WO2009087729A1 - Lighting circuit, and discharge lamp and illumination device having the circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a lighting circuit, which feeds an electric power to a light emitting tube for emitting a light when discharged, and a light emitting element arranged close to the light emitting tube and having higher luminous-flux rising characteristics than those of the light emitting tube. The lighting circuit comprises a rectifying unit for rectifying an AC electric power inputted, a smoothing unit for smoothing the pulsating electric power rectified in the rectifying unit, into a DC electric power, an inverter unit for converting the DC electric power smoothed in the smoothing unit, into an AC electric power thereby to feed the converted AC electric power to the light emitting tube, a reverse-current suppressing element interposed in an electric power passage between the rectifying unit and the smoothing unit, for suppressing the back flow of the smoothed DC electric power to the side of the rectifying unit, a first electric power passage connected with the electric power passage between the rectifying unit and the reverse-current suppressing element, for feeding the pulsating electric power to the light emitting element, and a lighting control unit for controlling the switching of the first electric power passage.

Description

LIGHTING CIRCUIT, DISCHARGE LAMP AND LIGHTING DEVICE HAVING SAME

The present invention relates to a lighting circuit for a discharge lamp, a discharge lamp including the same, and an illumination device.

In order to meet the social demand for energy saving promotion, fluorescent lamps are used in the lighting field in place of incandescent bulbs that have been generally used. Fluorescent lamps have higher efficiency than incandescent bulbs, and in particular, bulb-type fluorescent lamps that can be directly mounted on incandescent bulb sockets have become popular.

The bulb-type fluorescent lamp has a structure in which a light emitting tube attached to a holder and a lighting circuit (electronic ballast) for driving the light emitting tube to light are housed in the case. For example, an E-type base is attached to one end of the case.

In the arc tube, filament coil electrodes are hermetically sealed at both ends of the bent glass tube, and a phosphor layer is formed on the inner wall of the bent glass tube. In the arc tube, mercury (Hg) as a 253.7 [nm] ultraviolet radiation material, neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr) gas, etc. as buffer gases are mainly used. It is enclosed.

The lighting circuit has an inverter circuit based on a series inverter system or the like.

By the way, in a discharge lamp such as a bulb-type fluorescent lamp, the radiation ultraviolet rays from mercury in the arc tube are greatly influenced by the mercury vapor pressure in the arc tube, and thus immediately after starting in a state where the mercury vapor pressure is lowered. In this case, the luminous flux is insufficient. In particular, when adopting a double spiral arc tube having a long discharge path length in order to improve the efficiency, there may be a case where a sufficient rising luminous flux cannot be secured at a low ambient temperature. .

In order to solve such a problem, a technique has been proposed in which a filament bulb is auxiliary arranged adjacent to the arc tube, and the filament bulb is lit only for a certain period at the time of starting (for example, Patent Document 1). 2). Among these, the circuit configuration proposed in Patent Document 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp proposed in Patent Document 2, AC power input from a commercial power source is rectified by a rectifier 941, smoothed by a smoother 942, and high-frequency by a switching / stabilizer 943. It is converted into alternating current and supplied to the arc tube 910. A preheating circuit 944 is also connected to the arc tube 910.

In addition, wirings L91 and L92 serving as input paths for AC power from a commercial power source are connected to an auxiliary light bulb 930 via a light bulb lighting controller 946. In the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp having such a structure, the rising light flux of the arc tube 910 can be made high by turning on the auxiliary light bulb 930 for a certain time from the start.
JP 2000-164174 A US Pat. No. 5,491,385

However, in the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to the related art including the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, it is difficult to reduce the size and the cost from the viewpoint of the circuit configuration when the auxiliary light bulb is provided adjacent to the arc tube. . That is, as shown in FIG. 10, since the light bulb lighting controller 946 is supplied with AC power from the wirings L91 and L92, the light bulb lighting controller 946 is not affected by the voltage conversion of the AC power. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a circuit (circuit such as rectification and smoothing) that converts it into direct current, which complicates the circuit configuration.

Further, as shown in the enlarged portion of FIG. 10, in the above conventional bulb-type fluorescent lamp, the AC power is half-wave rectified by the thyristor element SCR and the diode D in the bulb lighting controller 946, and the half-wave rectified power is The auxiliary light bulb 930 is supplied. The half-wave rectified voltage is (1 / √2) of the commercial voltage, and a light bulb with a filament specification dedicated to the half-wave rectified voltage must be used as the auxiliary light bulb 930. Cannot be used. When trying to supply full-wave rectified power to the auxiliary light bulb 930, a separate rectifier circuit is required for the auxiliary light bulb 930, and the number of circuit components increases. That is, it is necessary to incorporate a full-wave rectifier circuit in the light bulb lighting controller 946 as well.

