TWI416582B - Light source device - Google Patents

Abstract

The whole light-emitting tube is cooled effectively while minimizing the increase of costs for the device. A light source device is provided with the light-emitting tube (1) and a cooling member (CM) which is disposed surrounding the light-emitting tube (1) to cool the light-emitting tube (1). The light-emitting tube (1) is provided with lead wire sealing and fixing parts (RH) for sealing and fixing lead wires (3a) for electrodes, and provided with ventilation courses of cooling air for cooling the lead wire sealing and fixing parts (RH). On the upstream sides of the lead wire sealing and fixing parts (RH) in the ventilation courses, the disposing places of the cooling member (CM) are positioned. Moreover, on the upstream sides of the ventilation courses compared with the lead wire sealing and fixing parts (RH), the other parts of the light-emitting tube (1) are never positioned. Therefore, the cooling air cooled by the cooling member (CM) passes through the locations of the lead wire sealing and fixing parts (RH).

Description

Light source device

The present invention relates to a light source device including: an arc tube; and a cooling unit disposed to surround a state of the periphery of the arc tube to cool the arc tube.

The light source device irradiates light emitted from an arc tube such as an ultraviolet lamp to various processing objects to perform predetermined processing such as curing the resin.

Since the arc tube of such a light source device reaches a high temperature during the light-emitting operation, such a light source device includes a cooling unit for suppressing an excessive rise in the temperature of the arc tube.

As a configuration of the cooling unit, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, a cooling unit such as a water cooling jacket is disposed so as to surround the periphery of the arc tube.

In order to transmit the light emitted from the light-emitting tube, the water-cooling sleeve of Patent Document 1 below is composed of a double tube made of quartz, and the cooling water flows in the space between the inner tube and the outer tube of the double tube.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-39511

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the arc tube itself can prevent an excessive rise in temperature by the cooling action of the cooling unit, but the effect of suppressing the temperature rise of the sealing portion of the lead wire in the arc tube is not full. In particular, in recent years, the output power of the lamp is increased, and the arc tube is damaged by the temperature rise of the sealing portion of the lead wire for the electrode, thereby There are also concerns about shortening the life of the light-emitting tube.

In order to properly cool the sealed portion of the electrode, it is preferable to provide a dedicated cooling unit, but if a sufficient cooling effect is to be obtained, the cost of the device is increased accordingly.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described actual circumstances, and an object thereof is to effectively suppress the increase in the cost of the device as much as possible, and to effectively cool the entire arc tube.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a light source device includes: an arc tube; and a cooling unit disposed to surround a periphery of the arc tube to cool the arc tube, and to provide a seal in the arc tube In a state in which the wire seal mounting portion of the lead wire is mounted, and a cooling air path for cooling the wire seal mounting portion is formed, the arrangement portion of the cooling component is the wire seal mounting portion located in the ventilation path. At least the upstream side of the light-emitting tube, and the other portion of the light-emitting tube is disposed not on the upstream side of the ventilation line, and the cooling air in a state in which the cooling unit is cooled is passed through the wire seal mounting portion. position.

That is, the portion where the electrode lead wire of the arc tube is sealed, that is, the wire seal mounting portion is placed in the ventilation path of the cooling air, thereby cooling the portion.

When the light-emitting tube is viewed, the other portion of the light-emitting tube (the portion other than the wire-sealed mounting portion) is not present on the upstream side of the ventilation path than the wire-sealed mounting portion, so that the wire-sealed mounting portion is cooled. However, the cooling air can be prevented from passing through the vicinity of the light exiting region where the high temperature is reached, and the cooling effect of the cooling air is not lowered.

However, simply placing the wire seal mounting portion on the ventilation path of the cooling air does not necessarily achieve a sufficient cooling effect. Conversely, if a unit for lowering the temperature of the cooling air is separately provided in order to secure a sufficient cooling effect, the cost of the apparatus increases.

Therefore, the arrangement portion of the cooling unit that cools the arc tube is located on the upstream side of the lead seal mounting portion in the ventilation path of the cooling air that cools the lead seal mounting portion.

In other words, the cooling unit for cooling the arc tube is, for example, a liquid cooling method such as water cooling, and the piping portion of the liquid cooling refrigerant or the edge of the portion having a cooling effect on the arc tube. The vicinity and the like are separated from the high temperature portion of the light-emitting tube, thereby also having a cooling effect on the cooling air.

