JPS62177857A - Fluorescent lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten time required for exhaust process by forming an exhaust pipe for exhausting the insides of the bulbs of a metal material. CONSTITUTION:An exhaust pipe 19 consisting of a metal material such as copper, brass and niob is longitudinally and tightly connected to a small hole bored about in the central part of the bottom of a coupling member 12 while exhausting gas inside the coupling member 12 through said exhaust pipe 16. In the exhaust process of a fluorescent lamp, firstly a ventilator is connected to an outer end of the exhaust pipe 19 to exhaust the inside of the coupling member 12 as well as the insides of the glass bulbs 10 and 11 tightly connected to said coupling member 12. Next, the tip part of the metal-made exhaust pipe 19 is squeezed by pressing it between through a pliers-shaped jig 17 for chipping to tightly block it.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a fluorescent lamp in which a plurality of bulbs forming a substantially U-shaped discharge space are connected to each other via a connecting member to form one meandering discharge path. In particular, the present invention relates to a fluorescent lamp with an improved exhaust pipe for exhausting air inside the fluorescent lamp.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

In general, the manufacturing process for fluorescent lamps includes a process of forming a glass bulb into a U-shape, a process of coating the inner wall of the glass bulb with phosphor over almost its entire length, a firing process, and a process of attaching multiple glass bulbs to each other. a sealing process of sealing a pair of electrodes at both ends of this glass bulb, exhausting the gas inside this glass bulb, and sealing mercury and a rare gas for starting such as argon gas. The interior of the glass bulb is evacuated through the exhaust pipe of the fluorescent lamp.

An example of a conventional fluorescent lamp having such an exhaust pipe is shown in FIG. In this case, for example, two U-shaped glass bulbs 1.2 are inverted and connected together laterally via a connecting portion 3.

A phosphor film 4 made of a fluorescent substance is coated on the inner wall of each glass bulb 1, 2 over almost the entire length, and a pair of stems 6a, 6b each having an electrode 5a, 5b implanted at each end thereof.
mercury and a rare gas for starting such as argon gas.

At least one of the pair of stems 6a, 6b is provided with an exhaust pipe 7, which is a thin glass tube, passing through it.

The exhaust pipe 7 has its inner end opened into one end of the glass bulb 2, for example, and its outer end extends outside through the stem 6b and is connected to an exhaust device (not shown).
It is designed to exhaust the inside.

After the glass bulb 1.2 was evacuated, the tip of the glass exhaust pipe 7 was laterally heated and melted by the flame of the burner 8, and then cooled and solidified to be airtightly closed.

Therefore, during this exhaust process, time is required for the glass exhaust pipe 7 to be heated by the flame of the burner 8 -> temperature rise -> melting -> opening -> cooling and solidifying, which is one of the reasons for preventing shortening of the time required for the exhaust process. Ta.

Furthermore, when the exhaust pipe 7 is heated, the glass bulbs 1 and 2 are heated via the exhaust pipe 7 and the stem 6b.
The mercury in the mercury or the mercury supply such as amalgam already sealed in the glass bulbs 1 and 2 was heated and evaporated, and was discharged together with the exhaust gas in the glass bulbs 1 and 2.

Therefore, in addition to wasting mercury, the amount of mercury sealed in the glass bulb 1.2 was not constant, and there was a risk of environmental pollution due to the discharged mercury.

In addition, since the air was evacuated from one end of the glass bulbs 1.2 connected to each other, the evacuation time was long.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a fluorescent lamp that can reduce the time required for the evacuation process and improve mass production.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention provides a connecting member for airtightly connecting the connecting ends of bulbs having a plurality of substantially U-shaped discharge paths to integrally connect the discharge paths of each bulb, and a connecting member for evacuating the inside of the bulb. The present invention is characterized in that both the exhaust pipe and the exhaust pipe are formed of a metal material, the exhaust pipe is connected to this connecting member, and the exhaust pipe is mechanically crushed to be airtightly closed.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 1 shows a partially cut away main part of an embodiment of the present invention, for example, two glass bulbs 1 bent in a U-shape.
0.11 upside down and connect the connecting parts 10 to be connected.
a and 1.1a are connected by a connecting member 12.

The glass bulbs io and 1i are made of glass tubes having a circular or rectangular cross section, and the inner walls of these tubes are coated over almost the entire length with a phosphor film 13 made of a fluorescent material. One end of each of these U-shaped glass bulbs 10.11 is opened as a connection part 10a, 11a to be connected to each other,
The other end is sealed by a pair of stems 15a and 15b in which a pair of electrodes 14a and 14b are implanted, respectively, and mercury and a starting rare gas are sealed in both glass pulps io and i1.

