Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.

Ikeda Electric Co., Ltd.

Hiroshi Miyasaki

Hidenori Kakehashi

Keisuke Harada

Hiroshi Ogasawara

Yoshinobu Shibata

Kazuhiko Sakai

Ryusuke Ura

Shigeki Matsuo

An electrodeless discharge lamp is provided which prevents the problem of decrease in strength due to degradation of resin material, allowing secure fitting of a lamp part and a coupler member to a base even if it is used for a long time. A bulb containing a discharge gas and a coupler member for generating a high frequency electromagnetic field to excite the bulb are detachably fitted to each other via a base for fixing and supporting the bulb. The bulb and the base form a lamp part. The base comprises a base frame formed of a metal such as aluminum and a base cover formed e.g. of synthetic resin. The base frame has a coupler member fitting portion which is provided at a lower part thereof and fitted to the coupler member, wherein bulb fixing posts provided to stand on the coupler member fitting portion fix a bulb outer tube. Thus, the fitting portions of the lamp part and the coupler member to the base undergo less material degradation than a conventional one which uses a base of resin material.

Electrodeless discharge lamp

An electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus is provided which is increased in heat dissipation, making it possible to adapt to an increase in output of the apparatus. The electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus comprises a bulb containing a discharge gas and a coupler accommodated in a cavity formed in the bulb for generating a high frequency electromagnetic field. The coupler has: an induction coil; a core inserted into the coil; a heat conductor for conducting heat generated from the coil and the core; and a bobbin made of resin which accommodates the core and the heat conductor therein, and which has the coil wound therearound. The bobbin is designed to be separated in a radial direction of the coil, so that it is possible to separately mold the respective parts of the bobbin. Thus, it is not necessary to form, in the bobbin, a draft angle which has been necessary in the prior art when molding a tubular-shaped bobbin, and it is possible to make the thickness of the bobbin thin and uniform, so that the proportion of the bobbin in the volume of the cavity can be reduced to increase the proportion of the heat conductor.

Electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus and lighting fixture with the electrodeless discharge lamp apparatus

In an electrodeless discharge lamp suitable for use at a place with unfavorable environmental conditions or at a place where lamp replacement is difficult, the replacement of a lamp unit is facilitated and the lamp unit is prevented from falling off from a power coupler unit even if there is component deterioration caused by long-term use. A metallic elastic member is provided near a position on a metallic heat conduction member of the power coupler unit that is farthest from an electromagnetic field generating portion. In addition to an ordinary coupling structure between the power coupler unit and a coupling member, the elastic member is engaged with the coupling member of the lamp unit. When the lamp unit is mounted on or removed from the power coupler unit, a bulb of the lamp unit is turned relative to the power coupler unit about the axis and moved forward/backward in the direction of the axis. This causes the elastic member to be elastically deformed by the coupling member and engaged to or separated from a coupling portion provided at the coupling member.

Growing community of inventors

Tsubame, Japan

Hiroshi Miyasaki