KR102256709B1 - A plasma lamp apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In an embodiment of the present invention, a plasma lamp device includes: a discharge tube filled with a discharge gas and in which plasma discharge occurs through the discharge gas; An inner conductor disposed inside the discharge tube; And an outer conductor formed to surround the discharge tube, wherein the inner conductor is spaced apart from the inner surface of the discharge tube by a predetermined distance.

Description

Plasma lamp device {A PLASMA LAMP APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a plasma lamp device, and more particularly, to a plasma lamp device that generates a plasma discharge in a discharge gas filled in a discharge tube by an electric field formed inside the discharge tube.

In general, in a plasma lighting system (PLS), a microwave generated from a magnetron is transmitted to a resonator through a waveguide, and a strong electric field is formed in the resonator. Plasma discharge is generated in the gas and metal compound in the (Bulb), and light is continuously emitted.

In addition, the Light Emitting Plasma lamp amplifies the signal received from the RF oscillator by using a power supply that supplies power to an RF amplifier, an RF oscillator that provides an initial signal, and the power applied from the power supply. It is located in the strongest electric field of RF Cavity, RF Cavity for applying a strong electric field to the discharge tube by receiving the amplified RF, a heat dissipation structure for dissipating heat generated by thermal loss among RF energy. It is composed of a discharge tube (Bulb) that receives RF energy and emits plasma light due to an inert gas and a halogen compound inside.

Meanwhile, an internal electrode for forming a strong electric field is disposed inside the discharge tube, and these internal electrodes can be formed through the discharge tube. In order to maintain a vacuum state inside the discharge tube, the connection between the discharge tube and the internal electrode is elaborately sealed. ) Is required.

However, it is difficult to seal the connection part between the discharge tube and the internal electrode, and even if the sealing is elaborately performed, a leak may occur due to operation for a long period of time, resulting in problems such as deterioration of lighting performance and reduction in replacement life.

Meanwhile, the following prior art document discloses the contents of a plasma lamp for solving problems such as high heat and discharge that may occur when the conductive layer provided with the outer circumferential surface is not uniformly formed, and the technical gist of the present invention It is not disclosed.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0098316

A plasma lamp apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention aims at the following solutions in order to solve the above-described problems.

It is to provide a plasma lamp device capable of simplifying a process and reducing process cost by providing a discharge tube and an internal electrode structure that does not require sealing.

In addition, it is to provide a plasma lamp device capable of preventing a decrease in lighting performance and a shortened replacement life by preventing the occurrence of a leak in a discharge tube that may be caused by a long-term operation.

The problem of the present invention is not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a plasma lamp device includes: a discharge tube filled with a discharge gas and in which plasma discharge occurs through the discharge gas; An inner conductor disposed inside the discharge tube; And an outer conductor formed to surround the discharge tube, wherein the inner conductor is spaced apart from the inner surface of the discharge tube by a predetermined distance.

It is preferable that the outer conductor is disposed to be spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the discharge tube.

It is preferable to further include a protective film formed to surround the inner conductor.

It is preferable that the protective layer is formed of an insulating material.

It is preferable to further include a support portion disposed in the discharge tube to support the inner conductor and formed of an insulating material.

It is preferable that the support part is formed to extend from the inner surface of the discharge tube.

The support part includes a body formed in a disk shape so that the outer circumferential surface abuts the inner circumferential surface of the discharge tube, and a hollow is formed in the center of the body to support the inner conductor and the protective film, and the hollow It is preferable that at least one ventilation hole is formed between the and the outer peripheral surface of the body.

The support portion, a body formed with a hollow in the center to support the inner conductor and the protective film; And at least one connecting bar connected to the inner circumferential surface of the discharge tube on one side and the other side connected to the body.

In the plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner conductor is arranged to be spaced apart from the inner surface of the discharge tube by a preset distance instead of the structure in which the inner conductor passes through the discharge tube, thereby bonding between the inner conductor and the room-proof tube. The effect of maintaining a vacuum state inside the discharge tube can be expected without a process or a sealing process.

