JP4816497B2 - Discharge lamp, method for manufacturing the discharge lamp, discharge lamp unit, and backlight device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a discharge lamp, a method for manufacturing the discharge lamp, a discharge lamp unit, and a backlight device.

  For example, in office automation equipment such as copiers and scanners, backlight devices, etc., there is a demand for higher performance of discharge lamps used for document reading and rear light sources. A light source for such an application is required to have a long service life without the irradiance being affected by the ambient temperature. In recent years, the production of environmentally friendly products has been internationally encouraged, so it is desirable that the products be environmentally friendly.

  In recent years, a discharge lamp in which a rare gas or the like is enclosed as a discharge medium instead of a metal vapor such as mercury has been used as a light source for the above application. Since such a discharge lamp does not use a metal such as mercury as a discharge medium, it has attracted attention as an environmentally conscious product in consideration of recent environmental problems.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view in the tube axis direction showing an outline of the configuration of a conventional discharge lamp.
As shown in FIG. 11, the discharge lamp 110 includes a hermetically sealed straight tubular arc tube 111 and a phosphor coating 115 formed on the inner wall surface of the arc tube 111. The arc tube 111 is filled with a rare gas, for example, xenon gas, as a discharge medium.

  On the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube 111, a pair of strip electrodes 112A and 112B are formed over almost the entire length. Each of the pair of lead terminals 113A and 113B is electrically connected to the pair of strip electrodes 112A and 112B by solder. Each of the pair of lead terminals 113A and 113B is electrically connected to each of the pair of external connection leads 114A and 114B by solder.

When a required high frequency voltage is applied to each of the strip electrodes 112A and 112B via the external connection leads 114A and 114B and the lead terminals 113A and 113B, discharge is started between the strip electrodes 112A and 112B, Ultraviolet rays are radiated in the arc tube 111. The emitted ultraviolet light is converted into visible light by the phosphor coating 115 on the inner wall surface of the arc tube 111 and functions as a fluorescent lamp light source.
JP-A-11-54089

  The above-mentioned discharge lamp has the advantages of being hardly affected by the ambient temperature, having a long life, and having a small environmental load, but has the following problems in practice.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 11, since the lead terminals 113A and 113B and the external connection leads 114A and 114B are used to supply power to the strip electrodes 112A and 112B, the power supply structure is complicated. The cost and labor required for the production of this were large.

  Further, when transporting the discharge lamp or mounting the discharge lamp in an OA device, a backlight device or the like, the external connection leads 114A and 114B are routed to each of the strip electrodes 112A and 112B and the lead terminals 113A, There is a possibility that the connection location between each of 113B and the connection location between each of the lead terminals 113A and 113B and each of the external connection leads 114A and 114B may be damaged.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to reduce the cost and labor required for manufacturing a discharge lamp by simplifying the power supply structure of the discharge lamp.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

The present invention comprises an arc tube in which a phosphor layer is formed on the inner wall surface and a discharge gas is sealed, and a pair of strip electrodes arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube so as to extend in the tube axis direction. In the discharge lamp provided, only one of the strip electrodes is disposed on the outer peripheral surface on one end side of the arc tube, and the other facing the one strip electrode is disposed on the outer peripheral surface on the other end side of the arc tube. Only one belt-shaped electrode is disposed, and at each end of the arc tube, one feeding cap having an opening disposed directly above the one strip-shaped electrode is disposed through a conductive paste filled from the opening. The pair of power supply caps, which are electrically connected only to the other belt-shaped electrode, and are electrically connected only to the other belt-shaped electrode through the conductive paste filled in the other power supply cap with the opening disposed immediately above the other belt-shaped electrode in the vertical direction. Of the feeding cap S are characterized in that it is mounted.

  The power supply cap and the belt-like electrode are electrically connected via a conductive paste.

  In the cross section obtained by cutting the discharge lamp along a plane including the tube axis of the arc tube, the conductive paste exceeds the imaginary line connecting the end portion of the power supply cap and the electrode located directly below the feed cap. It arrange | positions so that it may extend toward the center side in the pipe-axis direction of a pipe | tube.

  The power supply cap is provided with an opening for filling the conductive paste.

  Only one of the strip electrodes is disposed on the outer peripheral surface on one end side of the arc tube, and only the other strip electrode facing the one strip electrode is disposed on the outer peripheral surface on the other end side of the arc tube. Each of the pair of power supply caps is disposed at each end of the arc tube so that one power supply cap is electrically connected only to one belt-like electrode and the other power supply cap is electrically connected only to the other belt-like electrode. It is characterized by being mounted.

  The power supply cap includes an elastic tongue piece that contacts the belt-like electrode.

  Each of the power supply caps is attached to only one end portion of the arc tube without being in contact with each other.

  The manufacturing method according to the discharge lamp of the present invention includes a step of attaching a power supply cap to an end portion of the discharge lamp so that the opening is arranged directly above each strip electrode of the discharge lamp, and an opening of the power supply cap. And a step of filling with a conductive paste.

