Flash lamp

Abstract

This flash lamp comprises: a housing including a bottom wall; and a plurality of electrically conductive pins. The plurality of electrically conductive pins include a first electrically conductive pin and a second electrically conductive pin arranged in a second direction perpendicular to a first direction. The first electrically conductive pin includes a first electrode portion disposed inside the housing, a first embedded portion embedded in the bottom wall, and a first terminal portion disposed outside the housing. The second electrically conductive pin includes a second electrode portion disposed inside the housing, a second embedded portion embedded in the bottom wall, and a second terminal portion disposed outside the housing. At least one of the first electrically conductive pin and the second electrically conductive pin is bent within the bottom wall such that the distance between the end of the first terminal portion on the bottom wall side and the end of the second terminal portion on the bottom wall side is greater than the distance between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion.

Description

Flash lamp

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flash lamp.

[0002] A flash lamp including a housing and a plurality of lead pins hermetically penetrating the bottom wall (stem portion) of the housing is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2023-32252

[0004] In the flash lamp as described above, when an appropriate voltage for function is applied to each lead pin during light emission, a potential difference increases between at least a pair of lead pins. Therefore, it is important in ensuring light emission to suppress the occurrence of discharge between the pair of lead pins outside the housing.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a flash lamp capable of ensuring light emission.

[0006] A flash lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure is [1] "a housing including a light-transmitting portion, a bottom wall facing the light-transmitting portion in a first direction, and a side wall surrounding a region between the light-transmitting portion and the bottom wall when viewed from the first direction, and a plurality of conductive pins hermetically penetrating the bottom wall, the plurality of conductive pins including a first conductive pin and a second conductive pin arranged side by side in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first conductive pin including a first electrode portion disposed inside the housing, a first embedded portion embedded in the bottom wall, and a first terminal portion disposed outside the housing, the second conductive pin including a second electrode portion disposed inside the housing, a second embedded portion embedded in the bottom wall, and a second terminal portion disposed outside the housing, and at least one of the first conductive pin and the second conductive pin being bent in the bottom wall such that a distance between an end portion on the bottom wall side of the first terminal portion and an end portion on the bottom wall side of the second terminal portion is larger than a distance between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion", a flash lamp.

[0007] In the flash lamp described above, at least one of the first conductive pin and the second conductive pin is bent within the bottom wall of the housing, and the distance between the bottom wall-side end of the first terminal portion and the bottom wall-side end of the second terminal portion is greater than the distance between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion. As a result, the distance between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion can be set to a functionally appropriate distance inside the housing, while the distance between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion can be set to a distance that suppresses discharge outside the housing. Therefore, the flash lamp described above can ensure reliable light emission.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a flash lamp, which may also be [2] "the flash lamp described in [1] above, wherein the bottom wall and side wall are integrally formed of an electrically insulating material." With this flash lamp, a housing capable of suppressing discharge between the first buried portion and the second buried portion can be easily and reliably obtained.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a flash lamp as described in [1] or [2] above, wherein at least one of the first buried portion and the second buried portion is bent in a crank shape. When the first buried portion is bent in a crank shape, even if stress is applied to the bottom wall side end of the first terminal portion, it is possible to suppress the crack from extending from the location in the bottom wall corresponding to the end to the inner surface of the bottom wall. When the second buried portion is bent in a crank shape, even if stress is applied to the bottom wall side end of the second terminal portion, it is possible to suppress the crack from extending from the location in the bottom wall corresponding to the end to the inner surface of the bottom wall.

[0010] A flash lamp in one aspect of the present disclosure may be [4] "a flash lamp according to any one of [1] to [3] above, wherein, when viewed from the first direction, at least one of the ends of the first terminal portion and the ends of the second terminal portion is located within the side wall." With this flash lamp, stable support of the flash lamp can be achieved even when an external force acts along the first direction or along the second direction when a plurality of conductive pins are fixed to a wiring board.

