Recovery method of light emission gas and recovery apparatus of light emission gas

Abstract

To provide a method and an apparatus for efficient recovery of a light emission gas from a lamp which is a discarding target.SOLUTION: A recovery method of a light emission gas includes: a step (a) of preparing a discarding target lamp including a tube body in a state that a light emission gas is encapsulated; a step (b) of installing the discarding target lamp in an interior space of a chamber; a step (c) of reducing an atmospheric pressure in the interior space of the chamber; a step (d) of communicating an interior space of the tube body with the interior space of the chamber without breaking the whole body of the tube body by applying an energy to a part of the tube body so as to emit the light emission gas from the interior space of the tube body to the interior space of the chamber; and a step (e) of discharging a first gas existing in the interior space of the chamber toward a recovery mechanism arranged outside of the chamber, after the step (d).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and device for recovering luminous gas sealed in the tube of a lamp to be disposed of. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, noble gases (also called "rare gases") such as xenon have been used in a wide range of applications, such as a light-emitting gas filled in a lamp, a gas for laser oscillation, and a gas for X-ray detection.

[0003] On the other hand, noble gases are found in very small amounts in the air, so they are typically produced as by-products in large plants that produce large amounts of oxygen and nitrogen for industrial use. However, the number of such large plants is limited. Also, refining noble gases to a high purity requires a lot of energy. Therefore, combined with the demand from a wide range of industries, noble gases are very rare and expensive.

[0004] In view of the above, methods for recovering and reusing used noble gases have been studied. For example, the following Patent Document 1 describes a method for recovering xenon used in an X-ray detection device by connecting a gas adsorbent that adsorbs xenon to the device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-88773 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4305152 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Meanwhile, the applicant manufactures lamps in which xenon is sealed as the luminous gas (see Patent Document 2 above). For example, xenon lamps are used in projectors and the like due to their excellent color rendering properties. The illuminance of a xenon lamp decreases as the electrodes become deformed with the accumulation of lighting time. This causes the xenon lamp to reach the end of its life and be discarded. However, the xenon sealed in the xenon lamp remains within the tube.

[0007] As described above, in view of the fact that a large amount of energy is consumed in the production and refinement of xenon, it is preferable to recover the xenon remaining in, for example, a lamp that has reached the end of its life and is to be discarded, and reuse it in the production of a new lamp, etc. This point is not limited to xenon, but applies to various noble gases used as luminous gases.

[0008] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently recovering luminous gas from lamps to be disposed of. Another object of the present invention is to provide a recovery device suitable for carrying out the method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The method for recovering a luminous gas according to the present invention comprises the steps of: A step (a) of preparing a lamp to be disposed of, the lamp including a tube body in which a light-emitting gas is sealed; (b) placing the lamp to be disposed of in the interior space of a chamber; (c) reducing the pressure in the internal space of the chamber; (d) applying energy to a part of the tube to connect the internal space of the tube to the internal space of the chamber without destroying the entire tube, thereby discharging the luminous gas from the internal space of the tube toward the internal space of the chamber; After the step (d), the method includes a step (e) of discharging the first gas present in the internal space of the chamber toward a recovery mechanism disposed outside the chamber.

[0010] In this specification, the term "lamp to be discarded" refers to any lamp that has been decided to be discarded for some reason. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the reason why the lamp is discarded. For example, the above method may be applied to a lamp that has become below a certain illuminance after being used, or to a lamp that is discarded due to a manufacturing defect.

[0011] Furthermore, the term "energy" is not limited to physical energy such as physical impact, but is a concept that includes thermal energy supplied by laser irradiation and chemical energy supplied by contacting the tubular body with a chemical that chemically reacts with the tubular body.

[0012] In the above method, the air pressure in the chamber is reduced before the chamber in which the lamp to be disposed is connected to the tube. This is to reduce the air in the chamber and increase the ratio of the luminous gas in the first gas. In addition, by connecting the chamber to the tube in a state in which the difference between the chamber's internal pressure and the pressure of the luminous gas sealed in the tube is increased, the release of the luminous gas from the tube is accelerated, which is preferable. In other words, the chamber's internal space is depressurized to release the luminous gas from the tube, but in order to efficiently recover the luminous gas, it is essential to perform this depressurization as quickly as possible. This is because it is necessary to release the luminous gas from many lamps in order to obtain a large amount of luminous gas. For example, after the luminous gas is released from one lamp, the lamp is replaced with another lamp and the operation of releasing the luminous gas is repeated.

[0013] Here, if the entire tube is destroyed to release the luminous gas from within the tube, fine fragments of the tube and foreign matter originating from the sealing members of the tube are likely to remain in the chamber. If foreign matter is present in the chamber, it takes a long time to reduce the pressure. In addition, it takes a long time to clean the chamber to remove the foreign matter. In contrast, according to the above method, energy is applied to a part of the tube, and the internal space of the tube is connected to the internal space of the chamber without destroying the entire tube. Therefore, the generation of foreign matter such as the fragments is suppressed, and foreign matter is less likely to remain in the chamber. This reduces the time required to reduce the pressure in the chamber and the time required to clean the chamber when replacing the lamp, allowing the luminous gas to be efficiently collected.

[0014] In addition, electrodes that generate discharges to light the lamp and electrode rods that support the electrodes are arranged inside the tube of the lamp. According to the above method, the entire tube is not destroyed, so that the electrodes and other parts can be easily collected after the luminous gas is released and the lamp is removed from the chamber. In other words, the above method also has the effect of making it easy to remove the electrodes and other parts from the tube.

[0015] It takes a certain amount of time to carry out each step of placing a lamp in the chamber, reducing pressure, and releasing the luminous gas in the lamp. For this reason, as a method for efficiently recovering the luminous gas, a method is also envisaged in which a large number of lamps are accumulated in the chamber and these lamps are simultaneously destroyed to release a large amount of luminous gas. In this case, it is envisaged that the entire tube of the accumulated lamps is destroyed in order to easily destroy the accumulated large number of lamps, but this method makes it difficult to recover, for example, electrodes and electrode rods. Even if the electrodes and the like can be recovered, the electrodes and the like are so severely damaged that they are difficult to reuse. From the viewpoint of reusing not only the luminous gas but also resources such as the electrodes, it is preferable to release the luminous gas from the tube without destroying the entire tube.

[0016] The lamp to be disposed of includes an exhaust pipe remnant protruding outward from an outer wall of the tube, The step (d) may be a step of applying energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe to connect the internal space of the pipe body with the internal space of the chamber.

