JPH08148120A - Low-pressure mercury discharge lamp and lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp capable of sealing a fixed quantity of mercury, having no problem for fixing and easy to manufacture and provide a lighting system. CONSTITUTION: A mercury emitting structure 6 and a discharge medium containing rare gas are sealed in a translucent airtight container 1 provided with electrodes 4, 4. The granular main body section 61 of the mercury emitting structure 6 is fixed to the inner face 11 of the airtight container 1 containing a stem 2 at a skirt section 63 via a constriction section 62. A fixed quantity of mercury is easily sealed, the mercury emitting structure 6 is fixed at the skirt section having a wide area, the fixing strength is high, and there is no possibility that the mercury emitting structure 6 is peeled and moved to generate noises in the airtight container 1 in use. Mercury is emitted from nearly all the surface of the mercury emitting structure 6 including the fixed side face of the constriction section 62, the emitted quantity (efficiency) of mercury is improved by about 20% as compared with the case of solid fixing, and the lamp characteristics such as luminescence characteristic and life characteristic are 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 such as a glass bulb, and an illuminating 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 tube-shaped glass bulb filled with a rare gas such as mercury and argon as a discharge medium. It is a light source that plays a major role in light emission by using 185 nm or the like as an excitation source of a phosphor, and there are some lamps in which only a rare gas is enclosed, but mercury is indispensable in a lamp that achieves high efficiency. is there.

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 and the like, mercury and 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.

Further, the mercury alloy and the mercury pellets, particularly the mercury alloy enclosed in the bulb in the form of granules, are not positively fixed to the bulb, the stem surface or the like, and are in a lowered temperature state after heating or preheating. The mercury alloy with a low melting point that happens to be located on the valve surface is sticky. And
When vibration or shock is applied to the bulb, the light and sticky mercury alloy is peeled off from the bulb surface and moves inside the bulb to make an unusual noise, and this movement causes fluorescence on the inner wall of the bulb. There were cases where the body membrane was peeled off and scratched such as streaks or pinholes, or when it stopped on the inner surface of the bulb to form a dark spot and a shadow was visible, and the appearance of the lamp was poor and it was considered that the quality had deteriorated.

[0007]

Therefore, it is conceivable to heat-melt and fix the granular mercury alloy in the bulb (airtight container) so that the granular mercury alloy does not move freely.
If this entire mercury alloy is melted to increase the joint area with the inner surface of the valve (airtight container), the joint strength will increase and peeling can be prevented, but the inner surface of the valve (airtight container) will be largely covered and the valve (airtight container) will be covered. However, there is a problem in that a shadow is formed on the light emitting surface of and the appearance is impaired. Further, if the joint area is small, the joint strength is weak, and some of them may come off when vibration or shock is applied during transportation or stock of the lamp, which is also not preferable.

The present inventor has proposed the zinc Z previously proposed by the applicant.
As a result of further re-testing the mercury-releasing structure mainly composed of n-mercury Hg, the mercury-releasing structure molded in a substantially spherical shape was welded to the inner surface of the airtight container while increasing the surface area of the main body part and welding an appropriate area. It has been found that a suitable amount of mercury inclusion and a desired bond strength can be obtained. The present invention provides a mercury-releasing structure having a substantially spherical shape that does not move freely in a valve (airtight container) and has a good mercury-releasing property and can reliably perform a fixed amount of mercury.
An object of the present invention is to provide a low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp that does not cause a noticeable shadow on the inner surface and has improved workability, lamp characteristics, and appearance quality, and a lighting device having this discharge lamp.

[0009]

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 airtight container, and mercury enclosed in the airtight container. A discharge medium containing a rare gas and a gas, which is disposed in the airtight container, exceeds the container wall temperature during lamp operation, and melts to release mercury below the softening temperature of the airtight container. In a body in which the main body that does not substantially reabsorb mercury during operation comprises a granular mercury-releasing structure, the above-mentioned mercury-releasing structure is provided on the inner surface of the airtight container including the stem, the main body of which has a skirt through a constricted portion. It is characterized in that it is fixed in the shape part.