The connecting member 12 is constructed as shown in the perspective view of FIG.
7 are airtightly connected.

The main body 16 is formed by integrally connecting an outwardly projecting flange to the upper part of a cylindrical body having an oval plane, and an annular side wall 16a rising upward is provided on the outer peripheral edge of this flange, and this annular side wall 1
The upper cover 17 is fitted into the inside of the cover 6a to form an airtight seal.

A pair of communication holes 17a, 17b are bored in the upper lid 17, and a connecting portion 10a of each glass bulb 10.11 is provided at the opening periphery of these communication holes 17a, 17b.

An annular protruding wall 17c is hermetically fitted within 11a.

17d are respectively provided to protrude upward.

Both the main body 16 and the upper i17 are made of stainless steel or the like.
Each is formed by drawing a metal plate, and its inner and outer surfaces are almost entirely covered with a glass thin film 18.

And each connection part 10a of both glass bulbs 10.11,
11a is fitted around the outer periphery of each annular protruding wall 17c, 17d of the connecting member 12, and this fitting part is adhered with an adhesive such as glass frit, and the U-shaped discharge inside both glass bulbs 10 and 11 is The space is airtightly communicated via the main body 16 of the connecting member 12, and one discharge path meandering in a waveform is formed.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a small hole (not shown) drilled approximately in the center of the bottom of the connecting member 12 is made of copper.
An exhaust pipe 19 made of a metal material such as brass or niobium is airtightly connected in the vertical direction, and the gas inside the connecting member 12 is exhausted through this exhaust pipe 16.

That is, in the exhaust process of the fluorescent lamp, first, the exhaust pipe 19 is
A glass bulb 1 is connected to the outer end of the glass bulb 1 to communicate with the inside of the connecting member 12 and to the connecting member 12 in an airtight manner by connecting an exhaust device (not shown) to the outer end of the glass bulb 1.
Evacuate within 0.11.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the tip portion of the metal exhaust pipe 19 is compressed and crushed by a plier-like tip jig 17, thereby airtightly closing it.

Therefore, chipping to airtightly close the exhaust pipe 19 can be performed extremely easily and instantaneously, and the time required for the exhaust process can be significantly shortened.

Furthermore, since the exhaust pipe 19 is mechanically chipped without being heated, evaporation of mercury in a mercury supply such as mercury or amalgam sealed in the glass bulb 10.11 due to heating can be almost prevented.

This makes it possible to prevent mercury from being wasted and to stabilize the amount of mercury enclosed, and to almost eliminate the risk of environmental pollution due to mercury discharge.

Further, since the air is exhausted from the connecting member 12 located in the middle of both glass bulbs 10, 11, the exhaust time can be shortened.

Furthermore, since the exhaust pipe 19 and the connecting member 12 are both made of metal materials, the connection between the two 12.19 is easy and strong, and the strength of the exhaust pipe 19 is improved and processing is easy, so mass production is possible. It is possible to improve sexual performance.

Although the above embodiment describes the case where the exhaust pipe 19 is vertically connected to the bottom of the connecting member 12, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. may be connected laterally to the side surface of the connecting member 12, and the direction in which the exhaust pipe 19 is connected is not limited.

If the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is applied to a compact fluorescent lamp in which the space below the connecting member 12 is narrow, the lamp can be made smaller.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, the exhaust pipe for exhausting the inside of the valve is formed of a metal material, so that by crushing the exhaust pipe, it is possible to close the exhaust pipe airtightly and very easily and instantaneously. Thereby, the time required for the evacuation process of the fluorescent lamp can be shortened.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of the main part of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connecting member shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a further embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial front view of a conventional fluorescent lamp. 10.11...Glass bulb (bulb), 12...
Connecting member, 13...phosphor coating, 14a, 14b...
- Electrodes, 15a, 15b... Stem, 16... Main body of the connecting member, 17... Top cover of the connecting member, 18... Glass 111m, 19... Exhaust pipe, 20... Chip jig . Applicant's agent Hisaya Hatano 1 Figure Sheep 2 Figure 3 Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] A connecting member that airtightly connects the connecting ends of bulbs each having a plurality of substantially U-shaped discharge paths to integrally connect the discharge paths of each bulb, and an exhaust pipe for exhausting the inside of the bulb. A fluorescent lamp characterized in that both are made of a metal material, and an exhaust pipe is connected to this connecting member.