Fluorescent lamp unit and lighting apparatus having the fluorescent lamp unit
First Claim
1. A fluorescent lamp unit comprising:
- a fluorescent lamp having a bulb constituting one discharge path, said bulb including three U-shaped tube portions;
a lighting circuit operatively connected to the fluorescent lamp for lighting the fluorescent lamp; and
a cover part having a cap at one end thereof and having a globe at other end thereof for containing the lighting circuit and the fluorescent lamp;
wherein each of said three U-shaped tube portions has a pair of straight tube portions provided straight in a direction along to a basic center axis of the fluorescent lamp unit and has a bent portion being bent so as to be convexly curved toward the globe side opposite to the cap side thereby to form substantially U-shape and linking the glove side ends of the pair of straight tube portions, said straight tube portions being arranged equidistantly on a circumference of a certain radius from the basic center axis;
and wherein said three U-shaped tube portions are formed so that minimum gaps c1, c2a, and c2b between the inner surface of the globe and each of the outer surfaces of the globe side ends of the three U-shaped tube portions have substantially a same length.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fluorescent lamp unit includes a fluorescent lamp having a bulb constituting one discharge path, said bulb including three U-shaped tube portions, a lighting circuit operatively connected to the fluorescent lamp for lighting the fluorescent lamp, and a cover part having a cap at one end thereof and having a globe at other end thereof for containing the lighting circuit and the fluorescent lamp. Each of the three U-shaped tube portions has a pair of straight tube portions provided straight in a direction along to a basic center axis of the fluorescent lamp unit and has a bent portion being bent so as to be convexly curved toward the globe side opposite to the cap side thereby to form substantially U-shape and linking the glove side ends of the pair of straight tube portions. The straight tube portions are arranged equidistantly on a circumference of a certain radius from the basic center axis. The three U-shaped tube portions are formed so that minimum gaps c1, c2a, and c2b between the inner surface of the globe and each of the outer surfaces of the globe side ends of the three U-shaped tubes have substantially a same length.
34 Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A fluorescent lamp unit comprising:
-
a fluorescent lamp having a bulb constituting one discharge path, said bulb including three U-shaped tube portions; a lighting circuit operatively connected to the fluorescent lamp for lighting the fluorescent lamp; and a cover part having a cap at one end thereof and having a globe at other end thereof for containing the lighting circuit and the fluorescent lamp; wherein each of said three U-shaped tube portions has a pair of straight tube portions provided straight in a direction along to a basic center axis of the fluorescent lamp unit and has a bent portion being bent so as to be convexly curved toward the globe side opposite to the cap side thereby to form substantially U-shape and linking the glove side ends of the pair of straight tube portions, said straight tube portions being arranged equidistantly on a circumference of a certain radius from the basic center axis; and wherein said three U-shaped tube portions are formed so that minimum gaps c1, c2a, and c2b between the inner surface of the globe and each of the outer surfaces of the globe side ends of the three U-shaped tube portions have substantially a same length. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18)
-
-
7. A fluorescent lamp unit comprising:
-
a fluorescent lamp having a bulb constituting one discharge path, said bulb including three U-shaped tube portions; a lighting circuit operatively connected to the fluorescent lamp for lighting the fluorescent lamp; and a cover part having a cap at one end thereof and having a globe at other end thereof for containing the lighting circuit and the fluorescent lamp; wherein each of said three U-shaped tube portions has a pair of straight tube portions provided straight in a direction along to a basic center axis of the fluorescent lamp unit and has a bent portion being bent so as to be convexly curved toward the globe side opposite to the cap side thereby to form substantially U-shape and linking the glove side ends of the pair of straight tube portions, said straight tube portions being arranged equidistantly on a circumference of a certain radius from the basic center axis; and wherein said three U-shaped tube portions are formed so that the relationship between a diameter "b" of a circumscribed circle of the straight tube portions having the basic center axis as a center and a length "a" which is a maximum length along to the direction of the basic center axis of the bulb glowing effectively satisfy the following condition;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.7<
b/a<
1.4 - View Dependent Claims (8)
-
-
9. A fluorescent lamp unit comprising:
-
a fluorescent lamp having a bulb constituting one discharge path, said bulb including three U-shaped tube portions; a lighting circuit operatively connected to the fluorescent lamp for lighting the fluorescent lamp; and a cover part having a cap at one end thereof for containing the lighting circuit; wherein each of said three U-shaped tube portions has a pair of straight tube portions provided straight in a direction along to a basic center axis of the fluorescent lamp unit and has a bent portion being bent so as to be convexly curved toward the globe side opposite to the cap side thereby to form substantially U-shape and linking the glove side ends of the pair of straight tube portions, said straight tube portions being arranged equidistantly on a circumference of a certain radius from the basic center axis; and wherein each of said three U-shaped tube portions are formed so that the relationship between a diameter "d" of the pair of straight tube portions constituting the U-shaped tube portion and a spacing "L" between the pair of straight tube portions satisfy the following condition;
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">0.5≦
d/L≦
1.5. - View Dependent Claims (10, 15, 16)
-
-
19. A lighting apparatus comprising a fluorescent lamp unit and an apparatus body to which the fluorescent lamp unit is mounted, the fluorescent lamp unit comprising:
-
a fluorescent lamp having a bulb constituting one discharge path, said bulb including three U-shaped tube portions; a lighting circuit operatively connected to the fluorescent lamp for lighting the fluorescent lamp; and a cover part having a cap at one end thereof and having a globe at other end thereof for containing the lighting circuit and the fluorescent lamp; wherein each of said three U-shaped tube portions has a pair of straight tube portions provided straight in a direction along to a basic center axis of the fluorescent lamp unit and has a bent portion being bent so as to be convexly curved toward the globe side opposite to the cap side thereby to form substantially U-shape and linking the glove side ends of the pair of straight tube portions, said straight tube portions being arranged equidistantly on a circumference of a certain radius from the basic center axis; and wherein said three U-shaped tube portions are formed so that minimum gaps c1, c2a, and c2b between the inner surface of the globe and each of the outer surfaces of the globe side ends of the three U-shaped tube potions have substantially a same length.
-
Specification