When electric power is to be supplied to the light bulb lighting controller 946 from the wirings L96 and L97 between the smoother 942 and the switching / stabilizer 943 to the light bulb lighting controller 946, normal light bulb-type fluorescent light is used. The switching / stabilizer 943 used in the lamp lacks output, and the ripple of the smooth voltage increases, making it difficult to keep the arc tube 910 lit.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can be applied to a discharge lamp that can obtain a high rising luminous flux by providing a light emitter close to the arc tube, and also assists without complicating the circuit configuration. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighting circuit for a discharge lamp that can realize accurate lighting control of a light bulb, a discharge lamp including the same, and an illumination device.

The present invention adopts the following configuration in order to achieve the above object.

The lighting circuit according to the present invention supplies power to a light emitting tube that emits light by discharge and a light emitting body that is disposed close to the light emitting tube and has higher luminous flux rise characteristics than the light emitting tube. The lighting circuit according to the present invention includes a) a rectifying unit, b) a smoothing unit, c) an inverter unit, d) a backflow suppression element, e) a first power flow path, and f) a lighting control unit. As a main component.

A) The rectifier is a component that rectifies the input AC power.

B) The smoothing unit is a component that smoothes the pulsating power rectified in the rectifying unit into DC power.

C) The inverter unit is a component that converts the DC power smoothed in the smoothing unit into AC power and supplies it to the arc tube.

D) The backflow suppressing element is an element that is inserted in the power flow path between the rectifying unit and the smoothing unit and suppresses the smoothed DC power from flowing back to the rectifying unit side.

E) The first power flow path is connected to the power flow path between the rectification unit and the backflow suppression element, and is a power flow path for supplying pulsating power to the light emitter.

F) The lighting control unit is a component that controls opening and closing of the first power flow path.

In the arrangement relationship between the arc tube and the luminous body, “proximity” means that the gap between the arc tube and the luminous body is larger than 0 [mm] and not larger than 3.0 [mm]. Say.

The discharge lamp according to the present invention is characterized by including the lighting circuit according to the present invention.

Furthermore, the illuminating device according to the present invention includes the discharge lamp according to the present invention. The lighting device refers to a combination of a discharge lamp and various appliances. The various instruments refer to, for example, reflecting mirrors, umbrellas, covers, sealing instruments, and the like.

The lighting circuit according to the present invention supplies power to the light emitter through the first power flow path. The first power flow path is connected to the power flow path between the rectification unit and the backflow suppressing element. As a result, in the lighting circuit according to the present invention, compared with the case where the power for the light emitter is supplied from the power flow path between the smoothing unit and the inverter unit, at the time of starting the arc tube, in the smoothing unit. There is no problem of insufficient capacitor capacity. That is, when the power supplied to the light emitter is connected to the power flow path between the smoothing unit and the inverter unit, the ripple of the smoothing voltage increases by the amount of power supplied to the light emitter. It may be difficult to turn on.

On the other hand, in the lighting circuit according to the present invention, since the pulsating power supplied to the light emitter is taken out from the power flow path between the rectifying unit and the backflow suppressing element, the capacitor capacity of the smoothing unit is not increased. The problem of an increase in the smoothing voltage ripple does not occur. Furthermore, in the lighting circuit according to the present invention, non-smooth full-wave rectified power is supplied to the light emitter, so that the same condition as that for supplying commercial power is used. For example, a filament bulb is adopted as the light emitter. In this case, it is possible to adopt a commercially available filament specification as it is, which is advantageous in terms of design and cost.

Further, in the lighting circuit according to the present invention, full-wave rectified power can be supplied to the light emitter without providing a separate rectifier circuit in the lighting control unit, so that an increase in the number of circuit components can be suppressed.

Therefore, in the lighting circuit according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with a discharge lamp that can obtain a high rising luminous flux by providing a light emitter close to the arc tube, and to accurately turn on / off the light emitter without complicating the circuit configuration. Control can be realized.

In the lighting circuit according to the present invention, the following variations can be adopted as an example.

The lighting circuit according to the present invention includes a second power flow path that is connected to the power flow path between the backflow suppressing element and the inverter unit and supplies control power to the lighting control unit. Can be adopted.

When such a configuration is adopted, an accurate control function can be achieved even if the lighting control unit does not include a rectifier circuit and a smoothing circuit. That is, in the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to Patent Document 2 shown in FIG. 10, the control power to the light bulb lighting controller 946 is supplied from the upstream side of the rectifier 941, so the light bulb lighting controller 946 has a rectifier circuit and a smoothing circuit. It is necessary to have a circuit. For this reason, in the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp according to Patent Document 2, the circuit configuration of the light bulb lighting controller 946 becomes complicated, leading to an increase in the size and cost of the lighting circuit.

On the other hand, in the lighting circuit according to the present invention, since the second power flow path is configured in the above-described manner, it is not necessary to provide a rectifier circuit and a smoothing circuit in the lighting control unit. For this reason, the lighting circuit according to the present invention can perform accurate lighting control of the light emitter while suppressing increase in size and cost.

In the lighting circuit according to the present invention, when the connection between the rectifying unit and the smoothing unit is a two-wire power flow path, the backflow suppression element is a two-wire type between the rectifying unit and the smoothing unit. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which each line of the power flow path is inserted.