[0011] A flash lamp in one aspect of the present disclosure may be [5] "a flash lamp according to any one of [1] to [4] above, wherein the plurality of conductive pins include a sparker pin which serves as a sparker electrode, a cathode pin which serves as a cathode electrode, and an anode pin which serves as an anode electrode, and the first conductive pin is the sparker pin and the second conductive pin is the anode pin." With this flash lamp, it is possible to apply a functionally appropriate voltage to each of the sparker pin and the anode pin while suppressing the occurrence of discharge between the sparker pin and the anode pin outside the housing.

[0012] One aspect of the present disclosure is a flash lamp as described in [5], wherein the plurality of conductive pins further include probe pins which serve as probe electrodes. With this flash lamp, a flash lamp equipped with probe pins can apply functionally appropriate voltages to the sparker pin and the anode pin, respectively, while suppressing the occurrence of discharge between the sparker pin and the anode pin outside the housing.

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a flash lamp that can ensure reliable light emission.

[0014] Figure 1 is a plan view of an example flash lamp. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the flash lamp along the line II-II shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the flash lamp along the line III-III shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a first modified flash lamp. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a second modified flash lamp.

[0015] An example of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the flash lamp 1 comprises a bulb (housing) 2, a plurality of lead pins (a plurality of conductive pins), namely a first lead pin (first conductive pin) 3, a second lead pin (second conductive pin) 4, and a third lead pin 5, and a tubular member 7. The bulb 2 includes a light-transmitting portion 21, a bottom wall 22, and a side wall 23. The light-transmitting portion 21 and the bottom wall 22 face each other in the Z-axis direction (first direction). The side wall 23 surrounds the region between the light-transmitting portion 21 and the bottom wall 22 when viewed from the Z-axis direction. The bulb 2 is an airtight housing, and a discharge gas (for example, a rare gas such as xenon) is sealed inside the bulb 2.

[0017] The bottom wall 22 is formed in a plate shape with the Z-axis direction as the thickness direction (for example, a disc shape with a straight line L parallel to the Z-axis direction as the center line). The side wall 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape with openings on both sides in the Z-axis direction (for example, a cylindrical shape with a straight line L as the center line). The outer surface 23a of the side wall 23 is, for example, a cylindrical surface with the straight line L as the center line. The inner surface 23b of the side wall 23 is, for example, a frustoconical surface with the straight line L as the center line and widened on the opposite side from the bottom wall 22. The side wall 23 is located on one side of the bottom wall 22 in the Z-axis direction. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the outer surface 23a of the side wall 23 coincides with the side surface 22a of the bottom wall 22. The bottom wall 22 and the side wall 23 are integrally formed from an electrical insulating material (for example, glass, ceramic, etc.).

[0018] The light-transmitting portion 21 is formed in a plate shape (for example, a disc shape with a straight line L as its centerline) with the Z-axis direction as its thickness direction. In other words, the straight line L can be said to be the tube axis of the flash lamp 1. The light-transmitting portion 21 hermetically seals the opening on the side wall 23 opposite to the bottom wall 22. The light-transmitting portion 21 is hermetically joined to the end face 23c of the side wall 23 opposite to the bottom wall 22. The light-transmitting portion 21 may be joined to the end face 23c of the side wall 23 via a bonding layer (for example, an adhesive layer, a glass layer, etc.), or it may be joined directly to the end face 23c of the side wall 23. The thickness of the light-transmitting portion 21 is less than the thickness of the bottom wall 22. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the side surface 21a of the light-transmitting portion 21 coincides with the outer surface 23a of the side wall 23. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the side surface 21a does not need to protrude beyond the outer surface 23a; for example, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, the side surface 21a may be located inside the outer surface 23a. The light-transmitting portion 21 is formed of a light-transmitting material (for example, glass).