Therefore, the cooling air for cooling the wire seal mounting portion is cooled by the cooling assembly provided to cool the arc tube, thereby increasing the cooling effect on the wire seal mounting portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the first aspect of the invention, the cooling air is formed in a ventilation path so that the wire sealing and mounting portion of the arc tube is cooled only with respect to the arc tube. .

That is, in the other portion of the arc tube (the portion other than the above-described wire seal mounting portion), the above-described wire seal mounting portion is not present on the upstream side of the ventilation path, for example, in each portion of the light-emitting tube, the above-mentioned wire The seal mounting portion is disposed so as to be located most upstream of the ventilation path, and the cooling air can not only cool the wire seal mounting portion but also cool the light emitting region in the arc tube. However, it is preferable to limit the cooling target of the cooling air to the above-described wire seal mounting portion, whereby the cooling load can be reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the first aspect or the second aspect of the invention, the arc tube is formed in a straight tube shape having a pair of the wire seal mounting portions at both end portions in the longitudinal direction, and A water-cooling sleeve that is disposed in a state surrounding the periphery of the light-emitting tube constitutes a cooling unit, and a vent hole constituting a ventilation path of the cooling air is formed in an assembly in the vicinity of the wire seal mounting portion of the water-cooling jacket. .

That is, in the assembly constituting the water-cooling jacket, a vent hole as a ventilation path of the cooling air is formed, and the wire seal mounting portion is cooled by the cooling air passing through the vent hole.

[Effects of the Invention]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the cooling unit for cooling the arc tube sealing portion is cooled by the cooling unit provided to cool the arc tube, and the cooling effect on the lead seal mounting portion is increased. The increase in the cost of the device can be suppressed as much as possible, and the entire arc tube can be effectively cooled.

Moreover, according to the second aspect of the invention, the cooling target of the cooling air is limited to the wire seal mounting portion, whereby the cooling load can be reduced, and the increase in the cost of the device can be further suppressed.

Further, according to the third aspect of the invention, it is possible to reliably seal the wire by using a simple configuration in which only the vent hole is formed in the assembly constituting the water-cooling jacket. The assembly is cooled.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more <RTIgt;

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the light source device of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

As shown in a partial cross-sectional view of Fig. 1, the light source device UL of the present embodiment mainly includes an arc tube 1, and a water-cooling jacket 2, which is a cooling module CM that cools the arc tube 1.

In FIG. 1, in order to make the drawing easy to understand, a portion other than the arc tube 1 is shown in a cross-sectional view, and a hatching indicating a cross section is appropriately omitted for the detail.

The arc tube 1 of the present embodiment is an ultraviolet lamp and is formed into a rod-shaped straight tube shape. The electrodes of the discharge electrode 3 connected to the inside of the arc tube 1 are sealed at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the arc tube 1. The lead wire 3a is taken out, and the lead wire 3a is taken out as an external electrode.

The sealed portion of the electrode lead 3a is protected by the socket 4, and the portion where the pair of the sockets 4 are present is a lead seal mounting portion RH in which the electrode lead 3a is attached in a sealed state, and the pair of sockets 4 are located in the arc tube 1. Both ends in the longitudinal direction.

The water-cooling jacket 2 includes a cylindrical inner tube 21, an outer tube 22 which is cylindrical and has a larger diameter than the inner tube 21, and an assembly for holding the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22, and the water-cooling sleeve 2 described above The state is arranged to surround the periphery of the light-emitting tube 1.

Both the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 are made of quartz, and the two are disposed coaxially, and the space between the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 serves as a passage for the cooling water.

The inner tube 21 is formed to be slightly longer than the outer tube 22, and the end portions of the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 which are disposed coaxially in the longitudinal direction are held by the seal ring 23 so as to separate the inner tube 21 from the outer tube 22. Keep it fixed.

A water supply and drainage hole 23a for introducing or discharging cooling water is provided in the seal ring 23, and in Fig. 1, the water supply hose 24 is connected to the water supply and drainage hole 23a of the seal ring 23 on the right side as a water supply side, and further, the drain hose 25 The water supply and drainage hole 23a of the seal ring 23 on the left side is connected to the drain side.

The pair of seal rings 23 are held by the annular retaining assembly 26, and the pair of seal rings 23 are positioned, the O-ring is used to seal the space between the outer tube 22 and the seal ring 23, and the inner tube 21 and The space between the seal ring 23 and the retaining assembly 26.