[0017] The tube of the lamp typically has an exhaust pipe remnant at a certain location. More specifically, during the manufacture of the lamp, after unnecessary gases are exhausted from within the tube, an exhaust pipe for sealing a light-emitting gas within the tube is formed at a certain location on the outer wall of the tube. The exhaust pipe remnant is a trace left after the exhaust pipe is removed, and has a shape that protrudes outward from the outer wall of the tube.

[0018] The luminous gas is sealed in the tube at a predetermined pressure. Therefore, if energy is applied to the outer wall of the tube to release the luminous gas, a large portion of the tube is likely to be destroyed throughout the entire tube. In contrast, the remaining part of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the outer wall of the tube and has a lower mechanical strength than the tube, so if energy is applied to the remaining part of the exhaust pipe to destroy it, the outer wall of the tube is less likely to be destroyed. In other words, according to the above method, it is possible to connect the inside of the tube to the inside of the chamber while preventing most of the outer wall of the tube from being destroyed, so that foreign matter is less likely to remain in the chamber and the luminous gas can be recovered more efficiently.

[0019] The lamp to be disposed of includes a pair of electrodes spaced apart from each other within the tube, The step (b) is a step of fixing the lamp to be disposed of in the internal space of the chamber so that the separation direction of the pair of electrodes is substantially horizontal and the remaining part of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when viewed vertically from above, The step (d) may be a step of applying physical energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion by an impact applying mechanism moving substantially vertically downward and colliding with the exhaust pipe remaining portion.

[0020] From the viewpoint of imparting energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protruding from the outer wall of the tube, it is preferable to fix the tube within the chamber. Specific embodiments are described in detail in the section "Description of Embodiments of the Invention."

[0021] The method for recovering the luminous gas includes the steps of: The method may further include a step (f) of purifying the first gas recovered by the recovery mechanism to increase the ratio of the noble gas component of the luminescent gas contained in the first gas.

[0022] Even when the pressure inside the chamber is reduced, a certain amount of air remains in the chamber. Therefore, when the luminous gas is released from inside the tube, a gas (corresponding to the "first gas") that is a mixture of the luminous gas and the air is obtained. From the viewpoint of increasing the ratio of noble gas in the first gas, it is preferable to reduce the pressure inside the chamber as much as possible before releasing the luminous gas. However, as mentioned above, if it takes too long to reduce the pressure, it will take longer to release the luminous gas from each lamp, and as a result, the efficiency of recovering the overall luminous gas will decrease.

[0023] In contrast, the above method includes a step of purifying the recovered first gas to increase the ratio of the noble gas component in the first gas. This shortens the time required to reduce the pressure in the chamber prior to releasing the luminous gas. As a result, the time required to release the luminous gas from each lamp is shortened, and the luminous gas can be collected more efficiently.

[0024] The step (f) A step (f1) of reducing a ratio of components derived from air contained in the first gas; a step (f2) of measuring a concentration of oxygen contained in the first gas after the step (f1) is performed; and a step (f3) of reducing a ratio of an impurity gas component different from a noble gas component of the light emitting gas, which is contained in the first gas that has been subjected to the step (f1), when the measurement result of the step (f2) is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value; If the measurement result in the step (f2) exceeds the threshold value, the process may return to the execution of the step (f1).

[0025] As described above, the first gas includes the air and the luminescent gas present in the chamber. The luminescent gas also includes a noble gas and a gas different from the noble gas. In other words, the first gas includes the noble gas component of the luminescent gas, impurity gas derived from the air present in the chamber, and impurity gas derived from the luminescent gas.

[0026] Since the time for which the decompression step is performed is as short as possible, the ratio of impurity gas originating from air in the first gas is typically greater than the ratio of impurity gas originating 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 step of the first gas decreases. This is because, for example, even if the first gas is brought into contact with a getter that adsorbs both components originating from air and components originating from the luminescent gas, the getter reacts preferentially with the impurity gas originating from air based on reaction kinetics. In other words, even if the ratio of impurity gas originating from air in the first gas can be reduced, it is expected that the ratio of impurity gas originating from the luminescent gas in the first gas will hardly be reduced.

[0027] Therefore, it is preferable to first carry out a process of reducing the ratio of impurity gas components derived from air in the first gas (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the "first purification process"), and then carry out a process of reducing the ratio of impurity gas components derived from the luminous gas in the first gas (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the "second purification process").

[0028] In addition, since the ratio of the impure gas components originating from the light-emitting gas in the first gas is relatively low, a getter with higher reactivity is used to remove the impure gas components from the first gas. Carbon dioxide is an example of an impure gas component originating from the light-emitting gas, and getters that are highly reactive with carbon dioxide also tend to be reactive with oxygen. In addition, many getters that are highly reactive with specific components like this utilize an irreversible adsorption reaction, and typically cannot recover their adsorption ability by heating, for example. In contrast, the above method is preferable because it is possible to suppress deterioration of the getter due to oxygen in the second purification step by performing the second purification step after confirming that the oxygen concentration of the first gas is below a threshold value. Examples of other impure gas components will be described in the section "Mode for carrying out the invention."

[0029] The step (f2) is a step of measuring the concentrations of target substances including at least one element belonging to the group consisting of nitrogen, moisture, and hydrogen, and oxygen, The step (f3) is executed when the measurement result of the step (f2) is equal to or less than a threshold value set for each of the target substances, If the measurement result in the step (f2) exceeds the threshold value set for each of the target substances, the process may return to the execution of the step (f1).

[0030] From the viewpoint of suppressing deterioration of the getter in the second purification step due to reaction with components derived from air, the concentration of, for example, nitrogen, moisture, or hydrogen may be measured in addition to the oxygen concentration described above. According to the above method, the second purification step is performed after it is confirmed that the concentrations of the above components in addition to the oxygen concentration are equal to or lower than a threshold value, so that deterioration of the getter in the second purification step is further suppressed.

[0031] The lamp to be disposed of is a xenon lamp, The first gas discharged in the step (e) has a concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and moisture of more than 2 ppm; The step (f) may be 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.

[0032] The lamp to be disposed of is a halogen lamp, The first gas discharged in the step (e) has a concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and moisture of more than 10 ppm; The step (f) may be a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 10 ppm or less.

[0033] The lamp to be disposed of is a high pressure mercury lamp, an excimer lamp, a flash lamp, or a metal halide lamp, The first gas discharged in the step (e) has a concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and moisture of more than 5 ppm; The step (f) may be a step of reducing the concentration of the impurity gas contained in the first gas to 5 ppm or less.

