JPH08138623A - Low pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp and lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a low pressure mercury vapor electric discharge lamp and a lighting system in which a constant amount of mercury can be filled, no fixing problem exists, and its manufacture is easy. CONSTITUTION: Discharge atmosphere containing mercury and rare gas is filled in a glass bulb 1 equipped with electrodes 4, 4 at both ends thereof. The glass bulb l is also provided with a mercury release structure 7, which melts at a temperature over the bulb 1 wall temperature during a lamp L operation and under the softening temperature of the glass bulb 1 so as to release the mercury and reabsorbs no mercury substantially during the operation after the release of the mercury, and the surface thereof is coated with fluorescent substance. Thereby, the quantitative mercury is easily filled, the mercury can be released at the comparatively low temperature without requiring any particular means, even the mercury release structure 7 emits lights and absorbs produced impure gas so as to improve lamp characteristics, and appearance can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp in which a mercury-releasing structure is arranged in a light-transmitting airtight container, and a lighting device equipped with this discharge lamp.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp, such as a fluorescent lamp, has a glass bulb forming a light-transmitting and airtight container filled with a rare gas such as mercury and argon as a discharge medium so that a transition spectrum of mercury atoms due to discharge can be obtained. Among them, there is a light source that mainly uses 254 nm, 185 nm, etc. as an excitation source of a phosphor and plays a main role of light emission, and there is a lamp in which only a part of rare gas is sealed. Encapsulation is mandatory.

In the manufacture of this fluorescent lamp, as a method of enclosing mercury in the bulb, it is common to send liquid mercury through an exhaust pipe connected to the end of the bulb. It was difficult to quantitatively fill the amount because the amount of filling was insufficient or varied due to attachment to the wall of the filling path such as the exhaust pipe or evaporation from inside the valve during exhaust at high temperature. For this reason, it was attempted to supply excess mercury in anticipation of loss, but it is preferable to minimize the amount of mercury necessary for environmental protection. Although it was covered with a stable powder and then enclosed, the problem has not been solved yet.

As a solution to this problem, a method of encapsulating mercury and an amalgam forming metal such as indium as an amalgam, a method of alloying and encapsulating mercury and titanium, etc., mercury, alumina, etc. There is a method of impregnating and encapsulating a pellet made of, or a method of enclosing and encapsulating mercury in a glass capsule. And, according to these methods, a fixed amount can be enclosed as compared with the method of dropping mercury.

However, in the case of encapsulating as amalgam, the amalgam forming metal still contains a considerable amount of mercury even though the lamp is in operation, and the amalgam is in contact with the phosphor film formed on the inner surface of the bulb. In some cases, mercury in the amalgam reacts with the phosphor to cause blackening of the phosphor film. Also, amalgam cannot be used for any lamp due to its temperature characteristics.

In addition, conventional mercury alloys and mercury pellets have a drawback that they are difficult to fix after encapsulating. In particular, the mercury alloy that is enclosed in the bulb in the form of particles, unless it is fixed to the valve wall surface or stem surface, will move inside the valve when the valve is vibrated or shocked, and it may make a strange noise.
Due to this movement, the phosphor film formed on the inner wall surface of the bulb is peeled off in a streak or spot shape to scratch it, or it stops on the phosphor film on the inner surface of the bulb to form a dark spot, which causes deterioration in appearance. The quality was deteriorated.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention previously used a mercury-releasing structure mainly containing zinc Zn-mercury Hg in a ring-shaped fluorescent lamp, thereby quantitatively enclosing mercury and constructing the mercury-releasing structure as an airtight container. We have developed a technology to easily fix it to the end of a glass bulb.

[0008]

With this technique, mercury can be reliably sealed in a fixed amount, and the mercury-releasing structure can be easily fixed in an airtight container. However, a part of the abnormal increase in lamp voltage and a short life due to this were observed. In pursuit of this cause, it was found that the impure gas emitted from the mercury-releasing structure was the cause.

It is clear that a getter may be installed in the container in order to prevent the characteristic change due to the impure gas. However, when observing the impure gas emission, the phosphor adheres to the surface of the mercury emission structure. It was found that there is a difference in the rising tendency of the lamp voltage due to the release of the impure gas, between the case where it is present and the case where it is not.

