Light-emitting gas recovery method and light-emitting gas recovery device

Abstract

The invention provides a light-emitting gas recovery method and a light-emitting gas recovery device, which can efficiently recover light-emitting gas from a lamp to be discarded. The light-emitting gas recovery method includes: a step (a) in which a waste target lamp including a tube body in a state in which a light-emitting gas is sealed is prepared; (b) arranging the discarded object lamp in the inner space of a chamber; (c) reducing the air pressure in the internal space of the chamber; (d) applying energy to a part of the tube body to cause the internal space of the tube body to communicate with the internal space of the chamber without breaking the entire tube body, thereby discharging the light-emitting gas from the internal space of the tube body toward the internal space of the chamber; and a step (e) in which, after the step (d), the first gas present in the internal space of the chamber is discharged toward a recovery mechanism disposed on the outside of the chamber.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a device for recovering luminous gas sealed in a tube body of a discarded lamp. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, rare gases (also referred to as “inert gases”) such as xenon have been used in a wide range of applications, such as light-emitting gases sealed in lamps, gases for laser oscillation, and gases for X-ray detection.

[0003] On the other hand, since the air contains only a small amount of rare gases, they are typically produced as byproducts of large-scale complete plants for industrial production of large quantities of oxygen and nitrogen. However, the number of such large-scale complete plants is limited. In addition, a large amount of energy is required to purify the rare gases to a high purity. Therefore, coupled with the widespread demand from industry, rare gases are very rare and expensive gases.

[0004] In view of the above situation, methods of recovering used rare gas for reuse have been studied. For example, Patent Document 1 below describes a method of connecting a gas adsorbent that adsorbs xenon gas to an X-ray detection device to recover the xenon gas used in the device.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-88773

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4305152 Summary of the invention

[0009] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0010] However, the applicant of the present application has manufactured a lamp that encloses xenon gas as a light-emitting gas (see the above-mentioned patent document 2). For example, xenon lamps are used in projectors and the like due to their excellent color rendering properties. The electrodes deform as the lighting time accumulates, thereby reducing the illumination of the xenon lamp. As a result, the xenon lamp reaches the end of its life and is discarded. However, the xenon gas enclosed in the xenon lamp remains in the tube.

[0011] As described above, in view of the fact that the production and purification of xenon gas consumes a lot of energy, it is preferable to recover the xenon gas remaining in the lamp that has reached the end of its life and is to be discarded, and reuse it in the production of new lamps, etc. In addition, this point is not limited to xenon gas, but also applies to various rare gases used as luminous gases.

[0012] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently recovering light emitting gas from a lamp to be discarded. Another object of the present invention is to provide a recovery device suitable for executing the above method.

[0013] Technical solutions to solve problems

[0014] The luminous gas recovery method involved in the present invention comprises:

[0015] Step (a), preparing a discarded lamp including a tube body in which a light-emitting gas is sealed;

[0016] Step (b), placing the discarded lamp in the inner space of the chamber;

[0017] Step (c), reducing the pressure of the internal space of the chamber;

[0018] Step (d), by imparting energy to a portion of the tube body, the internal space of the tube body is connected to the internal space of the chamber without destroying the entire tube body, so that the luminous gas is released from the internal space of the tube body toward the internal space of the chamber; and

[0019] A step (e) of, after the step (d), discharging the first gas existing in the internal space of the chamber toward a recovery mechanism disposed outside the chamber.

[0020] In this specification, the term "discarded lamp" means all lamps that are determined to be discarded for some reason. That is, the present invention is not limited by the reason why the lamp becomes a discarded lamp. The above method can be applied to lamps that fall below a certain illumination level after being lit, or to lamps that become a discarded lamp due to manufacturing defects.

[0021] The term “energy” is not limited to physical energy such as physical impact, but also includes the concept of thermal energy supplied by laser irradiation and chemical energy supplied by contact with chemicals that chemically react with the tube body.

[0022] In the above method, before the internal space of the chamber in which the discarded lamp is disposed is connected to the internal space of the tube body, the air pressure of the internal space of the chamber is reduced. This is to reduce the air in the chamber and increase the ratio of the luminous gas in the first gas. In addition, it is preferred to connect the internal space of the chamber with the internal space of the tube body in a state where the difference between the internal pressure of the chamber and the sealing pressure of the luminous gas sealed in the tube body is increased, so that the release of the luminous gas from the tube body becomes faster. That is, in order to release the luminous gas from the tube body, the internal space of the chamber is reduced in pressure, but in order to efficiently recover the luminous gas, it is important to perform the decompression as quickly as possible. This is because, in order to obtain a large amount of luminous gas, the luminous gas needs to be released from a large number of lamps. For example, after releasing the luminous gas from one lamp, the operation of replacing the lamp with other lamps to release the luminous gas is repeated.

[0023] Here, if the entire tube body is destroyed in order to release the luminous gas from the tube body, foreign matter such as tiny fragments of the tube body and sealing components of the tube body are likely to remain in the chamber. If there are foreign matter in the chamber, it will take a long time to reduce the pressure. In addition, the time required to clean the chamber to remove foreign matter is also longer. In contrast, according to the above method, energy is imparted to a part of the tube body, and the internal space of the tube body is connected to the internal space of the chamber without destroying the entire tube body. Therefore, since the generation of foreign matter such as the above-mentioned fragments is suppressed, foreign matter is not likely to remain in the chamber. As a result, the time required for reducing the pressure in the chamber and the time required for cleaning the chamber accompanying the replacement of the lamp are reduced, so that the luminous gas can be recovered efficiently.

[0024] In addition, an electrode for forming a discharge for lighting the lamp and an electrode rod for supporting the electrode are arranged in the tube body of the lamp. According to the above method, since the entire tube body is not damaged, the electrode and the like can be easily recovered after the light-emitting gas is released and the lamp is taken out from the chamber. That is, the above method also has the effect of being able to easily take out the electrode and the like from the tube body.

[0025] It takes a certain amount of time to perform the steps of setting up the lamp in the chamber, reducing the pressure, and releasing the luminous gas in the lamp. Therefore, as a method for efficiently recovering the luminous gas, it is also conceivable to gather a large number of lamps in the chamber and release a large amount of luminous gas by destroying these lamps at the same time. In this case, in order to simply destroy the large number of gathered lamps, it is conceivable to destroy the entire tube body of the gathered lamps, but in this method, for example, it is difficult to recover the electrodes and electrode rods. In addition, even if the electrodes and the like can be recovered, it becomes difficult to reuse the electrodes and the like due to the severe damage. From the viewpoint of not only the luminous gas, but also the reuse of resources such as electrodes, it is preferable to release the luminous gas from the tube body without destroying the entire tube body.

[0026] Alternatively, the discarded lamp may include an exhaust pipe residue portion protruding outward from an outer wall of the tube body.

[0027] The step (d) is a step of applying energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe so as to allow the internal space of the tube body to communicate with the internal space of the chamber.