Further, the lighting circuit according to the present invention employs a configuration in which a timer is included in the lighting control unit, and in the lighting control unit, when the AC power starts to be supplied to the arc tube, timing by the timer is started, and Alternatively, the first power flow path may be closed, the time measurement by the timer may be terminated when the required time has elapsed from the start of timing, and the first power flow path may be opened.

Further, in the lighting circuit according to the present invention, the timer is composed of a time constant circuit including a capacitor element and a resistor element, and the time is measured by either charging time or discharging time of the capacitor element. The lighting control unit includes an FET element or a bipolar transistor element (semiconductor element) that opens and closes the first power flow path, and the first power flow path is opened or closed using an unsaturated region in the semiconductor element. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the state is set. As a result, the inrush current flowing through the first power flow path can be suppressed until the fully closed state is reached, while the current flowing through the first power flow path is gradually reduced until the fully open state is reached. By reducing, the brightness of the light emitter can also be gradually reduced.

In the lighting circuit according to the present invention, in the path of the AC power input to the rectifying unit, a temperature fuse that opens the path according to the temperature of the light emitter is inserted upstream of the rectifying unit. It is also possible to adopt a configuration of

The discharge lamp according to the present invention includes an arc tube and a light emitter disposed in the vicinity thereof. From this, in the discharge lamp according to the present invention, even when the mercury vapor pressure in the arc tube is low due to low environmental temperature or the like, due to the light emission of the luminous body at the start, The effect of improving the rising luminous flux of the arc tube due to the heat generated from the luminous body can be obtained. For this reason, in the discharge lamp according to the present invention, a higher rising luminous flux can be obtained as compared with a conventional discharge lamp that does not include a separate light emitter around the light emitter. This is particularly effective when the ambient temperature is low.

Note that the “proximity” in the above is also as defined above.

In addition, since the discharge lamp according to the present invention includes the lighting circuit according to the present invention for lighting the arc tube and the luminous body, the effect of the lighting circuit according to the present invention can be obtained as it is. .

Furthermore, since the illumination device according to the present invention includes the discharge lamp according to the present invention, the above-described effects can be obtained as they are.

In the discharge lamp according to the present invention, the following variations can be adopted as an example.

Further, in the discharge lamp according to the present invention, a filament bulb in which the filament generates heat and emits light can be applied as the light emitter.

Further, in the discharge lamp according to the present invention, a light emitting tube having a double spiral shape having two swirl portions that spirally swivel around a virtual axis in a state having a space inside is adopted. And the structure that it is inserted in the state which adjoins the outer wall of the arc_tube | light_emitting_tube with respect to the said inner space of a light-emitting body is employable.

Further, in the discharge lamp according to the present invention, the arc tube to be driven for lighting has an electrode at each of both end portions of the discharge path, and has an auxiliary amalgam in a region near the electrode in the discharge path. It is also possible to adopt the configuration.

Moreover, in the discharge lamp according to the present invention, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the lighting circuit is covered with a case and a base is attached to one end of the case.

In the discharge lamp according to the present invention, a configuration in which the arc tube is covered with a translucent glove can also be adopted.

1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing a circuit configuration of a light bulb lighting controller 46 in the circuit configuration of the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 1 according to the first embodiment. It is a characteristic view which shows the rising light beam characteristic in a lightbulb-type fluorescent lamp. It is a circuit diagram which shows the circuit structure of the light bulb lighting controller 146 among the circuit structures of the lightbulb-type fluorescent lamp 2 which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a circuit diagram which shows the circuit structure of the light bulb lighting controller 246 among the circuit structures of the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 3 according to Embodiment 3. 6 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of a light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 4 according to Embodiment 4. FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the structure of the lightbulb-type fluorescent lamp 5 which concerns on another example. FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram schematically showing fluctuations in the gate voltage of the FET element used in the unsaturated region in the light bulb lighting controller. It is a block diagram which shows the circuit structure of the lightbulb-type fluorescent lamp which concerns on a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Light bulb type fluorescent lamp 10,15. Arc tube 20, 25. Holder 30. Auxiliary light bulb 40. Lighting circuit 41. Rectifier 42. Smoother 43. Switching and ballast 44. Preheating circuit 45a, 45b. Diode element 46, 146, 246. Light bulb lighting controller 47. Thermal fuse element 50. Case 60. Base 70. Globe

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to an example. Note that the form used in the following description is an example used for easy understanding of the configuration, operation, and effect of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following form other than its essential features. It is not something to receive.
(Embodiment 1)
1. Configuration of Light Bulb Fluorescent Lamp 1 A light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment is a lamp used as a part of a lighting device. The configuration of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of a bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, a bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment is a kind of discharge lamp, and is a double spiral arc tube 10 and a holder for holding the arc tube 10 at its end. 20, an auxiliary light bulb 30 that is a light emitter disposed in a cylindrical internal space in a turn in the arc tube 10, and a lighting circuit 40 for lighting the arc tube 10 and the auxiliary light bulb 30.

