Tubular light bulb device

• US 20020024814A1
• Filed: 08/28/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Makoto, Matsuba, Tetsuo
• Granted Patent: US 6,607,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0095 of U-shaped tubular light sources, e.g. compact fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/85 characterised by the material liquid coolants F21V29/56
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/86 Ceramics or glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/37 U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/30 Vessels; Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/325 U-shaped lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/327 "Compact"-lamps, i.e. lamps having a folded discharge path
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/34 Double-wall vessels or containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/52 Cooling arrangements; Heating arrangements; Means for circulating gas or vapour within the discharge space heating or cooling arrangements to promote ionisation for starting H01J61/54
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/56 One or more circuit elements structurally associated with the lamp
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/72 having a main light-emitting filling of easily vaporisable metal vapour, e.g. mercury

Abstract

A tubular light bulb device includes an arc tube, a lighting circuit for lighting the arc tube, a case housing the lighting circuit and having a base at one end, and a heat-transferring member disposed in the case for conducting heat from a space formed in the case to the base. This allows the tubular light bulb device to discharge heat in the space formed in the case to the outside to reduce temperature of a phosphor film and electronic parts of the lighting circuit, whereby increased life can be obtained.

Claims

1. A tubular light bulb device, comprising:

an arc tube;

a lighting circuit for lighting the arc tube;

a case housing the lighting circuit and having a base at one end; and

a heat-transferring member disposed in the case for conducting heat from a space formed in the case to the base.

2. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is connected to the base and comprises a member embedded in the case.

3. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the heat-transferring member is exposed to the space formed in the case.

4. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is connected to the base and provided on an inner face of the case.

5. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member extends from a first end to a second end of the case.

6. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is connected to the base in such a manner that an end of the heat-transferring member is overlapped with an end of the base.

7. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is provided with through-holes.

8. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is electrically insulated from the base.

9. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, further comprising an electrically-insulating member comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, alumina, silicon oxide, and fluorocarbon resin formed on a surface of the heat-transferring member.

10. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is integrated with a portion of the base.

11. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of metal, resin, and ceramic.

12. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is made of metal, and a portion thereof adjacent to a part in the lighting circuit that generates magnetism is cut away.

13. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is formed of a case integrated with a metal plate embedded in resin as a forming material.

14. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 13, wherein the metal plate embedded in the resin is provided, on a side of the base, with through-holes penetrating from inside to outside.

15. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein the heat-transferring member is formed of a metal plate having a thickness in the range of 0.05 mm to 0.3 mm.

16. The tubular light bulb device according to claim 1, wherein a contact area between the heat-transferring member and the base is at least 300 mm².