JPS62241238A - Manufacture of tubular bulb - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a lamp whose mercury vapor pressure is regulated by amalgam to be manufactured with stable characteristics by a simple construction and in good efficiency, by moving a metal ball for a prescribed time so as to drop mercury and amalgam into a tubular bulb. CONSTITUTION:Firstly, a lid body 12 is opened and particles of mercury 15 and amalgam 16 which are previously weighed in prescribed quantities are put into a reception part 2. Then the lid body 12 is closed and the exhaust tube 10 of a tubular bulb 9 is installed in a mouth rubber 8. And while the inside of an exhaust head 1 and the bulb 9 are being exhausted through a vacuum piping 7, treatment of the electrodes is carried out. After making exhaust for a prescribed time, the particles of mercury 15 and amalgam 16 are dropped by movement of a metal ball 6 by operation of an electromagnet 14. Thus, lamps constructed to use the exhaust head 1 and control the mercury vapor pressure by amalgam can be manufactured with stable characteristics by a simple construction and in good efficiency.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a tube for introducing mercury and amalgam into the tube.

[Conventional technology]

As is well known, the luminous efficiency of mercury vapor discharge lamps such as fluorescent lamps is affected by the mercury vapor pressure inside the lamp while it is lit, so it is important to keep the mercury vapor pressure within the appropriate range while it is lit. need to be maintained. For this reason, for example, in the case of a fluorescent lamp, the crystallinity of the tube wall, which determines the mercury vapor pressure during lighting, is set to approximately 40°C, depending on the output of the lamp (7). .

However, in recent years, fluorescent lamps of various shapes have been developed with the aim of expanding their uses, and in particular, fluorescent lamps have been developed to the extent that the output can be maintained at a certain level and the shape can be used as a substitute for incandescent lamps. Miniaturized compact fluorescent lamps are being actively developed. Naturally, the tube wall temperature of such small fluorescent lamps is higher than that of ordinary fluorescent lamps during lighting, and the mercury vapor pressure inside the lamp exceeds its appropriate range, resulting in a decrease in luminous efficiency. do. For this reason, some means of controlling mercury vapor is required, and in many cases, the source of mercury vapor is the use of amalgam, an alloy of mercury and other metals, instead of pure mercury. There is. That is, the mercury vapor pressure is controlled within an appropriate range by introducing amalgam of an appropriate composition into the lamp instead of mercury. Such fluorescent lamps are e.g. yr+1RNAy, OF I
As stated in ES AT'RIL 1977, page 141 and 'Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-207241,
By appropriately setting the amalgam composition, it is possible to maintain an appropriate mercury vapor pressure range over a wide temperature range, so it is possible to downsize fluorescent lamps without reducing luminous efficiency. can.

(7) However, lamps that use amalgam as a mercury vapor source as described above have a problem in that it is difficult to control the manufacturing conditions in the manufacturing process, especially in the exhaust process. In this case, amalgam is introduced into the lamp during the evacuation process, but in this amalgam introduction method and 17, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-208023, amalgam, which has been formed in advance to have a predetermined composition, is introduced into the lamp during the evacuation process. One method is to introduce mercury weighed in advance into a specified size and a metal that forms an alloy with this mercury into the apple separately during the exhaust process, and form an amalgam within the lamp. There are two methods.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the former case of the above introduction method, the evaporation rate of mercury vapor from the amalgam is much slower than that from pure mercury, so the mercury vapor pressure inside the lamp is usually close to the final stage of the evacuation process. In other words, the time it takes to reach a pressure that allows the operation of generating a discharge in mercury vapor, activating the electrodes, and exhausting impure gas increases, which inevitably increases the time required for the evacuation process. There is a problem. In the latter case, pure mercury and the metal that forms an alloy with mercury (B) are introduced into the lamp separately, so the evaporation rate of mercury vapor is fast, and an exhaust assisting means that utilizes mercury evaporation can be used. The above-mentioned electrode activation operation using mercury discharge can be performed while performing a so-called mercury flash, which makes it possible to shorten the time required for the evacuation process, but the mercury introduced into the lamp Before forming an amalgam, a portion of the mercury is discharged outside the lamp, so it is difficult to manage the mercury stars that ultimately remain inside the lamp and form the amalgam, resulting in variations in the amount of mercury. As the mercury concentration in the amalgam fluctuates,
There is a problem in that the characteristics of lamps manufactured in this way vary widely. Furthermore, in the case of the latter method, if mercury is brought into contact with a metal that forms an alloy with mercury,
- Since the mercury is adsorbed on the surface of the metal mentioned above and the amount of mercury introduced into the lamp becomes 8Ml, each head of the exhaust system must be placed in order to prevent the two from coming into contact with each other. In this case, two sets of supply devices are required, one for introducing mercury into the lamp and the other for introducing metal, and there is a problem that the structure of the exhaust head becomes plural.