[0034] The recovery mechanism includes: a first storage device for cooling and maintaining the first gas in a solid state after it is exhausted from one or more of the chambers; a second storage device to which the first gas obtained by vaporizing the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device is supplied, The step (e) (e1) introducing the first gas from the chamber into the first storage device connected to the chamber; and (e2) introducing the first gas obtained by vaporizing the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device into the second storage device; The step (f) may be a step of purifying the first gas held in the second storage device.

[0035] The first gas may be stored in a compressed state in a high-pressure cylinder before purification. The first gas can be stored in a reduced volume state by compressing the first gas to, for example, several tens of atmospheres. In addition, by moving the high-pressure cylinder, it is possible to purify the first gas at a location different from the location where the first gas is recovered in the recovery mechanism.

[0036] In addition, in the above method, the first gas is cooled and kept in a solid state in the first storage device before being supplied to a second storage device such as a high-pressure cylinder. After converting the first gas into a solid, the first gas in the solid state is vaporized and the resulting first gas is supplied to the second storage device, making it easy to increase the pressure of the first gas. Furthermore, due to the difference in freezing point, it is expected that the ratio of the noble gas component of the luminescent gas in the first gas will increase.

[0037] The recovery mechanism includes a plurality of the first storage devices, The second storage device is configured to receive and collectively store the first gas obtained by vaporizing the first gas in a solid state stored in each of the plurality of first storage devices, The step (e1) is performed for each of the chambers; The step (e2) may be a step of introducing the first gas from a plurality of the first storage devices to the second storage device at mutually different timings.

[0038] Furthermore, the step (c) may be performed in one of the chambers at the same time that the step (e1) is performed in another of the chambers.

[0039] According to the above method, while one chamber is discharging the first gas including the luminous gas, a decompression process is performed in another chamber, so that the luminous gas can be released from the tube in the latter chamber sooner after the discharge of the first gas from the former chamber is completed, thereby making it possible to more efficiently collect the luminous gas from a plurality of lamps.

[0040] Efficient recovery of luminous gas from discarded lamps will promote the reuse of luminous gas, which corresponds to Goal 12 "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns" of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and will contribute greatly to Target 12.2 "By 2030, achieve sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources."

[0041] The luminous gas recovery device according to the present invention comprises: A chamber; a lamp installation section configured to be able to install a lamp to be disposed of, the lamp including a tube body in which a light emitting gas is sealed, in an internal space of the chamber; an impact applying mechanism configured to apply physical energy to a part of the tube of the lamp to be disposed of when the lamp to be disposed of is installed in the lamp installation section; a pressure reducing mechanism for reducing the air pressure in an internal space of the chamber; The present invention is characterized by comprising an exhaust port provided at a portion of the chamber for exhausting a first gas present in the internal space of the chamber.

[0042] As described above, by applying energy to a part of the tube of the lamp to be disposed of and extracting the luminous gas without destroying the entire tube, the time required for decompressing the chamber and the time required for cleaning the chamber can be reduced. In other words, according to the above configuration, the luminous gas can be efficiently collected from the tube of the lamp to be disposed of.

[0043] In the case where the lamp to be disposed of includes an exhaust pipe remnant protruding outward from the outer wall of the tube body, The impact applying mechanism may be configured to be able to apply physical energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe of the lamp to be disposed of when the lamp to be disposed of is installed in the lamp installation section.

[0044] In addition, when the lamp to be disposed of includes a pair of electrodes spaced apart from each other within the tube, The lamp installation section may be provided with a fixing mechanism capable of fixing the lamp to be disposed of in a state in which the direction separating the pair of electrodes is substantially horizontal and the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when viewed from vertically above.

[0045] According to the above-described configuration, by moving the impact applying mechanism in the vertical direction within the chamber, physical energy can be easily applied to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe.

[0046] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of shortening the time required to reduce the pressure in the internal space of 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 tubular body of the lamp to be disposed of may be 100 or less. Effect of the Invention

[0047] According to the present invention, there is provided a method for efficiently recovering luminous gas from lamps to be disposed of, and a recovery device suitable for carrying out the method. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0048] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a light emitting gas recovery device. [Diagram 2] 2 is a view of the recovery device according to FIG. 1 as seen from the X direction. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an example of a recovery method according to the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a partially enlarged view of a lamp installed in a lamp installation section as viewed from the Z direction. [Diagram 5] 13 is a diagram showing a schematic appearance of the lamp after energy is applied to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram of a recovery device at a stage after a destruction process is performed. [Figure 7] 7 is a diagram showing a recovery device in a step of vaporizing a first gas held in a solid state and introducing it into a high-pressure cylinder, similar to FIG. 6. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a recovery device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 9 is a flow diagram of an example of a recovery method executed by the recovery device in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a recovery device according to a modified example. [Figure 11] 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a recovery device according to a modified example, following FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0049] The embodiment of the luminous gas recovery method and recovery device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following drawings are all schematic illustrations, and the dimensional ratios and numbers in the drawings do not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratios and numbers.

[0050] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing an example of the configuration of a luminescent gas recovery device (hereinafter simply referred to as the "recovery device"). In each of the following diagrams, an XYZ coordinate system consisting of an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction that are perpendicular to each other will be referred to as appropriate. Typically, the Z direction is the vertical direction, and the X direction and the Y direction are the horizontal directions. Based on this definition, FIG. 1 corresponds to a diagram of the recovery device 1 viewed in the Y direction, and FIG. 2 corresponds to a diagram of the recovery device 1 according to FIG. 1 viewed from the X direction.

[0051] 1 and 2, the configuration of the recovery device 1 will be described, and then a luminescent gas recovery method executed by the recovery device 1 will be described.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 1, the recovery device 1 includes a chamber 3, a lamp installation section 5 in which a lamp 2 to be disposed of (hereinafter simply referred to as "lamp 2") is installed, an impact imparting mechanism 7 that imparts physical energy to the lamp 2, a decompression mechanism 8 that decompresses the internal space A1, and a recovery mechanism 10 that recovers gas present in the internal space A1. Figs. 1 and 2 show a state in which the lamp 2 is installed in the internal space A1. Note that the decompression mechanism 8 and the recovery mechanism 10 are omitted from Fig. 2.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 1, the chamber 3 has a flow port 11 and a flow port 12 at a part of the wall surface through which the gas present in the internal space A1 can flow. The flow port 11 is connected to the pressure reducing mechanism 8 via a pipe 11a, and the flow port 12 is connected to the recovery mechanism 10 via a pipe 12a. In Fig. 1, for convenience of illustration, the flow ports (11, 12) are shown to be located on the side surface 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 a "discharge port." As an example, the volume of the chamber 3 is 5 L.

