JP2010165487A - Discharge element, and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a discharge element which contributes to maintenance of high responsiveness and improvement in durability, and to provide a manufacturing method of the discharge element. <P>SOLUTION: The discharge element is composed of a pair of glow discharge electrodes oppositely formed on the surface of an insulation base via a spark gap, arc discharge electrodes electrically connected from both sides of the glow discharge electrodes, and oppositely formed keeping a prescribed space region from the base surface, lead terminals electrically connected to both of the discharge electrodes and connected to external circuits, and a case in which part of the lead terminals, the glow discharge electrodes, and the arc discharge electrodes are airtightly enveloped under a discharge gas atmosphere. The tip edges of the arc discharge electrodes are formed into a strip shape which is nearly parallel to the base surface. In the manufacturing method of the discharge element, the glow discharge electrodes are formed by being extended up to both end edge parts of the base, conductivity is secured by pinching the glow discharge electrodes and the base with the plate-shaped arc discharge electrodes. After mounting the lead terminals for connecting the external circuits, the base and the plate-shaped arc discharge electrodes are airtightly enveloped in the case under the discharge gas atmosphere. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  It belongs to the technical field of discharge elements that shift to arc discharge using glow discharge between spark gaps as a trigger (trigger or trigger), and in particular, it is durable with less influence of sputtered substances on the glow discharge electrode during arc discharge. The present invention relates to a discharge element with improved performance.

  As a switching element of an igniter circuit (starting circuit) of a lighting device for a high-intensity discharge lamp such as an in-vehicle headlamp, a projector, an endoscope, etc., a discharge element that generates a discharge between spark gaps (micro gaps) is used. Yes. This igniter circuit is mainly composed of a capacitor that accumulates pulse energy, a pulse transformer, and a discharge element that functions as a switch for applying the energy of the capacitor to the primary side of the pulse transformer.

  The igniter circuit using this discharge element has the advantage that the circuit configuration can be simplified because the trigger circuit can be omitted, but it is necessary to start at a shorter time interval and generate a high voltage pulse in the circuit. For this reason, there has been a demand for improved responsiveness and durability for the discharge element.

  A discharge element developed to satisfy this requirement is disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a discharge tube. This discharge tube forms an airtight envelope by airtightly closing both end openings of a case member made of an insulating material having both ends opened with a pair of lid members that also serve as discharge electrodes for arc discharge, A predetermined discharge gas is sealed in the hermetic envelope, a predetermined discharge gap is formed between the discharge electrode portions of the lid member, and a minute discharge gap (spark gap) is formed on the inner wall surface of the case member. In this configuration, a plurality of pairs of glow discharge trigger discharge films are formed to be opposed to each other. Further, an insulating film containing a predetermined substance is formed on the surface of the discharge electrode.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a discharge tube obtained by improving the discharge tube of Patent Document 1, that is, a structure in which the coating component of the discharge electrode is changed and the arrangement of the trigger discharge film is changed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-7420 (Section 3-4, FIG. 1) Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-40831 (Section 3-4, FIG. 1)

However, the discharge tubes of Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the following problems.
That is, the area of the facing surface of the discharge electrode for arc discharge is large even considering the size of the discharge tube. For this reason, the arc start and end positions during arc discharge may deviate from the center position in the opposing surface of the discharge electrode to one of the radial directions in which the trigger discharge film as the glow discharge electrode is disposed. There were many. Since this “deviation” is caused by manufacturing errors such as the finished state of the opposing surface of the discharge electrode and its parallelism, for example, even if the coating component of the electrode is changed, the structure of the discharge tube of Patent Documents 1 and 2 It was difficult to suppress this drastically.

  When such a deviation occurs, sputtered substances generated at the time of discharge adhere to the surrounding trigger discharge film or discharge traces are generated, which causes a spark gap insulation failure in the trigger discharge film, and the trigger discharge film. As a result, the function was impaired. As a result, not only a delay in response is caused as a discharge tube, but also the durability deteriorates.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by having an arc discharge electrode in which the arc discharge generation position is stable, it suppresses insulation deterioration and damage of the spark gap of the glow discharge electrode, and has a high response. Discharge element that contributes to durability improvement while maintaining the properties, and a method for manufacturing the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the discharge element of the present invention is configured as follows.
That is, one or a plurality of pairs of glow discharge electrodes formed opposite to each other on the surface of the insulating base via a spark gap, and conductively connected from both sides of the glow discharge electrode, and from the surface where the spark gap is formed An arc discharge electrode formed oppositely with a predetermined space region, a lead terminal electrically connected to the arc discharge electrode and the glow discharge electrode and connected to an external circuit, a part of the lead terminal, the glow discharge electrode, and the arc And a case in which the discharge electrode is hermetically encapsulated in a discharge gas atmosphere, and the tip edge of the arc discharge electrode is formed in a side shape substantially parallel to the surface of the base.

