JPH0887981A - Fluorescent lamp apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To heighten the vertical illuminance in the front of a curved part of a fluorescent lamp and keep the mercury vapor pressure at an optimum level without employing an amalgamation process for the fluorescent lamp. CONSTITUTION: A fluorescent lamp apparatus has a fluorescent lamp 1 in which one wound discharge route is formed by connecting three U-shaped bulbs 2, 3, 4. The fluorescent lamp 1 has a cap 7 and the lamp 1 is so set as to position the U-shaped bulbs 2, 3, 4 in the circumferential direction of a semi-spherical case 8 in which a bulb installation board 11 is installed and as to make the curved parts 2a, 3a, 4a of the U-shaped bulbs 2, 3, 4 be on the opposite side to the case. The curved parts 2a, 3a, 4a of the U-shaped bulbs 2, 3, 4 are curved toward the center axis of the case 8. Almost the whole range of the inner face of the fluorescent lamp 1 is coated with a phosphor.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fluorescent lamp device which has improved vertical light distribution characteristics and control of mercury vapor pressure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, there is known a fluorescent lamp device in which a fluorescent lamp 12 is provided in a circumferential direction of the case 8 having a base 7 and a bulb mounting base 11. ing.

The fluorescent lamp 12 has, for example, three U-shaped bulbs 13, 14, 15 connected in an annular shape. In the fluorescent lamp 12, one meandering discharge path is formed (Japanese Patent Application No. 59-239618).

[0004]

In such a conventional fluorescent lamp device, the vertical light distribution is distributed with the illuminance in front of the fluorescent lamp 12 being greatly reduced as shown in FIG.
This is because the vertical illuminance in front of the curved portion of each bulb 13, 14, 15 of the fluorescent lamp 12 is low.

Each bulb 1 in the conventional fluorescent lamp 12
Since 3, 14 and 15 are connected upright on the bulb mounting base 11 in an annular shape, a space 16 is formed inside the fluorescent lamp 12 surrounded by the bulbs as shown in FIG. 7. As described above, since the light emitting portion exists only in the ring shape and there is no light emitting portion inside the light emitting portion, the vertical light distribution characteristic of the fluorescent lamp 12 is that the illuminance in the front is greatly reduced, and the fluorescent lamp 12 has the Such a light distribution was not obtained.

Further, since the fluorescent lamp of this kind has been designed to be compact and the inner diameter of the bulb has been made small, the bulb wall temperature of the bulb is maximized as the bulb wall load greatly increases. There was a phenomenon in which the luminous flux was lowered below the optimum mercury vapor pressure for achieving luminous efficiency. Therefore, how to maintain the mercury vapor pressure at an optimum level is a technical point. The amalgam method has been put into practical use as one means of regulating the mercury vapor pressure. This is because mercury is present in the lamp, for example, bismuth-indium (In-Bi) in the form of amalgam, and the mercury vapor pressure is regulated to an optimum level even if the bulb wall temperature rises excessively. Is. However, this amalgam system has a problem that it generally takes time for the luminous flux to rise after lighting and that the material cost of the amalgam is high.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and improves the vertical plane illuminance in the vertical direction to improve the light distribution characteristics, and optimizes the mercury vapor pressure without using the amalgam system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lamp device that can be maintained at a level.

[0008]

In the fluorescent lamp device of the present invention, a bulb having one meandering discharge path and electrodes at both ends thereof is provided in a case, and the case side opposite to the bulb is provided. The curved portion is bent toward the central axis of the case.

[0009]

With this structure, the vertical illuminance in the vertical direction of the bulb can be increased.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A fluorescent lamp device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the fluorescent lamp device according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, three U-shaped bulbs 2, 3 and 4 in which mercury and a rare gas are enclosed are connected to a connecting portion 5. , 6 are connected to each other to form a meandering discharge path. The fluorescent lamp 1 has a hemispherical case 8 having a base 7 and a bulb mounting base 11, and a curved portion 2a, 3 of the U-shaped bulbs 2, 3, 4 in a circumferential direction.
It is provided that a and 4a are located on the side opposite to the case.
The U-shaped bulbs 2, 3, and 4 are straight tubular glass bulbs that are each curved in a U-shape. U-shaped valve 2,
The curved portions 2a, 3a, 4a of 3, 4 are bent toward the central axis of the case 8 and are inclined with respect to the legs on both sides of the valve. Electrodes 9 and 10 are provided at both ends of the fluorescent lamp 1, and a fluorescent material is attached to the inner surface of the fluorescent lamp 1 over substantially the entire length thereof.