  The discharge lamp unit of the present invention includes a plurality of discharge lamps each having an arc tube in which a phosphor layer is formed on an inner wall surface and in which a discharge gas is enclosed, and a pair of strip electrodes arranged to extend in the tube axis direction. And a pair of power supply cap assemblies in which a plurality of power supply caps made of a metal material are arranged in parallel and are electrically connected to each other. Each power supply cap belonging to the aggregate is attached to an end of each arc tube so as to have the same potential as each strip electrode in each discharge lamp belonging to the discharge lamp group.

  A backlight device including the discharge lamp according to the present invention includes a discharge lamp group in which a plurality of the discharge lamps are arranged in parallel, a housing having a light emission port and the discharge lamp group being disposed, And a sheet body having a light correction function arranged so as to close the light emission port.

  A backlight device according to the present invention includes a discharge lamp having a light emitting tube in which a phosphor layer is formed on an inner wall surface and in which a discharge gas is sealed, and a pair of strip electrodes arranged to extend in the tube axis direction. A housing having a light exit opening and a pair of power supply caps made of a metal material, and a sheet body having a light correction function disposed so as to close the light exit opening of the housing. Each of the power feeding caps is provided with a discharge lamp so that each of the strip electrodes has the same potential as each of the power feeding caps.

According to the discharge lamp of the present invention, since a pair of power supply caps made of a metal material is attached to the end portion of the arc tube, power is supplied to the strip electrode as compared with the conventional discharge lamp shown in FIG. This eliminates the need for lead terminals and external connection leads and simplifies the power feeding structure, thereby reducing the cost and labor required for manufacturing and strengthening the connection between the strip electrode and the power feeding cap. Therefore, when the discharge lamp is transported or mounted on a backlight device or the like, there is an advantage that the connection portion between the strip electrode and the power supply cap is not damaged. Furthermore, when each of the pair of feeding caps and each of the pair of strip electrodes are at the same potential, when a high frequency voltage is applied to each of the strip electrodes via each of the feeding caps, The possibility of undesired discharge between the strip electrodes can be reliably eliminated. Also, at each end of the arc tube, one power supply cap, in which an opening is arranged right above the one strip electrode, is electrically connected to only one strip electrode through a conductive paste filled from the opening. Each of the pair of power supply caps is connected so that the other power supply cap whose opening is arranged directly above the other belt-shaped electrode is electrically connected only to the other belt-shaped electrode through the conductive paste filled from the opening. Since it is mounted , the power supply cap can be reliably fixed to the arc tube of the discharge lamp by the adhesive force of the conductive paste. Then, there is no interposition of a minute gap serving as a discharge space between the power supply cap and the belt-like electrode, so that the possibility of undesired discharge can be eliminated.

  When the power supply cap and the strip electrode are electrically connected via the conductive paste, the minute gap between the power supply cap and the strip electrode is filled with the conductive paste, which may cause the above-described undesirable discharge. It can be surely solved.

  In the cross-section of the discharge lamp cut along a plane including the tube axis of the arc tube, the conductive paste exceeds the imaginary line connecting the end of the power supply cap and the electrode positioned directly below the feed cap, and the tube of the arc tube In the case of being arranged so as to extend toward the center side in the axial direction, it is possible to more reliably eliminate the above-described problem that undesired discharge occurs.

  When the opening for filling the conductive paste is provided in the power supply cap, the work of filling the conductive paste can be easily performed.

  Only one of the strip electrodes is disposed on the outer peripheral surface on one end side of the arc tube, and only the other strip electrode facing the one strip electrode is disposed on the outer peripheral surface on the other end side of the arc tube, Each end of the arc tube is fitted with each of a pair of power supply caps so that one power supply cap is conducted only with one band-shaped electrode and the other power supply cap is conducted only with the other band-shaped electrode. When there is, there is no possibility of short-circuiting between the respective power supply caps.

  When the power supply cap includes an elastic tongue piece that contacts the belt-like electrode, the power supply cap and the belt-like electrode are at the same potential via the elastic tongue piece, and the discharge lamp has an arc tube. On the other hand, by mounting the elastic tongue piece of the power supply cap so as to be expanded from the inside, the power supply cap can be securely fixed to the arc tube.

  Even when each of the power supply caps is attached to only one end portion of the arc tube without being in contact with each other, for the same reason as described above, each of the power supply caps and each of the belt-like electrodes The possibility of undesired discharge occurring between them is reliably eliminated.

  According to the manufacturing method relating to the discharge lamp of the present invention, the step of attaching the power supply cap to the end of the discharge lamp so that the opening is disposed directly above the strip-shaped electrode of each discharge lamp, and the opening of the power supply cap And the process of filling the conductive paste more, the discharge lamp according to the present invention can be reliably manufactured.