The arc tube 10 is a substitute for a general incandescent bulb 60 [W] and has a rated power of 9 [W], and has a double spiral shape having two swiveling portions that swirl around a virtual axis CL. The arc tube 10 is formed with filament coil electrodes at both ends in the tube, and mercury (Hg) as an ultraviolet radiation material having a wavelength of 253.7 [nm] is enclosed in the tube together with a buffer gas. As the buffer gas, for example, argon (Ar), neon (Ne), krypton (Kr), or the like is employed. Although not shown in FIG. 1, an auxiliary amalgam is disposed in the vicinity of the electrode in the discharge space of the arc tube 10.

The auxiliary light bulb 30 is a filament light bulb with a rated power of 20 [W], for example, and has a cylindrical appearance. Further, the auxiliary light bulb 30 has a higher luminous flux rise characteristic than the arc tube 10. The outer surface of the auxiliary bulb 30 is in a proximity state with respect to the outer wall of the arc tube 10. If the distance between the outer surfaces of the arc tube 10 and the auxiliary light bulb 30 is too short, there is a risk that they will come into contact with each other due to vibration impact or the like and breakage. On the other hand, if the distance is too long, effective use of heat becomes impossible. Thus, the distance between the outer surfaces is preferably 1 to 3 [mm], more preferably about 2 [mm]. The arc tube 10 and the auxiliary light bulb 30 are respectively inserted into insertion holes provided in the holder 20 and fixed on the back side of the holder 20 using silicone resin or the like.

The lighting circuit 40 is composed of an inverter circuit based on a series inverter system or the like. The lighting circuit 40 is configured based on a substantially circular printed circuit board. The lighting circuit 40 is attached to the lower side of the holder 20.

Furthermore, in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, a portion where the lighting circuit 40 is disposed is covered with a case 50, and a base 60 is attached to a lower end portion of the case 50. Further, the periphery of the arc tube 10 is covered with a translucent globe 70.

2. Circuit Configuration A circuit configuration of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lighting circuit 40 of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment includes a rectifier 41, a smoother 42, and a switching / stabilizer on the power path from the commercial power supply side to the arc tube 10. It has the structure connected in order of 43. A preheating circuit 44 is also connected to the arc tube 10. Diode elements 45a and 45b as backflow suppressing elements are inserted in the wirings L1 and L2 which are power flow paths between the rectifier 41 and the smoother 42. Here, the switching and ballast 43 has a function as an inverter unit.

In the lighting circuit 40 according to the present embodiment, since the voltage doubler method is adopted, the output voltage from the smoother 42 is about 2.8 times the input voltage (effective value) to the rectifier 41. . For example, when the voltage (effective value) of the commercial power supply is 100 [V], the output voltage from the smoother 42 is about 280 [V].

Further, wirings L5 and L6 for supplying power to the auxiliary light bulb 30 are connected to the lighting circuit 40 of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 on the upstream side of the diode elements 45a and 45b in the wirings L1 and L2, respectively. . A light bulb lighting controller 46 is inserted in the wiring L6.

The light bulb lighting controller 46 has a timer function that closes the wiring L6 in conjunction with the start of the arc tube 10 and opens it when a certain time has elapsed. Electric power for controlling the light bulb lighting controller 46 is supplied through wirings L7 and L8 connected to the wirings L3 and L4 between the smoothing device 42 and the switching / stabilizing device 43.

In the configuration of the lighting circuit 40, the diode elements 45a and 45b inserted in the wirings L1 and L2 are such that the current charged in the capacitor element (not shown) of the smoother 42 is directed to the auxiliary light bulb 30 side. It is provided to prevent backflow.

Here, pulsating power having a full-wave rectified waveform is supplied to the auxiliary light bulb 30 as shown on the left side of FIG. 2, whereas the light bulb lighting controller 46 is shown on the right side of FIG. In addition, power having a full-wave smooth waveform is supplied. For this reason, in the lighting circuit 40 of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, a smoother is not provided in the circuit configuration of the bulb lighting controller 46.

Although not shown in FIG. 2, an EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) filter is provided inside the switching / stabilizer 43. The EMC filter is a filter for removing an electromagnetic interference wave from the switching / stabilizer 43, and a general circuit configuration interposed between the commercial power supply and the rectifier 41 can also be adopted.

3. Specific Example of Light Bulb Lighting Controller 46 A specific example of the configuration of the light bulb lighting controller 46 in the lighting circuit 40 of the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, the bulb lighting control unit 46 includes two transistor elements Q1, Q2, two capacitor elements C1, C2, and one Zener diode element. It is composed of Z1 and four resistance elements R1 to R4. The wiring L5 is connected to one terminal of the auxiliary light bulb 30, and the other terminal of the auxiliary light bulb 30 is connected to the drain of the transistor element Q1.

The source of the transistor element Q1 is connected to the wiring L6, and the wiring L6 is connected to the capacitor elements C1 and C2, the emitter of the transistor element Q2, and the resistance element R3. The capacitor element C1 is connected to the base of the transistor element Q2 via the Zener diode element Z1 and the resistance element R4.