The term "does not substantially reabsorb mercury during operation" means that mercury is absorbed or released to the extent that the mercury vapor pressure in the bulb is changed according to the ambient temperature during operation like amalgam. This means that it has no function of absorbing excess mercury vapor in the bulb and keeping it below the mercury vapor pressure of pure water silver.
Part of amalgamation is allowed as long as the mercury vapor pressure in the bulb 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 the mercury-releasing structure reabsorbs mercury in the hermetic container during the lamp extinguishing period and re-emits it during lighting.

The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that the mercury emission structure is mainly composed of zinc Zn.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp is characterized in that the average delivery of the skirt portion of the mercury emission structure is twice or more the average delivery of the necked portion.

The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 5 of the present invention is characterized in that the glass material of the bulb or the stem constituting the hermetic container is lead glass.

An illuminator according to claim 6 of the present invention comprises a illuminator main body and the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is installed in the main body of the illuminator. It is characterized by being.

[0016]

According to the invention of claim 1, since the mercury-releasing structure having a granular main body is fixed to the surface of the airtight container such as a glass bulb through the constriction, it is secured to the main body by a wide skirt-shaped portion. There is no risk of the mercury emitting structure peeling off during use of the lamp. Further, since the mercury-releasing structure has the constricted portion, mercury is emitted from almost the entire surface including the fixed side surface of the granular main body portion, so that the deterioration of the lamp characteristics such as the light emission characteristics and the life characteristics can be suppressed.

According to the invention of claim 2, 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 third 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 4, there is the same effect as that of claim 1, and the average transfer of the skirt portion melted and fluidized on the glass surface is more than twice the average transfer of the constricted portion. Firmly adheres.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the glass surface to be fixed and the mercury-releasing structure are made of the same type of material, the two are well-familiar and difficult to peel off and can be firmly fixed.

Further, in the invention of claim 6, the same operation as that of any one of claims 1 to 5 can be obtained.

[0022]

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 bulb made of soda lime glass or lead glass, 2 is a stem made of lead glass, and 3 is a sealing portion between the bulb 1 and the stem 2.
The outer peripheral edge of the tip portion of the sealing portion 3 has an annular protruding node portion 3
1 has an annular recess 32 formed therein, and the valve 1 and the stem 2 constitute an airtight container. Reference numeral 4 is an electrode provided on the stem 2, and reference numeral 21 is an exhaust pipe made of soda lime glass or lead glass. On the inner surface of the bulb 1, there is formed a phosphor film 5 coated with a three-wavelength type rare earth phosphor, a continuous-wavelength emission type halophosphate phosphor, or the like. Further, mercury H is used as a discharge medium in the bulb 1.
g and argon Ar, krypton Kr, xenon Xe
Noble gas such as is sealed alone or in a mixture.

Further, the recess 32 of the sealing portion 3 at the end of the valve 1
A substantially spherical granular mercury-releasing structure 6 is disposed inside, and a part of it is melted and flows onto the glass surface 11, and is fixed after cooling.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion where the mercury-releasing structure 6 is arranged. The structure 6 is made of, for example, a zinc Zn-mercury Hg alloy and is a polyhedron having a large number of irregularities on its surface. The largest part of the main body is a granular main body 61 having a diameter of about 1.5 mm, and the granular main body 61 is a constricted body. It has a shape having a skirt-shaped portion 63 which is melted and spread on the glass surface 11 on the inner surface of the sealing portion 3 via the portion 62.

The mercury-releasing structure 6 after the completion of the lamp L is mainly composed of zinc Zn, and is an alloy with mercury (mercury Hg concentration 50 to 6) which is granular before mercury is discharged.
This alloy is known per se, with 0% by weight of excess melting. ) Is formed, most of the mercury Hg is released by heating in the lamp manufacturing process, and only the zinc Zn-mercury Hg alloy containing a small amount of mercury Hg remains.