In this fluorescent lamp 1, a plurality of, for example, three U-shaped bulbs 2, 3 and 4 are arranged in an annular shape.
The ends 2b, 3b, 4b of each U-shaped valve are connected by a burner blowing method or the like. Connection parts 5 and 6 are formed in the connected parts.

As shown in FIG. 2, each valve 2, 3, 4
Are circumferentially arranged in the case 8 provided with the valve mounting bases 11 at 120 ° intervals.

Fluorescent lamp 1 thus formed
Even if the linear distance between the pair of legs of each bulb is the same as in the conventional case, the bulb length can be increased and the fluorescent lamp 1 of the fluorescent lamp 1 can be lengthened by inclining the curved portions 2a, 3a, 4a of each bulb. Since the flat area can be increased and the space 16 which does not contribute to the light emission inside the fluorescent lamp 1 provided in an annular shape can be reduced, the vertical light distribution characteristic of the fluorescent lamp 1 is as shown in FIG. There is no decrease and it can be made almost circular.
Therefore, the vertical illuminance in the vertical direction of the fluorescent lamp device can be improved, and the light distribution characteristics can be improved.

In the first embodiment, the amalgam system for controlling the mercury vapor pressure to the optimum level is used as a means for obtaining the highest luminous efficiency.

Next, a fluorescent lamp device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, at the tip of the curved portion of each bulb of the fluorescent lamp 1 similar to that of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.
c, 3c, 4c are provided. By forming the depressions, the protrusions 2d, 3d, 4d are formed on both sides of the depressions 2c, 3c, 4c, respectively. Since the tips of the protrusions 2d, 3d, 4d are separated from the discharge path, the tip of each of the protrusions 2d, 3d, 4d is the portion where the pipe wall temperature of the valve is the lowest, that is, the coldest point. Will be formed. As a result, the mercury vapor pressure of the fluorescent lamp can be maintained at an optimum level without using the amalgam method.

In each of the above embodiments, three U-shaped valves are used, but the number of U-shaped valves is not limited to three, and the valve shape is not limited to the U-shaped valve, and a straight tubular valve or the like may be used. Good.

As described above, in the fluorescent lamp device of this embodiment according to the present invention, the fluorescent lamp 1 in which the U-shaped bulbs 2, 3 and 4 are connected to form one meandering discharge path has the base 7. The case 8 having the valve mounting base 11 has a curved portion 2a, 3 of the U-shaped valve 2, 3, 4 in the circumferential direction.
a and 4a are provided so as to be located on the side opposite to the case, and the curved portions 2a, 3a and 4a of the U-shaped valves 2, 3 and 4 are provided on the case 8
By bending and inclining toward the central axis of
The vertical illuminance in the vertical direction of the fluorescent lamp device can be improved, and the light distribution characteristics can be improved. Also, the curved portions 2a, 3a, 4a of the U-shaped valves 2, 3, 4
By providing the concave portions 2c, 3c, 4c of concave shape, the same effect as described above can be obtained, and the mercury vapor pressure can be maintained at the optimum level without using the amalgam method.

[0019]

As described above, the fluorescent lamp device of the present invention can improve the vertical illuminance in the vertical direction and the light distribution characteristics. Further, the mercury vapor pressure can be maintained at an optimum level without using the amalgam system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fluorescent lamp device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

[Figure 3] Similarly, a vertical light distribution characteristic diagram

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a fluorescent lamp device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional fluorescent lamp device.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the same.

[Figure 8] Similarly, a vertical light distribution characteristic diagram

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fluorescent lamp 2, 3, 4 U-shaped bulb 2a, 3a, 4a Curved part 2c, 3c, 4c Recessed part 2d, 3d, 4d Projected part

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tetsuya Nagamori 1-1, Sachimachi, Takatsuki-shi, Osaka Matsushita Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A case is provided with a bulb having one meandering discharge path and electrodes on both ends thereof.
A fluorescent lamp device, wherein a curved portion of the bulb on the side opposite to the case is bent toward a central axis of the case. 2. The fluorescent lamp device according to claim 1, wherein the curved portion has a concave recess. 3. A plurality of bulbs, each bulb having a U shape, and these bulbs being connected to each other to form one meandering discharge path. Alternatively, the fluorescent lamp device according to item 2. 4. A plurality of bulbs, each bulb having a U-shape, and the vicinity of the tip end portion of these bulbs being connected to each other to form one meandering discharge path. The fluorescent lamp device according to claim 1.