UV-Enhancer Trigger Wire for High-Pressure Discharge Lamp Starting
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pressure discharge lamps in liquid crystal projectors face challenges with starting and re-starting performance due to thermal expansion issues with metal wires and complex manufacturing processes, leading to increased size, noise, and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
A UV-enhancer with a discharge tube held by a metal holder opposing the end face of the electrode seal portion, secured to the electrode lead, generates UV-light efficiently without thermal damage, improving starting performance and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the voltage of the high frequency pulse applied between the electrodes is increased to enhance starting performance, then the starting performance is improved, but the insulation distance between wirings must be extended which increases the size of the lighting circuit and may generate noises causing erroneous operation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the starting function from the main lamp structure by introducing a separate trigger wire/antenna wire that generates a magnetic field to induce voltage in the lamp electrodes. This separates the high-voltage pulse generation from the main lighting circuit, avoiding the need to extend insulation distances in the primary circuit while still achieving enhanced starting performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger wire acts as an intermediary element that converts high-frequency current into a magnetic field, which then induces voltage in the lamp electrodes through electromagnetic induction. This intermediary mechanism allows starting function enhancement without directly increasing voltage in the main lighting circuit, thus avoiding insulation and noise problems.
2Reliability
If a cavity for containing metal foil is formed in the electrode seal portion and mercury vapor-containing rare gas is sealed in the cavity to generate UV-light, then the starting performance is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes extremely troublesome and productivity is remarkably lowered
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the UV-generation function from the complex cavity-sealing process and relocates it to a trigger wire configuration. By forming the trigger wire into a loop that closely follows the arc tube surface, the system generates starting assistance through electromagnetic induction without requiring separate cavities, metal foils, or additional gas sealing operations, thus dramatically simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the starting function and UV-generation function into the trigger wire structure itself. The loop-shaped trigger wire serves dual purposes: generating the magnetic field for voltage induction and providing the necessary UV-light through its configuration, eliminating the need for separate cavity structures and multiple component assembly steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides stable UV-light generation during both cold and hot states, enhancing starting performance and reliability while maintaining a compact design, thus addressing thermal issues and manufacturing complexities.
Implementation Method 1
generates a UV-light by application of a starting voltage between an internal electrode and an external electrode
Implementation Method 2
the wire is extended due to thermal expansion by being heated at a high temperature of about 900°C to 1000°C upon lighting of the lamp
Implementation Method 3
The mercury is excited by the glow discharge to generate a UV-light, which excites the starting gas sealed in a discharge bulb 54 to promote arc discharge between the electrodes 56 and 56
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3(a)~4(b)
Figure 5(a)~6(b)
AI summary
Alight source apparatus capable of reliablyenhancing the starting performance of a high pressure discharge lamp even during hot state just after extinguishing the high pressure discharge lamp by radiating a necessary and sufficient amount of a UV-light into a discharge bulb of the lamp using an UV-enhancer of a simple constitution without increasing the manufacturing cost is provided. An UV-enhancer 3 for radiating a UV-light to a discharge bulb 5 for enhancing the starting performance of a high pressure discharge lamp 1 upon starting lighting includes a discharge tube 18 connected in parallel to a lighting circuit 11 of the lamp 1, and an external electrode 20 of the discharge tube 18 is formed as a metal holder H1 that holds the outer periphery of the discharge tube 18 so as to oppose the end face of an electrode seal portion 9L of the lamp 1 inserted through a bottom hole 14 in a concave reflector 2 and secures the electrode seal portion to an electrode lead 8 protruding from the end face thereof.