[0028] The lamp body typically has an exhaust pipe residue at a portion of the body. More specifically, when manufacturing the lamp, an exhaust pipe is formed at a portion of the outer wall of the body to seal the luminous gas into the body after the unnecessary gas in the body is exhausted. The exhaust pipe residue is a trace left after the exhaust pipe is removed, and is in a shape that protrudes outward from the outer wall of the body.

[0029] A luminous gas is sealed in the tube body at a predetermined pressure. Therefore, if energy is applied to the outer wall of the tube body in order to release the luminous gas, the portion of the tube body that is damaged tends to become larger in the entire tube body. In contrast, since the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the outer wall of the tube body and has lower mechanical strength than the tube body, the outer wall of the tube body is not easily damaged if energy is applied to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe to damage the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe. That is, according to the above method, while suppressing the situation where most of the outer wall of the tube body is damaged, the inside of the tube body can be connected to the chamber, so that foreign matter is not easily left in the chamber, and the recovery of the luminous gas can be performed more efficiently.

[0030] Alternatively, the discarded lamp may include a pair of electrodes disposed in the tube body and separated from each other.

[0031] The step (b) is a step of fixing the discarded lamp in the internal space of the chamber in such a manner that the separation direction of the pair of electrodes becomes substantially horizontal and the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when the tube body is viewed from vertically above.

[0032] The step (d) is a step of applying physical energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion by causing the impact applying mechanism to move substantially vertically downward to collide with the exhaust pipe remaining portion.

[0033] From the viewpoint of imparting energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protruding from the outer wall of the pipe body, it is preferable to fix the pipe body in the chamber. Specific embodiments will be described in detail in the section "Specific embodiments".

[0034] Alternatively, the above-mentioned method for recovering the luminescent gas may include the following step (f): purifying the first gas recovered by the recovery mechanism to increase the ratio of the rare gas component of the luminescent gas contained in the first gas.

[0035] Even if the pressure in the chamber is reduced, there is still a certain amount of air in the chamber. Therefore, when the luminous gas is released from the tube, a gas (corresponding to the "first gas") is obtained in which the luminous gas and the air are mixed. Here, from the viewpoint of increasing the ratio of the rare gas in the first gas, it is preferred to reduce the pressure in the chamber as much as possible before releasing the luminous gas. However, as mentioned above, if the decompression takes time, the time required to release the luminous gas from each lamp becomes longer, resulting in a decrease in the overall efficiency of the recovery of the luminous gas.

[0036] In contrast, the above method has a step of purifying the recovered first gas to increase the ratio of the rare gas component in the first gas. This can shorten the time required for decompression of the chamber as a pre-stage for releasing the luminous gas. As a result, the time required for releasing the luminous gas from each lamp is shortened, and the recovery of the luminous gas becomes more efficient.

[0037] Alternatively, the step (f) may include:

[0038] Step (f1), reducing the ratio of the components derived from air contained in the first gas;

[0039] Step (f2), measuring the concentration of oxygen contained in the first gas after performing the step (f1); and

[0040] Step (f3), when the measurement result of the step (f2) is below a predetermined threshold value, reducing the ratio of the impurity gas component different from the rare gas component of the luminescent gas contained in the first gas after the step (f1),

[0041] When the measurement result of the step (f2) exceeds the threshold value, the execution returns to the step (f1).

[0042] As described above, the first gas includes air and the light-emitting gas present in the chamber. In addition, the light-emitting gas includes a rare gas and a gas different from the rare gas. That is, the first gas includes a rare gas component of the light-emitting gas, an impurity gas derived from the air present in the chamber, and an impurity gas derived from the light-emitting gas.

[0043] In order to shorten the time for performing the decompression process as much as possible, the ratio of the impurity gas derived from the air in the first gas is typically greater than the ratio of the impurity gas derived from the luminescent gas in the first gas. Here, if the difference between the former and the latter is large, the efficiency of the purification process of the first gas is reduced. This is because, for example, even if the first gas is brought into contact with a getter that adsorbs both the components derived from the air and the components derived from the luminescent gas, based on the reaction kinetics, the getter reacts preferentially with the impurity gas derived from the air. That is, it is assumed that even if the ratio of the impurity gas derived from the air in the first gas can be reduced, the ratio of the impurity gas derived from the luminescent gas in the first gas will hardly decrease.

[0044] Therefore, it is preferred to first perform a process of reducing the ratio of impurity gas components originating from the air in the first gas (hereinafter referred to as the "first refining process" for convenience), and then perform a process of reducing the ratio of impurity gas components originating from the luminescent gas in the first gas (hereinafter referred to as the "second refining process" for convenience).

[0045] In addition, since the ratio of the impurity gas component derived from the luminescent gas in the first gas is relatively low, a more reactive getter is used to remove the impurity gas component from the first gas. Carbon dioxide can be cited as an example of the impurity gas component derived from the luminescent gas, but the getter with high reactivity with carbon dioxide tends to also show reactivity with oxygen. In addition, most of these getters with high reactivity with specific components utilize irreversible adsorption reactions, for example, typically the adsorption capacity cannot be restored by heating. In contrast, the above method performs the second refining step after confirming that the oxygen concentration of the first gas is below the threshold value, so it is possible to suppress the degradation of the getter in the second refining step due to oxygen, so it is preferred. In addition, examples of other impurity gas components will be described in the "Specific Implementation Method" section.

[0046] Alternatively, the step (f2) is a step of measuring the concentration of each target substance, wherein the target substance includes one or more selected from nitrogen, water, and hydrogen, and oxygen.

[0047] The step (f3) is performed when the measurement result of the step (f2) is less than or equal to a threshold value set for each of the target substances.

[0048] When the measurement result of the step (f2) exceeds the threshold value set for each of the target substances, the execution returns to the step (f1).

[0049] From the viewpoint of suppressing the degradation of the getter in the second refining step due to the reaction with the components derived from the air, the concentration of nitrogen, water or hydrogen, for example, may be measured in addition to the above-mentioned oxygen. According to the above method, the second refining step is performed after confirming that the concentration of the above-mentioned components in addition to the oxygen concentration is also below the threshold value, thereby further suppressing the degradation of the getter in the second refining step.

[0050] Alternatively, the lamp to be discarded may be a xenon lamp.

[0051] The concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and water in the first gas discharged in the step (e) exceeds 2 ppm

[0052] The step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 2 ppm or less. A specific example will be described later.

[0053] Alternatively, the lamp to be discarded may be a halogen lamp.

[0054] The concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and water in the first gas discharged in the step (e) exceeds 10 ppm,

[0055] The step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 10 ppm or less.

[0056] In addition, the lamp to be discarded may be a high pressure mercury lamp, an excimer lamp, a flash lamp or a metal halide lamp.

[0057] The concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and water in the first gas discharged in the step (e) exceeds 5 ppm,

[0058] The step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 5 ppm or less.

