WO2008009570A1 - Discharge lamp with a discharge vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a discharge lamp having a discharge vessel (2) with at least three parts (21, 22, 23) joined by webs (24, 25) to form a coherent discharge chamber (2a). A first electrode (6) extends at least in part in a first part (21, 22, 23) of the vessel and a second electrode (7) extends at least in part in a second part (21, 22, 23) of the vessel. An InAgHg source (9) is contained in a tube section (8) connected to a third part (21, 22, 23) of the vessel.

Description

 description

Discharge lamp with a discharge vessel

Technical area

The invention relates to a discharge lamp with a discharge vessel, which comprises at least three vessel parts, which are connected with lugs to a continuous discharge space. The discharge lamp has a first electrode, which extends at least partially into a first vessel part, and further comprises a second electrode, which extends at least partially into a second vessel part.

State of the art

Discharge lamps are known in various design and application. Gas discharge lamps have found widespread use in recent years, especially in the form of compact fluorescent lamps. These discharge lamps usually have a discharge vessel which, for example, comprises a plurality of vessel parts in the form of curved tubes.

In addition, conventional discharge lamps have an Hg source in the discharge vessel, from which a suitable amount of Hg evaporates during operation and substantially contributes to UV generation in the discharge vessel through the corresponding Hg lines. In principle, the term Hg source comprises in principle two functions, namely the one of a Hg donor. It is a material or a body in which the Hg is contained, for example, liquid Hg itself, or an amalgam. Furthermore, however, there are also often independently executed steam pressure regulating Hg elements, such as work amalgams. Again, the amalgam has the functions of introducing the mercury into the lamp and controlling the vapor pressure. In principle, too be provided that two amalgam bodies are used, one of which has the function to bring the mercury in the lamp and the other has the function to regulate the vapor pressure.

In order to create defined ratios for the Hg vapor pressure prevailing in operation, a vapor pressure regulating element such as an amalgam is needed. The temperature of the vapor pressure regulating element controls the vapor pressure of the Hg in the discharge.

It is also known, in the region of the discharge tube ends, to provide thin pumping heads which, on the one hand, serve as pump tube in the production of the gas discharge lamp, ie for evacuating and filling the discharge vessel, and on the other hand also absorb the Hg source. This is thus accommodated in a thinner pipe socket which as a rule projects from one of the discharge tube ends into the electronic ballast or its housing when the discharge lamp has an integrated ballast.

In this context, discharge lamps are known from the applicant, in which such a pumping stem or such Pumprohr with a BilnHg amalgam contained therein on a discharge tube of the discharge vessel is arranged, in which no electrode coil is arranged.

In addition, discharge lamps are known in which a pumping tube is arranged on a discharge tube of the discharge vessel, in which also an electrode coil is arranged. These lamps have a PbBiSnHg amalgam or an InSnPbHg amalgam in the pump tubes. In the known arrangements and configurations of the discharge lamps and the amalgams used, the luminous flux-temperature behavior of the discharge lamp is not completely satisfactory. Presentation of the invention

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a discharge lamp, which has an improved luminous flux-temperature behavior.

This object is achieved by a discharge lamp having the features of claim 1.

A discharge lamp according to the invention comprises a discharge vessel which has at least three vessel parts. The vessel parts are connected to each other with attachment webs in such a way that they represent the discharge vessel in their entirety and form a common contiguous discharge space. A first electrode of the discharge lamp extends at least partially into a first vessel part, and a second electrode extends at least partially into a second vessel part. The discharge lamp further comprises a tube piece which is connected to a third vessel part, wherein in the tube piece an InAgHg source or an InAgHg amalgam is contained. Through the use of this specific amalgam and the arrangement of this in a vessel part in which the electrodes of the discharge lamp are not arranged, the operation of the lamp can be made possible with a significantly improved luminous flux-temperature behavior.

It is precisely this InAgHg amalgam that is characterized by an increased operating temperature and a very broad plateau of the optimum Hg vapor pressure for the generation of light as a function of the temperature.