[0054] 1, the lamp installation section 5 has a stage 14 and a plurality of blocks 15 arranged on the stage 14. The blocks 15 have a mounting surface 15a that is V-shaped when viewed from the X direction, for example (see FIG. 2).

[0055] The impact applying mechanism 7 has, for example, a hammer portion 7a, a stopper portion 7b, and a support portion 7c as shown in Fig. 2. The support portion 7c supports the hammer portion 7a and the stopper portion 7b, and the hammer portion 7a is configured to be movable in the Z direction.

[0056] The pressure reducing mechanism 8 is, for example, a pump that draws in gas from the internal space A1. The recovery mechanism 10 is also composed of a tank 18 connected to the inlet 12 and a high-pressure cylinder 19 connected to the tank 18 via a pipe 10a. Specific configuration examples of the tank 18 and the high-pressure cylinder 19 will be described later.

[0057] As an example, the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the lamp 2 has a tube 21, a pair of bases 22 connected to both ends of the tube 21, a pair of electrodes 23 arranged spaced apart from each other in the internal space A2 of the tube 21, and an exhaust pipe remaining part 24 protruding outward from the outer wall of the tube 21. A light-emitting gas containing xenon (not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, see Fig. 4 described later) is enclosed in the internal space A2. Note that, in Fig. 1, the tube 21 is shown as being transparent for convenience of illustration. As an example, the enclosed pressure of the light-emitting gas in the lamp 2 is about 1500 kPa, and the volume of the tube 21 is 300 mL.

[0058] Next, a method for recovering the luminous gas (hereinafter simply referred to as the "recovery method") that can be performed by the recovery device 1 will be described.

[0059] 3 is a flow diagram of an example of a recovery method according to the present invention. Recovery method 1a includes a step S1 of preparing lamp 2, a step S2 of placing lamp 2 in internal space A1 of chamber 3, a step S3 of reducing the pressure in internal space A1, a step S4 of applying energy to tube 21 of lamp 2 to break a part of tube 21 and release luminescent gas from tube 21, a step S5 of discharging gas present in internal space A1 after step S4 and converting it into a solid, a step S6 of determining whether to proceed to the subsequent step S7 after execution of step S5, a step S7 of vaporizing and compressing the solid gas obtained in step S5, and a subsequent step S10.

[0060] (Preparation process S1) A lamp 2 to be discarded is prepared. The lamp 2 is, as an example, a xenon lamp having the structure described with reference to Fig. 1. As described above, the present invention is not limited to the reason why the lamp 2 is to be discarded. The preparation step S1 corresponds to step (a).

[0061] (Installation process S2) Next, the lamp 2 is installed in the lamp installation section 5. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the lamp 2 installed in the lamp installation section 5 when viewed from the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 4, 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 remaining part 24 protrudes from the tube body 21 when the tube body 21 is viewed from the Z direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the exhaust pipe remaining part 24 is arranged between the hammer part 7a and the stopper part 7b of the impact applying mechanism 7 (see also FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). As a result, energy is applied to the exhaust pipe remaining part 24 in the subsequent breaking step S4. In FIG. 4, the position of the hammer part 7a is indicated by a dashed line for convenience of illustration.

[0062] 2, the block 15 that comes into contact with the base 22 has a mounting surface 15a that is V-shaped when viewed in the X direction. This allows the lamp 2 to be fixed onto the stage 14. Note that the block 15 may come into contact with the tube body 21.

[0063] As an example, after the lamp 2 is installed on the lamp installation part 5, the lamp installation part 5 is slid in the X direction and carried into the internal space A1 of the chamber 3. In this case, an opening / closing part (not shown) is provided on a side surface of the chamber 3 relating to 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 on the lamp installation part 5 in the chamber 3 via an opening / closing part (not shown) provided on a side surface of the chamber 3 relating to the Z direction.

[0064] If the chamber 3 is used before the lamp 2 is installed in the internal space A1, a lamp that has already released the luminescent gas from its tube (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "treated lamp") is present in the internal space A1. In this case, the treated lamp is removed from the chamber 3, and a cleaning process (not shown) is performed inside the chamber 3, after which the lamp 2 is installed in the internal space A1.

[0065] The installation step S2 corresponds to step (b).

[0066] (Decompression step S3) After the lamp 2 is installed in the internal space A1, the air pressure in the internal space A1 is reduced by the pressure reducing mechanism 8. As an example, the operation time of the pressure reducing mechanism 8 is set to 10 minutes or less, and the air pressure in the internal space A1 after the reduction is set to 0.1 Pa or more.

[0067] In order to reduce the pressure in the internal space A1 in as short a time as possible and to increase 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 body 21 of the lamp 2 is preferably 100 or less, more preferably 50 or less, and particularly preferably 20 or less.

[0068] The depressurization step S3 corresponds to step (c).

[0069] (Destruction process S4) In this embodiment, physical energy is applied by the impact applying mechanism 7 to destroy a portion of the pipe body 21. Specifically, the hammer portion 7a is moved in the Z direction toward the stopper portion 7b from the state shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4. The hammer portion 7a collides with the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24, thereby applying physical energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24.

[0070] Any means may be used to drive the impact applying mechanism 7 within the chamber 3. For example, the movement of the hammer portion 7a may be started by a physical mechanism provided outside the chamber 3, or the impact applying mechanism 7 may be configured to move the hammer portion 7a by receiving an electrical signal from outside the chamber 3.

[0071] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic appearance of the lamp 2 after energy is applied to the remaining exhaust pipe portion 24. In Fig. 5, the impact application mechanism 7 is omitted, and the tube body 21 is enlarged as in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, by applying energy to the remaining exhaust pipe portion 24, the internal space A2 of the tube body 21 and the internal space A1 of the chamber 3 can be connected without destroying the entire tube body 21.

[0072] Moreover, the air pressure in the internal space A1 is reduced by the previous decompression step S3. That is, since the air pressure in the internal space A2 is higher than the air pressure in the internal space A1, the luminescent gas L1 is emitted from the internal space A2 toward the internal space A1.

[0073] In this embodiment, the hammer portion 7a is described as moving in the Z direction, but the present invention is not limited to this moving direction of the hammer portion 7a. For example, the hammer portion 7a may be configured to be movable in the Y direction. In this case, in the previous installation step S2, the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24 may be disposed so as to protrude from the wall surface of the pipe body 21 in the Z direction when the pipe body 21 is viewed from the X direction, and the hammer portion 7a may impart physical energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24.

[0074] The destruction step S4 corresponds to step (d).