[0059] Alternatively, the recycling mechanism may include:

[0060] a first storage device that cools the first gas exhausted from one or more of the chambers and holds the first gas in a solid state; and

[0061] a second storage device, supplying the first gas obtained by gasifying the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device to the second storage device,

[0062] The step (e) comprises:

[0063] Step (e1), introducing the first gas from the chamber into the first storage device connected to the chamber; and

[0064] step (e2), introducing the first gas obtained by gasifying the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device into the second storage device,

[0065] The step (f) is a step of purifying the first gas held in the second storage device.

[0066] Alternatively, the first gas may be stored in a compressed state in a high-pressure gas cylinder before being refined. By compressing the first gas to, for example, several tens of atmospheric pressures, the first gas may be stored in a reduced volume state. In addition, if the high-pressure gas cylinder is moved, the first gas may be refined at a location different from the location where the first gas is recovered to the recovery mechanism.

[0067] In addition, in the above method, before the first gas is supplied to the second storage device such as a high-pressure gas cylinder, the first gas is cooled in the first storage device and maintained in a solid state. After the first gas is converted into a solid, the first gas obtained by gasifying the solid first gas is supplied to the second storage device, so that the pressure of the first gas can be easily increased. In addition, due to the difference in freezing point, the effect of increasing the ratio of the rare gas component of the luminescent gas in the first gas can also be expected.

[0068] Alternatively, the recovery mechanism may include a plurality of the first storage devices.

[0069] The second storage device is configured such that the first gas obtained by gasifying the solid state first gas held in each of the plurality of first storage devices is supplied to the second storage device and held collectively.

[0070] The step (e1) is performed for each of the chambers.

[0071] The step (e2) is a step of introducing the first gas from the plurality of first storage devices into the second storage device at mutually different timings.

[0072] Alternatively, the step (c) may be performed in another chamber while the step (e1) is performed in one chamber.

[0073] According to the above method, since the decompression process is performed in another chamber while the first gas containing the luminous gas is discharged from one chamber, the luminous gas can be released from the tube in the latter chamber earlier after the discharge of the first gas from the former chamber is completed. As a result, the luminous gas can be recovered from the plurality of lamps more efficiently.

[0074] By efficiently recovering the luminous gas from discarded lamps, it is possible to promote the reuse of the luminous gas. This corresponds to Goal 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiated by the United Nations, "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns", and also makes a great contribution to Goal 12.2 "By 2030, achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources".

[0075] The light-emitting gas recovery device according to the present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0076] A lamp installation unit configured to install a discarded lamp including a tube body sealed with a light-emitting gas in the internal space of the chamber;

[0077] an impact imparting mechanism configured to impart physical energy to a portion of the tube body of the discarded lamp when the discarded lamp is set in the lamp setting portion;

[0078] a decompression mechanism for reducing the pressure of the internal space of the chamber; and

[0079] The exhaust port is provided at a part of the chamber and exhausts the first gas existing in the internal space of the chamber.

[0080] As described above, by giving energy to a portion of the tube of the discarded lamp and extracting the luminous gas without destroying the entire tube, the time required for decompression and cleaning in the chamber can be reduced. That is, according to the above structure, the luminous gas can be efficiently recovered from the tube of the discarded lamp.

[0081] Alternatively, when the discarded lamp includes an exhaust pipe remnant protruding outward from an outer wall of the tube body,

[0082] The impact applying mechanism is configured to apply physical energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe of the discarded lamp when the discarded lamp is installed in the lamp installation portion.

[0083] Furthermore, in a case where the discarded lamp includes a pair of electrodes disposed in the tube and separated from each other,

[0084] The lamp installation portion includes a fixing mechanism capable of fixing the discarded lamp in a state where the separation direction of the pair of electrodes is substantially horizontal and the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when the tube body is viewed from vertically above.

[0085] According to the above configuration, physical energy can be easily applied to the exhaust pipe remaining portion by moving the impact applying mechanism in the vertical direction within the chamber.

[0086] Moreover, from the perspective of shortening the time required to depressurize the internal space in the chamber and increasing the ratio of the luminous gas in the first gas, the ratio of the volume of the chamber to the volume of the tube of the discarded lamp may be less than 100.

[0087] Effects of the Invention

[0088] According to the present invention, there are provided a method capable of efficiently recovering luminous gas from a lamp to be discarded and a recovery device suitable for executing the above method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0089] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a luminescent gas recovery device.

[0090] Figure 2 Observed from the X direction Figure 1 Diagram of the recovery unit involved.

[0091] Figure 3 This is a flow chart of an example of the recovery method involved in the present invention.

[0092] Figure 4 This is a partial enlarged view of a lamp installed in a lamp installation portion as viewed from the Z direction.

[0093] Figure 5 This is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of the lamp after energy is applied to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe.

[0094] Figure 6 This is a diagram schematically showing a recovery device at a stage after the destruction step is performed.

[0095] Figure 7 It is modeled after Figure 6 , a diagram showing a recovery device at a stage of gasifying a first gas maintained in a solid state and introducing the gas into a high-pressure gas cylinder.

[0096] Figure 8 It is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of the recovery device according to the second embodiment.

[0097] Fig. 9 Is Figure 8 A flowchart of an example of a recovery method executed by the recovery device.

[0098] Fig.10 It is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of a recovery device according to a modified example.

[0099] Fig.11 It is modeled after Figure 8 , a diagram showing the structure of a recovery device involved in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0100] The following is a description of the embodiments of the luminous gas recovery method and recovery device according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the following drawings are schematic diagrams, and the size ratios and numbers on the drawings may not be consistent with the actual size ratios and numbers.

[0101] Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a diagram of a structural example of a luminous gas recovery device (hereinafter referred to as "recovery device"). In each of the following figures, reference is made to an XYZ coordinate system consisting of mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions. Typically, the Z direction is the vertical direction, and the X and Y directions are horizontal directions. If the explanation is based on this definition, then Figure 1 Corresponding to the figure of the recovery device 1 observed from the Y direction, Figure 2 Corresponding to viewing from the X direction Figure 1 A diagram of the recovery device 1 concerned.

[0102] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 After describing the structure of the recovery device 1 , the method for recovering the luminescent gas performed by the recovery device 1 will be described.

[0103] like Figure 1 As shown, the recovery device 1 comprises: a chamber 3; a lamp setting portion 5 for setting a discarded lamp 2 (hereinafter referred to as "lamp 2"); an impact imparting mechanism 7 for imparting physical energy to the lamp 2; a decompression mechanism 8 for decompressing the internal space A1; and a recovery mechanism 10 for recovering the gas existing in the internal space A1. Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a state where a lamp 2 is installed in the internal space A1 is shown. Figure 2 In the figure, the decompression mechanism 8 and the recovery mechanism 10 are omitted.

[0104] like Figure 1 As shown, the chamber 3 has a flow port 11 and a flow port 12 in a part of the wall surface through which the gas existing in the internal space A1 can flow. The flow port 11 is connected to the decompression mechanism 8 via a pipe 11a, and the flow port 12 is connected to the recovery mechanism 10 via a pipe 12a. Figure 1 In the figure, for the convenience of illustration, the flow ports (11, 12) are located on the side of the chamber 3 in the Z direction, but the positions of the flow ports (11, 12) are arbitrary. The flow port 12 corresponds to the "discharge port". As an example, the volume of the chamber 3 is 5L.