This mercury-releasing structure 6 melts above the wall temperature of the bulb 1 during normal lighting after the completion of the lamp L and below the softening temperature of the glass bulb 1, and re-absorption of mercury is substantially after the mercury is released. 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 emitted from the granular mercury emitting structure 6 made of zinc Zn-mercury Hg alloy by heating in the lamp manufacturing process, and the mercury Hg is supplied so that a predetermined light emission characteristic is obtained. can get. Moreover, the mercury-releasing structure 6 releases mercury at a relatively low temperature, and no special means for discharging is required, and the granular main body portion 61 is formed from almost the entire surface including the narrowed neck portion 62 side. Since it releases mercury, it can be released quickly and easily. Further, the mercury inside the main body 61, which could not be released when the mercury-releasing structure 6 was enclosed, gradually exuded to the surface through many holes as the lamp L was turned on, and supplemented the consumed mercury. It has an effect of preventing deterioration of characteristics.

Incidentally, since the mercury-releasing structure 6 having the above composition uses zinc Zn, which has a low melting point in the metal, the melting start temperature is about 350 ° C., and the mercury in the structure 6 is about 100 ° C.
The structure 6 is welded to the inner surface of the glass wall as it evaporates from its surface and the temperature decreases. When the temperature of this structure 6 is raised, mercury Hg having a low melting point gradually evaporates from the surface side, and after that, a porous zinc Zn component portion having a large number of pores and the mercury Hg component inside are formed. The part remains.

Further, since this mercury-releasing structure 6 is solid, its handling, in particular, quantitative encapsulation is easy, adhesion and adsorption of impurities is small, and impure gas, which adversely affects the characteristics after encapsulation in the lamp L, is little generated, and the life is reduced. It is possible to prevent deterioration of characteristics such as reduction of luminous flux and increase of lamp voltage and starting voltage, and to prolong life.

Next, a method of 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 5. Next, the glass stems 2 and 2 provided with electrodes 4 at both ends of the bulb 1 are sealed. During this sealing, while the glass is in a softened state, this part is put into a mold to pressurize the inside of the bulb 1 to form a ring-shaped protruding node part 31 on the outer peripheral edge of the tip part of the sealing part 3. An annular recess 32 is formed inside. (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 joint 31 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 exhaust pipe 21 of the stem 2 is heated while heating the entire valve 1.
The valve 1 is evacuated through the valve 1, and then the granular mercury releasing structure 6 containing a rare gas and mercury Hg is sealed in the valve 1 through the exhaust pipe 21 at one end, and the exhaust pipe 21 is closed.

When this granular mercury discharging structure 6 is enclosed through the exhaust pipe 21, the mercury discharging structure 6 exits from the exhaust pipe 21 and rolls in the valve 1 to fall downward under gravity, and the middle portion of the valve 1 is closed. Stop at. Therefore, when the valve 1 is picked up and inverted so that the sealing portion 3 comes to the lower side, the mercury releasing structure 6 stopped at the middle portion moves to the sealing portion 3 at the end of the valve 1. At the time of this drop, the mercury emission structure 6 comes into contact with the glass bulb 1 and the stem 2 which are considerably high in temperature due to the sealing portion 3 or the formation of the ring or the exhaust pipe 21 being closed, and the temperature of the mercury emission structure 6 is also increased. Rising,
In addition to releasing the mercury inside, a granular mercury emitting structure 6
The surface portion in contact with the glass bulb 1 or the stem 2 at the position where is stopped melts and flows onto the glass surface 11 and is fixed by cooling and a skirt portion 63 is formed. Since the surface of the mercury-releasing structure 6 has a substantially spherical shape,
A substantially spherically shaped granular main body portion 61 remains on the upper side where it is not thermally deformed, and the skirt-shaped portion 6 is expanded by melting.
A constricted portion 62 having a narrower delivery than that of the other is formed between the constricted portion 3 and the portion 3.

According to an experiment conducted by the present inventor, in order to secure the fixing strength of the mercury-releasing structure 6 fixed to the glass surface 11 as described above, the average delivery d2 of the melt-flowed skirt 63 is this skirt. It has been found that the size may be at least twice as large as the average delivery d1 of the constricted portion 62 that is connected to 63.

