JPH08123336A - Matrix device of tube lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a matrix device for tube lamp, which has a relatively long lifetime and which can be easily assembled. CONSTITUTION: A first gas container set, which is provided with plural long-size, first gas containers 20 arranged in parallel with each other in the same flat surface and plural long-size second gas containers 30 arranged in parallel with each other in the same flat surface different from the surface of the first containers 20 so as to cross the first containers 20 and in which the operating gas is sealed in each gas container, is combined with a first glass tube matrix formed by communicating both ends of plural narrow and long glass tubes 40, which respectively have a cross section smaller than that of the first and the second gas containers and of which both ends are open, with the first and the second gas containers 20, 30 in the airtight condition in relation to atmospheric air, and one of a pair of electrodes to be connected to an external power source is provided inside the first gas container 20, and the other is provided inside the second gas container 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tube lamp matrix device, and more particularly to a tubular gas discharge lamp matrix device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 6, a conventional gas discharge lamp 10 comprises an elongated glass tube 12 bent in a U-shape and sealed at both ends, and electrodes 14 provided at both ends of the tube. The electrode 14 is connected to the tube 12 via a conductor 14a for connection to an external power supply (not shown).
It is drawn out from the end. The tube 12 is filled with an appropriate working gas, for example, neon gas, inside the tube, and emits a color light beam according to the sealed gas by applying a predetermined voltage between the electrodes 14 and discharging.
However, this type of conventional gas discharge lamp has the following disadvantages. That is, (1) since it is extremely difficult to discharge air from the inside of the glass tube 12 to make a high vacuum, a small amount of impurities and other gases usually remain in the glass tube 12 to keep the lamp 10 at a high temperature. If used for a long period of time, a chemical reaction occurs between the impurities remaining in the tubes and the electrode 14, and the electrode 14 is easily corroded, so that the service life of the lamp 10 is shortened.

(2) Since the conductive wire 14a of the electrode penetrates the end of the glass tube 12 and is drawn out to the outside, the enclosed working gas often leaks from the end of the electrode, and the working gas gradually becomes insufficient. Not enough rays can be emitted and the color of the emitted rays is modulated.

(3) A fluorescent layer coated with a fluorescent substance is provided on the inner peripheral wall surface of the tube 12, and if the fluorescent layer fades due to long-term use, the tube 12 must be discarded together.

(4) In the case of a conventional lamp matrix device for displaying advertisements using a large number of lamps 10, a large number of mounting parts are required, and the assembly of the matrix device is complicated and the cost is high.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional lamp matrix device, the present invention provides a tube lamp matrix device which has a relatively long service life and can be easily assembled. Aim.

[0007]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a plurality of elongated first gas containers arranged in parallel with each other in the same plane, and the first gas container. A first gas container set comprising a plurality of elongated second gas containers that intersect with each other and are arranged in parallel on the same plane different from the plane, and that each of the gas containers is filled with a working gas. , The ends of a plurality of elongated glass tubes each having a smaller cross-sectional area than the first and second gas containers and having both ends opened are made to communicate with the first gas container and the second gas container in an airtight manner with the outside air, respectively. A tube in which one of a pair of electrodes for connecting to an external power source is provided in the first gas container and the other is provided in the second gas container in combination with a first glass tube matrix Lamp matrix device provided

Further, in the matrix device, a protective cap is coated on each of the glass tubes, and the protective cap has an upper surface portion and a surrounding portion extending substantially downward from a peripheral edge of the upper surface portion, and is provided on an inner surface of the upper surface portion. It is preferable that a band color filter layer, a glass layer, and a fluorescent layer of a fluorescent substance are sequentially provided in a direction toward the inside of the cap, and a reflective layer is formed on an inner peripheral wall surface of the surrounding portion.

Further, in the apparatus, it is preferable that a cross-sectional area of each of the first and second gas containers is larger than a total cross-sectional area of the plurality of glass tubes connected to the gas containers.

