JPH02276150A - Plane luminous discharge lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To selectively light plural discharge paths inside a lamp body so as to make the lamp body emit light from the surface by selectively applying starting auxiliary voltage to plural conductive stripes provided in the lamp body. CONSTITUTION:When lighting a noble gas charged discharge lamp 15, starting voltage is applied to a pair of electrodes 19 and 20 in advance, and then starting auxiliary voltage is applied to four stripes 21-24 in order. If starting auxiliary voltage is applied repeatedly in a short time to the four stripes 21-24 on by one, four discharge paths m1-m4 go on and off in order, and eventually the lamp body 17 emits light from the surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a flat-emitting discharge lamp used for backlights of liquid crystal display panels and various display panels, various indicator lamps, and the like.

[Conventional technology]

Since flat-emitting discharge lamps emit surface light with higher brightness than EL lamps, they are used in backlights for liquid crystal display panels, display elements in large-sized display devices, and the like.

These flat-emitting discharge lamps are classified into two types depending on the application: those with a single meandering discharge path formed within a flat, hollow lamp body, and those with multiple independent parallel discharge paths. A specific example will be explained with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

The planar discharge lamp (1) shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has one meandering discharge path (a) formed by a lamp body (2) that is a flat, closed container. The lamp body (2) is made of a rectangular ceramic body (3) whose upper opening is sealed with a transparent sloped glass (4), and the inside of the body (3) has multiple partition walls (5)...・The main body (3
) is fluorescent on the inside! (6) is formed.

Further, a pair of electrodes (7) and (8) are arranged at both ends of the meandering discharge path (a) inside the main body (3) so as to penetrate through the main body (3). The lamp body (2) is filled with mercury, and the picture electrode (7)
When an AC or DC voltage is applied to (8), an arc discharge occurs in the meandering discharge path (a) and fluorescence 1)91(6) is emitted, and the light is transmitted through the plate glass (4) and emitted. Ru.

The flat-emitting discharge lamp (9) shown in Figs. 7 and 8 has a plurality of discharge paths (b) formed independently within a lamp body (1G) which is a flat airtight container. 1 at each end
Electrodes (1))...(12)... are arranged in pairs. The lamp body (lO) has a rectangular dish-shaped main body (13) divided by a plurality of parallel partition walls (14)...
A fluorescent film (15) is formed on each inner surface, and the upper opening of the main body (13) is sealed with a transparent plate glass (15). A plurality of independent discharge paths (b) in the lamp body (10) are filled with mercury, and one discharge path (
When a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes (1) and (12) at both ends of b) and arc discharge is caused, this discharge path (b) lights up and emits light. Therefore, if multiple discharge paths (b)... are blinked simultaneously or one by one in a short period of time, the lamp body (lO)
emits surface light.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] The above two types of mercury-filled discharge lamps (1) and (9) emit surface light with high brightness, but those filled with mercury have fluctuations in brightness when lit due to changes in ambient temperature. Along with the common drawback that the width is thick (and the brightness is unstable), each had the following period E.

! Since the discharge lamp (1) in Figure R5 emits light from a surface with a meandering discharge path (9), the number of discharge paths and electrodes is small, and the overall structure is WI single. <
a> is long, and therefore the arc length is long, and in order to stably discharge the arc, a pair of electrodes (7) (8) is required.
) It is necessary to apply a high starting voltage to ′, ·, the lighting drive device for the discharge lamp (1) requires a high-voltage generating circuit and a supplementary circuit, resulting in the inconvenience that the lighting drive device is complicated and expensive.

Further, the discharge lamp (9) in Fig. 7 has a plurality of independent discharge paths (
b) The arc length in... is short, and each discharge path (b)
Although the voltage required to light up ... can be small, one pair of electrodes':1)) for each of the plurality of discharge paths (b)...
・ Arrange (12)...! In order to do this, the number of electrodes becomes r (r), and the number of lead wires to lead these electrodes to the outside also increases, creating a problem that the discharge lamp (9) and its peripheral devices become complicated and large. .

The present invention was devised in view of these problems, and its purpose is to provide a flat-light discharge lamp with a small number of electrodes, which can be started at low voltage, and has stable brightness.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention has achieved the above-mentioned object by providing a flat airtight container body, which is divided into a plurality of discharge paths by a parallel partition wall (the central part is divided into a plurality of discharge paths by a parallel partition wall). A planar light-emitting type discharge lamp in which a plurality of independent conductive stripes for discharge drive control are attached along each of the plurality of discharge paths to a lamp body in which a pair of electrodes are arranged and a rare gas is sealed. This was achieved using electric light.

[Effect]

Applying a starting voltage to a pair of electrodes at both ends of the lamp,
When a starting auxiliary voltage is applied to any one of the plurality of conductive stripes attached to the lamp body, an arc discharge is generated in one discharge path inside the lamp body along the stripe to which this starting auxiliary voltage is applied, and the lamp is lit. Therefore, when the starting auxiliary voltage is applied to multiple stripes one by one, the multiple discharge paths lined up in a plane inside the lamp body sequentially light up and emit light, and if this is repeated in a short period of time, the lamp body becomes flat. Emits light. This type of discharge lamp has a minimum number of electrodes, one pair, and the arc length of each discharge path is short, so the structure is simple and the starting voltage is low.Also, rare gas-filled discharge lamps have low brightness against changes in ambient temperature. The fluctuation range is small and the brightness is stable.

