Electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device and lighting apparatus

• US 7,545,107 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kido, Hiroshi, Yamamoto, Shohei, Nakajo, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens; Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen; Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US11/909,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20080157693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 315/246, 315/248, 315/326
• US Class Current: 315/326
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2806 with semiconductor devices and specially adapted for lamps without electrodes in the vessel, e.g. surface discharge lamps, electrodeless discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

There is provided an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device with small size and low cost by simplifying a noise suppression part and a lighting apparatus having the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device. A counter circuit of a frequency signal generating circuit repeatedly generates a frequency signal of which the amplitude is varied in a multi-step shape on the basis of an oscillation period of an oscillation circuit. An oscillation circuit outputs an oscillation signal of a frequency corresponding to the amplitude of the frequency signal. A drive circuit drives a switching element of an inverter circuit at the frequency of the oscillation signal and the inverter circuit applies a high-frequency voltage generated by the switching operation of the switching element to an induction coil to start up and light the electrodeless discharge lamp. That is, a high-frequency voltage which is varied at three discrete frequencies f1, f2, and f3 is repeatedly and periodically applied to the induction coil and thus a magnetic-component noise generated from a discharge lamp lighting device is distributed into three frequency components.

Claims

1. An electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device comprising:

an induction coil wound in the vicinity of an electrodeless discharge lamp;

a power supply circuit for outputting a DC voltage;

an inverter circuit which has at least one switching element and which converts the DC voltage output from the power supply circuit into a high-frequency voltage and outputs the high-frequency voltage to the induction coil; and

a frequency varier that disperses the frequency of a noise by varying the frequency of the high-frequency voltage output from the inverter circuit to the induction coil at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp,

wherein a frequency variation range Δ

f of the high frequency voltage output from the inverter circuit satisfies the expression;

Δ

f<

fav/Q1

wherein, fav represents an average frequency of the high frequency voltage output from the inverter circuit to the induction coil at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp, and

Q1 represents the value (X1/R1) obtained by dividing an imaginary component X1 by a real component R1, wherein X1 is the imaginary component of an impedance Z1 across both ends of the induction coil at a time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp at the average frequency fav, and R1 is the real component thereof.

2. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency varier discretely varies the frequency of the voltage output from the inverter circuit to the induction coil.

3. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the frequency varier continuously varies the frequency of the voltage output from the inverter circuit to the induction coil.

4. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a frequency variation range Δ

f of the voltage output from the inverter circuit satisfies the expression;

Δ

f>

fav/Q2

Q2 represents a value (X2/R2) obtained by dividing an imaginary component X2 by a real component R2, wherein X2 is the imaginary component of an impedance Z2 across both ends of the induction coil at the time of starting up the electrodeless discharge lamp and R2 is the real component thereof.

5. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a frequency variation range Δ

f of the voltage output from the inverter circuit satisfies the expression;

0.005fav<

Δ

f<

0.1fav.

6. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein an average frequency of the voltage output from the inverter circuit at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp is smaller than or equal to 500 kHz.

7. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein a frequency variation range of the voltage output from the inverter circuit is symmetric in a high frequency range and a low frequency range about a frequency at which power output from the inverter circuit to the induction coil at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp is a maximum.

8. A lighting apparatus comprising the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, a main body to which the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device is fitted, and an electrodeless discharge lamp supplied with power from the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device.

9. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 2, wherein a frequency variation range Δ

f of the voltage output from the inverter circuit satisfies the expression;

Δ

f>

fav/Q2

Q2 represents a value (X2/R2) obtained by dividing an imaginary component X2 by a real component R2, wherein X2 is the imaginary component of an impedance Z2 across both ends of the induction coil at the time of starting up the electrodeless discharge lamp, and R2 is the real component thereof.

10. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 2, wherein a frequency variation range Δ

f of the voltage output from the inverter circuit satisfies the expression;

0.005fav<

Δ

f<

0.1 fav.

11. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 2, wherein an average frequency of the voltage output from the inverter circuit at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp is smaller than or equal to 500 kHz.

12. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 2, wherein a frequency variation range of the voltage output from the inverter circuit is symmetric in a high frequency range and a low frequency range about a frequency at which power output from the inverter circuit to the induction coil at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp is a maximum.

13. A lighting apparatus comprising the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 2, a main body to which the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device is fitted, and an electrodeless discharge lamp supplied with power from the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device.

14. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 3, wherein a frequency variation range Δ

f of the voltage output from the inverter circuit satisfies the expression;

Δ

f>

fav/Q2

Q2 represents a value (X2/R2) obtained by dividing an imaginary component X2 by a real component R2, wherein X2 is the imaginary component of an impedance Z2 across both ends of the induction coil at the time of starting up the electrodeless discharge lamp, and R2 is the real component thereof.

15. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 3, wherein a frequency variation range Δ

f of the voltage output from the inverter circuit satisfies the expression;

0.005fav<

Δ

f<

0.1 fav.

16. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 3, wherein an average frequency of the voltage output from the inverter circuit at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp is smaller than or equal to 500 kHz.

17. The electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 3, wherein a frequency variation range of the voltage output from the inverter circuit is symmetric in a high frequency range and a low frequency range about a frequency at which power output from the inverter circuit to the induction coil at the time of lighting the electrodeless discharge lamp is a maximum.

18. A lighting apparatus comprising the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 3, a main body to which the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device is fitted, and an electrodeless discharge lamp supplied with power from the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device.