Example Average transfer of the main body portion 61 of the mercury-releasing structure 6 1.2 to 1.8 mm Average transfer of the constricted portion 62 0.05 to 0.5 mm Average transfer of the skirt portion 63 0.1 to 1. 0 mm (Note that the average transfer referred to here is the granular main body 6
1. Since the constricted portion 62 and the hem-shaped portion 63 do not always form a perfect circle, they are the values obtained by measuring and averaging the transfer at several points between the outer edges. In addition, when the mercury releasing structure 6 is fixed, if the residual heat of the glass bulb 1 and the stem 2 is insufficient for melting, a slight amount of heating (however, less than the softening temperature of the glass bulb 1) may be added. .

After this, the sealing portions 3 at both ends of the valve 1 are
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. What is shown in FIG. 3 is a mercury emitting structure 6.
Is welded to both the glass bulb 1 and the stem 2 in the sealing portion 3.

In the case of this embodiment, since the fixing is performed at a plurality of places, for example, two places, the fixing strength can be further increased. Further, in this case, the delivery dimension of each welded portion can be made smaller than that of the above-mentioned fixing at one place.

Note that FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the mercury-releasing structure 6 after fixation shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and there is a considerable amount of entry and exit around the skirt-like portion 63 that extends through the constricted portion 62. Admitted.

Further, the mercury-releasing structure can be formed by the method of the present invention (see FIG. 2).
As a result of examining the occurrence of peeling of the mercury-releasing structure by the drop impact test of the ring-shaped fluorescent lamp fixed by the above-mentioned method and the conventional method, the conventional product peeled at an impact force of 100 G, while the product of the present invention has an impact force. It was confirmed that peeling and fixing strength could be significantly improved at 270G.

Further, in the above embodiment, the mercury releasing structure 6 is fixed at the sealing portion 3 at the end of the bulb 1. However, in the present invention, the structure 2 is hidden by the stem 2 surface or the cap being covered. The possible lamp L may be fixed on the phosphor film 5.

If the fixing position is the valve 1 surface, the stem 2 surface, or the sealing portion 3 made of lead glass, the lead components in the respective materials are compatible and can be firmly fixed.

Further, the above-mentioned mercury-releasing structure 6 is manufactured by using zinc Zn 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. By gradually cooling the product in air or in a non-oxidizing gas, a substantially spherical or other granular material can be obtained. The granular mercury-releasing structure 6 has a mercury Hg concentration of about 50% by weight and a zinc Zn concentration of about 50% by weight on the center side, and a mercury Hg concentration of about 40% by weight and a zinc Zn concentration of about 60% by weight on the surface side. .

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 the lead wires 7, 7 as shown in FIG. The valve 1 may be directly sealed in the sealing portion 3 obtained by crushing the end portion of the valve 1. In this case, it is necessary to consider that the mercury emission structure 6 does not short-circuit between the lead wires 7 and 7. For example, the exhaust pipe 21 is projected between the lead wires 7 and 7 as shown by a dotted line. You can deal with such things.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an example of an illuminating device using the above-mentioned annular fluorescent lamp L of the present invention. The lighting device shown in the drawing is a lighting fixture D, in which D1 is a lighting fixture main body, and a lighting device such as a fixture D4 to a building, a power supply connection mechanism, a ballast D2, etc. is housed in the main body D1. ,
Lamp holders D3 and D3 are mounted on the main body D1, and a fluorescent lamp L is mounted between them. The fluorescent lamp L is supported by the lamp holders D3 and D3, and is supplied with power via the power supply connection mechanism and the power supply line D5 from the ballast D2 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 having a transparent conductive film formed thereon, the present invention can be applied to other lamps in which mercury is enclosed in a glass bulb, such as an ultraviolet radiation lamp with or without a coating formed on the bulb surface.

Further, the bulb and stem forming the translucent airtight container are not limited to the glass of the above-mentioned embodiment, but a member may be formed of ceramics or metal as described later, and the combination of the materials is a lamp. Can be appropriately selected and used according to the type, rating, load, application, price, etc.