[0019] The first lead pin 3 is a sparker pin that serves as the sparker electrode and penetrates the bottom wall 22 airtightly. The second lead pin 4 is an anode pin that serves as the anode electrode and penetrates the bottom wall 22 airtightly. The third lead pin 5 is a cathode pin that serves as the cathode electrode and penetrates the bottom wall 22 airtightly. The first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4 are aligned in the X-axis direction (second direction) perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The third lead pin 5 is located between the first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4 in the X-axis direction. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the first lead pin 3, the second lead pin 4 and the third lead pin 5 are located on a line that intersects the line L and is parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0020] Each of the first lead pins 3, 2, and 3 is formed in a linear or rod shape from a conductive material. The conductive base material is, for example, a high-melting-point metal such as molybdenum or tungsten. Alternatively, each of the first lead pins 3, 2, and 3 may be formed in a linear or rod shape from a conductive material in which an electron-emitting material is mixed with the conductive base material. In this case, the electron-emitting material is, for example, an oxide of at least one metal selected from lanthanum, yttrium, zirconium, barium, scandium, strontium, neodymium, samarium, calcium, and hafnium.

[0021] The sparker pin, the first lead pin 3, includes a first electrode portion 31, a first embedded portion 32, and a first lead portion (first terminal portion) 33. The first electrode portion 31 is the part of the first lead pin 3 located inside the valve 2. The first electrode portion 31 is the functional part as a sparker electrode. The first embedded portion 32 is the part of the first lead pin 3 embedded in the bottom wall 22. The first lead portion 33 is the part of the first lead pin 3 located outside the valve 2, and is the part that is electrically connected to the outside in order to function as a sparker electrode. The first lead portion 33 extends along the Z-axis from the surface 22b of the bottom wall 22 opposite to the light-transmitting portion 21. The first electrode portion 31 may be formed integrally with the first embedded portion 32 and the first lead portion 33, or it may be formed separately from the first embedded portion 32 and the first lead portion 33. The shape of the first electrode portion 31 may be spherical, conical, plate-shaped, or any other shape.

[0022] The second lead pin 4, which is the anode pin, includes a second electrode portion 41, a second embedded portion 42, and a second lead portion (second terminal portion) 43. The second electrode portion 41 is the part of the second lead pin 4 that is located inside the valve 2. The second electrode portion 41 is the functional part as the anode electrode. The second embedded portion 42 is the part of the second lead pin 4 that is embedded in the bottom wall 22. The second lead portion 43 is the part of the second lead pin 4 that is located outside the valve 2 and is electrically connected to the outside in order to function as the anode electrode. The second lead portion 43 extends from the surface 22b of the bottom wall 22 along the Z-axis direction. The second electrode portion 41 may be formed integrally with the second embedded portion 42 and the second lead portion 43, or it may be formed separately from the second embedded portion 42 and the second lead portion 43. The shape of the second electrode portion 41 may be spherical, conical, plate-shaped, or any other shape.

[0023] The first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4 are bent within the bottom wall 22 such that the distance d2 is greater than the distance d1. Distance d1 is the distance between the first electrode portion 31 and the second electrode portion 41. In this example, distance d1 is the nearest neighbor distance in the space between the outer circumferential surface of the first electrode portion 31 and the outer circumferential surface of the second electrode portion 41. Distance d2 is the distance between the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 on the bottom wall 22 side and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 on the bottom wall 22 side. In this example, distance d2 is the nearest neighbor distance in the space between the outer circumferential surface of the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 on the bottom wall 22 side and the outer circumferential surface of the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 on the bottom wall 22 side. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the ends 33a of the first lead portion 33 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 are located within the side wall 23. In other words, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 overlap with the side wall 23.