[0105] like Figure 1As shown in FIG. 1 , the lamp installation section 5 includes a stage 14 and a plurality of blocks 15 arranged on the stage 14. The blocks 15 have, for example, a V-shaped mounting surface 15a when viewed from the X direction (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 2 ).

[0106] As an example, Figure 2 As shown, the impact applying mechanism 7 includes a weight 7a, a stopper 7b, and a support 7c. The support 7c supports the weight 7a and the stopper 7b, and the weight 7a is configured to be movable in the Z direction.

[0107] As an example, the decompression mechanism 8 is composed of a pump that sucks the gas in the internal space A1. In addition, the recovery mechanism 10 is composed of a tank 18 connected to the flow port 12 and a high-pressure gas cylinder 19 connected to the tank 18 via a pipe 10a. The specific structural examples of the tank 18 and the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 will be described later.

[0108] As an example, the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the lamp 2 comprises: a tube body 21; a pair of joints 22 connected to both ends of the tube body 21; a pair of electrodes 23 arranged separately from each other in the internal space A2 of the tube body 21; and an exhaust pipe residual portion 24 protruding outward from the outer wall of the tube body 21. In addition, a luminous gas containing xenon gas is sealed in the internal space A2 (in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Not shown in the figure, refer to the following Figure 4 ). In addition, Figure 1 In the figure, the tube body 21 is shown for convenience of illustration. As an example, the sealing pressure of the light emitting gas of the lamp 2 is about 1500 kPa, and the volume of the tube body 21 is 300 mL.

[0109] Next, a method for recovering the luminescent gas that can be performed by the recovery device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as a “recovery method”) will be described.

[0110] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of an example of the recycling method involved in the present invention. The recycling method 1a includes: step S1, preparing the lamp 2; step S2, setting the lamp 2 in the internal space A1 of the chamber 3; step S3, reducing the gas pressure in the internal space A1; step S4, giving energy to the tube 21 of the lamp 2 to destroy a part of the tube 21, so that the luminous gas is released from the tube 21; step S5, after step S4, discharging the gas existing in the internal space A1 and converting it into a solid; step S6, judging whether to enter the subsequent step S7 after the execution of step S5; step S7, gasifying and compressing the solid gas obtained in step S5; and the subsequent step S10.

[0111] (Preparation process S1)

[0112] A lamp 2 is prepared as a discarded object. As an example, the lamp 2 has a reference Figure 1 The xenon lamp of the structure described above. As described above, the present invention is not limited by the reason why the lamp 2 becomes a discarded object. The preparation step S1 corresponds to the step (a).

[0113] (Setting process S2)

[0114] Next, the lamp 2 is installed in the lamp installation portion 5 . Figure 4 This is a partial enlarged view of the lamp 2 installed in the lamp installation part 5 when viewed from the Z direction. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the lamp 2 is arranged so that the separation direction of the pair of electrodes 23 coincides with the X direction. In addition, the lamp 2 is arranged so that the exhaust pipe residual portion 24 protrudes from the tube body 21 when the tube body 21 is viewed from the Z direction. Figure 4 As shown, the exhaust pipe residual portion 24 is arranged between the hammer portion 7a and the stopper portion 7b of the impact imparting mechanism 7 (see also Figure 1 and Figure 2 ). Thus, in the subsequent destruction step S4, energy is imparted to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24. Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , for the convenience of illustration, the position of the weight portion 7a is indicated by a dotted line.

[0115] As reference Figure 2 As described above, the block 15 that contacts the joint 22 has a V-shaped mounting surface 15a when viewed in the X direction. Thus, the lamp 2 can be fixed on the stage 14. In addition, the block 15 may contact the tube 21.

[0116] As an example, after the lamp 2 is installed in the lamp installation part 5, the lamp installation part 5 is slid in the X direction and moved into the internal space A1 of the chamber 3. In this case, an opening and closing part (not shown) is provided on the side of the chamber 3 in the X direction. Alternatively, the lamp installation part 5 may be installed in the chamber 3 in advance, and the lamp 2 may be installed in the lamp installation part 5 in the chamber 3 via an opening and closing part (not shown) provided on the side of the chamber 3 in the Z direction.

[0117] In addition, when the chamber 3 is used before the stage of installing the lamp 2 in the internal space A1, a lamp (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "treated lamp") that has already released light-emitting gas from the tube body exists in the internal space A1. In this case, the treated lamp is taken out from the chamber 3, and after performing a cleaning process (not shown) in the chamber 3, the lamp 2 is installed in the internal space A1.

[0118] Setting step S2 corresponds to step (b).

[0119] (Decompression Step S3)

[0120] After the lamp 2 is installed in the internal space A1, the pressure of the internal space A1 is reduced by the pressure reducing mechanism 8. As an example, the operating time of the pressure reducing mechanism 8 is 10 minutes or less, and the pressure of the internal space A1 after the pressure reduction is 0.1 Pa or more.

[0121] From the viewpoint of decompressing the internal space A1 in the shortest possible time and increasing the ratio of the luminescent gas L1 in the first gas G1 described later, the ratio of the volume of the chamber 3 to the volume of the tube 21 of the lamp 2 is preferably less than 100, more preferably less than 50, and particularly preferably less than 20.

[0122] The decompression step S3 corresponds to the step (c).

[0123] (Destruction Step S4)

[0124] In this embodiment, the impact imparting mechanism 7 imparts physical energy, and a portion of the tube body 21 is destroyed. Figure 2 and Figure 4 From the state shown, the weight portion 7a moves toward the stopper portion 7b in the Z direction. The weight portion 7a collides with the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24, thereby imparting physical energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24.

[0125] The means for driving the impact applying mechanism 7 in the chamber 3 is arbitrary. For example, the hammer 7a may be started to move by a physical mechanism provided outside the chamber 3, or the hammer 7a may be moved by the impact applying mechanism 7 receiving an electrical signal from outside the chamber 3.

[0126] Figure 5 2 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of the lamp 2 after energy is applied to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24. Figure 5 In the figure, the impact imparting mechanism 7 is omitted. Figure 4 The tube body 21 is also enlarged. Figure 5 As shown, by applying energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24 , the internal space A2 of the tube body 21 and the internal space A1 of the chamber 3 can be communicated with each other without destroying the entire tube body 21 .

[0127] In addition, the pressure of the internal space A1 is reduced by the previous decompression step S3. That is, since the pressure of the internal space A2 is higher than that of the internal space A1, the light emitting gas L1 is released from the internal space A2 to the internal space A1.

[0128] In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the hammer 7a moves in the Z direction is described, but the present invention is not limited by the moving direction of the hammer 7a. For example, the hammer 7a may be configured to be movable in the Y direction. In this case, in the previous setting step S2, when the tube body 21 is observed from the X direction, the exhaust pipe residual part 24 may be configured to protrude from the wall surface of the tube body 21 in the Z direction, and the hammer 7a may impart physical energy to the exhaust pipe residual part 24.