  According to the discharge lamp unit of the present invention, a plurality of power supply caps made of a metal material are arranged in parallel and provided with a pair of power supply cap assemblies that are integrated and connected, and belong to each power supply cap assembly. Since each power supply cap is mounted at the end of each arc tube so as to have the same potential as each strip electrode in each discharge lamp belonging to the discharge lamp group, the above-mentioned undesired discharge occurs. In addition, it is possible to supply power to the strip electrodes of all the discharge lamps belonging to the discharge lamp group only by connecting one power supply line to one of the power supply cap assemblies. Therefore, since the power feeding structure for the plurality of discharge lamps can be simplified, the cost and labor required for manufacturing can be further reduced.

  According to the backlight device of the present invention, since it includes the discharge lamp group in which a plurality of the discharge lamps according to the present invention are arranged in parallel, the cost and labor required for manufacturing the discharge lamp are reduced. The device can be manufactured inexpensively and easily, and the possibility of damaging the power supply structure of the discharge lamp can be reliably eliminated when the device is transported or when the discharge lamp is mounted on the housing. it can.

  Furthermore, even when a discharge lamp is mounted on each of the power supply caps provided in the housing so that each of the strip electrodes has the same potential as each of the power supply caps, the apparatus can be made inexpensive for the same reason as described above. In addition, it can be manufactured easily, and the possibility of damage to the power supply structure of the discharge lamp can be reliably eliminated when the device is transported or when the discharge lamp is mounted on the housing.

[Discharge Lamp According to First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a discharge lamp (hereinafter also simply referred to as a discharge lamp) according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a discharge lamp according to the first embodiment. 1A shows a perspective view, and FIG. 1B shows a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the tube axis of the arc tube. FIG. 2 schematically shows a configuration in the vicinity of one end of the discharge lamp according to the first embodiment. 2A is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of one end, and FIG. 2B is a sectional view in the tube axis direction when cut along a plane including the line AA ′ shown in FIG. FIG. 2C is a radial cross-sectional view when cut in the radial direction along a plane including the line BB ′ shown in FIG. For convenience, only the configuration on one end side is shown in FIG. 2 and the configuration on the other end side is omitted, but the structure on the other end side is the same as that on the one end side. FIG. 3 shows an outline of a method for manufacturing a discharge lamp according to the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge lamp 10 includes a straight tubular arc tube 11 made of, for example, quartz glass, a pair of strip electrodes 12A and 12B disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube 11, and the arc tube 11. Power supply caps 14A and 14B attached to both ends of the. Inside the arc tube 11, for example, xenon gas, a mixed gas of xenon gas containing xenon gas as a main component and another gas is sealed as a discharge medium.

  A phosphor film 13 is formed on the inner wall of the arc tube 11 by applying the phosphor so that the radial cross section is circular. As will be described later, the phosphor coating 13 is provided in order to convert ultraviolet rays radiated by discharge such as the above-described xenon gas into visible rays.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the strip electrodes 12 </ b> A and 12 </ b> B are disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube 11 so as to extend in parallel with the tube axis direction of the arc tube 11. The strip electrodes 12A and 12B are made of a conductive material such as a metal tape such as aluminum or copper or a silver paste. The strip electrodes 12A and 12B can be made to emit light from the slits by providing slits or the like as necessary.

  Only one of the strip electrodes is provided on the outer peripheral surfaces of both ends of the arc tube 11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, only one strip electrode 12A is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 11A on one end side of the arc tube, and only the other strip electrode 12B is disposed on the outer peripheral surface 11B on the other end side of the arc tube. Is arranged. The reason why the strip electrodes 12A and 12B are arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube 11 is that only one of the pair of strip electrodes 12A and 12B needs to be electrically connected to the power supply caps 14A and 14B. In other words, this is to prevent conduction between the power supply caps 14A and 14B and the pair of strip electrodes 12A and 12B.

  A pair of power supply caps 14 </ b> A and 14 </ b> B is attached to each end of the arc tube 11. Each of the power supply caps 14A and 14B has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and is made of, for example, a metal material such as copper plated with copper or nickel. Each of the power supply caps 14A and 14B is attached to each end of the arc tube 11 so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the tube axis of the arc tube.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A to 2C, an opening 15 for filling the conductive paste is formed in the power supply cap 14A. In addition, the feeding cap 14A is mounted on one end of the arc tube 11 with one strip electrode 12A disposed immediately below the opening 15 in the vertical direction and without covering the other strip electrode 12B. The power supply cap 14 </ b> A and the strip electrode 12 </ b> A are electrically connected through the conductive paste 16 filled in the opening 15. The reason why the power supply cap 14A and one of the strip electrodes (12A) are electrically connected by the conductive paste 16 is as follows.