The cooling water supplied from the water supply hose 24 flows into the space between the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 via the space formed by the inner surface side of the seal ring 23 and the outer surface of the inner tube 21, and then passes through the opposite side. The inner surface of the seal ring 23 (drain side) and the outer surface of the inner tube 21 are discharged to the drain hose 25.

The arc tube 1 is supported by a substantially disc-shaped holder 11 that is fitted to the socket 4 at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The holder 11 is connected to the end edge of the inner tube 21 in the longitudinal direction and is embedded in the holder. The state of the assembly 26 is fixed.

Thereby, the arc tube 1 is disposed in the inner tube 21 so as to be substantially coaxial with the inner tube 21, and is disposed in such a manner that the socket 4 of the arc tube 1 (that is, the wire seal mounting portion RH) enters Maintaining the presence of component 26 Position up to now.

The light source device UL of the present invention cools the arc tube 1 by the above configuration, and also includes means for cooling the lead seal mounting portion RH (the portion where the socket 4 is present) of the arc tube 1 A part of the apparatus for cooling the tube 1 cools the wire seal mounting portion RH.

Hereinafter, description will be made based on Fig. 2, which is a partial cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the longitudinal end portion of the water-cooling jacket 2 in an enlarged manner.

Fig. 2 shows the right end portion (end portion on the water supply side) in Fig. 1, but the left end portion (end portion on the drain side) on the opposite side has the same configuration as the right end portion, and the left end portion and the right end portion symmetry.

In FIG. 2, similarly to FIG. 1, a portion other than the arc tube 1 is shown in a cross-sectional view, and a hatching indicating a cross section is appropriately omitted for the detail.

A ventilation path of the cooling air which is the cooling target by the wire seal mounting portion RH is formed, whereby the wire seal mounting portion RH is cooled.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, at one end portion of the annular holding member 26, a plurality of fine holes 26c penetrating from the side surface 26b to the inner surface 26a are formed at the position where the plurality of fine holes 26c exist. The end portion on the opposite side forms a through hole 26d penetrating from the inner surface 26a to the side surface 26b, and a ventilation passage formed by the fine hole 26c and the through hole 26d constitutes a cooling air passage.

The positional relationship between the vent hole (the fine hole 26c and the through hole 26d) and the wire seal mounting portion RH is as shown in FIG. 2, and is in the longitudinal direction of the light-emitting tube 1. On the orthogonal faces, the vent holes and the wire seal mounting portion RH are in a side-by-side positional relationship, and the vent holes are formed in the assembly (holding assembly 26) of the water-cooling jacket 2 closest to the wire seal mounting portion RH.

The through hole 26d is connected to a hose 12 of an air suction unit such as an air suction pump or an air suction pipe of a clean room.

When evacuating from the hose 12, in order to efficiently form the ventilation path from the fine hole 26c to the through hole 26d, the wind plate 13 is provided on one side of the holding unit 26 to block the space on the inner surface 26a side of the holding unit 26.

The seal ring 23 and the holding unit 26 are each formed of a metal having good thermal conductivity and are connected to each other, and the cooling water is supplied from the water supply hose 24, whereby the seal ring 23 and the holding unit 26 are cooled to a lower temperature.

Therefore, if the air is sucked from the hose 12, the air sucked into the fine holes 26c of the holding unit 26 is cooled by the interaction with the wall surface of the fine holes 26c as it passes through the fine holes 26c, passing through the socket 4 The existing portion (wire seal mounting portion RH) reaches the through hole 26d and is discharged.

In the ventilation path formed as described above, the cooling unit CM (more specifically, a part of the water-cooling jacket 2 as the cooling unit CM is formed, and the longitudinal end portions of the inner tube 21 and the outer tube 22 are formed. The arrangement portion of the held holding member 26) is on the upstream side of the wire seal mounting portion RH, and the other portion of the light-emitting tube 1 is not located closer to the upstream side of the ventilation path than the wire seal mounting portion RH, and is configured in the above manner. Thus, the cooling air that has been cooled through the pores 26c of the holding unit 26 passes through the position where the wire seal mounting portion RH exists to efficiently cool the wire seal mounting portion RH.

The ventilation path is formed in such a manner that only the wire seal mounting portion RH in the arc tube 1 is a cooling target, and since the above-described cooling air flows in a partial space, the above-described pumping unit is not required to have a high pumping capacity.

