JPH0636357B2 - Light emitting electron tube lighting device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a light emitting electron tube lighting device for lighting a light emitting electron tube configured to excite a light emitting gas enclosed in a tube by collision of accelerated electrons to emit light. is there.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a light emitting electron tube in which a light emitting gas sealed in a tube is excited by collision of accelerated electrons to emit light, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-130364. As shown in the drawing, a low-pressure light emitting gas is filled in the tube body 2 having a light-transmitting property, a thermionic emission type cathode 3 disposed in the tube body 2, and a cathode 3 from the cathode 3. It is composed of an electron-permeable anode 4 arranged at a position whose distance is shorter than the mean free path of electrons. In such a light emitting electron tube 1, the inside of the tube body 2 is not completely vacuumed, but
An electron emitted from the thermionic emission type cathode 3 is accelerated by an electric field generated by an electron acceleration voltage applied between the cathode 3 and the anode 4 in a low vacuum in which a light emitting gas such as mercury vapor exists for several mTorr. With the anode 4
Is formed in a mesh shape or a lattice shape to allow most of the accelerated electrons to pass therethrough, and the accelerated electrons collide with the light emitting gas made of mercury vapor in the light emitting portion 5 formed in the space behind the anode 4 to remove mercury. It is designed to ionize and excite to emit ultraviolet radiation. On the other hand, an inner surface of the tube 2 is coated with an ultraviolet-exciting phosphor that converts ultraviolet light into visible light, and the ultraviolet-visible light conversion is performed by this phosphor, and the translucent tube 2 is used. As a result, desired visible light can be obtained. In the figure, 6 is a cathode heating power source including a DC power source for heating the cathode 3,
Reference numeral 7'denotes an electron acceleration power source for applying a DC voltage for electron acceleration between the cathode 3 and the anode 4.

By the way, in such a conventional example, in order to emit electrons into the entire space, it is necessary to remove the negative space charges. Therefore, the voltage originally required to stably turn on the light emitting electron tube 1 is required. Since a higher DC voltage for electron acceleration must be applied between the cathode 3 and the anode 4, and a high voltage is always applied between the cathode 3 and the anode 4,
There is a problem in that wasteful power consumption increases and light emission efficiency deteriorates.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a light emitting electron tube lighting device capable of improving the luminous efficiency.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION (Structure) The present invention relates to a translucent tubular body in which a low-pressure light emitting gas is sealed, a thermionic emission type cathode disposed in the tubular body, and A light emitting electron tube comprising an electron-transmissive anode disposed at a position whose distance is shorter than the mean free path of electrons, and a light emitting portion is formed in the space behind the anode where accelerated electrons collide with a light emitting gas to emit light. In the light emission electron tube lighting device that is configured by heating the cathode of the above with the power source for heating the cathode and applying the power source voltage for electron acceleration between the cathode and the anode, stable starting can be performed to the low voltage DC voltage that can maintain the light emission. By forming a power supply for electron acceleration so that a trigger pulse voltage having a voltage that can be applied is superimposed and applied between the cathode and the anode,
Provided is a light emitting electron tube lighting device capable of improving luminous efficiency.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which a low pressure light emitting gas is filled in the tube body 2 having a light transmitting property, and the tube body 2
The anode 4 is composed of a thermionic emission type cathode 3 disposed inside and an electron passing anode 4 disposed at a position where the distance from the cathode 3 is shorter than the mean free path of electrons.
The cathode 3 of the light emitting electron tube 1 in which the accelerated electron collides with the light emitting gas to emit light in the space behind the cathode 3 is heated by the cathode heating power source 6 and the electron is emitted between the cathode 3 and the anode 4. In a light emitting electron tube lighting device formed by applying a voltage of an accelerating power supply 7, a trigger pulse voltage (10 or more V) having a low DC voltage (10 to 15 V) that can maintain light emission and a voltage that can be stably started. )
The electron accelerating power supply 7 is formed so as to be superimposed and applied between the cathode 3 and the anode 4. The tube 2
As in the conventional example, a phosphor that converts ultraviolet rays into desired visible light is applied to the inner surface of the. Also, in the example,
Although the trigger pulse voltage Vp is set to ten and several V, it goes without saying that it may be higher.

