the luminaire 10 by being fitted into the main body 10a so that the longitudinal portion 7 is exposed from the main body 10a. Moreover, since the core 3a and the core 3b are built in the main body part 10a, the light emitted from the longitudinal portion 7 is not blocked, so that the lighting fixture 10 can obtain a good light output.

  Thus, in the embodiment, the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 has the core 3a and the core 3b attached to the discharge tube 2 so as to divide the discharge tube 2 into the short portion 6 and the long portion 7. As a result, good light output can be obtained, and the light fixture 10 can be easily attached. Moreover, even if the short part 6 is coated with the phosphor 8 having a high luminous flux peak on the inner side, even if the temperature is higher than that of the long part 7, the short part 6 can emit light well without reducing the amount of light. it can.

  The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In the present embodiment, for example, the electrodeless discharge lamp device 1 is not configured to include two cores 3a and 3b. A configuration including three cores 3 may be used. Moreover, the shape of the discharge tube 2 may not be a square shape but may be a circle.

The block diagram which shows the outline of the electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The block diagram which shows the outline of the lighting fixture which concerns on this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus 2 Discharge tube 3a Core 3b Core 4a Coil 4b Coil 5 High frequency power supply 6 Short part 7 Long part 8 Phosphor 9 Phosphor 10 Lighting fixture

Claims (2)

A tube of translucent material, an annular discharge tube in which a discharge gas is enclosed;
A core made of a magnetic material surrounding a part of the discharge tube;
A coil wound around the core;
In an electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus comprising: a high-frequency power source that excites and emits a discharge gas by an electromagnetic field generated by flowing a high-frequency current through the coil;
At least two of the cores are attached to the discharge tube;
The discharge tube is divided by the core into a short part with a short length between the cores from one core to the other core and a long part with a long length between the cores,
The electrodeless discharge lamp device according to claim 1, wherein the phosphor applied to the inner side of the short portion has a higher luminous flux peak than the phosphor applied to the inner side of the longitudinal portion.   A lighting fixture comprising the electrodeless discharge lamp device according to claim 1.

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