The collector of the transistor element Q2 is connected to the gate of the transistor element Q1 and to the capacitor element C2 and the resistance elements R2 and R3. Furthermore, the capacitor element C1 is connected to the wiring L7 via the resistor R1.

In the specific example shown in FIG. 3, the wiring L6 also serves as the wiring L8 in FIG.

4). Operation of Light Bulb Lighting Controller 46 in Lighting Driving In the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, the auxiliary light bulb 30 is operated during the period from the start until a certain time elapses after the light bulb lighting controller 46 performs a time measuring operation during driving. Lights up. Specifically, the following operation is performed.

a) When the power supply to the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 is turned on, the arc tube 10 starts to be turned on, the transistor element Q1 becomes conductive through the resistance elements R1 and R2, and the auxiliary light bulb 30 also starts to turn on. . At this time, the bulb lighting controller 46 starts charging the capacitor element C1 through the resistance element R1. Here, the capacity of the capacitor element C1 and the like are set according to the timer time. In the present embodiment, for example, the timer time is 60 [sec. ] Is set.

In the above, in the light bulb lighting controller 46, the capacitor element C1 and the resistance element R1 constitute a timer by a time constant circuit.

In addition, the constants of the capacitor element C2 and the resistance elements R1, R2, and R3 use an unsaturated region before becoming a conductor, and maintain a high impedance between the drain and source of the transistor element Q1 for a certain period of time. It is set to suppress the inrush current to the bulb that sometimes flows.

B) As the charging of the capacitor element C1 proceeds, the base-emitter of the transistor element Q2 is energized when the threshold voltage of the Zener diode element Z1 is reached.

C) When the base-emitter of the transistor element Q2 is energized, a current flows between the collector and emitter of the transistor element Q2.

D) The current between the collector and emitter of the transistor element Q2 causes a short circuit between the gate and source of the transistor element Q1. Then, the auxiliary light bulb 30 is turned off when the gate-source of the transistor element Q1 is short-circuited.

5). Rising light beam In the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, the auxiliary light bulb 30 is disposed in the vicinity of the arc tube 10. Then, as described above, the auxiliary light bulb 30 is lit from the time of start-up until a certain time has elapsed. The rising luminous flux of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 that performs such lighting driving will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the light flux of a conventional light bulb-type fluorescent lamp that does not include the auxiliary light bulb 30 is indicated by A line, and the light flux of the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment is indicated by B line. The rising luminous flux of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp shown in FIG. 4 is data measured in a state where the lamp ambient temperature is kept constant at 5 [° C.].

As shown by the A line in FIG. 4, the conventional bulb-type fluorescent lamp that does not include the auxiliary bulb 30 can obtain only about 10% of the rated light flux at the start, whereas the bulb type shown by the B line. In the fluorescent lamp 1, a high luminous flux of about 35 [%] can be obtained. This is considered to be due to the fact that the light from the lighting of the auxiliary bulb 30 and the rising luminous flux of the arc tube 10 are improved due to this.

In this embodiment, 60 [sec. The auxiliary light bulb 30 is set to be extinguished at the time of elapse. For this reason, 60 [sec. ], The luminous flux once decreases from about 65 [%] to about 50 [%]. However, even when the auxiliary light bulb 30 is turned off, a luminous flux 25 [points] higher than that of the conventional light bulb-type fluorescent lamp indicated by the A line can be obtained.

It should be noted that if a luminous flux of about 25% of the rated value is obtained at the time of starting the lamp, it is considered that there will be virtually no problem. That is, it is considered that the user does not feel any trouble if the rated light flux of about 25% is obtained at the time of starting the lamp.

6). Advantages a) Arc tube 10
In the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, a double spiral arc tube 10 is employed. For this reason, compared with the case where a U-shaped arc tube is employed, a long discharge path can be secured with the same occupied volume, and downsizing and high efficiency can be achieved. Therefore, the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment can meet the demand for downsizing to the same size as the incandescent bulb and the further improvement in lamp efficiency.

b) Auxiliary bulb 30
In the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an auxiliary light bulb 30 is disposed in the state of being close to the arc tube 10. For this reason, in the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1, even when the mercury vapor pressure in the arc tube 10 is low due to the low environmental temperature or the like, The effect of improving the rising luminous flux of the arc tube 10 is obtained by the generated heat. Therefore, in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, a higher rising luminous flux can be obtained as compared with the conventional bulb-type fluorescent lamp.

Further, in the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, non-smooth full-wave rectified pulsating power is supplied to the auxiliary light bulb 30, so that the conditions are the same as those for supplying a commercial power supply, which is generally commercially available. It is possible to adopt the filament specification as it is, which is advantageous in terms of design and cost.