The present invention is based on the finding that when the phosphor is attached to the surface of the mercury-releasing structure, there is a difference in the emission amount of the impure gas, and the emission amount of the impure gas is suppressed and the low pressure has stable characteristics. An object of the present invention is to provide a mercury vapor discharge lamp and a lighting device having the discharge lamp.

[0011]

A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1 of the present invention is a translucent airtight container, an electrode provided in the translucent airtight container, and the translucent airtight container. A discharge medium containing mercury and a rare gas enclosed therein, and disposed in the translucent airtight container, exceeds the airtight container wall temperature during lamp operation, and melts below the softening temperature of the airtight container. It is characterized in that it has a mercury-releasing structure in which fluorescent material is adhered to the surface of the fluorescent substance and does not substantially reabsorb mercury during operation after the mercury is discharged.

The term "does not substantially reabsorb mercury during operation" as used herein means that mercury is absorbed or released to the extent that the mercury vapor pressure in the hermetic container is changed according to the ambient temperature during operation like amalgam. It means that it has no function of absorbing excess mercury vapor in the hermetic container and keeping it lower than the mercury vapor pressure of pure water silver. Part of the amalgam is allowed as long as the mercury vapor pressure in the airtight container during operation is not changed.

A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, a phosphor film is formed on the inner surface of the translucent airtight container.

A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to a third aspect of the present invention is the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to the first aspect or the second aspect, in which the mercury-releasing structure reabsorbs mercury in the translucent airtight container while the lamp is off. It is characterized by being re-released inside.

The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 4 of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 3, the mercury-releasing structure is mainly composed of zinc Zn.

A low pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the translucent airtight container is a curved tube type.

The curved tube shape here includes a ring shape, a U-shape and the like.

A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, a phosphor is deposited on at least a part of the surface of the mercury-emitting structure. I am trying.

An illumination device according to claim 7 of the present invention comprises an illumination device body and the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6 installed in the device body. Is characterized by.

[0020]

According to the invention of claim 1, since the phosphor is coated on the surface of the mercury-releasing structure, the impure gas emitted from the mercury-releasing structure is absorbed by the phosphor and directly discharged into the airtight container. Can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to suppress an abnormal rise in the lamp voltage and the starting voltage. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in life and ease of starting due to the re-ignition operation caused by the abnormal increase in the lamp voltage and the starting voltage.

The invention of claim 2 has the effect of claim 1 when applied to a fluorescent lamp having a phosphor film formed in an airtight container.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the function of claim 1, since the mercury-releasing structure reabsorbs the mercury in the hermetic container during the extinguishing period, it is easy to recover the mercury when the lamp reaches the end of its life. Is. Also, unlike amalgam, mercury vapor pressure can be used without becoming too low even in a low temperature atmosphere,
Re-emission of mercury during lighting is quick, and mercury vapor pressure stabilizes quickly.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, zinc is mainly used as the mercury-releasing structure, which is preferable for a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp.

According to the invention of claim 5, since the airtight container of the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp is of a curved tube type, the fluorescent substance is likely to adhere to the mercury emitting structure.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the fluorescent substance is attached to at least a part of the surface of the mercury-releasing structure, the impurity gas adsorption effect can be obtained even if the fluorescent substance is not attached to the entire surface. Further, the invention of claim 7 can obtain the same operation as that of the invention of any one of claims 1 to 6.

[0026]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one end of a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp such as a ring fluorescent lamp L showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is an annular valve made of soda lime glass or lead glass, 2 is a stem made of lead glass, 3 is a sealing portion between the valve 1 and the stem 2, and
The glass bulb 1 and the stem 2 that closes the end of the bulb 1 constitute a light-transmitting airtight container. An annular protrusion 3a is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the tip of the sealing portion 3, and an annular recess 3b is formed inside. Reference numeral 4 is an electrode provided on the stem 2 and reference numeral 5 is an exhaust pipe made of soda lime glass or lead glass.

Further, on the inner surface of the bulb 1, there is formed a phosphor film 6 coated with a three-wavelength type rare earth phosphor, a continuous wavelength emission type halophosphate phosphor, or the like. The bulb 1 is filled with mercury Hg and a rare gas such as argon Ar, krypton Kr, and xenon Xe as a discharge medium, either alone or in combination.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a granular mercury emitting structure having a phosphor 8 adhered to a part of the surface thereof, which is present on the phosphor film 6 applied and formed on the inner surface of the bulb 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of the mercury-releasing structure 7. The structure 7 is in the shape of a substantially spherical sphere having a surface made of, for example, a zinc Zn-mercury Hg alloy that is a polyhedron, and the maximum part thereof has a size of about 1.5 mm, and the surface has a part of about 150 μm. , The phosphors 8, 8, ... Are adhered.