In addition, due to the above-described effect, it is possible to improve the yield and reduce the process cost through simplification of the process, and further prevent the reduction of lighting performance and shortening the replacement life by blocking leaks that may occur due to long-term use. You can expect the effect that can be done.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the following description.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional plasma lamp device.
2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a plasma lamp apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating a plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention connected to an external cable through an adapter.
4 is a view showing another embodiment of the arrangement of external electrodes in the plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating an example in which plasma discharge occurs when an electromagnetic wave is introduced from the outside into the plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a view showing states of an inner conductor and an outer conductor formed in the plasma lamp device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a view showing an embodiment in which the position of the inner conductor is skewed toward one side in the plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 to 11 are views showing various embodiments in which a support part is disposed in a plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar components are assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are only for easily understanding the spirit of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the spirit of the present invention by the accompanying drawings.

first. A conventional plasma lamp device will be described with reference to FIG. 1. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional plasma lamp.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional plasma lamp device includes a discharge tube (Bulb) 10, an inner conductor 20, a protective film 30, an outer conductor 40, and a terminator. It is configured to include 50 and an adapter 60.

In particular, the inner conductor 20 is formed to pass through the discharge tube 10 and is configured to generate a plasma discharge in the discharge gas in the discharge tube by an electromagnetic wave introduced into the discharge tube 10 through a coaxial cable from the outside.

Meanwhile, the discharge tube 10 is filled with a discharge gas so that a plasma discharge phenomenon may occur due to an electric field, and the discharge tube 10 must be formed so as not to be mixed with outside air in order to improve the lighting performance and improve the lifespan.

Therefore, when the plasma lamp device is configured as shown in FIG. 1, connecting portions for penetrating the inner conductor 20 are inevitably formed at both ends of the discharge tube 10, and a sophisticated sealing process for these connecting portions. This is required, and there is a problem that the process cost increases and the yield decreases.

Furthermore, even if the sealing is performed elaborately, when the plasma lamp device is used for a long period of time, a leak may occur in the connection part due to the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the discharge tube 10 and the inner conductor 20, and this results in lighting performance. And shortening the replacement life of the lamp.

The present invention is an invention for overcoming the problems of the conventional plasma lamp apparatus described above. Hereinafter, a plasma lamp apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 11.

The plasma lamp device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is configured to include a discharge tube 110, an inner conductor 120, a protective film 130, and an outer conductor 140, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The discharge tube 110 is filled with at least one of a discharge gas containing an inert gas and a metal compound, and when an electromagnetic wave is introduced into the discharge tube 110 through an external coaxial cable or the like, plasma discharge occurs through the discharge gas.

Here, the discharge gas is preferably a gas including an inert gas such as argon (Ar) and neon (Ne), a metal compound and sulfur, and may be a solid powder in the case of a metal compound and sulfur.

On the other hand, the discharge tube 110 is formed of a transparent material having a certain thickness, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it may be a rod shape or a tube shape having a certain length in a cylindrical shape, and a curved shape or a shape of a specific character. It could be formed.

In addition, the discharge tube 110 is preferably formed of a transparent material coated with a coating material that diffuses light or made of an opaque material that diffuses and transmits light.

The inner conductor 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a configuration disposed inside the discharge tube 110, specifically formed to be spaced apart from the inner surface of the discharge tube by a preset distance, and inside the discharge tube 110 By forming an electric field, a plasma discharge is generated in the discharge gas filled in the discharge tube 110.

In particular, unlike the plasma lamp device shown in FIG. 1, since the inner conductor 120 is not configured to pass through one side and the other side of the discharge tube 110, the connection portion between the discharge tube 110 and the inner conductor 120 is Since it is not formed, the sealing process between the inner conductor 120 and the discharge tube 110 is not required, so it can be expected to simplify the process and improve the yield. The effect of increase can also be expected.

The outer conductor 140 is formed of a transparent material to surround the discharge tube 110 and may be formed of an ITO thin film coating, and performs a function of forming an electric field inside the discharge tube 110 together with the inner conductor 120 described above. do.