Preferably, the tube piece is designed as a pump tube. Advantageously, the pump tube is suitable for pumping and filling the discharge lamp during manufacture. An additional attachment of such a tube piece is therefore not required. The tube piece can thus be multifunctional in various production and operating phases of the discharge lamp - A -

be used. The use of the InAgHg amalgam is much less expensive in such a design of a tube piece.

In addition, by arranging the InAgHg amalgam, it is not necessary to mount it on a special amalgam support. The placement of InAgHg source in such a piece of tubing, which is designed as a pump tube, also requires a significantly lower material and manufacturing costs than the placement on a special amalgam carrier, which is also arranged in the vicinity of an electrode of the discharge lamp.

The discharge vessel comprises at least three elongate tube parts arranged substantially parallel to one another, wherein the tube piece is arranged on that tube part which is connected to the two further tube parts by means of a respective attachment web. The InAgHg source is therefore also arranged in a pipe part, which is formed centrally in the discharge vessel. The advantageous for the operation of the discharge lamp central arrangement of this source can be made possible.

At least one of the vessel parts, preferably all vessel parts, are formed as curved tube units. Preferably, a pipe unit is curved so that it has a U-shape. The U-shape is preferably designed such that each tube unit comprises at least two tube parts oriented essentially parallel to one another. The tube piece is preferably arranged on that tube unit, which is connected to a respective attachment web with the other two tube units. The tube unit in which the InAgHg source is attached to the tube piece is thus preferably located in the center of the discharge vessel.

The InAgHg amalgam is preferably formed without further additional elements or atomic additives. Since the InAgHg-amalgam prepares no handling difficulties, and always has sufficient viscosity, a loading of, for example, Ni or Te is not required. The Ag content of the InAgHg compound is preferably between three and six, in particular 4. The Hg content of the InAgHg compound is advantageously between 6 and 12, in particular 10. A particularly advantageous A-malgam composition is therefore represented by the composition InAg ₄ Hg -I ₀ formed.

The discharge lamp may be formed with an integrated ballast. It can also be provided that the discharge lamp is designed without an integrated ballast and is electrically contacted only with an external electronic ballast for operating the discharge lamp.

The discharge lamp is preferably designed as a compact fluorescent lamp.

Short description of the drawing (s)

An embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to schematic drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a discharge lamp according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the discharge lamp according to FIG. 1; FIG. and

3 is an enlarged view of a partial section in Fig. 1st

Preferred embodiment of the invention

In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a compact fluorescent lamp 1, which comprises a discharge vessel 2. The discharge vessel 2 is connected to a housing 3, in which a ballast, not shown, is arranged. The compact fluorescent lamp 1 is in the embodiment with an integrated ballast formed. It can also be provided that the compact fluorescent lamp 1 can be operated with a separate, external ballast. It can then be provided that, for example, four pins protrude from a base 4 of the lamp, which are provided for contacting the ballast. It can also be provided that the lamp are designed with these four contact pins for a throttle-starter operation. It can also be provided that only two contact pins protrude from the base 4 of the lamp, as a result of which the lamp is designed for operation in a choke-starter circuit with an integrated glow starter.

In the exemplary embodiment, the compact fluorescent lamp 1 comprises the base 4, which adjoins the housing 3. Furthermore, electrical contact pins 5a and 5b are arranged on the base 4 in a known manner.

In the exemplary embodiment, the discharge vessel 2 comprises three vessel parts, which are designed as curved tube units 21, 22 and 23. Each tube unit 21 to 23 is designed in the embodiment U-shaped.

The pipe unit 21 is curved so that it comprises two substantially parallel to each other formed pipe parts 21 a and 21 b. Similarly, the second tube unit 22 is curved so as to have two substantially parallel, elongated tube portions 22a and 22b (Figure 2). Similarly, the third pipe unit 23 is also formed to have two substantially parallel, elongated pipe parts 23a (FIG. 2) and 23b. The tube units 21 to 23 are arranged so that the tube parts 21 a, 21 b, 22 a, 22 b, 23 a and 23 b are positioned substantially parallel to each other.