The operation of the embodiment will be described below. Now, a bias voltage V _DC consisting of a low-voltage DC voltage is applied between the cathode 3 and the anode 4 of the light emitting electron tube 1, and when the light emitting electron tube 1 is turned on, a trigger pulse voltage Vp is appropriately applied. As a result, light emission is started, and thereafter, the light emitting state is stably maintained by the low bias voltage V _DC , and the light emitting electron tube 1 is efficiently turned on.

FIG. 2 shows a voltage waveform (upper stage) and a light output waveform (lower stage) when a bias voltage V _DC composed of a low voltage DC voltage of 15 V is applied between the cathode 3 and the anode 4.
Only by applying the bias voltage V _DC of V, the light emitting electron tube 1 does not emit light at all. In addition, this light emitting electron tube 1
In order to illuminate with a DC voltage, as shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary to apply a DC voltage of 22 V or more in a state where the ambient temperature is room temperature.

On the other hand, FIG. 4 shows a voltage waveform (upper stage) and an optical output waveform (lower stage) in the case where a trigger pulse voltage Vp of about 15V is superimposed and applied to a bias voltage V _DC of 15V (peak voltage is about 30V). It is a thing. However, the scale on the horizontal axis is 50 μs / div, and the pulse width is several μs. As is clear from FIG. 4, when the light emission of the light emitting electron tube 1 is started by the trigger pulse voltage Vp, the light emission state is still maintained after the trigger pulse voltage Vp is removed. In this case, Since the light is turned on by the bias voltage V _DC consisting of a low DC voltage, wasteful power consumption is reduced and luminous efficiency is improved as compared with the conventional DC lighting in which a high DC voltage is always applied. The pulse width of the trigger pulse voltage Vp is set so that the light emission can be stably started, and it goes without saying that it may be several μs or less.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of another embodiment in which a trigger pulse voltage Vp, which is appropriately superimposed on the bias voltage _VDC , is periodically applied, and shows the light emission efficiency during DC lighting. 1 shows the relationship between the frequency of the trigger pulse voltage Vp and the light emission efficiency, and it can be seen that the light emission efficiency is improved when the frequency is 5 kHz or less compared to when the DC lighting is performed. Therefore, by setting the frequency of the trigger pulse voltage Vp, which is superimposed on the bias voltage V _DC and is periodically applied, to 5 KHz or less, the light emitting electron tube 1 can be stably turned on and the luminous efficiency can be improved. .

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, the present invention has a translucent tube in which a low-pressure light emitting gas is sealed, a thermionic emission type cathode disposed in the tube, and the cathode. Radiation that forms a light emitting part that consists of an electron-transmissive anode placed at a position at a distance shorter than the mean free path of electrons from where the accelerated electrons collide with the light emitting gas and emits light in the space behind the anode. In the light emitting electron tube lighting device, which is configured by heating the cathode of the electron tube with the power source for heating the cathode and applying the electron acceleration power source voltage between the cathode and the anode, stable starting to a low DC voltage that can maintain light emission. A cathode by superimposing a trigger pulse voltage having a voltage that allows
A power source for electron acceleration is formed so as to be applied between the anodes, and the light emitting electron tube is started by a trigger pulse voltage, and thereafter, the light emitting electron tube is lighted by a bias voltage composed of a low voltage DC voltage during steady lighting. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary power consumption by constantly applying a voltage higher than necessary as in the conventional example, and it is possible to improve the light emission efficiency.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS.
FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the above, FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of another embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional example. 1 is a light emitting electron tube, 2 is a tubular body, 3 is a cathode, 4 is an anode, 5 is a light emitting part, 6 is a cathode heating power source, and 7 is an electron acceleration power source.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A light-transmissive tube body in which a low-pressure light emitting gas is sealed, a thermionic emission type cathode disposed in the tube body, and a distance from the cathode is an electron mean free angle. Power source for heating the cathode of the photo-emission electron tube, which is composed of an electron-transmissive anode arranged at a position shorter than the stroke, and in the space behind the anode, where a light-emitting part is formed in which accelerated electrons collide with a light-emission gas to emit light. In a light emitting electron tube lighting device that is heated by the above, and a power supply voltage for electron acceleration is applied between the cathode and the anode, a trigger having a low-voltage DC voltage that can maintain light emission and a voltage that can be stably started. A light emitting electron tube lighting device, wherein an electron acceleration power source is formed so that a pulse voltage is superimposed and applied between the cathode and the anode. 2. A light emitting electron tube lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a trigger pulse voltage is periodically applied and the frequency thereof is set to 5 kHz or less.