The mercury-releasing structure 7 after the completion of the lamp L has zinc Zn as a main component, and an alloy with mercury (mercury Hg concentration of 50 to 60 wt% excessively melted) before mercury discharge. The alloy itself is known.)
However, most of the mercury Hg is released by heating in the lamp manufacturing process, and zinc Z containing a small amount of mercury Hg is formed.
Only the n-mercury Hg alloy remains.

This mercury-releasing structure 7 melts at a temperature exceeding the wall temperature of the bulb 1 at the time of normal lighting after the completion of the lamp L and below the softening temperature of the glass bulb 1, and the mercury is substantially reabsorbed after the mercury is discharged. Not done to. The term "substantially" means that it does not absorb so much that it affects the mercury vapor pressure in the bulb unlike amalgam. However, Zinc Z
The n-mercury Hg alloy has a long extinction time, for example, 10
If it is left unlit for about a day, it will gradually absorb mercury,
It is re-emitted by the lighting operation, etc., and the same operation as the first is obtained.

In the ring-shaped fluorescent lamp L, mercury Hg is released from the mercury emitting structure 7 made of zinc Zn-mercury Hg alloy by heating during the lamp manufacturing process.
Predetermined emission characteristics are obtained by supplying g. Moreover, the mercury-releasing structure 7 releases mercury at a relatively low temperature, does not require any special means for releasing mercury, and allows mercury to be rapidly and easily released. Further, the mercury in the structure 7 that could not be released when the mercury-releasing structure 7 was enclosed in the bulb 1 was exhausted through the many holes along with the lighting of the lamp L, and the mercury on the center side gradually leached out. It has the effect of replenishing the mercury and preventing the deterioration of lamp characteristics.

The mercury-releasing structure 7 made of zinc-Zn-mercury-Hg alloy after mercury release in the middle portion of the ring-shaped bulb 1 has the surface coated with the phosphor 8, so that the lamp L
This phosphor 8 receives ultraviolet rays at the time of internal discharge and emits light together with the phosphor film 6 on the inner surface of the bulb 1 to conceal the existence of the mercury emitting structure 7 and thus the quality of the lamp L is not deteriorated in appearance. The phosphor 8 covering the mercury-emitting structure 7 is preferably the same as the phosphor film 6 formed on the inner surface of the bulb 1 because it emits the same light color.

Further, since the mercury-releasing structure 7 is solid, it can be handled particularly easily and quantitatively, and the amount of impurities adhering or adsorbing is small, so that the impure gas, which adversely affects the characteristics after encapsulating in the lamp L, is hardly generated. Even if it is generated, this phosphor 8 has a function of adsorbing the impure gas generated from the structure 7, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of characteristics such as reduction of luminous flux during the life and increase of lamp voltage and starting voltage, and it is possible to prolong the life.

Further, even if the mercury emitting structure 7 rolls on the phosphor film 6 on the inner surface of the bulb 1, since the phosphor 8 of the same quality as the phosphor film 6 on the inner surface of the bulb 1 is formed on the surface thereof, The body 8 serves as a buffer and does not strongly damage the phosphor film 6 on the inner surface of the bulb 1.

Further, when the mercury emission from the mercury emission structure 7 is stopped at the end of the life, the ultraviolet intensity in the vicinity of the structure 7 is reduced and the apparent brightness of the structure 7 is lowered. It can be seen that L has reached the end of its life, and it is possible to know when to replace the lamp.