As can be seen in Fig. 1, the orientation of the U-shaped tube units 21 to 23 is arranged so that the free ends extend into the housing 3. To form a common contiguous discharge space 2a within the discharge vessel 2, the tube units 21 to 23 are connected to each other by two attachment webs 24 and 25 (FIG. The attachment of these lugs 24 and 25 is designed so that they are located in the embodiment within the housing 2. The diameter of these extension webs 24 and 25 is substantially smaller than the diameter of the pipe parts 21 a, 21 b, 22 a, 22 b, 23 a and 23 b of the pipe units 21 to 23. Exemplary and conventional diameters for the attachment webs 24 and 25 are about 4 mm , Usual and known exemplary diameter for the pipe parts 21 a to 23 b are about 12 mm. The values mentioned are of course only exemplary and can vary in many ways.

The compact fluorescent lamp 1 further includes a first electrode

6 in the form of an electrode coil and a second electrode 7, which is e- benfalls formed as an electrode coil. The first electrode 6 extends within the housing 3 in the front or free end of the tubular member 21 a. The second electrode 7 is likewise arranged within the housing 3 in such a way that it extends at least in regions into the tube part 22a of the tube unit 22. The two electrodes 6 and 7 are thus arranged in different vessel parts or tube units 21 and 22.

The illustrated schematic representation and arrangement of the electrodes 6 and

7 is merely exemplary. It can also be provided that the electrodes 6 and 7 are arranged in the respective tube parts 21 a and 22 a such that the coils are at least partially outside the housing 3.

Furthermore, the compact fluorescent lamp 1 comprises a tube piece designed as a pump tube 8, which is designed to receive an InAgHg source 9 (FIG. 3). The pump tube 8 is multifunctional usable and used in the manufacture of the lamp for pumping and filling the compact fluorescent lamp 1 and further for receiving this InAgHg amalgam. In the exemplary embodiment, this pump tube 8 is disposed within the housing 3 and extends partially into the third vessel part and the third tube unit 23. In the exemplary embodiment, the pump tube 8 is arranged on the tube part 23b of the third tube unit 23. As can be seen from the schematic representation in Fig. 1, the exhaust tube 8 extends at the free front end of the tubular member 23b in this.

In the plan view of the compact fluorescent lamp 1 shown in FIG. 1, the arrangement of the tube units 21 to 23 is shown. It can be seen that these are placed obliquely to each other and the discharge vessel 2 is formed substantially triangular in this plan view.

It can be seen that the pump tube 8 is arranged approximately in the middle of the entire discharge vessel 2 and thus the discharge path. It can also be provided that the pump tube 8 with the InAgHg source 9 is arranged at the corresponding point of the tube part 23a. Likewise, however, it can also be provided that this pump tube 8 with the InAgHg source 9 is arranged at the corresponding position of the tube part 21b or the tube part 22b. It is only important that a specially provided InAgHg source 9 is arranged in a vessel part of the discharge vessel 2, in which no electrode 6 or 7 is positioned.

In Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial section I of Fig. 1 is shown.

It can be seen that the pump tube 8 is arranged so that it extends in regions in the discharge space 2a and thus at least partially disposed within the tubular portion 23b.