Further, in the above embodiment, the glass bulb in which a tubular glass tube is bent in a straight shape or in an annular shape has been described. However, the bulb is not limited to this, and a straight tube shape or a U-shape or a W-shape can be used. It may be a so-called compact type in which a WU-shaped bent or a plurality of straight tubular valves are connected. Also, two plate materials may be joined to each other through a discharge lamp or a spacer in which a metal stem or an end cap is sealed at the open end of a tubular glass tube or a glass bulb whose one end is closed to form an airtight container. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to a flat-plate-type discharge lamp or the like in which a plate body having discharge grooves of a letter shape or the like is superposed or formed by joining glass plates. Further, even if the mercury-releasing structure is fixed to the metal stem or end cap, there is no problem.

Although mercury Hg is of course necessary as a material for the mercury releasing structure, mercury Hg and zinc Zn, as well as mercury Hg and metal, have a low melting point and are impure gases 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, although the overall appearance shape of the granules is a substantially spherical shape, the surface of the granules has a polyhedral shape having a large number of irregularities, and the shape of the structure of the present invention is a substantially elliptical shape or the like, which has an irregular shape. It may be a polyhedron shape or a substantially polygonal polyhedron shape.

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 amount to be enclosed may be appropriately determined according to the type of product, required characteristics, etc. The number of structures to be enclosed in one lamp is not limited to one, but may be multiple, and there are also multiple points of fixing to the glass surface. May be

Furthermore, the method of enclosing the mercury-releasing metal structure may be encapsulation separately, not simultaneously encapsulation with the rare gas.

[0051]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the granular mercury releasing structure is fixed to the surface of the light-transmitting airtight container such as the valve through the constricted portion by the skirt portion having a large area with respect to the main body. Since the fixing strength is high, there is no risk that the mercury-releasing structure will peel off and move during use of the lamp to cause abnormal noise in the airtight container. In addition, since the mercury-releasing structure has a constricted portion, the mercury emission amount (efficiency) is improved by about 20% as compared with the case of sticking, in which mercury is emitted from almost the entire surface including the fixed side surface, and the emission characteristics and life span are improved. The lamp characteristics such as characteristics can be improved.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effect 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,
Mercury re-emission during lighting is performed quickly, the mercury vapor pressure stabilizes quickly, and the lamp characteristics can be improved.

According to the third aspect of the present 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 invention of claim 4, there is the same effect as that of claim 1, and the average delivery of the portion melted and fluidized on the surface of the container is more than twice the average delivery of the constricted portion. Firmly adheres.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the surface of the container to be fixed and the mercury-releasing structure are made of the same material, the two are well-familiar and difficult to peel off, and can be firmly fixed.

Further, in the invention of claim 6, the lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5 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 partially sectional front view showing an enlarged main part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially sectional front view showing an enlarged main part of another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the mercury-releasing structure of FIGS. 2 and 3 in a further enlarged manner.

FIG. 5 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. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a lighting fixture (lighting device) according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 L: Lamp D: Lighting equipment (lighting device) 1: Glass bulb (translucent airtight container) 11: Glass surface 2: Stem 21: Exhaust pipe 3: Sealing part 4: Electrode 5: Phosphor film 6: Mercury emission Structure 61: Main part 62: Constricted part 63: Bottom part

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A translucent airtight container; an electrode provided in the airtight container; a discharge medium containing mercury and a rare gas sealed in the airtight container; provided in the airtight container, The main body is a granular mercury-releasing structure that exceeds the container wall temperature during lamp operation and melts below the softening temperature of the airtight container to release mercury, which does not substantially reabsorb mercury after operation. The mercury-releasing structure is provided on the inner surface of the airtight container including the stem,
A low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp characterized in that its main body is fixed at a skirt-like portion through a constriction. 2. The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the mercury-releasing structure re-absorbs mercury in the hermetic container during the lamp extinguishing period and re-emits it during lighting. 3. The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the mercury-releasing structure is mainly composed of zinc Zn. 4. The low-pressure mercury vapor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mercury-releasing structure has an average crossover of the skirt-shaped portion twice or more than an average crossover of the constricted portion. Discharge lamp. 5. The low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the glass material of the bulb or stem forming the airtight container is lead glass. 6. A lighting device comprising: a lighting device main body; and the low-pressure mercury vapor discharge lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is installed in the device main body.