The present invention was made in view of the above points, and provides a method for manufacturing a lamp bulb that uses amalgam to regulate the vapor pressure of mercury with a simple structure, efficiency, and stable characteristics. This is what we provide.

[Means for solving problems]

The method for manufacturing a tube according to the present invention includes holding mercury and amalgam in a non-contact state by a metal ball provided in an exhaust head, and a tube having a holding portion for holding amalgam as described in -. Attach the exhaust pipe to the lower end of the exhaust head,
The metal ball was moved at a predetermined time to cause the mercury and amalgam to fall into the tube.

[Effect]

In the tube manufacturing method of the present invention configured as described above, the metal bulb accommodated in the exhaust head inevitably forms a space (accommodation portion) between the metal bulb and the inner wall of the exhaust head main body.
This will hold the amalgam on one side of the mercury contained within. In other words, the diameter of the amalgam is larger than the diameter of the mercury grains. Therefore, by moving the metal ball at a predetermined time during the evacuation process, the mercury and amalgam fall together, but the mercury, which falls at a lower height than the amalgam, is attached to one end of the evacuation head before the amalgam. It is introduced into the tube through the tube's exhaust pipe. On the other hand, as amalgam (J゛) lags behind mercury and passes through the exhaust pipe, it is prevented from falling and retained by the holding part formed in the exhaust pipe. Therefore, the amount of mercury introduced into the tube can be controlled. If the lamp is designed so that substantially all of it is exhausted outside the tube between the time it is introduced into the tube and the end of the exhaust process, the completed lamp can be formed in the exhaust pipe. Since the mercury vapor pressure inside the lamp is regulated only by the amalgam held in the holding part, stable characteristics can be achieved.Also, during the evacuation process, pure mercury is placed inside the lamp alone. Since the mercury can be introduced into the atmosphere, the electrodes can be activated while performing a mercury flush, and the time required for the evacuation process can be shortened.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the invention of B will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an exhaust head for implementing the method of the present invention, which basically has the same configuration as the exhaust head described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-22179, which was previously filed by the present applicant. ing.

In the figure, (1) is the exhaust head main body, and (2) is this main body (1
) is a housing part for accommodating mercury grains (15) and amalgam grains (16), and this housing part (2) has a conical taper part (3) at the bottom, and A pore (4) is provided in the center of the part (3) through which the mercury grains (15) and amalgam grains (16) pass, and an exhaust groove (5) communicating with the inside is provided in the outer part.

It is formed by (6) is a metal ball made of a magnetic material that is movably housed in the tapered part (3) of the housing part (2).
4) is placed so as to block it with its own weight.

(7) is a vacuum pipe connected to a vacuum pump (not shown), (8) is a lip that attaches the tube (9) to be evacuated, and the exhaust pipe (10) of the tube (9) is attached. It has a structure that allows it to be installed airtight. (11) is a holding part that holds the amalgam provided in the exhaust pipe (10), and this holding part (11) allows the mercury grains (15) accommodated in the accommodation part (2) to pass through. , amalgam grain (16) passes through 1
The exhaust pipe (10) is formed with a convex portion provided on a part of the inside of the exhaust pipe (10). (12) is a lid body that can be opened and closed freely, and the inside of the exhaust head and main body (1) is covered with a gasket (13), which is structured to maintain an airtight state. It has become. (14) is an electromagnet for moving the metal ball (6) when necessary.

Figure 3 explains the conditions for setting the size of the metal ball (6) that can hold the mercury grains (15) and amalgam grains (16) in the storage section (2) without contacting them. The metal ball (6) has a radius of When in contact with the wall, the metal ball (6), the amalgam grain (1B), the mercury grain (15) and the taper part (
3) Let the contact points be A, B, and C respectively, then the distance between points A and B is point A, and the distance between 0 is (x 10 z) 2-(x-z) 2=2 prison point The distance between B and C is (y+z)ko-C-yz)2=2v77. However, the distance between points A and B is the distance between points A and C and points B and C.
Since it is the sum of the distances between 2 J "7 = 2 V'τ
The formula Σ+21-]□ holds true, and X is found from this formula. That is, an amalgam grain (1
6) and a mercury particle (15) with a radius of Z are held between the metal ball (6) and the wall of the tapered part (3).
Calculate the radius of x J: from the above formula. If you set it large, you can clamp the two without making them contact each other.