[0010] Further, the matrix device may include the first device.
Second gas container set and second glass tube matrix are incorporated into the first gas tube set and the first glass tube matrix, and the second gas container set includes the first gas adjacent to each other. A plurality of third gas containers arranged in parallel between the containers, and a plurality of fourth gas containers arranged in parallel between the second gas containers adjacent to each other, the second glass tube The matrix is inserted between the first glass tube matrices and comprises a plurality of elongated glass tubes having a smaller cross-sectional area than the third and fourth gas containers, and one end of the glass tube having both ends opened. One end for inserting the other end of the third gas container into the fourth gas container and connecting it to the outside air in an airtight manner, and connecting each of the third and fourth gas containers with an external power source. The interior of the electrode, to emit different color light beams from each other, if formed by different operating gas sealed from the first glass tube matrix, becomes more preferable.

Further, it is more preferable that a spare electrode is further provided inside each of the gas containers.

[0012]

The apparatus of the present invention configured as described above has a first
Since the first and second gas containers forming the gas container set have a smaller cross-sectional area of the glass tube that communicates with the outside air in an airtight manner, the first and second gas containers are formed.
When a sufficient voltage is supplied to the electrodes of each gas container, a discharge occurs in the working gas in each of the glass tubes to emit high-luminance light.

In a case where each glass tube is covered with a protective cap, and a color filter layer, a glass layer and a fluorescent layer of a fluorescent substance are sequentially coated or provided on the upper surface of the protective cap in a direction toward the inside of the cap, The glass layer filters out harmful ultraviolet rays, and emits different color light rays due to the filtering action of the color filter layer and the high temperature chemical action of the color filter layer and the fluorescent layer.

In the case where a large number of second gas container sets and second glass tube matrices are provided for the first gas container set and the first glass tube matrix, each of them may be filled with different operating gases. The matrix glass tube can provide a lamp matrix device that can emit a variety of different colored light beams.

Further, when a spare electrode is provided inside each of the gas containers, even if the amount of the leaked operating gas is the same as that of the conventional discharge lamp, the cross-sectional area of the gas container is the same as that of the conventional lamp. Since it is much larger than the internal volume, its leakage rate is extremely small. Therefore, the service life of each gas container is prolonged, and the service life of the entire lamp matrix device is prolonged.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that similar components shown in the description are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a tube lamp matrix device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus includes a gas container set and a plurality of glass tubes 40 arranged in a matrix. The gas container set includes a first gas container 20 having a rectangular cross-section and a plurality of parallel arranged on the same plane. A plurality of second gas containers 30 having a rectangular cross section, which are overlapped with the first gas container and are arranged in parallel on the same plane different from the plane, are provided. In the apparatus, the first and second gas containers 20, 30 are arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other, and an operating gas, for example, neon gas, argon gas, mercury vapor or the like is sealed in each of the gas containers. May be provided, and gas may be supplied from the bottle 70). When a voltage is applied,
A discharge is generated in the working gas. The cross-sectional shapes of the first and second gas containers 20, 30 may be circular, elliptical, or the like in addition to the rectangular shape shown in the figure.

The glass tube 40 has an elongated tube shape, and may be provided in a spiral shape other than the substantially U-shaped one as in this embodiment. Also, each glass tube 40
As shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 2, the openings at both ends of the first gas container 20 and the second gas container 30 are connected in an airtight manner to the first gas container 20 and the second gas container 30, respectively. The working gas is present in each glass tube 40 in communication with the inside of the glass tube 30. The shape of the glass tube 40 can be arbitrarily designed according to the surrounding environment. However, when the tube shape is made longer, there is a merit that a relatively good luminous intensity can be obtained by increasing a light emission area.

These glass tubes 40 have a smaller sectional area than the first and second gas containers 20 and 30, and
The cross-sectional area of the gas container can be appropriately increased according to the volume of the required working gas.
It is important that the cross-sectional area of the glass tube 30 be larger than the total cross-sectional area of the glass tube 40 connected thereto.