[0129] The destruction step S4 corresponds to the step (d).

[0130] (Curing Step S5)

[0131] As reference Figure 5 As described above, by releasing the luminescent gas L1 from the tube 21 , a gas (corresponding to the “first gas G1 ”) formed by mixing the luminescent gas L1 with the air present in the chamber 3 is obtained. Figure 6 Schematically shows the recovery device 1 at the stage after the destruction step S4 is performed. Figure 6 In FIG. 1 , the open and closed states of the pipe 12a and the pipe 10a are schematically shown by making the positions of the valves ( V1 , V2 ) arranged in the respective pipes different.

[0132] like Figure 6 As shown, the first gas G1 is first converted into a solid in the tank 18 and maintained in a solid state. At this time, the first gas G1 is introduced into the tank 18 by, for example, an air suction mechanism (not shown) that sucks the gas in the chamber 3. In addition, hereinafter, from the viewpoint of distinguishing it from the first gas G1 before conversion to a solid, the first gas G1 in a solid state is sometimes referred to as "first gas G2". Specifically, the tank 18 has a cooling portion (not shown) that can cool the first gas G1 with liquid nitrogen and a heating portion (not shown) that can heat the first gas G2 in a solid state. By cooling the first gas G1 and solidifying it, the first gas G1 can be maintained in a reduced volume state.

[0133] In addition, due to the difference in freezing points, the ratio of xenon gas in the first gas G2 increases. In more detail, the freezing point of xenon gas is about -110°C, while the freezing point of oxygen is about -220°C and the boiling point is about -180°C. The first gas G1 is cooled to about -190°C by liquid nitrogen, and it is believed that part of the oxygen is liquefied and remains in the first gas G2, but not all of the oxygen is converted into liquid. Therefore, the ratio of xenon gas in the first gas G2 increases. In addition, the first gas G1 after passing through the cooling part in a gaseous state can also be discharged from an exhaust pipe not shown in the figure because the ratio of xenon gas is low. The above discussion is also applicable when the rare gas component of the light-emitting gas L1 is, for example, krypton. Tank 18 corresponds to the "first storage device" and the solidification step S5 corresponds to step (e1).

[0134] (Judgment Step S6)

[0135] After the solidification step S5 is executed, it is appropriately determined whether to proceed to the step S7 of compressing the first gas G2 held in a solid state into the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 (see Figure 3 ). As an example, when the amount of the first gas G2 is insufficient to fill the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 ("No" in the judgment step S6), a discarded lamp different from the lamp 2 is placed in the internal space A1, and steps S2 to S5 are performed. On the other hand, when the amount of the first gas G2 is sufficient to fill the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 ("Yes" in the judgment step S6), the subsequent compression step S7 is performed.

[0136] As described above, in the present embodiment, the luminous gas L1 is released from the tube body 21 without destroying the entirety of the tube body 21. Therefore, after the first gas G1 is released from the chamber 3, the lamp 2 (processed lamp) that has released the luminous gas L1 can be quickly removed from the chamber 3 and the cleaning operation inside the chamber 3 can be performed. That is, since the entirety of the tube body 21 is not destroyed, the time required from restoring the internal space A1 of the chamber 3 to the atmospheric pressure to making the chamber 3 capable of receiving the next discarded lamp is shortened to, for example, less than a few minutes. If the entirety of the tube body 21 is destroyed, the time required for the removal of the processed lamp, etc., becomes significantly longer.

[0137] In addition, the so-called "completion of the release of the first gas G1 from the chamber 3" may also mean that the gas pressure of the internal space A1 that has risen due to the release of the luminous gas L1 from the internal space A2 is reduced to the same level as the gas pressure when energy is given to the exhaust pipe residual part 24 through the suction of the suction mechanism.

[0138] (Compression Step S7)

[0139] Figure 7 It is modeled after Figure 6A diagram showing a recovery device 1 at a stage in which a gas obtained by vaporizing a first gas G2 maintained in a solid state (hereinafter referred to as "first gas G3") is introduced into a high-pressure gas cylinder 19. The first gas G3 can be obtained by heating the first gas G2 in a solid state with a heating unit (not shown) to vaporize it. Then, the first gas G3 is compressed into the high-pressure gas cylinder 19. In the high-pressure gas cylinder 19, the pressure of the first gas G3 is, for example, several tens of atmospheres. Here, in the present embodiment, since the first gas G3 is obtained by vaporizing the first gas G2 in a solid state, it is easy to increase the pressure of the first gas G3. The high-pressure gas cylinder 19 corresponds to the "second storage device". In addition, the compression step S7 corresponds to step (e2).

[0140] By collecting the first gas G1 to the collecting mechanism 10, the light-emitting gas L1 released from the tube 21 can be collected. The solidification step S5 and the compression step S7 correspond to the step (e).

[0141] (Subsequent step S10)

[0142] The high-pressure gas cylinders 19 holding the first gas G3 can be gathered and stored at any storage location.

[0143] [Second Embodiment]

[0144] Next, a second embodiment of the recovery device according to the present invention will be described focusing on the parts that are different from the first embodiment. Figure 8 : is a block diagram schematically showing the structure of the recovery device involved in the second embodiment. Fig. 9 Is Figure 8 A flowchart of an example of a recovery method performed by the recovery device 1. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a refining mechanism 30 for refining the first gas G3 recovered in the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 and a recovery mechanism 40 for recovering the gas after passing through the refining mechanism 30 are provided, and a refining step S8 for refining the first gas G3 is performed.

[0145] The ratio of xenon gas contained in the first gas G3 is increased by the purification step S8. In addition, the same discussion as in the first embodiment can be carried out with respect to each step from the preparation step S1 to the compression step S7. Fig. 9 In FIG. 1 , the illustration of the process preceding the compression process S7 is omitted. Figure 8 In the figure, the chamber 3 and the like are omitted. Hereinafter, the refining step S8 will be described while explaining the structure of the refining mechanism 30 .

[0146] (Refining Step S8)

[0147] like Figure 8As shown, the refining mechanism 30 includes a buffer tank 34 connected to the high-pressure gas cylinder 19, a first refining device 31, a second refining device 32, and a measuring device 33. The buffer tank 34 is provided for the purpose of adjusting the flow rate of the gas in the refining mechanism 30.

[0148] The first refining device 31 performs step S81 (see FIG. 1 ) of purifying the first gas G3 supplied from the buffer tank 34 to reduce the ratio of the impurity gas component derived from the air contained in the first gas G3. Fig. 9 ). Specifically, in the first refining device 31, the getter that absorbs oxygen is brought into contact with the first gas G3. As a result, the ratio of oxygen in the first gas G3 after passing through the first refining device 31 is reduced. The flow rate of the first gas G3 when flowing through the first refining device 31 is, for example, 5 L / min.

[0149] In the first refining device 31, step S81 of refining the first gas G3 corresponds to step (f1). In addition, hereinafter, the first gas G3 after passing through the first refining device 31 is sometimes referred to as "first gas P1" (see Fig.11 ).