In order to manufacture a lamp with a structure in which the vapor pressure of mercury is regulated by amalgam using the exhaust helad (1) configured in this way, first open the lid (12), and then use the exhaust gas that has been weighed in advance to a predetermined amount. mercury grains (15) and amalgam grains (16)
) is stored in the storage section (2).

Next, close the lid (12), attach the exhaust pipe (10) of the bulb (9) to the rubber cap (8) as shown in Figure 1, and pass the vacuum pipe (7) through the exhaust head (1). ) and the tube (9) while processing the electrodes. After exhausting the air for a predetermined time, the electromagnet (14) is activated to move the metal ball (6), thereby causing the mercury particles (15) to move.
) and amalgam grains (16) are dropped.

At time B, the mercury grains (15) are introduced into the tube (9) through the exhaust pipe (10), but the amalgam grains (16) are held in the amalgam holding part (]1). Next, evacuation is continued for a predetermined time while generating an electric discharge in the tube, activating the electrodes and discharging impurity gas, and vaporizing all the mercury particles (15) introduced into the V bulb (9). Discharge the ball (9) to the outside. Next, the exhaust pipe (10) is sealed so that the amalgam particles (16) held in the holding part (11) are on the tube (9) side. The lamp completed in this way is a stable lamp with little variation because the mercury vapor pressure inside the lamp is regulated only by the amalgam grains (16) held in the holding part (11) of the exhaust pipe (10). Characteristics can be obtained.

In addition, the mercury grains (15) introduced in the above examples
The amalgam grains (16), the metal spheres (6) and the tapered portion (3) were in the relationship as shown in FIG. That is, Fig. 2 shows mercury grains (15) weighing 4 mg and indium 48% by weight in the accommodation section (2) in the exhaust head (1).
, 48% by weight of bismuth, and 4% by weight of mercury and containing amalgam grains (16) weighing 100 mg. The diameter of a mercury grain (15) weighing 4 mg is about 0.8 nIm1. Also, since the amalgam with the above composition has a specific gravity of about 8.9, the weight ji
The diameter of Loomg's amalgam grain (16) is approximately 2.8m.
m. Therefore, at this time, the diameter of the metal ball (6) is set to 3.
8ml 11" or more".゛In the above example, the diameters of the mercury particles (15) and amalgam particles (16) introduced into the tube (9) are 0, 111 mm, and 2.8 mm, respectively.
As described above, the structure of the exhaust head of the invention of B which is applicable when the condition m is satisfied, but as long as the precondition that the size of the mercury grains (15) is smaller than the amalgam grains (16) is satisfied, the above implementation can be carried out. It goes without saying that even with combinations of sizes other than those shown in the examples, by appropriately setting the size of the metal balls (6), the two can be held without contacting each other.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, the present invention maintains mercury and amalgam in a state where they do not come into contact with each other by a movable metal ball provided in the exhaust head, and the amalgam is placed at the lower end of the exhaust head. The exhaust pipe of the tube, which has a holding part to hold it, is attached, and the metal bulb is moved at a predetermined time to drop the mercury and amalgam into the tube, so the tube can be removed with a simple operation during the exhaust process. It is possible to introduce mercury and amalgam separately into the amalgam, which enables efficient production using mercury flash, that is, shortening production time, and also reduces fluctuations in the composition of the introduced amalgam, resulting in improved characteristics. Stable lamp C1
3) There are advantages such as availability.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the exhaust head for explaining the details of this invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of its main parts, and Fig. 3 is an explanation of how to set the size of the metal ball. FIG. In the figure, (1) is the exhaust head body, the taper part of f311, (6) is the metal ball, (9) is the tube, (10) is the exhaust pipe, (11) is the holding part, and (15) is mercury. , (16) is an amalgam. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A metal ball sized to hold a predetermined amount of mercury and amalgam introduced into the tube in a non-contact state is held in the exhaust head, and the amalgam is placed at the lower end of the exhaust head. A tube with a holding part formed in the exhaust pipe is attached, and the metal bulb is moved at a predetermined time,
A method for manufacturing a tube, comprising dropping the mercury and amalgam into the tube.