  When the power supply cap 14A is attached to the end of the arc tube 11 of the discharge lamp 10, the outer diameter of the arc tube 11 and the inner diameter of the power supply cap 14A do not necessarily coincide with each other, so it is inevitable between the power supply cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A. There are microscopic voids. Further, there is a large difference in the electric resistance value between the power supply cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A. Therefore, if a high frequency voltage is applied to the power supply cap 14A in the presence of the above-described minute gap, an undesired discharge may occur between the power supply cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A through the minute gap. Particularly, when the end portion 17 on the center side of the arc tube adjacent to the strip electrode 12A of the power supply cap 14A is sharply formed, the discharge tends to concentrate on the corner portion 17, so that the above-described undesired discharge occurs. It tends to occur. That is, by filling the conductive paste 16 into the minute gap interposed between the feeding cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A, the minute gap serving as a discharge space is not interposed between the feeding cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A. It is expected that the above-described fear of causing undesired discharge can be solved.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, in the cross section obtained by cutting the discharge lamp 10 along a plane including the tube axis of the arc tube 11, the conductive paste 16 is connected to the end portion 17 on the center side of the arc tube of the feeding cap 14A. It extends toward the tube axis direction of the arc tube 11 beyond an imaginary line X connecting the electrodes located immediately below the vertical direction. By disposing the conductive paste 16 in this way, the minute gap between the power supply cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A disappears, and in addition, the end 17 on the center side of the arc tube of the power supply cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A Since the separation distance through the space becomes long, the possibility of undesired discharge between the power supply cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A can be more reliably eliminated.

  Moreover, by filling the conductive paste between the arc tube and the power supply cap, the power supply cap can be securely fixed to the arc tube of the discharge lamp by the adhesive force of the conductive paste. Although not shown in the figure, if the conductive paste or the insulating adhesive is filled in advance so that the bottom surface of the power supply cap and the lamp end surface are adhered, the arc tube and the power supply cap are more connected. It can be fixed securely.

  If the minute gap interposed between the feeding cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A can be eliminated, the feeding cap 14A and the strip shape can also be replaced by filling the minute gap with solder instead of the conductive paste 16. The possibility of undesired discharge between the electrode 12A and the electrode 12A can be eliminated.

  The feeding cap 14A has an end 18 on the center side of the arc tube at the other strip electrode 12B so that undesired discharge does not occur with the other strip electrode 12B when a high frequency voltage is applied. It is 3.5 mm to 20 mm apart from the end 19 on the side.

  In such a discharge lamp 10, a high-frequency voltage is applied to the pair of strip electrodes 12A and 12B through the pair of power supply caps 14A and 14B, so that the arc tube sandwiched between the pair of strip electrodes 12A and 12B. A dielectric barrier discharge (barrier discharge) is generated using 11 (glass material) as a dielectric, and ultraviolet rays are emitted inside the arc tube 11 by this discharge. The ultraviolet rays are applied to the phosphor coating 13 provided on the inner wall of the arc tube 11 to be converted into visible rays, and the visible rays are emitted outside the arc tube 11.

Here, the discharge lamp according to the first embodiment is manufactured as follows.
First, as shown in FIG. 3A, a straight tubular arc tube 11 in which a phosphor film 13 is formed and a discharge gas is enclosed, and the arc tube 11 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube 11. A discharge lamp constituting body 10 ′ having a pair of strip electrodes 12 A and 12 B disposed in parallel with the tube axis is disposed, and each of the pair of power supply caps 14 A and 14 B is disposed with respect to each end of the arc tube 11. Installed. Then, each of the power supply caps 14A and 14B is rotated in the circumferential direction so that the opening 15 formed in each of the power supply caps 14A and 14B is opposed to each of the strip electrodes 12A and 12B in the discharge lamp structure 10 ′. Finely adjust the positions of the caps 14A and 14B.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the conductive paste 16 is directed toward the opening 15 of the power supply cap 14 </ b> A by a predetermined dripping unit disposed directly above the opening 15 formed in the power supply cap 14 </ b> A. The conductive paste 16 is filled between the feeding cap 14 </ b> A and the arc tube 11. Then, the conductive paste is naturally dried after a lapse of a predetermined time, and as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, a discharge having a configuration in which the minute gap between the feeding cap 14A and the strip electrode 12A has disappeared. The lamp 10 is completed.

[Discharge Lamp According to Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a discharge lamp (hereinafter also simply referred to as a discharge lamp) according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 schematically shows the configuration of the discharge lamp according to the second embodiment. 4A is an enlarged perspective view showing a configuration near one end, and FIG. 4B is a diameter when cut along a plane including the line BB ′ shown in FIG. FIG. In FIG. 4, the same parts as those in FIGS.

  The discharge lamp according to the second embodiment is different from the discharge lamp according to the first embodiment in that the power supply cap is attached only to one end side of the arc tube and the power supply cap is not attached to the other end side of the arc tube. . In other words, each of the pair of power supply caps attached to one end side of the arc tube is characterized in that it is electrically connected to each of the pair of strip electrodes without being in electrical contact with each other.