[0075] (Solidification process S5) As described with reference to Fig. 5, by releasing the luminescent gas L1 from the tube 21, a gas (corresponding to "first gas G1") is obtained which is a mixture of the luminescent gas L1 and the air present in the chamber 3. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the recovery device 1 at a stage after the destruction step S4 is performed. In Fig. 6, the open / closed states of the pipes 12a and 10a are shown by changing the positions of the valves (V1, V2) arranged in each pipe.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 6, the first gas G1 is first converted into a solid in the tank 18 and is held in the solid state. At this time, the first gas G1 is introduced into the tank 18 by, for example, an intake mechanism (not shown) that draws in gas in the chamber 3. In the following, the first gas G1 in the solid state may be referred to as the "first gas G2" in order to distinguish it from the first gas G1 before being converted into a solid. Specifically, the tank 18 has a cooling section (not shown) that can cool the first gas G1 with liquid nitrogen, and a heating section (not shown) that can heat the first gas G2 in the solid state. By cooling and solidifying the first gas G1, the first gas G1 can be held in a state in which the volume is reduced.

[0077] In addition, due to the difference in freezing point, the ratio of xenon in the first gas G2 is increased. More specifically, the freezing point of xenon is about -110°C, whereas 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 some oxygen is thought to be liquefied and remain in the first gas G2, but not all oxygen is converted into liquid. Therefore, the ratio of xenon in the first gas G2 is increased. Note that the first gas G1 that has passed through the cooling section in a gaseous state may be exhausted from an exhaust pipe (not shown) since the ratio of xenon is low. The above discussion can be similarly applied to the case where the noble gas component of the light emitting gas L1 is, for example, krypton. The tank 18 corresponds to the "first storage device", and the solidification process S5 corresponds to the process (e1).

[0078] (Judgment step S6) After the solidification step S5 is performed, it is appropriately determined whether or not to proceed to step S7, in which the first gas G2 held in a solid state is compressed into the high-pressure cylinder 19 (see FIG. 3). As an example, if the amount of the first gas G2 is not sufficient to fill the high-pressure cylinder 19 ("No" in the determination step S6), a lamp to be disposed of that is different from the lamp 2 is placed in the internal space A1, and steps S2 to S5 are performed. On the other hand, if the amount of the first gas G2 is sufficient to fill the high-pressure cylinder 19 ("Yes" in the determination step S6), the subsequent compression step S7 is performed.

[0079] As described above, in this embodiment, the luminous gas L1 is released from the tubular body 21 without destroying the entire tubular body 21. Therefore, after the release of the first gas G1 from the chamber 3 is completed, the work of removing the lamp 2 (treated lamp) from the chamber 3 from which the luminous gas L1 has been released, and the work of cleaning the inside of the chamber 3 can be performed quickly. In other words, since the tubular body 21 is not destroyed in its entirety, the time required from returning the internal space A1 of the chamber 3 to atmospheric pressure until the chamber 3 is ready to receive the next lamp to be disposed of is shortened to, for example, several minutes or less. If the tubular body 21 were destroyed in its entirety, the time required for the work of removing the treated lamp and the like would be significantly longer.

[0080] In addition, "the release of the first gas G1 from the chamber 3 has been completed" may also mean that the air pressure in the internal space A1, which rose due to the release of the luminescent gas L1 from the internal space A2, has been reduced to approximately the same level as the air pressure when energy is imparted to the remaining part 24 of the exhaust pipe by the intake mechanism.

[0081] (Compression step S7) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the recovery device 1 at a stage of introducing a gas (hereinafter referred to as "first gas G3") obtained by vaporizing the first gas G2 held in a solid state into the high-pressure cylinder 19, following FIG. 6. The first gas G3 is obtained by heating and vaporizing the first gas G2 in a solid state in a heating unit (not shown). Then, the first gas G3 is compressed into the high-pressure cylinder 19. In the high-pressure cylinder 19, the pressure of the first gas G3 is set to, for example, several tens of atmospheres. Here, in this 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 cylinder 19 corresponds to the "second storage device". Also, the compression step S7 corresponds to the step (e2).

[0082] By recovering the first gas G1 in the recovery mechanism 10, it is possible to recover the luminescent gas L1 emitted from the tube body 21. The solidification step S5 and the compression step S7 correspond to step (e).

[0083] (Post-process S10) The high-pressure cylinders 19 that hold the first gas G3 can be accumulated and stored in any storage location.

[0084] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the recovery device according to the present invention will be described, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment. Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the recovery device according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a flow diagram of an example of a recovery method performed by the recovery device 1 according to Fig. 8. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has a purification mechanism 30 that purifies the first gas G3 recovered in the high-pressure cylinder 19, and a recovery mechanism 40 that recovers the gas that has passed through the purification mechanism 30, and executes a purification step S8 that purifies the first gas G3.

[0085] The refining step S8 increases the ratio of xenon contained in the first gas G3. The steps from the preparation step S1 to the compression step S7 can be discussed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In view of this, steps prior to the compression step S7 are omitted in FIG. 9. Similarly, the chamber 3 and the like are omitted in FIG. 8. The refining step S8 will be described below while explaining the configuration of the refining mechanism 30.

[0086] (Purification step S8) 8, the purification mechanism 30 has a buffer tank 34 connected to the high-pressure cylinder 19, a first purification device 31, a second purification device 32, and a measuring device 33. The buffer tank 34 is installed for the purpose of adjusting the flow rate of gas within the purification mechanism 30.

[0087] The first purification device 31 executes a step S81 of reducing the ratio of impure gas components derived from air contained in the first gas G3 by purifying the first gas G3 supplied from the buffer tank 34 (see FIG. 9). Specifically, in the first purification device 31, a getter that adsorbs oxygen is brought into contact with the first gas G3. This reduces the ratio of oxygen in the first gas G3 that has passed through the first purification device 31. The flow rate of the first gas G3 when passing through the first purification device 31 is set to, for example, 5 L / min.

[0088] Step S81 of purifying the first gas G3 in the first refinement device 31 corresponds to step (f1). In the following, the first gas G3 after passing through the first refinement device 31 may be referred to as the "first gas P1" in order to distinguish it from the first gas G3 before passing through the first refinement device 31 (see FIG. 11).

[0089] The measuring device 33 includes an oxygen concentration meter and measures the oxygen concentration contained in the first gas P1 (step S82). If the oxygen concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold, the first gas P1 is supplied to the second purification device 32. On the other hand, if the oxygen concentration exceeds the predetermined threshold, the first gas P1 is sent to the buffer tank 34, and the first gas P1 is purified again by the first purification device 31 (step S83). That is, as shown in FIG. 9, step S81 is repeated until the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined threshold. Step S82 in which the measuring device 33 measures the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 corresponds to step (f2).