Next, a method for manufacturing the ring-shaped fluorescent lamp L will be described. First, a phosphor is applied to the inner surface of the straight tube type glass bulb 1 by a conventional method to form a phosphor film 6. Next, the glass stems 2 provided with electrodes 4 on both ends of the bulb 1 are sealed to form a translucent airtight container. During this sealing, while the glass is in a softened state, this portion is put into a mold to pressurize the inside of the bulb 1 to form a ring-shaped protrusion 3a at the outer peripheral edge of the tip of the sealing portion 3. A ring-shaped recess 3b is formed in the. (It is needless to say that the sealing portions 3 are formed at both ends of the valve 1, although not shown.) Then, the sealed valve 1 is heated and softened as a whole to The annular protruding portion 3a of the sealing portion 3 is gripped by a jig and wound around a circular drum to form an annular shape. At this time, the inside of the valve 1 is pressurized so as not to be crushed. Then, the valve 1 is exhausted through the exhaust pipe 5 of the stem 2 while heating the valve 1, and then the granular mercury emission structure 7 containing the rare gas and mercury Hg is exhausted to the upper side as shown in FIG. The exhaust pipe 5 is closed after it is sealed in the valve 1 through the pipe 5.

The granular mercury-releasing structure 7 dropped into the exhaust pipe 5 falls through the exhaust pipe 5 to the lower side of gravity,
After exiting the opening 25 of the exhaust pipe 5, the phosphor film 6 formed on the inner surface of the bulb 1 moves downward in the bulb 1 while rolling as shown by an arrow. At this time, the temperature of the valve 1 is high due to the formation of the sealing portion 3 and the exhaust pipe 5 being cut off.
Due to this ambient temperature, the temperature of the mercury-releasing structure 7 also rises. The mercury on the surface of the heated mercury-releasing structure 7 that rolls and falls on the phosphor film 6 on the inner surface of the bulb 1 has good wettability with the phosphor, and the surface of the mercury-releasing structure 7 has a surface on the bulb 1 surface. Part of the phosphor film 6 is attached. In particular, in the bulb 1 curved in an annular shape, the rolling distance of the structure 7 becomes long, and the structure 7 having a substantially spherical shape falls while rotating irregularly, and fluorescence is partially or almost entirely over the surface of the structure 7. The body 8 is deposited and stops at the middle or bottom of the valve 1.

After this, the sealing parts 3 at both ends of the valve 1,
A base (not shown) is attached between 3 to complete the lamp L.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention,
In the figure, the same parts as those in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The one shown in FIG. 3 is a straight tube type fluorescent lamp L, in which the bulb 1 is placed in a horizontal state and exhausted to fill the discharge medium. In the case of this embodiment, after exhausting the inside of the valve 1, the mercury releasing structure 7 is supplied into the exhaust pipe 5, and then an inert gas is blown into the exhaust pipe 5 to open the mercury releasing structure 7 in the exhaust pipe 5. The phosphor 8 was pushed out from the portion 25 and dropped into the bulb 1, and the phosphor film 6 was rolled to cover the surface of the structure 7 with the phosphor 8.

Also in this case, the mercury-releasing structure 7 having an appropriate temperature rise
Is rolled on the phosphor film 6 so that the phosphor adheres to the surface and the phosphor 8 is formed on a part or almost the entire surface of the phosphor film 6, and this lamp L also has the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment. .

Further, in the above embodiment, the mercury releasing structure 7 is not particularly fixed in the bulb 1, but the residual heat of heating for degassing at the time of exhaust is utilized or the bulb is locally heated separately. Alternatively, the mercury-releasing structure 7 in the vicinity may be heated to release the contained mercury and be melted to be welded to the inner wall surface of the bulb 1, the phosphor film 6 or the stem 2 surface.

When it is desired to fix the mercury-releasing structure 7 to the sealing portion 3 at the end of the bulb 1 where the phosphor film 6 is not formed, the bulb 1 including the stem 2 is heated while the temperature of the bulb 1 is high. The mercury-releasing structure 7 may be rotated and moved to the recess 3b to be welded, or may be separately heated and welded as described above. Stem 2 where this welding position is made of lead glass
In the surface or in the recessed portion 3b at the outermost end of the sealing portion 3, the lead components are compatible with each other and can be firmly fixed. Further, if this fixing location is at the extreme end of the sealing portion 3, the mercury-releasing structure 7 cannot be seen from the outside after the cap is capped, so that the appearance when the lamp L is lit is not considered at all.

Incidentally, since the mercury-releasing structure 7 having the above composition uses zinc Zn, which has a low melting point in the metal, its melting start temperature is about 350 ° C., and the mercury in the structure 7 is about 100 ° C.
When the temperature of the substrate 7 decreases as it evaporates from its surface, the substrate 7 is welded to the inner surface of the glass wall. When the temperature of this structure 7 is raised, mercury Hg having a low melting point gradually evaporates from the surface side, and after that, a porous Zn Zn component portion having a large number of pores and the mercury Hg component inside are formed. The part remains.