[0024] The first embedded portion 32 is bent in a crank shape. The first embedded portion 32 includes an extended portion 32a, an extended portion 32b, and a connecting portion 32c. The extended portion 32a is the portion that extends from the first electrode portion 31 along the Z-axis direction. The extended portion 32b is the portion that extends from the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 along the Z-axis direction. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the extended portion 32b is located outward from the extended portion 32a (away from the second lead pin 4 in the X-axis direction). The connecting portion 32c is the portion that extends along the X-axis direction. The connecting portion 32c is stretched between the end of the extended portion 32a opposite to the first electrode portion 31 and the end of the extended portion 32b opposite to the first lead portion 33. The extended portion 32a, the extended portion 32b, and the connecting portion 32c constitute the respective parts of the crank-shaped first embedded portion 32.

[0025] The second embedded portion 42 is bent in a crank shape. The second embedded portion 42 includes an extended portion 42a, an extended portion 42b, and a connecting portion 42c. The extended portion 42a is the portion that extends from the second electrode portion 41 along the Z-axis direction. The extended portion 42b is the portion that extends from the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 along the Z-axis direction. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the extended portion 42b is located on the outside of the extended portion 42a (away from the first lead pin 3 in the X-axis direction). The connecting portion 42c is the portion that extends along the X-axis direction. The connecting portion 42c spans the end of the extended portion 42a opposite to the second electrode portion 41 and the end of the extended portion 42b opposite to the second lead portion 43. The extended portion 42a, the extended portion 42b, and the connecting portion 42c constitute the respective parts of the crank-shaped second embedded portion 42. In this example, the extended portions of the first buried section 32 and the second buried section 42 extend in the X-axis direction. However, if the distance d2 is greater than the distance d1, the extended portions of the first buried section 32 and the second buried section 42 may extend in the Y-axis direction, or one of the extended portions may extend in the Y-axis direction. In other words, the extended portions of the first buried section 32 and the second buried section 42 may extend in any direction in the XY plane (a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction of the bottom wall 22) if the distance d2 is greater than the distance d1.

[0026] The cathode pin, the third lead pin 5, includes a third electrode portion 51, a third embedded portion 52, and a third lead portion 53. The third electrode portion 51 is the part of the third lead pin 5 that is located inside the valve 2. The third electrode portion 51 is the functional part as a cathode electrode. The third embedded portion 52 is the part of the third lead pin 5 that is embedded in the bottom wall 22. The third lead portion 53 is the part of the third lead pin 5 that is located outside the valve 2 and is electrically connected to the outside in order to function as a cathode electrode. The third lead portion 53 extends from the surface 22b of the bottom wall 22 along the Z-axis direction. The third electrode portion 51 may be formed integrally with the third embedded portion 52 and the third lead portion 53, or it may be formed separately from the third embedded portion 52 and the third lead portion 53. The third lead pin 5 extends linearly along the Z-axis direction. The shape of the third electrode portion 51 may be spherical, conical, plate-shaped, or any other shape.

[0027] The tubular member 7 penetrates the bottom wall 22 airtightly. One end 7a of the tubular member 7 opens to the inside of the valve 2, and the other end 7b of the tubular member 7 is sealed to the outside of the valve 2. When viewed from the Z-axis direction, the tubular member 7 is located on one side in the Y-axis direction with respect to the straight line L (i.e., on one side in the Y-axis direction with respect to the first lead pin 3, the second lead pin 4, and the third lead pin 5). The tubular member 7 is made of metal (for example, Kovar). The tubular member 7 was used to seal the discharge gas inside the valve 2 during the manufacture of the flash lamp 1.

[0028] The flash lamp 1 configured as described above emits pulsed light as follows. First, a predetermined voltage is applied between the second electrode section 41 and the third electrode section 51 by a main power supply electrically connected to the second lead pin 4, which is the anode pin, and the third lead pin 5, which is the cathode pin. In this state, a trigger voltage is applied to the first electrode section 31, the second electrode section 41, and the third electrode section 51 by a trigger power supply electrically connected to the first lead pin 3, which is the sparker pin, the second lead pin 4, which is the anode pin, and the third lead pin 5, which is the cathode pin.