  As shown in FIG. 4, each of the power supply caps 40 </ b> A and 40 </ b> B has a substantially semicircular radial cross section, and an opening 41 for filling the conductive paste 16 is formed. Each of the power supply caps 40A and 40B is attached to one end of the arc tube 11 so that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the tube axis of the arc tube. The openings 41 formed in the power supply caps 40A and 40B are filled with the conductive paste 16 in the same manner as the discharge lamp according to the first embodiment, so that each of the pair of power supply caps 40A and 40B has a pair of belt shapes. The electrodes 12A and 12B are electrically connected to each other.

  Each of the power supply caps 40A and 40B has a predetermined interval as shown in FIG. 4 so that undesired discharge may not occur between the power supply caps 40A and 40B when a high frequency voltage is applied. However, the insulating member may be disposed between the power supply caps 40A and 40B.

[Discharge Lamp According to Third Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a discharge lamp (hereinafter also simply referred to as a discharge lamp) according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 schematically shows the configuration of the discharge lamp according to the third embodiment. FIG. 5A is an enlarged perspective view showing the configuration near one end, and FIG. 5B is a tube axis when cut along a plane including AA ′ shown in FIG. FIG. In FIG. 5, only the configuration near one end of the discharge lamp is shown, but the configuration near the other end is the same as that near the one end. Also, the same parts as those in FIGS.

  The discharge lamp according to the third embodiment is the same as the discharge lamp according to the first embodiment except for the structure of the power supply cap, but is characterized in that no conductive paste is used.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the power supply cap 50 includes a barrel portion 51 that has a cylindrical shape as a whole, and an elastic tongue piece portion 52 that continues to the barrel portion 51 and sinks toward the arc tube side of the discharge lamp. ing. The power supply cap 50 is attached to the end of the arc tube 11 so that the longitudinal direction thereof is parallel to the tube axis of the arc tube, and is in contact with one strip electrode 12A at the elastic tongue piece 52. The power feeding cap 50 is formed so that the outer diameter of the body 51 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the arc tube 11, and the elastic tongue piece 52 emits light before being attached to the end of the arc tube 11. It is formed to have an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the tube 11.

  Accordingly, the power supply cap 50 is attached to the light emitting tube 11 so that the elastic tongue piece 52 of the power supply cap 50 is in contact with the strip-shaped electrode 12A of the discharge lamp while the elastic tongue portion 52 is expanded from the inside by the light emitting tube 11. As a result, the power supply cap 50 is securely fixed to the arc tube 11 by the elastic force urged by the elastic tongue piece 52, and the elastic tongue piece 52 uniformly contacts the belt-like electrode 12A. As a result, the power supply cap 50 and the strip electrode 12 </ b> A have the same potential via the elastic tongue piece 52.

  The power supply cap according to the third embodiment described above can be attached only to one end side of the arc tube as in the discharge lamp according to the second embodiment described above. That is, by forming the cross section of the body portion of the power supply cap so as to have a substantially semicircular shape, the pair of power supply caps do not come into electrical contact with each other like the discharge lamp according to the second embodiment. It can also be attached only to one end of the arc tube.

Here, for reference, specifications of the discharge lamp according to the first to third embodiments described above are shown below.
The arc tube 11 has an outer diameter of 9.8 mm, an inner diameter of 9 mm, and a total length in the tube axis direction of 1500 mm.
The arc tube 11 is filled with 13.3 to 26.6 kPa of xenon gas.
Each of the strip electrodes 12A and 12B has a total length in the tube axis direction of 1475 mm, a width in the tube axis orthogonal direction of 0.5 mm, and a thickness of 4 μm.
Each of the power supply caps 14A, 14B (40A, 40B, 50) has a total length in the tube axis direction of 15 mm, an outer diameter of 10.4 mm, and an inner diameter of 10 mm.

  According to the discharge lamp according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention as described above, the end portions of the arc tube 11 are provided with power supply caps 14A, 14B (40A, 40B, 50) made of a pair of metal materials. Since each is mounted so as to have the same potential as each of the pair of strip electrodes 12A, 12B, the power supply structure is simpler than the conventional discharge lamp shown in FIG. In addition, the labor can be reduced, and the possibility of undesired discharge between the power supply caps 14A, 14B (40A, 40B, 50) and the strip electrodes 12A, 12B can be reliably eliminated.

[Backlight Device According to First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, the backlight device according to the first embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as a backlight device) will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the overall configuration of the backlight device. FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the backlight device taken along a plane orthogonal to the tube axis of the discharge lamp.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the backlight device 60 includes a discharge lamp group 61 in which a plurality of discharge lamps of the present invention shown in FIG. 1 and the like are arranged in parallel, and a housing that houses the discharge lamp group 61. In order to support the discharge lamp group 61 and the discharge lamp group 61 and to supply power to each discharge lamp of the discharge lamp group 61, the body 62, the diffusion plate 63A, the diffusion sheet 63B, and the directivity control sheet 63C. And a pair of power supply members 65A and 65B.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 62 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and is provided with a light exit opening 62A on at least one surface and a reflection sheet 64 on the center side of the bottom surface facing the light exit opening 62A. It has been. Further, a pair of power supply members 65A and 65B are arranged inside the housing 62 so as to face both end sides of the reflection sheet with the reflection sheet 64 interposed therebetween, and the six discharge lamps 10 shown in FIG. A discharge lamp group 61, which is arranged in parallel so that the respective tube axes are parallel to each other at a predetermined interval, is supported by a power supply member 65. The number of discharge lamps 10 belonging to the discharge lamp group 61 can be changed as necessary.