The first and second gas containers 20 and 30 have a pair of electrodes 50 and 60 provided therein, and the two electrodes are connected to an external power supply (not shown) via a conductive wire. Since the first and second gas containers have a larger cross-sectional area than each glass tube 40, the voltage obtained by supplying a voltage to the electrodes 50 and 60 and discharging is relatively dark, and a sufficient discharge voltage is applied to both electrodes. The first and second applied between 50 and 60
Glass tubes 40 connected to the gas containers 20 and 30
On the contrary, since a brighter light beam is emitted, it is as if the first and second gas containers 20, from the contrast between the two.
30 emits no light beam, and each glass tube 40 appears to emit a light beam.

Each of the first and second gas containers 20, 30 is further provided with spare electrodes 50a, 60a therein,
If the main electrodes 50, 60 become unusable due to long-term use, the lamp matrix device can still be used. The internal volume of each gas container 20, 30 is much larger than that of a conventional neon lamp, and even if the same amount of operating gas leaks as before, the leakage rate is extremely small. Long. The voltage applied to both electrodes 50, 60 of the first and second gas containers 20, 30 is DC (direct current) or AC.
(AC) can be used, but in the case of DC voltage, bidirectional scanning is possible.

Glass tube 40 is most preferably made of fused quartz glass, as is well known, because fused quartz glass has ultraviolet radiation or transmission characteristics. The lamp matrix device further comprises a protective cap 42 covering the glass tube 40 in each case. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the protective cap has an upper surface portion 424 and a surrounding portion 422, and the surrounding portion extends downward from the peripheral edge of the upper surface portion 424, and the reflection layer 42 is formed on the inner peripheral wall surface thereof.
22 is provided. Therefore, the surrounding portion 422 reflects most of the light rays generated by the discharge in the working gas in the glass tube 40 to the upper surface portion 424. Upper part 424
Is made of lead glass, and a band color filter layer 4244, a glass layer 4245, and a fluorescent layer 4246 made of a fluorescent substance are painted or provided on the inner wall surface in this order from the surface toward the cap opening. The fluorescent layer 4246 receives ultraviolet light and emits color light, the color filter layer 4244 filters and modifies the color light from the fluorescent layer to pass only the preferred color light, and the glass layer 4245 filters harmful ultraviolet light. To prevent the color filter layer from fading.

In the first embodiment, the first and second gas containers 20, 30 are filled with the same kind of working gas, and therefore, both the glass tubes 40 emit the same light beam. The matrix device of the tube lamp can emit different color light rays due to the chemical action of the color filter layer 4244 and the fluorescent layer 4246 provided on the inner wall surface of the upper surface portion 424 of the protective cap 42. The different colored light rays emitted from the matrix device are visible as mixing and emitting an infinite number of colored light rays.

The upper surface portion 424 may be a lid body which can be attached to and detached from the upper edge of the surrounding portion 422 so that when the fluorescent layer 4246 of the upper surface portion 424 has faded, the lid body can be replaced with a new one.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the embodiment comprises a first,
It includes second and third sets of gas containers and first, second and third glass tube matrices.

The first gas container set includes a second gas container 30a arranged in parallel so as to intersect with a first gas container 20a arranged in parallel with each other, and the first glass tube matrix includes: It has a plurality of elongated glass tubes 40a, both ends of which are connected in an airtight manner, with one end of the glass tube being open and the other end thereof being connected to the first gas container 20a and the other end being connected to the second gas container 30a. In order to fill the working gas into each glass tube, these three
Are in communication with each other.

The second gas container set comprises a fourth gas container 30b arranged in parallel so as to intersect with a third gas container 20b arranged in parallel with each other, and each third gas container 20b is formed as described above. An opening is provided between the first gas containers 20a, and each fourth gas container 30b is the second gas container 3
It is arranged in parallel between 0a. The second glass tube matrix comprises a plurality of elongated glass tubes 40.
b is inserted between the first glass tube matrices, each glass tube 40b has openings at both ends, one end inside the third gas container 20b, and the other end at the fourth gas container 3
Ob are connected in an airtight manner to each other, and these three members are in communication with each other. Each glass tube 40b is filled with a second working gas that emits a colored light beam different from that of the first working gas.