[0090] Since the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp, the amount of air in the light emitting gas L1 is very small. However, as described above, considering that the first gas G1 contains impurity gases derived from air, if the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp, the concentrations of oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture in the first gas G1 are considered to exceed 2 ppm. In contrast, the threshold value for the oxygen concentration, for example, is preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.5 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 ppm or less.

[0091] In step S83, as shown in FIG. 9, whether to proceed to step S84 is determined based on the measurement result by the measuring device 33. As a more detailed example, the refining mechanism 30 has 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 branched from the connection point between the first pipe and the second pipe and reaching the buffer tank 34, a three-way valve that adjusts the communication / cut-off between the first pipe and the second pipe, and the first pipe and the third pipe, and a control unit that adjusts the opening degree of the three-way valve. The control unit adjusts the opening degree of the three-way valve based on the measurement result by the measuring device 33. In this configuration, 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 and the third pipe and cut off the communication between the first pipe and the second pipe. When it is confirmed that the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 has reached a predetermined threshold or less, the control unit controls the three-way valve to cut off the communication between the first pipe and the third pipe and to connect the first pipe and the second pipe.

[0092] The second refiner 32 executes a step S84 of reducing the ratio of impurity gas components derived from the light emitting gas other than xenon contained in the first gas P1 by purifying the first gas P1 supplied from the first refiner 31 (see FIG. 9). Hereinafter, the first gas P1 after passing through the second refiner 32 is referred to as the "first gas P2" in order to distinguish it from the first gas P1 before passing through the second refiner 32 (see FIG. 11). Carbon dioxide is an example of an impurity gas derived from the light emitting gas L1 of a xenon lamp. For example, in the second refiner 32, a getter that adsorbs carbon dioxide is brought into contact with the first gas P1. This makes it possible to obtain the first gas P2 in which the ratio of impurity gas components derived from the light emitting gas L1 is reduced.

[0093] Other examples of impure gases derived from the light emitting gas L1 include carbon monoxide, fluorine compounds, and hydrocarbons. Furthermore, when the lamp 2 is a xenon lamp, noble gases other than xenon, such as helium, argon, and krypton, are also impure gases derived from the light emitting gas. In view of this, the second purification device 32 may have a getter that adsorbs carbon monoxide, fluorine compounds, or hydrocarbons. Similarly, the second purification device 32 may have a getter that adsorbs noble gases other than xenon, such as helium, argon, and krypton.

[0094] As described above, the ratio of impure gas originating from the light emitting gas L1 in the first gas P1 is lower than that of components originating from air. Therefore, in order to remove the impure gas components originating from the light emitting gas L1 from the first gas P1, a getter having high reactivity with the impure gas components originating from the light emitting gas is used. Here, the getter is typically reactive to oxygen and cannot be reused due to an irreversible adsorption reaction. However, in this embodiment, since step S84 is performed after it is confirmed that the oxygen concentration of the first gas P1 is equal to or lower than a threshold value (steps S82 and S83), deterioration of the getter that adsorbs the impure gas originating from the light emitting gas L1 due to oxygen can be suppressed. In other words, by performing purification by the second purification device 32 after reducing the ratio of the impure gas components originating from air in the first gas P1 by the first purification device 31, the concentration of the impure gas components originating from the light emitting gas L1 can be suitably reduced. Step S84 of purifying the first gas P1 in the second purification device 32 corresponds to step (f3).

[0095] In consideration of the type and filling amount of the getter in the second refining device 32, the first refining device 31 may be provided with a getter that adsorbs at least one target substance belonging to the group consisting of nitrogen, moisture, and hydrogen, in addition to the getter that adsorbs oxygen. Furthermore, the measuring device 33 may measure the concentration of each of the target substances in addition to the oxygen concentration. In this case, step S84 may be executed when the measurement result of step S82 is equal to or less than a 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.

[0096] For example, the threshold value for the moisture concentration is preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.5 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 ppm or less. Similarly, the threshold value for the nitrogen concentration or hydrogen concentration is preferably 1 ppm or less, more preferably 0.5 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 0.1 ppm or less.

[0097] Just to be clear, it is presumed that the hydrogen contained in the first gas G1 is derived from both the air and the luminous gas. More specifically, it is considered that the hydrogen is generated from moisture in the air. It is also considered that the high temperature of the lamp 2 caused by lighting generates hydrogen from the tungsten constituting the electrode 23 and the glass material constituting the tube body 21, and hydrogen is contained in the luminous gas L1.

[0098] In order to measure the concentration of the target substance, the measuring device 33 may include a dew point meter, any nitrogen concentration meter, or a hydrogen concentration meter.

[0099] The present invention does not exclude the case where the ratio of components different from the components derived from air is reduced in the first purification device 31. For example, the first purification device 31 may be provided with a getter that adsorbs carbon monoxide, which is an impure gas derived from the light emitting gas L1. Also, the ratio of the components derived from air may be reduced in the second purification device 32. Specifically, it is preferable that a getter having a higher reactivity is disposed in the second purification device 32 compared to the getter that adsorbs oxygen in the first purification device 31.

[0100] In the above, the impurity gases originating from the air and the impurity gases originating from the luminous gas L1 have been mainly described. However, it is also conceivable that the first gas G1 contains components originating from the adhesive used to fix the tube 21 and the base 22 of the lamp 2. Furthermore, if the adhesive is porous, it is also conceivable that the adhesive adsorbs components in the air when the lamp 2 is in use. Therefore, the first purification device 31 and the second purification device 32 may be provided with a getter that adsorbs components originating from the adhesive.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above, 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.

[0102] When the lamp 2 is a high pressure mercury lamp, an excimer lamp, a flash lamp, or a metal halide lamp, the first gas G1 is considered to have oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture concentrations each exceeding 10 ppm due to differences in the manufacturing process compared to a xenon lamp, differences in the concentration of noble gases in the light emitting gas, etc. In response to this, it is preferable to use the purification mechanism 30 to reduce the concentrations of the gases of components derived from the air to 10 ppm or less.

[0103] Furthermore, although the concentration of noble gas in the light-emitting gas of a halogen lamp is lower than that of a xenon lamp, the concentration is typically higher than that of the high-pressure mercury lamp and the like. In view of these circumstances, if the lamp 2 is a halogen lamp, the first gas G1 is considered to have oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture concentrations each exceeding 5 ppm. In response to this, it is preferable to use the purification mechanism 30 to reduce the concentrations of the gases of components derived from the air to 5 ppm or less.

