EP0381004A1 - Tube à décharge - Google Patents

Tube à décharge Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0381004A1
EP0381004A1 EP90101235A EP90101235A EP0381004A1 EP 0381004 A1 EP0381004 A1 EP 0381004A1 EP 90101235 A EP90101235 A EP 90101235A EP 90101235 A EP90101235 A EP 90101235A EP 0381004 A1 EP0381004 A1 EP 0381004A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
electrode
discharge
discharge tube
ground layer
tubular casing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP90101235A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0381004B1 (fr
Inventor
Kiyoshi C/O Yazaki Parts Co. Ltd. Yagi
Seiichi C/O Yazaki Parts Co. Ltd. Wakabayashi
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Yazaki Corp
Original Assignee
Yazaki Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Yazaki Corp filed Critical Yazaki Corp
Publication of EP0381004A1 publication Critical patent/EP0381004A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0381004B1 publication Critical patent/EP0381004B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J17/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with solid cathode
    • H01J17/02—Details
    • H01J17/04—Electrodes; Screens
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
    • H01T1/00—Details of spark gaps

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a discharge tube for voltage control, and more particularly to a discharge tube which is used for a series gap of an ignition system of an automobile engine or the like.
  • An ignition system of an automobile engine or the like is adapted to supply a high voltage to an ignition plug to produce a spark.
  • an ignition system with a so-called series gap is employed wherein a discharge gap is provided in series to an ignition plug.
  • a discharge tube is employed wherein inert gas is enclosed in a tube and a pair of electrodes are provided at the opposite ends of the tube.
  • FIG. 4 An exemplary one of such discharge tubes is shown in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 4, the discharge tube shown includes a glass tube 21 and a pair of metal wire electrodes 22 each covered with a zirconium nitride layer not shown and mounted in an enclosed relationship at the opposite end portions of the glass tube 21. Pressurized mixture gas of nitrogen and hydrogen is filled in the glass tube 21.
  • the discharge starting voltage of such a discharge tube must necessarily be high to some degree. Accordingly, the discharge tube has a problem that, if the distance between the electrodes is increased to this end, then the discharge maintaining voltage of the discharge tube is also increased and consequently the loss of energy to be supplied to an ignition plug is increased. Also there is another problem that the exhaustion of the electrodes is increased and the life of the discharge tube is reduced accordingly.
  • the inventors have made an investigation for improvement of making opposing faces of a pair of electrodes less acute or non-acute to raise the discharge voltage and lower the discharge maintaining voltage. Then, it has been found out that improvement in accuracy of the discharge voltage can be attained by the provision of a large number of convex and/or concave portions on a surface at least of the cathode. However, no solution has been found out yet to the problem that the discharge voltage drops as the frequency of discharge rises as described above.
  • a discharge tube which comprises a hollow tubular casing, and a pair of opposing cathode and anode electrodes secured to the axial opposite ends of the tubular casing to define in the tubular casing an enclosed hollow spacing in which inert gas is filled such that a discharge can be started by application of a pulse voltage between the cathode and anode electrodes, each of the electrodes including an electrode base secured to the tubular casing and an electrode member securely mounted on the electrode base in the hollow spacing, the electrode member of the cathode electrode being composed of a layered metal body including a ground layer and a thin surface layer formed on a surface of the ground layer opposing to the anode electrode and having a considerably smaller thickness than the ground layer.
  • the electrode member may be of the two-layer structure only including the ground layer and the thin surface layer or of a three- or more-layer structure including an additional layer or layers.
  • the thin surface layer can be formed on the ground layer by plating or the like, and desirably the thickness of the surface layer is within the range from 5 to 20 ⁇ m.
  • the electrode member of the cathode electrode has another similar thin surface layer formed on the other surface of the ground layer thereof.
  • the electrode member of the anode electrode may be composed of a layered metal body including a ground layer and a thin surface layer formed on one or each of the opposite surfaces of the ground layer.
  • the shape of the cathode electrode and/or the anode electrode can be determined suitably such that it may have an optimum characteristic in accordance with an application of the discharge tube.
  • the discharge tube of the present invention even if the frequency of discharge rises, the discharge voltage does not drop very much. Since the change of the discharge voltage with respect to the frequency of ignition is improved in this manner, the discharge tube is advantageous in that it exhibits an excellent effect in maintenance of a stabilized running condition even if a considerable change takes place in the number of revolution of an engine of an automobile or the like in which the discharge tube is incorporated.
  • the discharge tube shown includes a hollow tubular casing 8 formed from an alumina ceramics, and a cathode electrode 11 and an anode electrode 12 secured to the axial opposite ends of the tubular casing 8 and sealed with a suitable means such as silver solder not shown so as to define a hollow spacing 13 in the casing 8.
  • the cathode electrode 11 includes an electrode base 2 substantially in the form of a disk secured to the tubular casing 8. and an electrode member 1 having a generally semi-spherical shape and fitted on and secured to a hub portion 14 of the electrode base 2 by means of a metal ring 3.
  • the electrode member 1 has a large number of perforations 16 of a suitable size formed at a suitable pitch thereon.
  • the anode electrode 12 includes an electrode base 6 substantially in the form of a disk secured to the tubular casing 8, and an electrode member 4 having a substantially flat surface and fitted on and secured to a hub portion 15 of the electrode base 6 by means of a metal ring 7.
  • the electrode member 4 also has a large number of perforations 16 of a similar size formed at a similar suitable pitch thereon.
  • a gas conduit 5 extends axially through the center of the electrode base 6. Upon production of the discharge tube, suitable inert gas is introduced into the inner hollow spacing of the discharge tube by way of the gas conduit 5 so as to replace with the air. After such replacement, an outer end of the gas conduit 5 is compressed to seal the conduit 5.
  • Each of the electrode members 1 and 4 is formed from a layered body in the form of a plate which at least includes, though not shown, a ground layer which may be, for example, a copper plate having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, and a thin surface layer formed on each of the opposite surfaces of the ground layer and having a significantly small thickness of 5 to 20 ⁇ m, preferably of 10 ⁇ m, comparing with the ground layer.
  • the surface layer may be formed, for example, by electroplating of nickel.
  • a copper plate of a thickness of 0.5 mm having a large number of perforations of about 0.5 mm formed at a pitch of about 1 mm therein was prepared.
  • the perforated copper plate was shaped by press work so as to be rounded at peripheral edge portions thereof, and electroplating of nickel was performed to a thickness of about 10 ⁇ m on the opposite inner and outer surfaces of the perforated copper plate.
  • An electrode member 1 obtained in this manner was fitted on and secured to an electrode base 2 by means of a metal ring 3 to form a cathode electrode 11 as shown in FIG. 1.
  • Another electrode 4 having a substantially flat surface was produced in a similar manner and fitted on and secured to an electrode base 6, which had a gas conduit 5 extending therethrough, by means of another metal ring 7 to form an anode electrode 12.
  • the cathode electrode 11 and the anode electrode 12 produced in this manner were assembled in an opposing relationship to each other to the opposite ends of a tubular casing 8 of an alumina ceramics and then sealed with silver solder. Then, inert gas was introduced for replacement with air into the internal hollow spacing 13 of the discharge tube by way of the gas conduit 5, and then an outer end of the conduit 5 was compressed for enclosure, thereby obtaining a discharge tube I according to the present invention.
  • the electrodes 1 and 4 instead of forming the electrodes 1 and 4 from perforated copper plates. They were formed by shaping similar perforated stainless steel plates by press work and then performing electroplating of gold to a thickness of about 10 ⁇ m on the opposite inner and outer surfaces of the perforated stainless steel plates. Then, a discharge tube II of the present invention was produced by assembling the electrode plates 1 and 4 to a tubular casing 8 in a similar manner as the example 1 described hereinabove.
  • the ignition system shown includes an ignition coil T, a pair of discharge gaps G1 and G2 provided by a discharge tube and an ignition plug, respectively, and a floating capacitance C provided by a high tension cable, a distributor cap and so forth.
  • An ignition signal is transmitted to the ignition coil T by way of a transistor Tr.