  Here, the predetermined space region mentioned above is such that the spark gap portion of the glow discharge electrode formed on the base surface, the tip edge of the arc discharge electrode, and the formation surface connecting the two opposite tip edges contact each other. It means a spatial region constituted by having an appropriate separation distance without.

  In addition, forming the tip edge of the arc discharge electrode in a side shape means that the direction of the surface parallel to the spark gap forming surface of the glow discharge electrode of the base is long and the direction of the surface perpendicular to the forming surface is short. Is.

  The arc edge of the arc discharge electrode has a linear shape extending in a direction substantially opposite to the direction in which the glow discharge electrode is opposed, that is, the direction in which the spark gap is formed, a row of sharp tips, a row of chevrons, a bent It is formed in any one of a line shape, a wavy line shape, or a convex curve shape.

  The glow discharge electrode and the arc discharge electrode are formed by forming the glow discharge electrode up to both end edges of the base, and electrically connecting the arc discharge electrode by sandwiching the glow discharge electrode and the base edge. It is characterized by being. More preferably, the arc discharge electrode is made of an elastic metal having conductivity, and the end of the base on which the glow discharge electrode is formed is clamped and pressed. This facilitates and stabilizes the positioning of the base and the glow discharge electrode and the arc discharge electrode during manufacture of the discharge element. The shape of the base may be any of a rod shape, a plate shape, a cylindrical shape, or a column shape.

  Further, the glow discharge electrode and the arc discharge electrode may be arranged and formed on both opposing sides (upper surface and lower surface), for example, if the base is flat.

And the manufacturing method of the discharge element of this invention is comprised as follows.
That is, one or a plurality of pairs of glow discharge electrodes formed on the surface of an insulating base so as to face each other via a spark gap are extended to both ends of the base, and the glow discharge electrode and the base are electrically connected. A plate-like arc discharge electrode having a predetermined space region spaced from the glow discharge electrode is attached and held, and conductively connected to the arc discharge electrode and the glow discharge electrode. After attaching a lead terminal to be connected to an external circuit, a part of the lead terminal, the glow discharge electrode, and the arc discharge electrode are hermetically enclosed in a case under a predetermined discharge gas atmosphere. .

  In the discharge element of the present invention, the trigger glow discharge electrode and the arc discharge electrode are formed to face each other with an appropriate space region, and the tip edge of the arc discharge electrode does not extend to the spark gap forming surface side. In other words, the arc edge of the arc discharge electrode has a predetermined distance from the surface on which the glow discharge electrode is formed, and is formed in a side shape extending in a direction parallel to the surface to be formed. The terminal position hardly shifts to the glow discharge electrode side.

  For this reason, the discharge element of the present invention has a spark gap forming surface of the glow discharge electrode that is hardly affected by a sputtered substance (so-called contamination) caused by arc discharge of the arc discharge electrode, and the insulating property is not deteriorated. While maintaining high responsiveness as a discharge element, the effect of improving durability is exhibited.

  In addition, since the discharge element of the present invention is a structure in which the arc discharge electrode sandwiches the glow discharge electrode and the base integrally with conductivity, not only the manufacturing cost is suppressed by reducing the number of parts, but also the base and The positioning of the arc discharge electrode is stabilized. This improves the positioning accuracy between the glow discharge electrode and the arc discharge electrode formed on the surface of the base, and it is possible to stably secure an appropriate space region between them. As a result, the influence of the sputtered substance on the spark gap can be suppressed.

It is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a discharge element of this example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the discharge element of a present Example. It is a top view which shows multiple examples of a change of the front-end edge of the arc discharge electrode of the discharge element of a present Example. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example of a change of the whole discharge element of a present Example. It is a partially cutaway perspective view (A), (B) showing a modification of the entire discharge element of the present embodiment.

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a discharge element and a manufacturing method thereof according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the discharge element of this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the discharge element of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 shows the arc discharge electrode of the discharge element of this embodiment. It is a top view which shows multiple examples of a change of a front end edge.

  The discharge element 1 of the present embodiment is mainly composed of a glow discharge electrode 3 having a predetermined spark gap 31 on the surface of a plate-like base 2 having insulating properties, and a space region above the glow discharge electrode 3 that is electrically connected thereto. An arc discharge electrode 4 disposed on the lead electrode 5; a lead terminal 5 electrically connected to the arc discharge electrode 4 and the glow discharge electrode 3 and connected to an external circuit; and a case 6 that covers these and contains a predetermined gas in an airtight manner. is doing.