  The light correction sheet 63 is used to make the emitted light from the discharge lamp group 61 uniform and improve the luminance, and so as to block the light emission opening 62A of the casing 62 in which the discharge lamp group 61 is arranged. The diffusing plate 63A, the diffusing sheet 63B, and the directivity control sheet 63C are arranged in an overlapping manner in this order. The diffusing plate 63A is formed of a diffusing object made of an opaque resin or the like whose surface is processed to have irregularities, and has a property of diffusing and transmitting the radiated light from the discharge lamps 10 belonging to the discharge lamp group 61. . Specifically, a light shielding material having a low light transmittance such as barium sulfate or titanium oxide is uniformly kneaded into the diffuser so that the luminance distribution of the transmitted light from the diffuser is uniform. .

  The diffusion sheet 63B is made of a light transmissive resin sheet having a diffusing material having a concavo-convex process on the surface thereof, and further diffuses the transmitted light from the diffusion plate. The directivity control sheet 63C improves the luminance by imparting directivity to the transmitted light from the diffusion sheet.

  The materials of the diffusing plate 63A, the diffusing sheet 63B, and the directivity control sheet 63C constituting the light correction sheet 63 are shown below for reference. The diffusion plate 63A is made of polycarbonate resin. The diffusion sheet 63B is formed by applying a diffusing agent or a concavo-convex process to the surface of a transparent resin made of any of polyethylene terephthalate resin, polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, and the like. The directivity control sheet 63C is formed of a prism sheet made of any one of polyolefin resin, polycarbonate resin, acrylic resin, and polyethylene terephthalate resin having high light transmittance.

The power supply member 65A is composed of a conductive plate 66A installed on the bottom surface of the housing 62 and the same number of holding parts 67A as the discharge lamp 10 that sandwich the power supply cap 14A of the discharge lamp 10, and each of the holding parts 67A. The conductive plate 66A is arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval and is electrically connected to the conductive plate 66A. Each of the holding portions 67A is attached with each of the power supply caps 14A of the discharge lamp 10 and is electrically connected to each of the power supply caps 14A. A power supply mechanism (not shown) is electrically connected to the conductive plate 66A.
The power supply member 65B includes a conductive plate 66B installed on the bottom surface of the housing 62 and the same number of holding portions 67B as the discharge lamp 10 that sandwich the power supply cap 14B of the discharge lamp 14, and each of the holding portions 67B The conductive plate 66B is arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval and is electrically connected to the conductive plate 66B. Each of the holding portions 67B is attached with each of the power supply caps 14B of the discharge lamp 10 and is electrically connected to each of the power supply caps 14B. A power supply mechanism (not shown) is electrically connected to the conductive plate 66B.

  Thus, since each of the holding portions 67A (67B) is electrically connected to the conductive plate 66A (66B), the power feeding structure is simplified as compared with the case where the conductive plate 66A (66B) is not provided. be able to. For example, when six discharge lamps are arranged in parallel, twelve power supply lines are required to connect the power supply lines to each of the six discharge lamps. The configuration shown in FIG. According to this, only two feeder lines are required. Therefore, the required number of power supply lines can be reduced, and the cost and labor required for manufacturing can be significantly reduced.

  Further, each of the strip electrodes 12A (12B) provided in the discharge lamp 10 is electrically connected to each of the holding portions 67A (67B) via each of the power supply caps 14A (14B). There is no contact with the portion 67A (67B). Therefore, according to the backlight device according to the first embodiment, particularly in the case where each of the strip-like electrodes 12A (12B) formed of a metal tape, a metal paste, or the like and having low mechanical strength is provided, the holding portion 67A. (67B), there is an advantage that there is no fear of damaging each of the strip electrodes 12A (12B) when the discharge lamp 10 is mounted.

  In such a backlight device 60, the radiated light from the discharge lamp group 61 is directly incident on the light correction sheet body 63, and the radiated light from the discharge lamp group 61 to the side opposite to the light emission port 62A is also emitted. The light is reflected by the reflective sheet 64 provided on the bottom surface of the housing 62 and enters the correction sheet 63.

[Discharge lamp unit]
Hereinafter, a discharge lamp unit in which a plurality of discharge lamps according to the present invention are arranged in parallel will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the discharge lamp unit according to the present invention. FIG. 9 shows an outline of a method for manufacturing a discharge lamp unit according to the present invention.