[0150] The measuring device 33 includes an oxygen concentration meter, which measures the oxygen concentration contained in the first gas P1 (step S82). And, when the oxygen concentration is below a predetermined threshold, the first gas P1 is supplied to the second refining device 32. On the other hand, when the oxygen concentration exceeds the predetermined threshold, the first gas P1 is sent to the buffer tank 34, and the first gas P1 is refined again by the first refining device 31 (step S83). That is, Fig. 9 As shown, step S81 is repeated until the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. Step S82 in which the measuring device 33 measures the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 corresponds to step (f2).

[0151] Since the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp, the air in the light-emitting gas L1 is a trace amount. However, as described above, since the first gas G1 contains impurity gases derived from the air, when the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp, it is considered that the concentrations of oxygen, nitrogen, and water in the first gas G1 exceed 2 ppm. In contrast, for example, the above threshold value related to the oxygen concentration is preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.5 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 ppm or less.

[0152] In step S83, Fig. 9As shown, based on the measurement result of the measuring device 33, it is determined whether to enter step S84. As a more detailed example, the refining mechanism 30 includes: a first pipe extending from the first refining device 31; a second pipe connected to the first pipe and reaching the second refining device 32; a third pipe branching from the connection portion between the first pipe and the second pipe and reaching the buffer tank 34; a three-way valve to adjust the connection / disconnection between the first pipe and the second pipe, and the first pipe and the third pipe; and a control unit to adjust the opening of the three-way valve. The control unit adjusts the opening of the three-way valve based on the measurement result of the measuring device 33. Under this structure, when the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit controls the three-way valve to connect the first pipe with the third pipe and disconnect the first pipe from the second pipe. When it is confirmed that the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 has reached or below the predetermined threshold, the control unit controls the three-way valve to disconnect the connection between the first pipe and the third pipe and connect the first pipe with the second pipe.

[0153] The second refining device 32 performs step S84 (see FIG. 1 ) of purifying the first gas P1 supplied from the first refining device 31 to reduce the ratio of the impurity gas component derived from the light-emitting gas other than the xenon gas contained in the first gas P1. Fig. 9 ). Hereinafter, from the viewpoint of distinguishing the first gas P1 before passing through the second refining device 32, the first gas P1 after passing through the second refining device 32 is referred to as "first gas P2" (refer to Fig.11 ). Carbon dioxide can be cited as an example of an impurity gas of the luminous gas L1 originating from a xenon lamp. For example, a getter that adsorbs carbon dioxide is brought into contact with the first gas P1 in the second refining device 32. Thus, the first gas P2 in which the ratio of the impurity gas component originating from the luminous gas L1 is reduced can be obtained.

[0154] In addition, as other examples of impurity gases originating from the light-emitting gas L1, carbon monoxide, fluorine compounds, hydrocarbons, etc. can be cited. Moreover, when the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp, rare gases different from xenon such as helium, argon, and krypton also become impurity gases originating from the light-emitting gas. In view of this, the second refining device 32 may also have a getter that adsorbs carbon monoxide, fluorine compounds, or hydrocarbons. Similarly, the second refining device 32 may also have a getter that adsorbs rare gases different from xenon such as helium, argon, and krypton.

[0155] As described above, the ratio of the impurity gas originating from the luminescent gas L1 in the first gas P1 is lower than that of the component originating from the air. Therefore, in order to remove the impurity gas component originating from the luminescent gas L1 from the first gas P1, a getter with high reactivity to the impurity gas component originating from the luminescent gas is used. Here, the getter typically shows reactivity to oxygen and cannot be reused through an irreversible adsorption reaction. However, in the present embodiment, after confirming that the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 is below the threshold value (step S82 and step S83), step S84 is performed, so that the deterioration of the getter that adsorbs the impurity gas originating from the luminescent gas L1 due to oxygen can be suppressed. That is, after reducing the ratio of the impurity gas component originating from the air in the first gas P1 by using the first refining device 31, refining by using the second refining device 32 can appropriately reduce the concentration of the impurity gas component originating from the luminescent gas L1. In the second refining device 32, step S84 of refining the first gas P1 corresponds to step (f3).

[0156] In addition, in view of the type and filling amount of the getter provided in the second refining device 32, the first refining device 31 may be provided with a getter that adsorbs one or more target substances selected from nitrogen, water, and hydrogen, in addition to the getter that adsorbs oxygen. Furthermore, the measuring device 33 may measure the concentration of the target substances in addition to the oxygen concentration. In this case, step S84 may be performed when the measurement result of step S82 is below the threshold value set for each of the target substances, and step S81 may be repeated when the measurement result of step S82 exceeds the threshold value.

[0157] For example, the threshold value related to water concentration is preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.5 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 ppm or less. In addition, the same is true for nitrogen concentration or hydrogen concentration, and the threshold value is preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.5 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 ppm or less.

[0158] For the sake of caution, it is estimated that the hydrogen contained in the first gas G1 includes hydrogen derived from the air and hydrogen derived from the luminescent gas. More specifically, it is believed that the hydrogen is generated from moisture in the air. In addition, it is believed that the lamp 2 becomes high temperature due to lighting, thereby generating hydrogen from tungsten constituting the electrode 23 or the glass material constituting the tube body 21, and the luminescent gas L1 contains hydrogen.

[0159] In order to measure the concentration of the target substance, the measuring device 33 may include a dew point meter, an arbitrary nitrogen concentration meter, and a hydrogen concentration meter.

[0160] In addition, the present invention does not exclude the case where the ratio of components different from the above-mentioned components derived from the air is reduced in the first refining device 31. For example, the first refining device 31 may also include a getter that adsorbs carbon monoxide, which is an impurity gas derived from the luminescent gas L1. In addition, the ratio of the above-mentioned components derived from the air may also be reduced in the second refining device 32. Specifically, it is preferred that a getter with higher reactivity than the getter that adsorbs oxygen in the first refining device 31 is arranged in the second refining device 32.

[0161] In the above description, the impurity gas originating from the air and the impurity gas originating from the light-emitting gas L1 are mainly described. However, it is also conceivable that the first gas G1 contains a component originating from the adhesive used when fixing the tube body 21 of the lamp 2 and the joint 22. In addition, when the adhesive is porous, it is also conceivable that the adhesive adsorbs components in the air when the lamp 2 is used. Therefore, the first refining device 31 and the second refining device 32 may also be equipped with a getter that adsorbs the component originating from the adhesive.

[0162] In the above description, the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp, but the lamp 2 may be a halogen lamp, a high-pressure mercury lamp, an excimer lamp, a flash lamp, or a metal halide lamp.

[0163] When the lamp 2 is a high pressure mercury lamp, an excimer lamp, a flash lamp or a metal halide lamp, it is considered that the concentrations of oxygen, nitrogen and water in the first gas G1 exceed 10 ppm due to differences in the manufacturing process from a xenon lamp, differences in the concentration of the rare gas in the light emitting gas, etc. In view of this, it is preferred that the concentration of the gas derived from the air component is reduced to 10 ppm or less by the refining mechanism 30.