Further, the above-mentioned mercury-releasing structure 7 is manufactured by using zinc Zn of 40 to 50% by weight, for example 45% by weight, and mercury Hg.
50 to 60% by weight, for example 55% by weight, are fused in a tank, and a melt of mercury Hg and zinc Zn at about 500 ° C. is dropped from the tip of the nozzle into silicon oil or the like, or dropped liquid particles. Is gradually cooled in air or in a non-oxidizing gas. The granular structure 7 has a mercury Hg concentration of about 50% by weight and a zinc Zn concentration of about 5 on the central side.
0% by weight, surface Hg concentration is about 40% by weight mercury, Zinc Z
The n concentration is about 60% by weight.

The fluorescent substance 8 is applied to the surface of the mercury-emitting structure 7 by a phosphor suspension of the same quality as the granular structure 7 shown in the above embodiment is preferably applied to the inner surface of the bulb 1. It is also possible to supply the one soaked in it or the one having the phosphor 8 previously formed by spray-coating the phosphor suspension onto the structure 7 into the bulb 1 when exhausting. With such a configuration, the phosphor film 6 formed on the inner surface of the bulb 1
It is possible to further prevent scratches on the surface of the structure 7 and it is possible to adhere the phosphor 8 to the entire surface of the structure 7. Although the stem 2 is used for sealing the valve 1 in all of the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention does not use a stem such as a flare stem or a button stem, but instead uses the lead wires 9 and 9 as shown in FIG. The end may be directly sealed in the sealed portion 3 which is crushed. In this case, it is necessary to take care so that the mercury emitting structure 7 does not short-circuit between the lead wires 9 and 9.
For example, the exhaust pipe 5 may be made to project between the lead wires 9 and 9 as shown by a dotted line.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing an example of an illuminating device using the straight tube fluorescent lamp L of the present invention. The illuminating device shown in the figure is a luminaire D, and in the figure, D1 is a luminaire main body, and a fixture (not shown) for a building or the like, a power supply connection mechanism, a ballast D2, etc. are lit on the main body D1. The device is housed, and lamp sockets D3 and D3 are mounted below the main body D1, and a fluorescent lamp L is mounted between them. The fluorescent lamp L is supported by the sockets D3 and D3, and is supplied with power via the power supply connection mechanism, the ballast D2 and the sockets D3 and D3, and can be stably lit.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and for example, the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp is not limited to a general fluorescent lamp, and a protective film such as alumina or the like may be provided between the glass bulb surface and the phosphor film. In addition to other fluorescent lamps that have a transparent conductive film, there are mercury lamps inside the bulb, such as UV radiation lamps with or without a coating on the bulb surface, and discharge lamps for display with a phosphor film on the barrier ribs inside the bulb. It can also be applied to other lamps that enclose.

The shape of the valve forming the translucent airtight container is not limited to the ring shape and the straight tube shape, but it is a so-called compact shape in which the U-shaped, W-shaped, WU-shaped, etc. bends or plural tube-shaped valves are connected. May be Further, the bulb is not limited to a tubular T-shaped bulb made of glass or translucent ceramics, but may be G-shaped or A-shaped with one end closed, and glass, ceramics, metal or the like at the open end of the bulb. It may be formed by sealing the end plate or the stem, and there is no problem even if the mercury-releasing structure is fixed to these ceramics or metal parts. In addition, the front and back sides 2 via a dish or spacer
A flat plate-shaped bulb formed by joining a plurality of plate materials, or by stacking a plate body 11 in which a discharge groove 12 such as a U shape is engraved as shown in FIG. 6 or sealing a glass plate 13 is used. It does not matter even if it is a thing. Further, the lamp and the ballast may be integrated. Further, the material of the valve and the stem and the combination of the materials are not limited to those in the embodiment, but soda lime glass, lead glass or hard glass, or ceramics or metal as described above may be used in place. It can be appropriately selected and used according to the rating, load, application, price, etc. of the lamp.