  The discharge lamp unit 80 shown in FIG. 8 uses a pair of power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B having a structure in which a plurality of power supply caps 14A (14B) are arranged in parallel and are integrated and conducted. A pair of power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B is attached to a discharge lamp group composed of a plurality of discharge lamp components 10 ', thereby disposing the discharge lamp group in the casing 62 of the backlight device 60 described above. At this time, it is characterized in that it can be handled in a state where a plurality of discharge lamps 10 are combined.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the discharge lamp unit 80 includes a straight tubular arc tube 11 in which a phosphor film is formed and a discharge gas is enclosed, and a tube of the arc tube on the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube 11. A discharge lamp group 90 in which a plurality of discharge lamp constituents 10 'including a pair of strip-like electrodes 12A and 12B arranged so as to extend in parallel with an axis are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval; A plurality of power supply caps 14 </ b> A (14 </ b> B) are arranged in parallel, and are provided with a pair of power supply cap assemblies 81 </ b> A and 81 </ b> B that are integrated and conductive.

  The power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B are composed of a power supply cap 14A (14B) made of a metal material having a plurality of cylindrical shapes and a connecting member 82 made of a metal material corresponding to the number of power supply caps 14A (14B). The feeding caps 14 </ b> A (14 </ b> B) to be connected are connected by a connecting member 82. Each of the power supply caps 14A and 14B has an opening for introducing a conductive paste. The power supply caps 14A and 14B and the connecting member 82 are connected by, for example, welding. In the power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B, the power supply caps 14A and 14B belonging to the power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B are inserted into the end portions of the arc tubes 11 of the discharge lamps belonging to the discharge lamp group 90, respectively. It is attached so that.

  Note that the power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B are not limited to the above-described configuration, and a configuration in which arc tube housing portions serving as power supply caps are formed corresponding to the number of discharge lamps by cutting out a massive metal material. You can also

Such a discharge lamp unit 80 is manufactured by the method shown in FIG.
First, as shown in FIG. 9A, a discharge lamp group 90 is arranged in which a plurality of discharge lamp constituents 10 'are arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance from each other. Each of the strip electrodes 12A, 12B of the discharge lamp assembly 10 ′ belonging to the discharge lamp group 90 is directly below the opening formed in each of the power supply caps 14A, 14B belonging to the power supply cap assemblies 81A, 81B. A pair of power supply cap assemblies 81 </ b> A and 81 </ b> B are attached from both sides in the tube axis direction of the discharge lamp group 90 so as to be arranged.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 9 (B), each of the openings of the power supply caps 14A and 14B is provided by a predetermined dropping unit arranged directly above each of the openings formed in the power supply caps 14A and 14B. The conductive paste is dropped toward the power supply cap, and the conductive paste is filled between each of the power supply caps 14 </ b> A and 14 </ b> B and each of the arc tubes 11. Then, the conductive paste is naturally dried over a predetermined time, and a discharge lamp unit 80 as shown in FIG. 8 is completed.

By producing such a discharge lamp unit 80, the following effects are expected.
When disposing the discharge lamp group 90 in the casing 62 in the backlight device 60 described above, it can be handled in a state where a plurality of discharge lamps are combined. The labor required to arrange the discharge lamp group 90 in the casing 62 is reduced as compared with the case where the lamp lamps 90 are arranged one by one in the casing of the backlight device.

  Further, since the power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B having a configuration in which the plurality of power supply caps 14A and 14B are arranged in parallel and are integrated and conducted are used, a pair of power supply lines connected to an external power source is used. Power can be supplied to all of the plurality of discharge lamps via the power supply caps only by electrically connecting each of them to each of the pair of power supply cap assemblies. For example, when six discharge lamps are arranged in parallel, twelve power supply lines are required to connect the power supply lines to each of the six discharge lamps. The discharge shown in FIG. According to the configuration of the lamp unit, only two feeder lines are required. Therefore, the power supply structure is simplified, the required number of power supply lines can be reduced, and the cost and labor required for manufacturing can be significantly reduced.

[Backlight Device According to Second Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a backlight device according to a second embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as a backlight device) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an outline of a configuration of a backlight device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG.

  The backlight device 100 shown in FIG. 10 is characterized in that power supply caps 14 </ b> A and 14 </ b> B are provided in a housing 62.

  The backlight device 100 includes a discharge lamp group 90 in which a plurality of discharge lamp constituents 10 'shown in FIG. 9 are arranged in parallel, a housing 62 that houses the discharge lamp group 90, and FIG. The light correction sheet body 63 includes a diffusion plate 63A, a diffusion sheet 63B, and a directivity control sheet 63C.

  The plurality of power supply caps 14 </ b> A and 14 </ b> B are attached in parallel on the side wall surfaces 69 </ b> A and 69 </ b> B of the housing 62 with the longitudinal direction extending parallel to the bottom surface and a predetermined distance from each other. Inside the housing 62 such that each of the plurality of power supply caps 14A, 14B provided on the housing 62 is attached to each end of the arc tube 11 in the discharge lamp structure 10 ′ belonging to the discharge lamp group 90. Discharge lamp group 90 is arranged. Each of the power supply caps 14A and 14B and each of the strip electrodes 12A and 12B are set to the same potential by being filled with the conductive paste 16 in the same manner as in FIG.