〔Example〕

The embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The planar discharge lamp (16) shown in the figure is parallel to the center of the interior of the lamp body (17), which is a flat rectangular airtight container. A plurality of parallel discharge paths m1 to m4, for example, four, separated by a plurality of partition walls (18)... are formed, and a common discharge path to each discharge path m1 to m4 is formed at both ends inside the lamp body (17). A pair of electrodes (
19) (20) are arranged to fill the lamp body (17) with rare gas, and four independent conductive strips for discharge drive control are installed in the lamp body (17) along the four discharge paths m1 to m4. (21) to (24) are formed.

To explain in detail, the lamp body (17) is made of a rectangular I-shaped body (25) made of ceramic or the like, and the upper end opening thereof is covered with a transparent plate glass (26).
), and there is a partition wall (1
A pair of electrodes (19) and (20) are sealed and fixed to the center of both ends of the body (25) in which the body (25) is integrally formed, and are fixed to the entire inner surface of the body (25). Fluorescence II (27) is formed. In addition, four conductive stripes (21) to (24) are arranged on the back surface of the main body (25).
The electrodes (19
) (20) is formed with a length extending up to (20).

Each of the stripes (21) to (24) is formed by applying carbon to the back surface of the main body (25), pasting a metal foil tape, or the like.

The rare gas-filled discharge lamp (16) is lit as follows. For example, as shown in FIG. The four stripes (21) to (24) are connected to the lighting drive control circuit (28) by switching elements (2), respectively.
9)... by connecting the switching element (29).
)... are sequentially turned on and off, and the starting auxiliary voltage is applied to the four stripes (21) to (24) sequentially. ). Discharge path m1~m
4 arc discharges and emits light. Specifically, when a starting auxiliary voltage is applied to one stripe (21), one discharge path m corresponding to this stripe (21)
1, arc discharge occurs due to the action of the electric field from the stripe (21). This arc and discharge are concentrated along the center line facing the stripe (21) of the discharge path m1, and the fluorescence II! When a starting auxiliary voltage is applied only to another zero-order stripe (21) where the part along the center line of (27) emits light intensively and brightly, an arc occurs only in one discharge path m2 corresponding to this stripe (21). Electric discharge occurs and light is emitted. In this way, by repeatedly applying the starting auxiliary voltage to the four stripes (21) to (24) one by one in a short period of time, the four discharge paths m
1 to m4 blink in sequence, and as a result, the lamp body (17) emits light from the surface.

Since the discharge lamp (16) lit as described above is filled with a rare gas, its brightness is a little lower than that of a mercury-filled discharge lamp, but its brightness is not easily affected by the ambient temperature and is stable. In addition to using the discharge lamp (16) to blink the four discharge paths m1 to m4 one by one, depending on the application, it is also possible to light any one of the four discharge paths m1 to m4 for an arbitrary period of time. It is.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, by selectively applying a starting auxiliary voltage to a plurality of conductive stripes attached to a lamp body, a plurality of discharge paths within the lamp body are selectively lit, and the lamp body emits light from a surface area. Moreover, such a lamp body has a simple structure with one pair of electrodes, and each of the multiple discharge paths inside the lamp body has a short linear arc length, and one pair of electrodes has a short arc length. The starting voltage to be applied may be small, and therefore a discharge lamp suitable for use in bank lights of various small display panels can be provided. Furthermore, since the discharge lamp is filled with a rare gas, its brightness fluctuates within a small range due to changes in ambient temperature, and can be effectively used as a light source for display devices used under various temperature conditions.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view with some omitted parts showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the discharge lamp shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the discharge lamp shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a front view including a partial cross section of the discharge lamp shown in the figure, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line A--A in FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view, with some parts omitted, of a conventional flat-light discharge lamp, and FIG. 6 is a front view, partially in cross section, of the discharge lamp of FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view, with some parts omitted, of a conventional flat-light discharge lamp, and FIG. 8 is a front view, partially in cross section, of the discharge lamp of FIG. (16) -・-Discharge lamp, (17) -Lamp body, (18)・-Partition wall, (19), (20) -Electrode, m1-m4・-Discharge path, (21)-(24)・−・−Conductive Sdrive. Special license granted by NEC Home Electronics Co., Ltd. Iriehara Sho Irie, 1st S

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A flat, airtight container whose central part, excluding both ends, is divided into a plurality of discharge paths by parallel partition walls, and a pair of electrodes common to the plurality of discharge paths are installed at both ends of the inside. A flat light emitting discharge lamp comprising a plurality of independent conductive stripes for discharge drive control along each of the plurality of discharge paths, attached to a lamp body arranged and filled with a rare gas.