  The base 2 is a rectangular flat plate from a ceramic material which is an insulating material, specifically, a sintered body such as alumina porcelain, mullite porcelain, steerite porcelain, or a glass epoxy base material in which an inorganic material is mixed with resin. Forming. The shape of the base 2 is not limited to this example, and any shape of a rod shape, a cylindrical shape, or a column shape can be adopted as necessary.

  On the surface of one side of the base 2, a glow discharge electrode 3 is formed in a thin film shape in the longitudinal direction. The glow discharge electrode 3 is formed by arranging a thin film of a tip semicircle facing the center from the both end edges in the longitudinal direction of the base 2 and two circular thin films in series on a line connecting the centers of the two semicircles. The plurality of spark gaps 31 having a predetermined distance are formed to face each other. The material of the glow discharge electrode 3 is a conductive material made of tungsten, molybdenum, nickel, graphite or the like, and various means such as vapor deposition, printing, sticking, etching, sputtering, photolithography, plating, or handwriting are applied to the above shape. Is formed on the surface of the base 2.

  On the upper side of the glow discharge electrode 3, an arc discharge electrode 4 having a predetermined space region and having an appropriate facing distance is disposed. The arc discharge electrode 4 is made of a conductive metal having elasticity, and is formed by forming a support body 42 having a U shape in side view and an extending portion 41 having one side extending obliquely upward. The support 42 holds the end 2 of the base 2 from above and below together with the glow discharge electrode 3 to support the base 2 by pressure contact, and electrically connects (electrically connects) to both polar sides of the glow discharge electrode 3. )is doing.

  The extending portion 41 extends obliquely upward and faces the other arc discharge electrodes 4 to form an arc discharge interval. The tip edge 41a, which is the opposite portion of the extended portion 41, is formed in a shape that is substantially parallel to the spark gap forming surface of the base 2 and maintains a predetermined separation distance from the forming surface, in other words, a side shape. is doing.

  The tip edge 41a of the arc discharge electrode 4 is a curved line in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but as shown in FIG. 3, it is linear, a row of sharp tip projections, a row of chevron projections, a bent line shape. The shape may be changed into various shapes such as a wavy line shape or a partially convex shape. Moreover, it is good also as a form in which the extension part 41 of the form extended diagonally upwards becomes parallel to the surface of the base 2 only in the one part plate surface vicinity of a front-end edge. In any case, it suffices if a predetermined space region is secured between the front edge 41 a of the arc discharge electrode 4 and the surface of the base 2 on which the spark gap 31 is formed. The shape of the tip edge 41a may be selected as appropriate in consideration of the discharge voltage, the number of discharges, the manufacturing cost, and the like.

  By the way, the space region between the tip edge 41a of the arc discharge electrode 4 and the base 2 on which the spark gap 31 is formed is at least unaffected by the arc discharge. More specifically, a part of the arc discharge is spark gap. It is preferable to ensure a dimension that does not contact 31, for example, a dimension that is twice or more the thickness of the tip edge 41 a of the arc discharge electrode 4. Such dimensions may be appropriately adjusted according to the discharge phenomenon and required specifications.

  A lead terminal 5 provided with a lead wire 51 for connection to an external circuit is in contact with a side end portion of the support 42 of the arc discharge electrode 4, and is electrically connected to the arc discharge electrode 4 and the glow discharge electrode 3. Connected). This lead terminal 5 is a dumet wire (copper-coated iron-nickel alloy wire), and also functions as a sealing material for the case 6 described later.

  The case 6 is a cylindrical glass tube in this embodiment, and covers the base 2, the glow discharge electrode 3, and the arc discharge electrode 4 together with the lead terminal 5, and encloses (encloses) a predetermined discharge gas in an airtight manner. is doing. This discharge gas is usually an inert gas in which a single gas such as a rare gas, nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, or a mixed gas thereof is appropriately selected or combined depending on characteristics such as a discharge voltage and a discharge life.

The manufacturing method of the discharge element 1 having the above configuration is as follows.
That is, a pair of glow discharge electrodes 3 that are formed to face each other on the surface of the insulating base 2 via the spark gap 31 are formed so as to extend to both edge portions of the base 2. Next, the glow discharge electrode 3 and the base 2 are sandwiched by the support 42, and the opposite end edge 41 a of the extending portion 41 is spaced from the spark gap 31 with a predetermined space region. Attach and hold.
Then, after attaching the arc discharge electrode 4 and the lead terminal 5 conductively connected to the glow discharge electrode 3 and connecting to the external circuit, the lead terminal 5, the glow discharge electrode 3 and the arc discharge electrode 4 are placed in a discharge gas atmosphere. Manufacturing is completed by enclosing the case 6 in an airtight manner.
[Action]

The discharge element 1 configured as described above operates as follows.
When a predetermined voltage is applied to the arc discharge electrode 4 and the glow discharge electrode 3 from the outside via the lead wire 51 of the lead terminal 5, first, an electric field concentrates on the spark gap 31 of the glow discharge electrode 3, and the spark gap 31 Electrons are emitted and creeping corona discharge is generated on the surface of the base 2. The creeping corona discharge shifts to glow discharge due to the priming effect of electrons, and this glow discharge moves to the arc discharge electrode 4 and shifts to arc discharge connecting the tip edge 41 a of the arc discharge electrode 4.