Further, in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, full-wave rectified power can be supplied to the auxiliary bulb 30 without providing a separate rectifier circuit in the power flow paths L5, L6, etc. Increase is suppressed.

c) Control power to the light bulb lighting controller 46 In the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the power supply to the auxiliary light bulb 30 is downstream of the rectifier 41 and is a diode element. In this configuration, wirings L5 and L6 connected to the upstream side of 45a and 45b are used. In the lighting circuit 40 of the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 adopting such a configuration, the capacitance of the capacitor element in the smoothing device 42 at the time of starting the arc tube 10 as compared with the prior art employing the configuration shown in FIG. There is no problem of shortage. That is, when the power supplied to the auxiliary light bulb 30 is taken out between the smoother 42 and the switching / stabilizer 43, the ripple of the smoothing voltage is increased by the amount of the power supplied to the auxiliary light bulb 30. It may be difficult to light the tube 10.

On the other hand, in the lighting circuit 40 according to the present embodiment, power is supplied to the auxiliary light bulb 30 through the wirings L5 and L6 connected between the rectifier 41 and the diode elements 45a and 45b. Even if the capacitance is not increased, the problem of an increase in the ripple of the smoothing voltage does not occur.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the lighting circuit 40 according to the present embodiment, electric power is supplied to the light bulb lighting controller 46 through the wirings L7 and L8. The wires L7 and L8 are connected to the wires L3 and L4 between the diode elements 45a and 45b and the switching / stabilizer 43. By adopting such a configuration, the lighting circuit 40 according to the present embodiment does not cause a problem in the control operation even if the light bulb lighting controller 46 does not include a smoothing circuit. Therefore, the lighting circuit 40 according to the present embodiment can execute accurate lighting control of the light emitter while suppressing an increase in size and cost.

Therefore, the light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the present embodiment can correspond to a fluorescent lamp that can obtain a high rising luminous flux by providing the auxiliary light bulb 30 close to the arc tube 10, and assists without complicating the circuit configuration. Accurate lighting control of the light bulb 30 can be realized.
(Embodiment 2)
Next, the configuration of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 2 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 2 according to the present embodiment is not different from the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the first embodiment except for the configuration of the bulb lighting controller 146. The description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5, the light bulb lighting controller 146 of the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 2 according to the present embodiment includes one FET element F11, two Zener diode elements Z11 and Z12, one capacitor element C11, It comprises two resistance elements R11 and R12 and a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element P11.

The wirings L5 and L6 are connected via the auxiliary light bulb 30 and the FET element F11. The wiring L7 is connected to the PTC element P11, and the other end of the PTC element P11 is connected to the resistor R11. An intermediate point between the PTC element P11 and the resistance element R11 is connected to the gate of the FET element F11 via two Zener diode elements Z11 and Z12.

A capacitor element C11 and a resistance element R12 are connected between the Zener diode element Z12 and the gate of the FET element F11 and between the wiring L6.

In the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 2, a current flows through the wiring L7 at the start of lighting. At this time, while the divided voltage of the PTC element P11 exceeds the threshold value of the Zener diode element Z11, the capacitor element C11 is charged (charge capacity> discharge capacity), and the voltage exceeding the threshold value between the gate and the source of the FET element F11. Is applied. As a result, the source and drain of the FET element F11 are energized, and the auxiliary light bulb 30 is turned on when lighting is started.

The internal temperature of the PTC element P11 increases with the passage of time from the start of lighting, and the resistance value of the PTC element P11 increases with this temperature increase. When the resistance value of the PTC element P11 reaches a certain level, the capacitor element C11 is not charged because of the relationship with the threshold value of the Zener diode element Z11 (charge capacity <discharge capacity). Decrease gradually. When the voltage of the capacitor element C11 falls below the threshold value of the FET element F11, the source-drain region of the FET element F11 is opened, and the auxiliary light bulb 30 is turned off.

In the light bulb lighting controller 146 according to the present embodiment, the rate of increase in impedance in the unsaturated region of the FET element F11 can be adjusted by the discharge time of the capacitor element C11 connected in parallel to the gate-source of the FET element F11. The time when the auxiliary light bulb 30 gradually becomes dark can be adjusted.

It should be noted that the use of a bipolar transistor element instead of the FET element F11 can achieve the same effect as described above using the unsaturated region.

In addition, the timer setting time in the light bulb lighting controller 146 is determined by setting values of the PTC element P11, the resistance element R11, the Zener diode elements Z11 and Z12, and the capacitor element C11. Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, 60 [sec. ] The auxiliary light bulb 30 is set to be extinguished at the elapsed time.
(Embodiment 3)
Next, the configuration of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 3 according to Embodiment 3 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 3 according to the present embodiment is different from the bulb- type fluorescent lamps 1 and 2 according to the first and second embodiments except for the configuration of the bulb lighting controller 246. Since there is no place, the explanation is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the light bulb lighting controller 246 of the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 3 according to the present embodiment includes one thyristor element S21, two zener diode elements Z21 and Z22, and one capacitor element. C21, two resistance elements R21 and R22, and a PTC element P21. That is, the light bulb lighting controller 246 according to the present embodiment is different from the light bulb lighting controller 146 according to the second embodiment in that a thyristor element S21 is used instead of the FET element F11. .