[0029] As a result, a discharge occurs between the first electrode portion 31, which functions as a sparker electrode, and the third electrode portion 51, which functions as a cathode electrode, and light (for example, ultraviolet light) is emitted from the discharge. When this light is emitted, the discharge gas inside the bulb 2 is ionized. Following the discharge between the first electrode portion 31 and the third electrode portion 51, a preliminary discharge occurs between the second electrode portion 41 and the third electrode portion 51, and then a main discharge (arc discharge) occurs between the second electrode portion 41 and the third electrode portion 51. As a result, the flash lamp 1 emits pulsed light.

[0030] As described above, in the flash lamp 1, the first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4 are bent within the bottom wall 22 of the bulb 2, and the distance d2 between the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 is greater than the distance d1 between the first electrode portion 31 and the second electrode portion 41. This makes it possible to set the distance d1 between the first electrode portion 31 and the second electrode portion 41 to a functionally appropriate distance inside the bulb 2, while setting the distance d2 between the first lead portion 33 and the second lead portion 43 to a distance that can suppress discharge outside the bulb 2. Therefore, it is possible to miniaturize the bulb 2 while suppressing the occurrence of discharge between the first lead portion 33 and the second lead portion 43. As a result, the flash lamp 1 can ensure reliable light emission.

[0031] In the flash lamp 1, the bottom wall 22 and the side walls 23 are integrally formed from an electrically insulating material. This makes it possible to easily and reliably obtain a valve 2 that can suppress discharge between the first buried portion 32 and the second buried portion 42.

[0032] In the flash lamp 1, the first embedded portion 32 and the second embedded portion 42 are each bent in a crank shape. This prevents cracks from occurring in the bottom wall 22 from the point corresponding to the end portion 33a of the first lead portion 33 to the inner surface of the bottom wall 22 (i.e., cracks that extend from the external space to the internal space of the valve 2) even when stress is applied to the end portion 33a of the first lead portion 33. Similarly, it prevents cracks from occurring in the bottom wall 22 from the point corresponding to the end portion 43a of the second lead portion 43 to the inner surface of the bottom wall 22 (i.e., cracks that extend from the external space to the internal space of the valve 2) even when stress is applied to the end portion 43a of the second lead portion 43. Furthermore, it prevents variations in the relative positional relationship between the first electrode portion 31 and the second electrode portion 41, and variations in the relative positional relationship between the first lead portion 33 and the second lead portion 43 during the manufacturing of the flash lamp 1.

[0033] In the flash lamp 1, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 are located within the side wall 23. As a result, when the first lead pin 3, the second lead pin 4, and the third lead pin 5 are fixed to the wiring board, even if an external force acts along the Z-axis direction or along the X-axis direction, such external forces are mitigated not only by the bottom wall 22 but also by the side wall 23, thereby ensuring stable support for the flash lamp 1.

[0034] In the flash lamp 1, the first lead pin 3 is the sparker pin, the second lead pin 4 is the anode pin, and the third lead pin 5 is the cathode pin. That is, the first electrode portion 31 of the first lead pin 3 functions as the functional part of the sparker electrode, the second electrode portion 41 of the second lead pin 4 functions as the functional part of the anode electrode, and the third electrode portion 51 of the third lead pin 5 functions as the functional part of the cathode electrode. This makes it possible to apply an appropriate functional voltage to each of the sparker pin and the anode pin while suppressing the occurrence of discharge between the sparker pin and the anode pin outside the bulb 2.