The discharge element 1 of the present embodiment realizes high responsiveness in order to generate arc discharge using glow discharge generated in the spark gap 31 as a trigger. The glow discharge electrode 3 is arranged so that the tip edge 41a of the arc discharge electrode 4 is opposed to the glow discharge electrode 3 with a predetermined space region, and the shape of the tip edge 41a is a side shape such as a curve or straight line that is substantially parallel to the spark gap forming surface. Therefore, for example, even if a discharge mark is generated at the tip edge 41a, the start and end positions of the arc discharge are not shifted to the spark gap side of the glow discharge electrode 3. For this reason, it is possible to avoid spatter substances (so-called contamination) generated during arc discharge of the arc discharge electrode 4 from adhering to the glow discharge electrode 3 and the spark gap 31 and to suppress insulation deterioration of the spark gap 31. The durability as an element will be improved.
[Other Embodiments]

  In the discharge element 1 of this embodiment, the glow discharge electrode 3 and the arc discharge electrode 4 are housed in a case 6 that is a cylindrical glass tube, and the glow discharge electrode 3 is formed only on one side of the base 2, and the air above it However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the glow discharge electrode 3 and the arc discharge electrode 4 may be configured on both sides of the base 2. If it is this form, although manufacturing cost will increase a little, durability will be improved further.

  Moreover, as shown to FIG. 5 (A), it can change into the form which covers the arrangement | positioning side of the glow discharge electrode 3 and the arc discharge electrode 4 of the base 2 with the rectangular box-shaped case 6 along the base outer periphery. Is possible. In the case of this embodiment, the arc discharge electrode 4 is penetrated on the opposite side of the formation of the glow discharge electrode 3 to appropriately form a lead terminal 5, and the glow discharge electrode side is gas-sealed with the case 6 and the base 2. Yes. For this reason, the portion of the support 42 attached to the base 2 is omitted from the arc discharge electrode 4. Note that the tip edge 41a of the arc discharge electrode 4 may be changed to a disk shape having a predetermined plate thickness as shown in FIG.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Discharge element 2 Base 3 Glow discharge electrode 31 Spark gap 4 Arc discharge electrode 41 Extension part 41a Tip edge 42 Support body 5 Lead terminal 51 Lead wire 6 Case

Claims (6)

One or more pairs of glow discharge electrodes formed on the surface of the insulating base so as to face each other via a spark gap;
An arc discharge electrode that is conductively connected from both sides of the glow discharge electrode and is opposed to the surface of the spark gap with a predetermined space region;
A lead terminal conductively connected to the arc discharge electrode and the glow discharge electrode and connected to an external circuit;
A case in which a part of the lead terminal, the glow discharge electrode, and the arc discharge electrode are hermetically included in a discharge gas atmosphere, and
A discharge element characterized in that a tip edge of the arc discharge electrode is formed in a side shape parallel to the surface of the base. The arcuate tip edge of the arc discharge electrode is
A linear shape extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the opposing direction of the glow discharge electrode, a row of sharpened convex portions, a row of chevron-shaped convex portions, a bent line shape, a wavy line shape, or a convex curve shape. Item 2. The discharge element according to Item 1. Formation of the glow discharge electrode and the arc discharge electrode
The glow discharge electrode is formed to both end edges of the base, respectively, and the arc discharge electrode is conductively connected with the glow discharge electrode and the base edge sandwiched therebetween. The discharging element according to 2 or 2. The base is
4. The discharge element according to claim 1, wherein the discharge element is any one of a rod shape, a plate shape, a cylinder shape, and a column shape. Arrangement formation of the glow discharge electrode and the arc discharge electrode,
5. The discharge element according to claim 1, wherein the discharge element is disposed and formed on both opposing sides. One or more pairs of glow discharge electrodes formed on the surface of the insulating base so as to face each other through a spark gap are extended to both end edges of the base,
The glow discharge electrode and the base are sandwiched with conductivity, and a plate-like arc discharge electrode having a predetermined space region spaced apart from the glow discharge electrode is attached and held.
And after attaching the lead terminal to be electrically connected to the arc discharge electrode and the glow discharge electrode and connected to an external circuit,
A method of manufacturing a discharge element, wherein a part of the lead terminal, the glow discharge electrode, and the arc discharge electrode are hermetically included in a case in a predetermined discharge gas atmosphere.

Images