The operation from turning on the auxiliary bulb 30 to turning it off is basically the same as that of the lighting circuit according to the second embodiment. Therefore, the description is omitted.
(Embodiment 4)
Next, the configuration of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 4 according to Embodiment 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 4 according to the present embodiment has a structural feature in that a thermal fuse element 47 is inserted upstream of the rectifier 41 in the current path. Specifically, a thermal fuse element 47 is inserted in a wiring L9 between the rectifier 41 and the base 60 (see FIG. 1) on the current path.

The specific location of the thermal fuse element 47 is not particularly limited as long as it is within the case 50, but it is as close as possible to the central axis CL (see FIG. 1) on the substrate in the lighting circuit, and the auxiliary light bulb 30. It is desirable to make it a location where the temperature of this can be accurately detected.

The thermal fuse element 47 in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 4 according to the present embodiment prevents a situation in which the auxiliary bulb 30 continues to be lit even when the bulb lighting controller 46 becomes uncontrollable for some reason. Because. For this reason, for the thermal fuse element 47, for example, a specification that can be cut at 140 [° C.] is selected.

Here, in the conventional light bulb-type fluorescent lamp shown in FIG. 10, when the light bulb lighting controller 946 becomes uncontrollable, a situation may occur in which the auxiliary light bulb 930 continues to be lit. In this case, it may be assumed that the inside of the case becomes extremely hot in some cases.

On the other hand, in the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 4 according to the present embodiment, even when the bulb lighting controller 46 falls out of control, the circuit is cut off when the temperature fuse element 47 reaches the specified temperature. . For this reason, even when the light bulb lighting controller 46 becomes uncontrollable, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the auxiliary light bulb 30 continues to be lit. Therefore, the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 4 according to the present embodiment has higher safety in addition to the superiority of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp 1 according to the first embodiment.
(Other matters)
In the bulb-type fluorescent lamps 1 to 4 according to Embodiments 1 to 4 described above, wirings (power flow paths) L7 and L8 for supply to the bulb lighting controllers 46, 146, and 246 are connected to the smoother 42 and switched and stabilized. Are connected to wires (power flow paths) L3 and L4 between the lamps 43, and in the light bulb-type fluorescent lamps 1 to 4 according to the first to fourth embodiments, the light bulb lighting controllers 46, 146 and 246 are connected. The advantage is that it is not necessary to provide a separate rectifier or smoother. However, in the present invention, it is not always necessary to connect wiring for supplying power to the light bulb lighting controllers 46, 146, and 246 to the wirings L3 and L4. Even in such a configuration, as described above, the present invention has an advantage that a filament-type light bulb that is generally commercially available can be used as the auxiliary light bulb 30.

In the above first to fourth embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the bulb-type fluorescent lamps 1 to 4 having a structure in which the periphery of the arc tube 10 is covered with the globe 70 are applied. It is not a requirement. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the configuration of the present invention can be adopted for a light bulb-type fluorescent lamp 5 having no globe. That is, by arranging the auxiliary bulb 30 inwardly in the turning of the arc tube 15 and adopting the same configuration as the lighting circuit 40, the same effects as in the first to fourth embodiments can be obtained.

In the light bulb-type fluorescent lamps 1 to 4 according to the first to fourth embodiments, in the circuit configuration, the diode elements 45a and 45b are inserted in the wirings L1 and L2, and the current charged in the capacitor element in the smoother 42 Is prevented from flowing back to the auxiliary light bulb 30. However, in the present invention, it is not always necessary to apply the diode elements 45a and 45b as such a backflow suppressing element, and for example, a transistor element or the like can be adopted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, in the first to fourth embodiments, a cylindrical silica light bulb is employed as the auxiliary light bulb 30, but the type and appearance of the light bulb are not limited thereto. . For example, a krypton bulb, a KT krypton bulb, or the like may be employed as the auxiliary bulb. Further, a high brightness LED or the like can be used. Regarding the shape of the auxiliary light bulb, not only a cylindrical shape but also a jujube shape, for example, can be adopted.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the auxiliary amalgam is disposed in the vicinity of the electrodes in the arc tubes 10 and 15. However, a sufficient rising luminous flux is not necessarily provided even if the auxiliary amalgam is not provided. Can be secured. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp (shown by C line) is different from the light bulb shaped fluorescent lamp 1 according to Embodiment 1 only in that the auxiliary amalgam is not provided. However, a light flux ratio of about 30 [%] is ensured immediately after start-up (at the time of initial start-up), and there is virtually no problem. The rising luminous flux of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp shown in FIG. 4 is data measured in a state where the lamp ambient temperature is kept constant at 5 [° C.].

In the first to fourth embodiments described above, a configuration in which the lighting circuit 40 is provided as a constituent element of the bulb-type fluorescent lamps 1 to 4 is employed. However, the lighting circuit is not necessarily built in as a constituent element of the bulb-type fluorescent lamp. It is not necessary to have the configuration. For example, the lighting circuit according to the present invention can be adopted for a lighting circuit separate from the fluorescent lamp, and in this case, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

Further, the circuit configurations of the light bulb lighting controllers 46, 146, 246 and the like shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6, etc. are only examples, and are limited to this as long as the same operation can be guaranteed. There is no.