[0104] The refining step S8 may be performed at a location different from the location where the compressing step S7 is performed. More specifically, the refining step S8 may be performed by carrying in the high-pressure cylinder 19 in which the first gas G3 is compressed at a location where the refining mechanism 30 is disposed.

[0105] The purification step S8 corresponds to step (f).

[0106] (Post-process S10) The first gas P2 that has passed through the second purification device 32 is recovered and stored in an optional recovery mechanism 40.

[0107] [Variations] Below, modified examples of the recovery device 1 will be described.

[0108] 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a recovery device 1 according to a modified example. This modified example differs 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).

[0109] 10, the recovery device 1 according to this modified example includes three chambers (3a, 3b, 3c). The chambers (3a, 3b, 3c) are connected to a pressure reduction mechanism 8 via valves Va to Vc, respectively. The chambers (3a, 3b, 3c) are connected to tanks (18a, 18b) via valves Vd to Vh, respectively. The tanks (18a, 18b) are connected to high-pressure cylinders 19 via valves Vi and Vj, respectively.

[0110] For example, after the first gas G1 discharged from the chamber 3a is solidified in the tank 18a, the first gas G1 discharged from the chamber 3b is solidified in the tank 18a. That is, in this modification, the solidification step S5 is performed for each chamber.

[0111] At this time, in this modification, the lamp 2 is installed in the chamber 3b and the decompression step S3 can be performed at the timing when the solidification step S5 is performed for the lamp 2 installed in the chamber 3a. More specifically, the valves (Vb, Vd, Ve) are opened and the valves (Va, Vc, Vf to Vh) are closed, and the solidification step S5 is performed in the chamber 3a and at the same time the decompression step S3 is performed in the chamber 3b. This allows the destruction step S4 to be performed quickly in the chamber 3b after the solidification step S5 in the chamber 3a is completed. In other words, the light emitting gas L1 can be efficiently collected from the plurality of lamps 2.

[0112] In addition, after the solidification of the first gas G1 discharged from each chamber (3a, 3b, 3c) is repeated and the tank 18a is filled, the first gas G1 is introduced into the tank 18b by appropriately switching the open / closed states of the valves Ve and Vg.

[0113] Moreover, according to this modification, by appropriately adjusting the open / closed state of each valve, while the first gas G1 is being introduced from each chamber (3a, 3b, 3c) into the tank 18b, the solid-state first gas G2 held in the tank 18a can be vaporized and the first gas G3 can be introduced into the high-pressure cylinder 19. That is, in this modification, the first gas G3 is introduced into the high-pressure cylinder 19 from the tanks 18a and 18b at mutually different timings (compression step S7). This reduces the downtime of the recovery device 1 while compressing the first gas G3, and allows the light emitting gas L1 to be recovered more efficiently from the lamp 2.

[0114] The first gas G3 may be introduced into the high-pressure cylinder 19 from both the tank 18a and the tank 18b at the same time.

[0115] In the above, the chamber 3a and the chamber 3b are mainly used as an example, but the chamber 3c may be used as appropriate. Also, for example, the chambers 3a and 3b may have different volumes. This makes it possible to select an appropriate chamber according to the volume of the tube 21 of the lamp 2.

[0116] <2> Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a purification mechanism 30 according to this modification, following Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 11, this modification has a measurement device 35 that measures the concentration of components contained in the first gas P2 at a stage downstream of the second purification device 32.

[0117] 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 gas components contained in the first gas P2 may be performed after performing step S84 (see also FIG. 9). As described above in the section on the second embodiment, the concentration of the air-derived components contained in the first gas P1 is measured by the measuring device 33 (step S82). However, in selecting a use application of the recovered first gas P2, it is preferable to measure the concentration of the components contained in the first gas P2.

[0118] Furthermore, a malfunction such as a leak in the second purification device 32 or piping is also predicted. For this reason, if the concentration of the component contained in the first gas P2 is higher than a predetermined value, the first gas P2 may be introduced into the buffer tank 34 and purification by the first purification device 31 may be performed again, as shown in Fig. 11. Although not shown, the first gas P2 after passing through the measuring device 35 may be introduced into each of the buffer tank 34 and the second purification device 32, and depending on the measurement result of the measuring device 35, it may be possible to select whether the first gas P2 is supplied to the buffer tank 34 or the second purification device 32.

[0119] <3> The refining step S8 may be performed after the solidifying step S5 and before the compressing step S7, and the first gas that has been subjected to the refining step S8 may be compressed into the high-pressure cylinder 19.

[0120] <4> In the above, the recovery mechanism 10 is provided with the tank 18 that cools and solidifies the first gas G1, and the recovery method 1a is described as executing the solidification step S5 and the determination step S6. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the chamber 3 and the high-pressure cylinder 19 may be connected, and the first gas G1 pressurized by a pressure boosting mechanism (not shown) may be introduced into the high-pressure cylinder 19. Even if the first gas G1 is filled into the high-pressure cylinder 19 without going through a solidified state, the refining step S8 can be discussed in the same manner as in the second embodiment.

[0121] In the destruction step S4, the energy applied to the pipe body 21 is not limited to physical energy. For example, a laser disposed in the chamber 3 may apply thermal energy to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24, thereby connecting the internal space A1 of the chamber 3 to the internal space A2 of the pipe body 21. Also, a chemical may be brought into contact with the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24 in the chamber 3, and the internal space A1 may be connected to the internal space A2 by chemical energy resulting from a chemical reaction between the chemical and the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24.

[0122] <6> In the above description, energy is applied to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24. However, in the present invention, the target of energy application may be any target, as long as it is possible to connect the internal space A1 and the internal space A2 without destroying the entire pipe body 21. In other words, the target of energy application is not limited to the exhaust pipe remaining portion 24.

[0123] For example, by irradiating the tube 21 with laser light, thermal energy may be applied to a portion of the tube 21 other than the remaining exhaust pipe 24, and a hole connecting the internal space A1 and the internal space A2 may be provided in a portion of the tube 21. The wavelength and intensity of the laser light can be appropriately adjusted depending on the material, thickness, etc. of the tube 21.

[0124] <7> In the above description, one lamp 2 is provided for one chamber 3, but a plurality of lamps 2 may be provided for one chamber 3.

[0125] <8> In addition, the lamp 2 has been described as being fixed to the mounting surface 15a of the block 15. However, as long as the internal space A1 and the internal space A2 can be connected without destroying the entire tube body 21, in the present invention, it is optional whether or not the lamp 2 is fixed within the chamber 3.

[0126] <9> The present invention is not limited to the use of the recovered luminous gas.