The third gas container set includes a sixth gas container 30c arranged in parallel so as to intersect with a fifth gas container 20c arranged in parallel with each other. 1, arranged in parallel with the third gas containers 20a and 20b and in the order shown in FIG.
0c are arranged in parallel to the second and fourth gas containers 30a and 30b and in the order shown in FIG. The third glass tube matrix includes a plurality of elongated glass tubes 40c inserted between the first and second glass tube matrices.
Both ends are formed into openings, one end is connected to the fifth gas container 20c and the other end is connected to the sixth gas container 30c in an airtight manner, respectively,
These three are in communication with each other. Each glass tube 4
0c is filled with a third working gas that emits a color light beam different from the first and second working gases.

First, second and third embodiments in the second embodiment
Can emit selectively different color light beams, for example, light beams of red, blue, green, etc., and further, for each glass tube 40a, 40b, 40c, an appropriately corresponding cap unit (not shown). ), It is possible to further diversify the types of color light rays emitted from the matrix device of the tube lamp. Further, if the number of gas container sets for enclosing the working gas and the number of glass tube matrices are adjusted as required, the condition of the color light beam can be variously adjusted, which is more preferable.

[0030]

According to the apparatus of the present invention constructed as described above, when a sufficient voltage is applied to both electrodes of each gas container, only the glass tube is different from the cross-sectional area of the gas container and the glass tube. Because it appears to emit light, and the parts that become hot due to operation are relatively concentrated on the glass tube, the electrode has less corrosion resistance than the electrodes that were conventionally provided at both ends of a long and thin tube lamp. It improves the service life. Also, as compared with the conventional lamp matrix device using a gas discharge lamp, the number of parts required for mounting is reduced, so that the assembly of the lamp matrix device is simplified and the cost can be considerably reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a matrix device for a tube lamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connected state of a glass tube and each gas container in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a protective cap in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of a matrix device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a connected state of a glass tube and a gas container in the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional neon lamp.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20, 20a 1st gas container 30, 30a 2nd gas container 20b 3rd gas container 30b 4th gas container 40, 40b Glass tube 42 Protective cap 422 Enclosing part 4222 Reflective layer 4244 Color filter layer 4245 Glass layer 4246 Fluorescent layer 50, 60 electrode 50a, 60a spare electrode 424 upper surface part

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of elongated first gas containers arranged in parallel on the same plane, and a plurality of first gas containers intersecting with the first gas container and arranged in parallel on the same plane different from the plane. A first gas container set comprising an elongated second gas container, and a working gas sealed in each of the gas containers; and a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the first and second gas containers at both ends. The both ends of the plurality of open elongated glass tubes are connected to the first
Of the first glass tube matrix, which is in air-tight communication with the outside gas, and one of the pair of electrodes for connecting to an external power source.
The matrix device for tube lamps, wherein the gas lamp is provided inside the gas container and the other is provided inside the second gas container. 2. A protective cap is coated on each of the glass tubes, and the protective cap has an upper surface portion and a surrounding portion extending substantially downward from a peripheral edge of the upper surface portion, and an inner surface of the upper surface portion has a cap inner side. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a bandpass color filter layer, a glass layer, and a fluorescent layer of a fluorescent material are sequentially provided in a direction toward, and a reflective layer is formed on an inner peripheral wall surface of the surrounding portion. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional area of each of the first and second gas containers is larger than a total cross-sectional area of the plurality of glass tubes connected to the gas containers. 4. A second gas container set and a second glass tube matrix are incorporated with respect to the first gas container set and the first glass tube matrix, and the second gas container set comprises: The first adjoining one another
A plurality of third gas containers arranged in parallel between the second gas containers, and a plurality of fourth gas containers arranged in parallel between the second gas containers adjacent to each other; The glass tube matrix is interposed between the first glass tube matrix and the third,
A plurality of elongated glass tubes each having a cross-sectional area smaller than that of the fourth gas container are provided, and one end of the glass tube having both ends opened is inserted into the third gas container and the other end is inserted into the fourth gas container. A pair of electrodes for connecting to an external power source are provided inside each of the third and fourth gas containers, which are connected to the outside air in an airtight manner, and the first glass tube so as to emit different colored light rays from each other. The device according to claim 1, wherein a working gas different from the matrix is enclosed. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a spare electrode is further provided inside each of the gas containers.