As a material for the mercury releasing structure, mercury Hg is of course necessary. However, in addition to mercury Hg and zinc Zn, mercury Hg and metal have a low melting point and impure gas in the sealed valve. It may be an alloy with another metal, which does not cause the generation of light and does not reduce the luminous flux or the life of the lamp. Further, the grain shape is not limited to a spherical shape, and may be a polyhedron composed of an aggregate of circular portions, an indeterminate distorted polyhedron shape or a substantially regular polygonal polyhedron.

The change in the mercury concentration of the granular mercury-releasing structure may be gradually changed from the surface side or may be changed stepwise. Further, the size of this granular mercury-releasing structure may be such that it can pass through the inside of the exhaust pipe,
The enclosed amount may be appropriately determined according to the type, required characteristics, etc., and the number of structures to be enclosed in one lamp is not limited to one and may be plural.

Furthermore, the method of enclosing the mercury-releasing structure does not have to be simultaneous encapsulation with the rare gas and may be encapsulation separately, and encapsulation is not limited to the exhaust pipe.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the discharge electrode is provided in the valve forming the airtight container, but the electrode may be provided not only in the valve but on the outer surface side of the valve.

[0054]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the phosphor is adhered to the surface of the mercury-releasing structure, the impure gas emitted from the mercury-releasing structure is absorbed by the phosphor and directly discharged into the bulb. The amount of waste can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to improve various characteristics such as improvement of luminous flux maintenance factor and suppression of abnormal increase of lamp voltage and starting voltage, and quality improvement without impairing the appearance of the lamp.

The lamp life can be detected by detecting the presence of the mercury emission structure in the bulb as the emission of light from the mercury emission structure decreases.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, since a phosphor is adhered to the surface of the mercury-releasing structure, this phosphor emits light together with the phosphor formed on the bulb surface when the lamp is turned on. However, the emission characteristics can be improved, and the presence of the mercury-releasing structure in the bulb can be hidden.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 1, since the mercury-releasing structure reabsorbs the mercury in the bulb during the extinguishing period, it is easy to recover the mercury when the lamp reaches the end of its life. is there. Also, unlike amalgam, the mercury vapor pressure does not become too low even in a low temperature atmosphere and can be used. The mercury is re-released quickly during lighting, and the mercury vapor pressure stabilizes quickly.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since zinc Zn is mainly used as the mercury-releasing structure, mercury is released at a relatively low temperature, and no special means for releasing is required.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the glass bulb of the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp has a curved tube shape, the distance over which the mercury-emitting structure rolls on the phosphor film is long and the phosphor easily adheres to the structure. In the invention of claim 6, since the phosphor is attached to at least a part of the surface of the mercury-releasing structure, the effect of light emission and impurity gas adsorption can be obtained even if the phosphor is not attached to the entire surface.

According to the invention described in claim 7, the lamps described in claims 1 to 6 can be turned on without impairing the appearance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional front view showing an end portion of an annular fluorescent lamp of the present invention in a cutaway manner.

FIG. 2 is a partial sectional front view schematically showing a mercury-releasing structure.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a partially broken and partially enlarged straight tubular fluorescent lamp of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional front view showing an end portion of a fluorescent lamp of another embodiment of the present invention in a cutaway manner.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a lighting fixture according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a fluorescent lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 L: Lamp D: Lighting equipment 1: Glass bulb (translucent airtight container) 2: Stem 3: Sealing part 4: Electrode 5: Exhaust pipe 6: Phosphor film 7: Mercury emitting structure 8: Phosphor

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A translucent airtight container; an electrode provided in the translucent airtight container; a discharge medium containing mercury and a noble gas sealed in the translucent airtight container; It is placed in an airtight container and melts below the wall temperature of the airtight container during lamp operation and below the softening temperature of the airtight container to release mercury, which is then substantially reabsorbed during operation. Without
A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp, comprising: a mercury-emitting structure having a surface coated with a phosphor. 2. The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the translucent airtight container has a phosphor film formed on its inner surface. 3. The low-pressure according to claim 1, wherein the mercury-releasing structure reabsorbs mercury in the translucent airtight container during the extinguishing period of the lamp and releases it again during lighting. Mercury vapor discharge lamp. 4. The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the mercury-releasing structure is mainly made of zinc Zn. 5. The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the translucent airtight container has a curved tube shape. 6. The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the phosphor is deposited on at least a part of the surface of the mercury-emitting structure. 7. A lighting device comprising: a lighting device main body; and the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1 installed in the device main body.