[0127] <10> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be appropriately combined to achieve the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1: Recovery device 1a: Collection method 2: Lamps to be disposed of 3, 3a, 3b, 3c: Chamber 5: Lamp installation section 7: Impact mechanism 7a: Hammer section 7b: Stopper part 7c: Support section 8: Pressure reduction mechanism 10,40: Recovery mechanism 10a, 11a, 12a: Piping 11,12 : Ventilation port 14: Stage 15: Block 15a: Placement surface 18, 18a, 18b: Tank 19: High pressure cylinder 21: Body 22: Cap 23 : Electrode 24: Remaining exhaust pipe 30 : Refining mechanism 31: First purification device 32: Second purification device 33,35: Measuring equipment 34: Buffer tank A1,A2: Internal space

Claims

1. A step (a) of preparing a lamp to be disposed of, the lamp including a tube body in which a light-emitting gas is sealed; (b) placing the lamp to be disposed of in the interior space of a chamber; (c) reducing the pressure in the internal space of the chamber; A step (d) of applying energy to a part of the tube to connect the internal space of the tube to the internal space of the chamber without destroying the entire tube, thereby discharging the luminous gas from the internal space of the tube toward the internal space of the chamber; After the step (d), a step (e) of discharging the first gas present in the internal space of the chamber toward a recovery mechanism disposed outside the chamber.

2. The lamp to be disposed of includes an exhaust pipe remnant protruding outward from an outer wall of the tube, 2. The method for recovering a light emitting gas according to claim 1, wherein the step (d) is a step of applying energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe to connect the internal space of the tube body to the internal space of the chamber.

3. The lamp to be disposed of includes a pair of electrodes spaced apart from each other within the tube, The step (b) is a step of fixing the lamp to be disposed of in the internal space of the chamber so that the separation direction of the pair of electrodes is substantially horizontal and the remaining part of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when viewed vertically from above, The method for recovering luminescent gas described in claim 2, characterized in that step (d) is a step of imparting physical energy to the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe by an impact imparting mechanism moving substantially vertically downward and colliding with the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe.

4. The method for recovering a light-emitting gas as described in claim 1, further comprising a step (f) of purifying the first gas recovered by the recovery mechanism to increase the ratio of noble gas components of the light-emitting gas contained in the first gas.

5. The step (f) (f1) reducing the ratio of air-derived components contained in the first gas; a step (f2) of measuring a concentration of oxygen contained in the first gas after the step (f1) is performed; and a step (f3) of reducing a ratio of an impurity gas component different from a noble gas component of the light emitting gas contained in the first gas that has been subjected to the step (f1) when the measurement result of the step (f2) is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, 5. The method for recovering a light emitting gas according to claim 4, wherein, when the measurement result in said step (f2) exceeds said threshold value, the process returns to execution of said step (f1).

6. The step (f2) is a step of measuring the concentrations of target substances including at least one element belonging to the group consisting of nitrogen, moisture, and hydrogen, and oxygen, The step (f3) is executed when the measurement result of the step (f2) is equal to or less than a threshold value set for each of the target substances, 6. The method for recovering a luminous gas according to claim 5, further comprising the step of returning to execution of said step (f1) when the measurement result of said step (f2) exceeds a threshold value set for each of said target substances.

7. The lamp to be disposed of is a xenon lamp, The first gas discharged in the step (e) has a concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and moisture of more than 2 ppm; 5. The method for recovering a light emitting gas according to claim 4, wherein said step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of said impurity gas contained in said first gas to 2 ppm or less.

8. The lamp to be disposed of is a halogen lamp, The first gas discharged in the step (e) has a concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and moisture of more than 10 ppm; 5. The method for recovering a light emitting gas according to claim 4, wherein said step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of said impurity gas contained in said first gas to 10 ppm or less.

9. The lamp to be disposed of is a high pressure mercury lamp, an excimer lamp, a flash lamp, or a metal halide lamp, The first gas discharged in the step (e) has a concentration of at least one impurity gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and moisture of more than 5 ppm; 5. The method for recovering a light emitting gas according to claim 4, wherein said step (f) is a step of reducing the concentration of said impurity gas contained in said first gas to 5 ppm or less.

10. The recovery mechanism includes: a first storage device for cooling and maintaining the first gas in a solid state after it is exhausted from one or more of the chambers; a second storage device to which the first gas obtained by vaporizing the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device is supplied, The step (e) (e1) introducing the first gas from the chamber into the first storage device connected to the chamber; and (e2) introducing the first gas obtained by vaporizing the first gas in a solid state held in the first storage device into the second storage device; 5. The method for recovering a luminescent gas according to claim 4, wherein said step (f) comprises purifying said first gas held in said second storage device.

11. The recovery mechanism includes a plurality of the first storage devices, The second storage device is configured to receive and collectively store the first gas obtained by vaporizing the first gas in a solid state stored in each of the plurality of first storage devices, The step (e1) is performed for each of the chambers; 11. The method for recovering a light emitting gas according to claim 10, wherein the step (e2) is a step of introducing the first gas from a plurality of the first storage devices to the second storage device at mutually different timings.

12. 12. The method for recovering a light emitting gas according to claim 11, wherein the step (c) is performed in one of the chambers at the same time that the step (e1) is performed in another of the chambers.

13. A chamber; a lamp installation section configured to be able to install a lamp to be disposed of, the lamp including a tube body in which a light emitting gas is sealed, in an internal space of the chamber; an impact applying mechanism configured to apply physical energy to a part of the tube of the lamp to be disposed of when the lamp to be disposed of is installed in the lamp installation section; a pressure reducing mechanism for reducing the air pressure in an internal space of the chamber; a discharge port provided at a portion of the chamber for discharging a first gas present in the internal space of the chamber;

14. In the case where the lamp to be disposed of includes an exhaust pipe remnant protruding outward from the outer wall of the tube body, The luminescent gas recovery device according to claim 13, characterized in that the impact imparting mechanism is configured to be able to impart physical energy to the remaining exhaust pipe of the lamp to be disposed of when the lamp to be disposed of is placed in the lamp mounting section.

15. In the case where the lamp to be disposed of includes a pair of electrodes spaced apart from each other within the tube, The luminescent gas recovery device of claim 14, wherein the lamp installation unit is provided with a fixing mechanism capable of fixing the lamp to be disposed of in a state in which the spacing direction of the pair of electrodes is substantially horizontal and the remaining portion of the exhaust pipe protrudes from the tube body when viewed from vertically above.

16. 14. The luminous gas recovery device according to claim 13, wherein a ratio of a volume of said chamber to a volume of said tube of said lamp to be disposed of is 100 or less.

Images