  In the backlight device shown in FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 8, the plurality of power supply caps 14 </ b> A and 14 </ b> B are arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance from each other and are integrated and conducted. The power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B can be produced, and the power supply cap assemblies 81A and 81B can be attached to the side wall surfaces 69A and 69B of the housing 62. In this case, since the power feeding structure is simplified, the cost and labor required for manufacturing can be reduced.

  Further, the configuration of the discharge lamp mounted on the backlight device according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention may be any of the discharge lamps according to the first to third embodiments of the present invention. However, when the discharge lamp according to the second embodiment is mounted in the backlight device shown in FIG. 10, it is necessary to attach the power feeding cap only to the side wall surface on one side of the housing.

According to the backlight device according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention described above, the following effects are expected.
Since the discharge lamp according to the present invention is mounted, the cost and labor required for manufacturing the discharge lamp can be reduced, and accordingly, the cost and labor required for manufacturing the backlight device can be reduced, In addition, the possibility of undesired discharge between the power supply cap and the strip electrode can be reliably eliminated.
Furthermore, when transporting the backlight device or mounting the discharge lamp to the casing of the backlight device, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the power supply structure of the discharge lamp is damaged.

1 shows an outline of a configuration of a discharge lamp according to a first embodiment. The outline of the structure of the one end part vicinity of the discharge lamp which concerns on 1st Embodiment is shown. The outline of the manufacturing method of the discharge lamp concerning a 1st embodiment is shown. The outline of the structure of the discharge lamp which concerns on 2nd Embodiment is shown. The outline of the structure of the discharge lamp which concerns on 3rd Embodiment is shown. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of the whole structure of a backlight apparatus. Sectional drawing when a backlight apparatus is cut | disconnected by the plane orthogonal to the tube axis | shaft of a discharge lamp is shown. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of a structure of the discharge lamp unit which concerns on this invention. 1 shows an outline of a method for manufacturing a discharge lamp unit according to the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the outline of a structure of the backlight apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the tube-axis direction which shows the outline of a structure of the conventional discharge lamp.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Discharge lamp 10 'Discharge lamp structure 11 Arc tube 12A, 12B Strip electrode 13 Phosphor coating 14A, 14B Feed cap 15 Opening 16 Conductive paste 40A, 40B Feed cap 41 Opening 50 Feeding cap 51 Body 52 Elastic tongue piece 60 Backlight device 61 Discharge lamp group 62 Housing 62A Light exit port 62B Side wall surface 63 Light correcting sheet 63A Diffuser plate 63B Diffuser sheet 63C Directivity control sheet 64 Reflective sheets 65A, 65B Power supply members 66A, 66B Conductive plates 67A, 67B Holding Part 80 Discharge lamp unit 81A, 81B Power supply cap assembly 82 Connecting member 90 Discharge lamp group 100 Backlight device 110 Discharge lamp 111 Arc tube 112A, 112B Strip electrode 113A, 113B Lead terminal 114A, 114B External connection lead X Temporary Line

Claims (4)

An arc tube in which a phosphor layer is formed on the inner wall surface and a discharge gas is enclosed;
In a discharge lamp provided with a pair of strip electrodes arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the arc tube so as to extend in the tube axis direction,
On the outer peripheral surface on one end side of the arc tube, only one of the strip electrodes is disposed,
On the outer peripheral surface on the other end side of the arc tube, only the other strip electrode facing the one strip electrode is disposed,
At each end of the arc tube, one feeding cap in which an opening is arranged right above the one strip electrode is electrically connected to only one strip electrode through a conductive paste filled from the opening, Each of the pair of power supply caps is mounted so that the other power supply cap having an opening disposed directly above the other belt-like electrode is electrically connected only to the other belt-like electrode through a conductive paste filled from the opening. A discharge lamp characterized by that. It is a manufacturing method of the discharge lamp of Claim 1, Comprising:
Attaching a power supply cap to the end of the discharge lamp so that the opening is arranged directly above the vertical direction of each strip electrode of the discharge lamp;
Filling a conductive paste from the opening of the power supply cap. A discharge lamp unit of a discharge lamp according to claim 1 ,
A discharge lamp group in which a plurality of discharge lamps are arranged in parallel, and a pair of power supply cap assemblies in which a plurality of power supply caps made of a metal material are arranged in parallel and integrated, and
Each power supply cap belonging to each power supply cap assembly is attached to an end of each arc tube so as to have the same potential as each strip electrode in each discharge lamp belonging to the discharge lamp group. Discharge lamp unit. A backlight device comprising the discharge lamp according to claim 1 ,
A discharge lamp group in which a plurality of the discharge lamps are arranged in parallel; a housing having a light exit opening and the discharge lamp group disposed; and a light correction function arranged to close the light exit opening of the housing. A backlight device comprising: a sheet body having the same.

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