In particular, the outer conductor 140 may be formed to be in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the discharge tube 110 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but may be formed to be spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the discharge tube 110 as shown in FIG. May be.

At this time, in particular, the outer conductor 140 may be formed in a mesh shape in which a plurality of holes are arranged, and the size of the hole is preferably set appropriately based on the frequency of the power applied to the plasma lamp device.

On the other hand, the plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to further include a protective film 130, and such a protective film 130 protects the inner conductor 120 from ion bombardment caused by the occurrence of plasma discharge. For this purpose, it is formed in a form surrounding the inner conductor 120, and in particular, it is preferably formed of an insulating material made of a transparent material such as glass or ceramic.

In addition, the plasma lamp apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an adapter 160, which fixes and supports the discharge tube 110 and the outer conductor 140, and supports the plasma lamp. Performs a function of separable connection with an external cable, and such an adapter 160 may be implemented to include an SMA type or an N type, and may be implemented in a coaxial cable type such as an RF coupler. have.

In particular, the adapter 160 may be composed of an external adapter 162 and an internal adapter 164, and as shown in FIG. 3, an external adapter 162 that allows a plasma lamp in the form of a coaxial cable to be connected to an external coaxial cable. ) Has the form of a female thread, and the inner adapter 164, in which the core 165 for transferring electric charges to the inner conductor 120 is inserted, is preferably made to have a male thread shape.

Meanwhile, in the plasma lamp apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, when the external adapter 162 and the internal adapter 164 are combined to connect the plasma lamp in the form of a coaxial cable to an external coaxial cable, An electromagnetic wave is introduced into the discharge tube 110.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when positive (+) or negative (-) charges are charged at the end of the core 165 of the inner adapter 164, the inner conductor 120 is at the end of the core 165. A negative (-) charge or a positive (+) charge having a polarity opposite to that of the charged charge is induced, and the outer conductor 140 is also charged to the inner conductor 120 at a portion corresponding to the inner conductor 120. A charge with the opposite polarity of the charge is induced.

On the other hand, when the core 165 of the internal adapter 164 is set to have a positive (+) charge and a negative (-) charge periodically based on a preset frequency, a certain moment in the discharge tube 110 is positive ( An electric field is formed between the inner conductor 120 carrying a +) charge and the outer conductor 140 carrying a negative (-) charge. ) An electric field is formed between the inner conductor 120 carrying a charge and the outer conductor 140 carrying a positive (+) charge.

In particular, since the strength of the electric field around the inner conductor 120 having a small diameter is strong, a plasma discharge phenomenon occurs in the discharge gas filled in the discharge tube 110 by this electric field. The plasma lamp device according to the embodiment of the above can continuously emit strong light.

In the plasma lamp apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, the inner conductor 120 is shown to be located in the center of the discharge tube 110, but as shown in FIG. 7, the inner conductor 120 is Plasma discharge can be easily performed by arranging it so as not to be located in the inner center but skewed to one side.

In addition, by forming a certain portion of the outer conductor 140 by metal coating to have a reflective surface like a mirror, the light formed by plasma discharge may be configured to emit toward a preset direction. In this case, the metal coating It can be made by aluminum deposition such as silver mirror coating.

On the other hand, in the plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the inner conductor 120 must be disposed to be spaced apart from the inner side of the discharge tube 110, so the inside of the discharge tube 110 as shown in FIGS. It is preferable to further include a support 115 for supporting the inner conductor 120.

In particular, the support portion 115 described above is preferably formed of an insulating material, and may be formed to extend from the inner surface of the discharge tube 110.

Various structures can be considered in relation to the configuration of the support 115. First, as shown in FIG. 8, one side of the support 115 is formed to extend from the inner surface of the discharge tube 110, and the support 115 A fixing part capable of fixing the inner conductor 120 may be formed on the other side of the device, and this fixing part is formed in the shape of a receiving groove, and one side of the protective film surrounding the inner conductor 120 is provided with a receiving protrusion corresponding to the receiving groove. By forming, it will be possible to fix the inner conductor 120 to the inside of the discharge tube 110 by the support portion 115.