The InAgHg source 9 is spherical. The amalgam composition is formed in the embodiment as InAg ₄ Hg-I ₀ and positioned in the front region of the pump tube 8. As can be seen, the front end of the pump tube 8 is curved and has, on the one hand, a tapered region 81 and a subsequent widened region 82. In this widened region 82, an outlet opening 83 is provided. educated. In order to achieve an optimum temperature for standard applications, ie ambient temperatures of the compact fluorescent lamp 1 and the burning position, a retainer body in the form of a stainless steel ball 10 is introduced between the spherical body of the InAgHg source 9 and the front end 82 of the pump tube 8. The operating temperature of the amalgam body or of the InAgHg source 9 can be set as a function of the ambient temperature via the height of this stainless steel ball 10 and thus its diameter. In the exemplary embodiment, the pump tube 8 projects into the discharge space 2a with a depth t of about 2.5 mm. The stainless steel ball 10 has a diameter of about 2 mm in the exemplary embodiment. The temperature of the InAgHg source 9 accommodated in the pump tube 8 depends strongly on the ambient temperature in the ballast housing 3, which in turn depends on the external ambient temperature, the operating time and also the installation position of the compact fluorescent lamp 1. The inventive arrangement of the amalgam and the specific use of an InAgHg source 9, a significantly improved insensitivity to fluctuations in the ambient temperature and changes in mounting position can be achieved.

The pump tube 8 is arranged in the front or free end 231 b of the tube part 23 b. The InAgHg amalgam has a much broader temperature range over which the Hg vapor pressure over the amalgam is optimally range above the light generation in fluorescent lamps than is the case with other amalgams such as BilnHg amalgam. The temperature range with optimum Hg vapor pressure over this InAgHg amalgam ranges from about 105 ° C to about 155 ° C. In addition, this InAgHg amalgam is also lead-free and in this context has a distinct advantage over the amalgams PbBiSnHg or InSnPbHg. In contrast to the BilnHg amalgam, which has a Hg concentration of 3% by weight, the InAgHg amalgam has an Hg concentration of the order of 10% by weight. This has the advantage that the absolute weight of the amalgam body when using InAgHg is significantly lower. ger is than another amalgam, for example BiInHg. The advantage lies in a lower material usage and in the significantly lower total weight of the amalgam body or the InAgHg source. In addition, only an InAgHg source 9 or such an amalgam ball is sufficient, which is also lighter and smaller than a BilnHg ball. Due to the lower weight of this InAgHg ball and the risk of dripping, past the retaining body or the stainless steel ball 10, significantly reduced.

Claims

claims 1 . Discharge lamp with a discharge vessel (2), which comprises at least three vessel parts (21, 22, 23) which are connected to attachment webs (24, 25) to a continuous discharge space (2a), and a first electrode (6) which at least partially in a first vessel part (21, 22, 23) extends, and a second electrode (7) which extends at least partially in a second vessel part (21, 22, 23), characterized in that an InAgHg source (9) in a tube piece (8), which is connected to a third vessel part (21, 22, 23). 2. Discharge lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube piece is designed as a pump tube (8). 3. Discharge lamp according to claim 2, characterized in that the pumping tube (8) for pumping and filling the discharge lamp (1) in the manufacture of this is usable. 4. Discharge lamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the discharge vessel (2) has at least three substantially mutually parallel, elongated tube parts (21 a, 21 b; 22a, 22b, 23a, 23b), wherein the tube piece (8 ) is arranged on that tube part (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b, 23a, 23b) which is provided with a respective attachment web (24, 25) with the other two tube parts (21a, 21b, 22a, 22b, 23a, 23b) is connected. 5. Discharge lamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vessel parts are curved tube units (21, 22, 23). 6. Discharge lamp according to claim 5, characterized in that at least one tube unit (21, 22, 23) has a U-shape. 7. Discharge lamp according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that each tube unit (21, 22, 23) at least two mutually parallel pipe parts (21 a, 21 b, 22a, 22b, 23a, 23b) comprises. 8. Discharge lamp according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the tube piece (8) on that tube unit (21, 22, 23) is arranged, which in each case with a connecting web (24, 25) with the two other tube units (21 , 22, 23) is connected. 9. Discharge lamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the InAgHg source (9) is formed without additional atomic elements. 10. Discharge lamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Ag content of the InAgHg source (9) is between 3 and 6, in particular 4. 1 1. Discharge lamp according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the Hg content of the InAgHg source (9) is between 6 and 12, in particular 10, is. 12. Discharge lamp according to one of the preceding claims, which is designed as a compact fluorescent lamp (1).