[0164] In addition, although the concentration of the rare gas in the luminous gas of the halogen lamp is lower than that of the xenon lamp, it is typically higher than that of the high-pressure mercury lamp mentioned above. In view of these circumstances, it is considered that when the lamp 2 is a halogen lamp, the concentrations of oxygen, nitrogen and water in the first gas G1 exceed 5 ppm. In this regard, it is preferred that the concentration of the gas derived from the air component is reduced to 5 ppm or less by the refining mechanism 30.

[0165] The refining step S8 may be performed at a location different from the location where the compression step S7 is performed. More specifically, the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 in which the first gas G3 is compressed may be brought to a location where the refining mechanism 30 is disposed, and the refining step S8 may be performed.

[0166] The purification step S8 corresponds to the step (f).

[0167] (Subsequent step S10)

[0168] The first gas P2 having passed through the second refining device 32 is recovered and stored in an arbitrary recovery mechanism 40 .

[0169] [Modifications]

[0170] Hereinafter, modifications of the recovery device 1 will be described.

[0171] <1> Fig.10 This is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a recovery device 1 according to a modification. This modification is different from the first embodiment in that the recovery device 1 includes a plurality of chambers (3a, 3b, 3c) and a plurality of tanks (18a, 18b).

[0172] like Fig.10 As shown, the recovery device 1 involved in this modification example has three chambers (3a, 3b, 3c). The chambers (3a, 3b, 3c) are connected to the pressure reducing mechanism 8 via valves Va to Vc, respectively. In addition, the chambers (3a, 3b, 3c) are connected to the tanks (18a, 18b) via valves Vd to Vh, respectively. The tanks (18a, 18b) are connected to the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 via valves Vi and valves Vj, respectively.

[0173] For example, after the first gas G1 released from the chamber 3a is solidified in the tank 18a, the first gas G1 released from the chamber 3b is solidified in the tank 18a. That is, in this modification, the solidification step S5 is performed for each chamber.

[0174] At this time, in this modified example, the lamp 2 can be placed in the chamber 3b and the decompression step S3 can be performed at the timing of performing the curing step S5 on the lamp 2 placed in the chamber 3a. More specifically, the valves (Vb, Vd, Ve) are in an open state, and the valves (Va, Vc, Vf to Vh) are in a closed state, and the decompression step S3 is performed in the chamber 3b while the curing step S5 is performed in the chamber 3a. Thus, after the curing step S5 in the chamber 3a is completed, the destruction step S4 can be quickly performed in the chamber 3b. That is, the light-emitting gas L1 from the plurality of lamps 2 can be efficiently recovered.

[0175] Furthermore, the solidification of the first gas G1 exhausted from each chamber (3a, 3b, 3c) is repeated, and after the tank 18a is filled, the first gas G1 is introduced into the tank 18b by appropriately switching the opening and closing states of the valves Ve and Vg.

[0176] In addition, according to this modification, by appropriately adjusting the opening and closing states of each valve, during the period when the first gas G1 is introduced from each chamber (3a, 3b, 3c) to the tank 18b, the first gas G2 in a solid state held in the tank 18a can be gasified, and the first gas G3 can be introduced into the high-pressure gas cylinder 19. That is, in this modification, the first gas G3 is introduced from the tank 18a and the tank 18b to the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 at different timings (compression step S7).

[0177] Thus, by reducing the downtime of the recovery device 1 during the period of compressing the first gas G3, the light-emitting gas L1 from the lamp 2 can be recovered more efficiently.

[0178] Alternatively, the first gas G3 may be introduced into the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 from both the tank 18 a and the tank 18 b at the same time.

[0179] In the above description, the chamber 3a and the chamber 3b are mainly used as an example, but the chamber 3c can also be used appropriately. In addition, for example, the volumes of the chambers 3a and 3b can be different from each other. Thus, the chamber can be appropriately selected according to the volume of the tube 21 of the lamp 2.

[0180] <2> Fig.11 It is modeled after Figure 8 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the structure of the refining mechanism 30 according to this modification. Fig.11 As shown in FIG. 1 , this modification example includes a measuring device 35 for measuring the concentration of the component contained in the first gas P2 at the downstream of the second refining device 32 .

[0181] From the viewpoint of storing the first gas P2 in the recovery mechanism 40 after confirming the concentration of the components contained in the first gas P2, a step of measuring the concentration of the components contained in the first gas P2 may be performed after performing step S84 (see also Fig. 9 As described in the second embodiment, the concentration of the component derived from the air contained in the first gas P1 is measured by the measuring device 33 (step S82). However, in terms of selecting the use of the recovered first gas P2, it is preferable to measure the concentration of the component contained in the first gas P2.

[0182] Furthermore, it is possible to predict the failure of the second refining device 32 or the pipeline, etc. Therefore, assuming that the concentration of the component contained in the first gas P2 is higher than the predetermined value, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 As shown, the first gas P2 may be introduced into the buffer tank 34 and refined again by the first refining device 31. In addition, although not shown in the figure, the first gas P2 after passing through the measuring device 35 may be introduced into the buffer tank 34 and the second refining device 32, respectively, and it may be selected whether to supply the first gas P2 to the buffer tank 34 or the second refining device 32 according to the measurement result of the measuring device 35.

[0183] <3> The purification step S8 may also be performed after the solidification step S5 and before the compression step S7 , and the first gas after the purification step S8 is compressed into the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 .

[0184] <4> In the above description, it is assumed that the recovery mechanism 10 has a tank 18 for cooling and solidifying the first gas G1, and the recovery method 1a performs the solidification step S5 and the judgment step S6. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, it can also be a structure as follows: the chamber 3 is connected to the high-pressure gas cylinder 19, and the first gas G1 that is pressurized by the booster mechanism (not shown) is introduced into the high-pressure gas cylinder 19. In the case where the first gas G1 is filled into the high-pressure gas cylinder 19 without being solidified, the refining step S8 can also be discussed in the same way as the second embodiment described above.

[0185] <5> In the destruction step S4, the energy imparted to the tube body 21 is not limited to physical energy. For example, thermal energy may be imparted to the exhaust pipe residue 24 by a laser disposed in the chamber 3, so that the internal space A1 of the chamber 3 communicates with the internal space A2 of the tube body 21. In addition, chemicals may be brought into contact with the exhaust pipe residue 24 in the chamber 3, and the internal space A1 and the internal space A2 may be communicated by chemical energy derived from the chemical reaction between the chemicals and the exhaust pipe residue 24.

[0186] <6> In the above description, the case where energy is imparted to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24 is described. However, in the present invention, as long as the internal space A1 and the internal space A2 can be connected without destroying the entirety of the tube body 21, the object to which energy is imparted is arbitrary. That is, the object to which energy is imparted is not limited to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24.

[0187] For example, laser irradiation may be used to impart heat energy to a portion of the tube body 21 different from the exhaust pipe residual portion 24, and a hole connecting the internal space A1 and the internal space A2 may be provided in a portion of the tube body 21. The wavelength and intensity of the laser can be appropriately adjusted according to the material and thickness of the tube body 21.