In addition, the support 115 is formed so that both ends are connected or contacted with the inner circumferential surface of the discharge tube 110, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, and a hollow for supporting the inner conductor 120 and the protective film 130 is formed in the center. It can be configured to be formed.

At this time, the support 115 may be formed in a disk shape as shown in FIG. 10, specifically, the support 115 includes a body formed in a disk shape so that the outer circumferential surface thereof abuts the inner circumferential surface of the discharge tube 110, and the body A hollow for supporting the inner conductor 120 and the protective film 130 may be formed in the center of the.

In particular, it is preferable that a ventilation hole is formed between the hollow formed in the center of the body of the support 115 and the outer circumferential surface of the body in order to smoothly flow the discharge gas accommodated in the discharge tube and perform the plasma discharge through the smooth flow.

Meanwhile, in order to minimize a decrease in the plasma discharge effect by the support part 115 disposed inside the discharge tube, the configuration of the support part 115 may be formed as shown in FIG. 11.

Specifically, the support portion may be configured to include a body having a hollow formed in the center to support the inner conductor 120 and the protective film 130, and a connection bar connected to the body at one side and the inner circumferential surface of the discharge tube at the other side.

At this time, only one connection bar may be provided, but it is preferable to provide at least three connection bars as shown in FIG. 11 in order to ensure stable support of the inner conductor 120 and the protective film 130.

In addition, in the embodiment of the support shown in Figs. 9 to 11, the plasma discharge efficiency may decrease when the number of the support is large, and if one support is provided, the inner conductor 120 and the protective film 130 are stably supported. Considering that it is difficult, it is preferable to have two support portions as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11.

In addition, the plasma lamp device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a control unit, and such a control unit maintains a uniform illuminance of light emitted from the plasma lamp device and prevents dangerous situations. It can be performed, and such a control unit is preferably disposed in the adapter 160.

For example, based on the detection result of an illuminance sensor for measuring the amount of light generated by plasma discharge or an electric field intensity measuring sensor for measuring the intensity of an electric field, the control unit can control the amount and frequency of the electric charge applied to the plasma lamp device. By controlling in real time, it is possible to maintain a uniform illuminance of light emitted from the plasma lamp device.

Furthermore, by providing a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature inside or outside the discharge tube 110 of the plasma lamp device, the control unit determines whether the plasma lamp device is overheated based on the value measured by the temperature sensor, and then the user It could also warn you or cause the plasma lamp to stop working.

In addition, based on the above-described detection contents such as illuminance, electric field intensity, temperature, etc., the control unit may be able to notify the user of whether or not the plasma lamp device is broken or the need for replacement.

The embodiments described in the present specification and the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of some of the technical ideas included in the present invention. Therefore, since the embodiments disclosed in the present specification are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention, but to describe the technical idea, it is obvious that the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Modified examples and specific embodiments that can be easily inferred by those of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the technical idea included in the specification and drawings of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. It will have to be interpreted.

110: discharge tube
115: support
120: internal electrode
130: shield
140: external electrode

Claims (8)

A discharge tube filled with discharge gas and in which plasma discharge occurs through the discharge gas;
An inner conductor disposed inside the discharge tube;
An outer conductor formed to surround the discharge tube; And
A support part disposed in the discharge tube to support the inner conductor and formed of an insulating material;
Including,
The inner conductor is disposed to be spaced apart from the inner surface of the discharge tube by a preset distance,
The support portion, a body formed with a hollow in the center to support the inner conductor; And at least one connecting bar connected to the body at one side and connected to the inner circumferential surface of the discharge tube at the other side.
The method of claim 1,
The plasma lamp device, wherein the outer conductor is disposed to be spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the discharge tube.
The method of claim 1,
Plasma lamp apparatus further comprising a; protective film formed to surround the inner conductor.
The method of claim 3,
The plasma lamp apparatus, wherein the protective layer is formed of an insulating material.
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