[0035] This disclosure is not limited to the examples described above. For example, the first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4 are bent within the bottom wall 22 of the valve 2 such that the distance d2 between the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 is greater than the distance d1 between the first electrode portion 31 and the second electrode portion 41. The first embedded portion 32 and the second embedded portion 42 do not need to be bent in a crank shape. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the first embedded portion 32 may extend linearly inside the bottom wall 22 in a direction oblique to the straight line L (a direction intersecting the straight line L) between the first electrode portion 31 and the end 33a of the first lead portion 33. Similarly, the second embedded portion 42 may extend linearly inside the bottom wall 22 in a direction oblique to the straight line L between the second electrode portion 41 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the flash lamp 1 may further include a fourth lead pin 6 in addition to the first lead pin 3 which is a sparker pin, the second lead pin 4 which is an anode pin, and the third lead pin 5 which is a cathode pin. The fourth lead pin 6 is a probe pin which serves as a probe electrode. The fourth lead pin 6 is formed in a linear or rod shape from a conductive material, similar to the first lead pin 3, the second lead pin 4, and the third lead pin 5. The conductive substrate is, for example, a high-melting-point metal such as molybdenum or tungsten. The fourth lead pin 6 may also be formed in a linear or rod shape from a conductive material in which an electron-emissive material is mixed with a conductive substrate, similar to the first lead pin 3, the second lead pin 4, and the third lead pin 5. In that case, the electron-emissive material is, for example, an oxide of at least one metal selected from lanthanum, yttrium, zirconium, barium, scandium, strontium, neodymium, samarium, calcium, and hafnium.

[0037] In the flash lamp 1 shown in Figure 5, the fourth lead pin 6 is located between the second lead pin 4 and the third lead pin 5 in the X-axis direction. The fourth lead pin 6 includes a fourth electrode portion 61, a fourth embedded portion 62, and a fourth lead portion 63. The fourth electrode portion 61 is the part of the fourth lead pin 6 that is located inside the bulb 2. The fourth electrode portion 61 is the functional part as a probe electrode. The fourth embedded portion 62 is the part of the fourth lead pin 6 that is embedded in the bottom wall 22. The fourth lead portion 63 is the part of the fourth lead pin 6 that is located outside the bulb 2 and is electrically connected to the outside in order to function as a probe electrode. The fourth lead portion 63 extends from the surface 22b of the bottom wall 22 along the Z-axis direction. The fourth electrode portion 61 may be formed integrally with the fourth embedded portion 62 and the fourth lead portion 63, or it may be formed separately from the fourth embedded portion 62 and the fourth lead portion 63. The fourth lead pin 6 extends linearly along the Z-axis. The shape of the fourth electrode portion 61 may be spherical, conical, plate-shaped, or any other shape.

[0038] The flash lamp 1 shown in Figure 5 emits pulsed light as follows. First, a predetermined voltage is applied between the second electrode section 41 and the third electrode section 51 by a main power supply electrically connected to the second lead pin 4 (anode pin), the third lead pin 5 (cathode pin), and the fourth lead pin 6 (probe pin). In this state, a trigger voltage is applied to the first electrode section 31, the second electrode section 41, the third electrode section 51, and the fourth electrode section 61 by a trigger power supply electrically connected to the first lead pin 3 (sparker pin), the second lead pin 4 (anode pin), the third lead pin 5 (cathode pin), and the fourth lead pin 6 (probe pin).

[0039] As a result, a discharge occurs between the first electrode portion 31, which functions as a sparker electrode, and the third electrode portion 51, which functions as a cathode electrode, and light (e.g., ultraviolet light) is emitted from the discharge. When this light is emitted, the discharge gas inside the bulb 2 is ionized. Following the discharge between the first electrode portion 31 and the third electrode portion 51, preliminary discharges occur between the second electrode portion 41 and the fourth electrode portion 61, and between the fourth electrode portion 61 and the third electrode portion 51, and then a main discharge (arc discharge) occurs between the second electrode portion 41 and the fourth electrode portion 61, and between the fourth electrode portion 61 and the third electrode portion 51. As a result, the flash lamp 1 emits pulsed light.