[0188] <7> In the above description, a case where one lamp 2 is provided for one chamber 3 is described, but a plurality of lamps 2 may be provided for one chamber 3 .

[0189] <8> In addition, the lamp 2 is fixed to the mounting surface 15a of the block 15 in the above description, but as long as the internal space A1 and the internal space A2 can be connected without destroying the entirety of the tube body 21, in the present invention, whether the lamp 2 is fixed in the chamber 3 is arbitrary.

[0190] <9> The present invention is not limited by the use of the recovered luminescent gas.

[0191] <10> The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented in combination as appropriate.

[0192] Description of symbols

[0193] 1: Recovery device;

[0194] 1a: Recovery method;

[0195] 2: Abandoned object lights;

[0196] 3, 3a, 3b, 3c: chamber;

[0197] 5: Light setting part;

[0198] 7: Impact granting agency;

[0199] 7a: hammer;

[0200] 7b: stopper;

[0201] 7c: pillar part;

[0202] 8: Pressure relief mechanism;

[0203] 10, 40: Recycling agency;

[0204] 10a, 11a, 12a: piping;

[0205] 11, 12: circulation port;

[0206] 14: stage;

[0207] 15: Block;

[0208] 15a: loading surface;

[0209] 18, 18a, 18b: cans;

[0210] 19: High-pressure gas cylinder;

[0211] 21: Pipe body;

[0212] 22: connector;

[0213] 23: Electrode;

[0214] 24: Remaining part of the exhaust pipe;

[0215] 30: Refining mechanism;

[0216] 31: first refining device;

[0217] 32: second refining device;

[0218] 33, 35: measuring device;

[0219] 34: Buffer tank;

[0220] A1, A2: internal space.

Claims

1. A method for recovering luminous gas, comprising: Step (a), preparing a discarded lamp including a tube body in which a light-emitting gas is sealed; Step (b), placing the discarded lamp in the inner space of the chamber; Step (c), reducing the pressure of the internal space of the chamber; Step (d), by imparting energy to a portion of the tube body, the internal space of the tube body is connected to the internal space of the chamber without destroying the entire tube body, so that the luminous gas is released from the internal space of the tube body toward the internal space of the chamber; and A step (e) of, after the step (d), discharging the first gas existing in the internal space of the chamber toward a recovery mechanism disposed outside the chamber.

2. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 1, characterized in that: The discarded lamp includes an exhaust pipe residue portion protruding outward from the outer wall of the tube body. The step (d) is a step of applying energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe so as to allow the internal space of the tube body to communicate with the internal space of the chamber.

3. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 2, characterized in that: The discarded lamp includes a pair of electrodes arranged in the tube body and separated from each other. The step (b) is a step of fixing the discarded lamp in the internal space of the chamber in such a manner that the separation direction of the pair of electrodes becomes substantially horizontal and the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when the tube body is viewed from vertically above. The step (d) is a step of applying physical energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion by causing the impact applying mechanism to move substantially vertically downward to collide with the exhaust pipe remaining portion.

4. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method for recovering the luminescent gas includes the following step (f): purifying the first gas recovered by the recovery mechanism to increase the ratio of the rare gas component of the luminescent gas contained in the first gas.

5. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 4, characterized in that: The step (f) comprises: Step (f1), reducing the ratio of the components derived from air contained in the first gas; Step (f2), measuring the concentration of oxygen contained in the first gas after performing the step (f1); and Step (f3), when the measurement result of the step (f2) is below a predetermined threshold value, reducing the ratio of the impurity gas component different from the rare gas component of the luminescent gas contained in the first gas after the step (f1), When the measurement result of the step (f2) exceeds the threshold value, the execution returns to the step (f1).

6. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 5, characterized in that: The step (f2) is a step of measuring the concentration of each target substance, wherein the target substance includes one or more selected from nitrogen, water and hydrogen and oxygen. The step (f3) is performed when the measurement result of the step (f2) is less than or equal to a threshold value set for each of the target substances. When the measurement result of the step (f2) exceeds the threshold value set for each of the target substances, the execution returns to the step (f1).

7. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 4, characterized in that: The discarded lamp is a xenon lamp. The concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and water in the first gas discharged in the step (e) exceeds 2 ppm, The step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 2 ppm or less.

8. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lamp to be discarded is a halogen lamp. The concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and water in the first gas discharged in the step (e) exceeds 10 ppm, The step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 10 ppm or less.

9. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 4, characterized in that: The discarded lamp is a high pressure mercury lamp, an excimer lamp, a flash lamp or a metal halide lamp. The concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and water in the first gas discharged in the step (e) exceeds 5 ppm, The step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 5 ppm or less.

10. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 4, characterized in that: The recycling mechanism has: a first storage device that cools the first gas exhausted from one or more of the chambers and holds the first gas in a solid state; and a second storage device, supplying the first gas obtained by gasifying the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device to the second storage device, The step (e) comprises: Step (e1), introducing the first gas from the chamber into the first storage device connected to the chamber; and step (e2), introducing the first gas obtained by gasifying the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device into the second storage device, In the step (f), the first gas held in the second storage device is purified.

11. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 10, characterized in that: The recovery mechanism includes a plurality of the first storage devices, The second storage device is configured such that the first gas obtained by gasifying the solid state first gas held in each of the plurality of first storage devices is supplied to the second storage device and held collectively. The step (e1) is performed for each of the chambers. The step (e2) is a step of introducing the first gas from the plurality of first storage devices into the second storage device at mutually different timings.

12. The method for recovering luminous gas according to claim 11, characterized in that: While the step (e1) is being performed in one of the chambers, the step (c) is being performed in the other chamber.

13. A luminous gas recovery device, comprising: Chamber; A lamp installation unit configured to install a discarded lamp including a tube body sealed with a light-emitting gas in the internal space of the chamber; an impact imparting mechanism configured to impart physical energy to a portion of the tube body of the discarded lamp when the discarded lamp is set in the lamp setting portion; a decompression mechanism for decompressing the air pressure in the internal space of the chamber; and The exhaust port is provided at a part of the chamber and exhausts the first gas existing in the internal space of the chamber.

14. The luminous gas recovery device according to claim 13, characterized in that: In the case where the discarded lamp includes an exhaust pipe remnant protruding outward from the outer wall of the tube body, The impact applying mechanism is configured to apply physical energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe of the discarded lamp when the discarded lamp is installed in the lamp installation portion.

15. The luminous gas recovery device according to claim 14, characterized in that: In the case where the discarded lamp includes a pair of electrodes disposed in the tube and separated from each other, The lamp installation portion includes a fixing mechanism capable of fixing the discarded lamp in a state where the separation direction of the pair of electrodes is substantially horizontal and the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when the tube body is viewed from vertically above.

16. The luminous gas recovery device according to claim 13, characterized in that: A ratio of the volume of the chamber to the volume of the tube of the discarded lamp is 100 or less.

Images