Landscapes

  • Ignition Installations For Internal Combustion Engines (AREA)
EP90101235A 1989-01-30 1990-01-22 Tube à décharge Expired - Lifetime EP0381004B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP1017773A JPH02230679A (ja) 1989-01-30 1989-01-30 放電管
JP17773/89 1989-01-30

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0381004A1 true EP0381004A1 (fr) 1990-08-08
EP0381004B1 EP0381004B1 (fr) 1994-07-20

Family

ID=11953035

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90101235A Expired - Lifetime EP0381004B1 (fr) 1989-01-30 1990-01-22 Tube à décharge

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0381004B1 (fr)
JP (1) JPH02230679A (fr)
CA (1) CA2007758A1 (fr)
DE (1) DE69010706T2 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999014782A3 (fr) * 1997-09-16 1999-06-10 Siemens Ag Voie de decharge a atmosphere gazeuse

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3612937A (en) * 1969-10-08 1971-10-12 Sergei Alexandrovich Smirnov Low-pressure controlled discharge device with trigger electrode within hollow cathode

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS493264A (fr) * 1972-04-22 1974-01-12

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3612937A (en) * 1969-10-08 1971-10-12 Sergei Alexandrovich Smirnov Low-pressure controlled discharge device with trigger electrode within hollow cathode

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Soviet Inventions Illustrated, section E1, week D 29, August 26, 1981, Derwent Publications Ltd., London, X 12; & SU,A,765918 (KHROMOI). *

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999014782A3 (fr) * 1997-09-16 1999-06-10 Siemens Ag Voie de decharge a atmosphere gazeuse
US6529361B1 (en) 1997-09-16 2003-03-04 Epcos Ag Gas-filled discharge path

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69010706D1 (de) 1994-08-25
DE69010706T2 (de) 1994-10-27
JPH02230679A (ja) 1990-09-13
CA2007758A1 (fr) 1990-07-30
EP0381004B1 (fr) 1994-07-20

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