Here, the gate voltage of the FET element in the light bulb lighting controller will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9C, following the progress from the lighting state of the auxiliary light bulb 30 to the extinguishing state. As shown in FIG. 9A, when the gate voltage of the FET element exceeds the threshold voltage, the auxiliary light bulb 30 is lit. Next, when a voltage obtained by superimposing a pulsation (ripple) from the rectifier 41 on the gate voltage is used and the applied voltage is gradually lowered, the gate voltage of the FET element repeatedly increases and decreases the threshold voltage (FIG. 9 ( see b)). Then, the off period becomes longer by gradually lowering the applied voltage. As shown in FIG. 9C, when the gate voltage of the FET element falls below the threshold voltage, the auxiliary light bulb 30 is turned off. As described above, similarly to the case where the unsaturated region of the FET element is used, an effect of gradually darkening the auxiliary light bulb 30 can be obtained, and the heat generation can be reduced as compared with the case where the unsaturated region of the FET element is used. Can be suppressed.

In Embodiments 1 to 4, the arc tube 10 has a double spiral shape with a rated power of 9 [W], but the rated power and type of the arc tube are limited to this. is not. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a type including a luminous tube of a type in which a plurality of U-shaped tubes are combined. The rated power and size of the auxiliary light bulb 30 can be changed as appropriate in relation to the shape and power of the arc tube 10 (equivalent to an incandescent light bulb: 40 [W] to 100 [W]). For example, it is practical to use an auxiliary light bulb of about 15 [W] to 30 [W].

In the first to fourth embodiments, the lighting circuit that employs the voltage doubler smoothing method has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is applicable to all cases of inverters that smooth the rectified voltage. can do.

The present invention is useful for realizing a lighting circuit having a rising characteristic of a high luminous flux and capable of suppressing an increase in size and cost, and a discharge lamp and an illumination device including the lighting circuit.

Claims (13)

1. A lighting circuit that supplies power to an arc tube that emits light by discharge and an emitter that is disposed in proximity to the arc tube and has a higher luminous flux rise characteristic than the arc tube;
   A rectifier that rectifies the input AC power;
   A smoothing unit that smoothes the pulsating power rectified in the rectifying unit to obtain DC power;
   An inverter unit that converts the DC power smoothed in the smoothing unit into AC power and supplies the converted power to the arc tube;
   A backflow suppressing element that is inserted into a power flow path between the rectifying unit and the smoothing unit and suppresses the smoothed DC power from flowing back toward the rectifying unit;
   A first power flow path connected to a power flow path between the rectifying unit and the backflow suppression element, for supplying the pulsating power to the light emitter;
   A lighting circuit comprising: a lighting control unit that controls opening and closing of the first power flow path.
2. 2. A second power flow path connected to a power flow path between the backflow suppressing element and the inverter unit and configured to supply control power to the lighting control unit. Lighting circuit.
3. The rectifying unit and the smoothing unit are connected by a two-wire power flow path,
   The lighting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the backflow suppression element is inserted in each line of the two-wire power flow path between the rectifying unit and the smoothing unit.
4. The lighting control unit includes a timer,
   In the lighting control unit,
   Starting the time counting by the timer at the time when the AC power starts to be supplied to the arc tube, and closing the first power flow path,
   2. The lighting circuit according to claim 1, wherein the time measurement by the timer is ended when the required time has elapsed from the start of the time measurement, and the first power flow path is opened.
5. The timer is composed of a time constant circuit including a capacitor element and a resistance element, and performs the time measurement with either the charging time or the discharging time for the capacitor element,
   The lighting control unit includes a FET element or a bipolar transistor element that opens and closes the first power flow path, and uses the unsaturated region in the FET element or the bipolar transistor element to open the first power flow path or The lighting circuit according to claim 4, wherein the lighting circuit is in a closed state.
6. In the path of AC power input to the rectifying unit, a temperature fuse that opens the path according to the temperature of the light emitter is inserted upstream of the rectifying unit. The lighting circuit according to claim 1.
7. An arc tube that emits light by discharge;
   A light emitter disposed in proximity to the arc tube;
   A discharge lamp comprising: the lighting circuit according to claim 1.
8. The discharge lamp according to claim 7, wherein the light emitter that is one of the power supply targets is a filament bulb that generates heat and emits light.
9. The arc tube has a double spiral shape having two swirl portions that swirl around a virtual axis in a state having a space inward,
   The discharge lamp according to claim 7, wherein the luminous body is inserted into the inner space of the arc tube in a state of being close to an outer wall of the arc tube.
10. The discharge lamp according to claim 7, wherein the arc tube has an electrode at each of both end portions of the discharge path, and an auxiliary amalgam in a region near the electrode in the discharge path.
11. The lighting circuit is covered with a case,
    The discharge lamp according to claim 7, wherein a base is attached to one end of the case.
12. The discharge lamp according to claim 7, wherein the arc tube is covered with a translucent globe.
13. An illumination device comprising the discharge lamp according to claim 7.

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