[0040] Even with the flash lamp 1 shown in Figure 5, if the first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4 are bent within the bottom wall 22 of the valve 2 such that the distance d2 between the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 is greater than the distance d1 between the first electrode portion 31 and the second electrode portion 41, then for the fourth lead pin 6 as well, the distance in the external space of the valve 2 will be greater than the distance in the internal space of the valve 2 for both the first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4, thereby applying a functionally appropriate voltage to the sparker pin and the anode pin respectively, while suppressing the occurrence of discharge between the sparker pin and the anode pin outside the valve 2.

[0041] In addition, in the flash lamp 1 equipped with a sparker pin, an anode pin, and a cathode pin, and the flash lamp 1 equipped with a sparker pin, an anode pin, a cathode pin, and a probe pin, it is sufficient that at least one of the sparker pin and the anode pin is bent within the bottom wall 22 of the valve 2 so that an insulating distance is ensured on the outside of the valve 2. This is because suppressing the occurrence of discharge between the sparker pin and the anode pin on the outside of the valve 2 is effective in ensuring that a discharge is initially generated between the sparker electrode and the cathode electrode.

[0042] Furthermore, in all of the flash lamps 1 described above, the side walls 23 may be formed separately from the bottom wall 22. In that case, the side walls 23 may be formed from a different material (for example, metal) than the bottom wall 22.

[0043] Furthermore, in all of the flash lamps 1 described above, the first lead pin 3 may be a lead pin other than the sparker pin, and the second lead pin 4 may be a lead pin other than the anode pin. Also, in all of the flash lamps 1 described above, it is sufficient that at least one of the first lead pin 3 and the second lead pin 4 is bent. In all of the flash lamps 1 described above, when viewed from the Z-axis direction, it is sufficient that at least one of the end 33a of the first lead portion 33 and the end 43a of the second lead portion 43 is located within the side wall 23. Also, the flash lamp 1 may be provided with at least an anode pin and a cathode pin.

[0044] 1...Flash lamp, 2...Bulb (housing), 3...First lead pin (sparker pin), 4...Second lead pin (anode pin), 5...Third lead pin (cathode pin), 6...Fourth lead pin (probe pin), 21...Light transmission part, 22...Bottom wall, 23...Side wall, 31...First electrode part, 32...First embedded part, 33...First lead part, 33a...End, 41...Second electrode part, 42...Second embedded part, 43...Second lead part, 43a...End, d1, d2...Distance.

Claims

1. A flash lamp comprising: a housing including a light-transmitting portion, a bottom wall facing the light-transmitting portion in a first direction, and a side wall enclosing the region between the light-transmitting portion and the bottom wall when viewed from the first direction; and a plurality of conductive pins hermetically penetrating the bottom wall, wherein the plurality of conductive pins include a first conductive pin and a second conductive pin arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first conductive pin includes a first electrode portion located inside the housing, a first embedded portion embedded in the bottom wall, and a first terminal portion located outside the housing, the second conductive pin includes a second electrode portion located inside the housing, a second embedded portion embedded in the bottom wall, and a second terminal portion located outside the housing, and at least one of the first conductive pin and the second conductive pin is bent within the bottom wall such that the distance between the bottom wall-side end of the first terminal portion and the bottom wall-side end of the second terminal portion is greater than the distance between the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion.

2. The flash lamp according to claim 1, wherein the bottom wall and side walls are integrally formed from an electrical insulating material.

3. The flash lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the first buried portion and the second buried portion is bent in a crank shape.

4. The flash lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, when viewed from the first direction, at least one of the ends of the first terminal portion and the ends of the second terminal portion is located within the side wall.

5. The flash lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of conductive pins include a sparker pin which serves as a sparker electrode, a cathode pin which serves as a cathode electrode, and an anode pin which serves as an anode electrode, the first conductive pin being the sparker pin and the second conductive pin being the anode pin.

6. The flash lamp according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of conductive pins further include probe pins that serve as probe electrodes.

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