Further, regarding the supply of the cooling air to the wire seal mounting portion RH, a configuration is also considered in which the cooling air is sprayed to the wire seal mounting portion RH to cool the wire seal mounting portion RH, but this configuration causes minute dust. Dispersed into the surrounding space, the tiny dust flies and floats from the object that emits light. In an environment where scattered dust such as a clean room is particularly problematic, it is necessary to prevent the above-mentioned fine dust from being scattered into the space around the light source device UL.

Therefore, as described above, the cooling air that cools the wire seal mounting portion RH is formed by the air suction unit, and the fine dust is sucked together, thereby preventing the minute dust from scattering to the surrounding space of the light source device UL. in.

[Other Embodiments]

Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be listed.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, a ventilation path for cooling air that cools the wire seal mounting portion RH is formed so that only the wire seal mounting portion RH in the arc tube 1 is cooled. In the ventilation path of the cooling air, the light (ultraviolet) emission region of the arc tube 1 may be located on the downstream side of the wire seal mounting portion RH, and this portion may be collectively cooled.

(2) In the above embodiment, the arrangement of the cooling module CM is ventilated by the wire seal mounting portion RH to be cooled. On the upstream side of the path, the case where the fine hole 26c of the holding unit 26 is configured as a ventilation path is exemplified, but for example, the ventilation path in the holding unit 26 may be formed in a spiral shape to form a longer ventilation path in the cooling unit CM. , thereby further improving the cooling effect of the cooling air.

(3) In the above embodiment, an ultraviolet lamp is exemplified as the arc tube 1. However, the present invention can also be applied to the arc tube 1 of various wavelengths other than ultraviolet rays.

The present application is based on a Japanese patent application filed on Apr. 25, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

While the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not intended to limit the invention, and the present invention may be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of protection is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

1‧‧‧Light tube

2‧‧‧Water-cooled casing

3‧‧‧Electrode for discharge

3a‧‧‧Electrode wire

4‧‧‧ lamp holder

11‧‧‧Retainer

12‧‧‧Hose

13‧‧‧Wind board

21‧‧‧Inside

22‧‧‧External management

23‧‧‧Seal ring

23a‧‧‧Water supply and drainage holes

24‧‧‧Water supply hose

25‧‧‧Drain hose

26‧‧‧ Keep components

26a‧‧‧ inner surface

26b‧‧‧ side

26c‧‧‧Pore

26d‧‧‧through hole

CM‧‧‧cooling components

RH‧‧‧Wire seal installation

UL‧‧‧Light source unit

Fig. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a light source device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a principal part of a light source device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1‧‧‧Light tube

2 (CM)‧‧‧Water-cooled casing

3‧‧‧Electrode for discharge

3a‧‧‧Electrode wire

4‧‧‧ lamp holder

11‧‧‧Retainer

12‧‧‧Hose

13‧‧‧Wind board

21‧‧‧Inside

22‧‧‧External management

23‧‧‧Seal ring

23a‧‧‧Water supply and drainage holes

24‧‧‧Water supply hose

25‧‧‧Drain hose

26‧‧‧ Keep components

RH‧‧‧Wire seal installation

UL‧‧‧Light source unit

Claims (2)

A light source device comprising: an arc tube; and a cooling unit arranged to surround a periphery of the arc tube to cool the arc tube, wherein the arc tube includes a lead wire for mounting an electrode lead in a sealed state a sealing passage portion is formed with a ventilation passage for cooling air to be cooled by the wire seal mounting portion, wherein the arrangement portion of the cooling member is located at least upstream of the wire seal mounting portion of the ventilation passage, and the arc tube The other portion is disposed so as not to be located on the upstream side of the ventilation path than the wire seal mounting portion, and is cooled by the vent hole formed by the through hole formed by the cooling member through the wire seal mounting portion. a position where the cooling air is formed in a ventilation path with respect to the light-emitting tube so that only the wire seal mounting portion of the light-emitting tube is a cooling target. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein the arc tube is formed in a straight tube shape having a pair of the wire seal mounting portions at both end portions in the longitudinal direction, and is disposed to surround the periphery of the arc tube. The water-cooling jacket constitutes the cooling unit, and a vent hole constituting a ventilation path of the cooling air is formed in an assembly in the vicinity of the wire seal mounting portion of the water-cooling jacket.