Abstract: A metal halide lamp comprises a refractory, light-transmitting airtight container defining therein a discharge space with an internal volume of not more than 0.1 cc, electrodes sealed in the container, opposing each other with a distance of not more than 5 mm interposed, and a discharge medium sealed in the container and including a metal halide material and a rare gas. The metal halide includes first and second halide materials. The first halide material contains scandium (Sc) and sodium (Na) halides. The second halide material contains at least one of indium (In) and zinc (Zn) halides. The discharge medium contains substantially no mercury. The load on the wall of the container in a stable state is 50 W/cm2 or more. A/B?0.21 where A represents the intensity of an impurity chromium (Cr) spectrum in lighting spectra, and B represents the intensity of a scandium (Sc) spectrum.

Abstract: A discharge lamp driving circuit drives a discharge lamp using a high frequency wave, to start the lamp. A booster/chopper circuit has a switching element FET1, and boosts an input power supply voltage by switching the switching element. A boosting transformer supplies the discharge lamp with the voltage boosted by the booster/chopper circuit. A booster/driver circuit supplies the switching element FET 1 of the booster/chopper circuit with a driving signal having a frequency of 10 to 200 kHz, thereby limiting the peak loss of the switching element FET 1 to 200 W or less.

Abstract: To provide, in a special situation of a mercury-free lamp in which a luminance flicker tends to occur unlike a mercury-containing lamp, a metal halide lamp having an electrode structure modified so as to suppress the luminous flicker that is suitably used as an automotive headlamp, and an automotive headlamp apparatus incorporating the same. A metal halide lamp includes: a hermetic vessel 1 which is fire resistant and translucent; a pair of electrodes 3, 3 sealed in the hermetic vessel 1 with facing each other at a distant of 5 mm or less, the electrodes each having a shaft part 3a having a diameter of 0.25 mm or more and a tip 3b, which originates an arc, having a curved surface having a radius of one-half or less of the diameter of the shaft part; and a discharge medium essentially containing no mercury, sealed in the hermetic vessel 1, and containing halides of metals including a light-emitting metal in an amount of 0.

Abstract: An induction heating roller device that keeps leakage current within specifications and prevents the occurrence of erroneous operations caused by common mode noise. The induction heating roller device includes an induction coil, a grounded heating roller magnetically coupled to the induction coil and heated by electro-magnetic induction. A power factor improving capacitor is connected in parallel to and near the induction coil and has a grounded intermediate point. A high-frequency power source biases the induction coil. The leakage current produced by distributed capacitance between the induction coil and the heating roller is returned to the high-frequency power source via the power factor improving capacitor. Thus, the leakage current does not flow out of the induction heating roller device.

Abstract: An induction heating roller apparatus has a heating roller capable of switching among a plurality of heating areas of different lengths according to a size of an object to be heated, a plurality of first induction coils opposed to a plurality of heating areas of the heating roller, and second induction coils placed opposite a part astride adjacent heating areas of the heating roller. A high frequency power supply provides high frequency power to the first and second induction coils. High frequency output is selectively supplied to the first induction coils and the second induction coils.

Abstract: A high pressure discharge lamp starter device comprises a starter circuit OC and control element CC. The starter circuit OC is capable of starting up an essentially mercury free high-pressure discharge lamp HPL containing a rare gas and a metal halide. The control element CC controls the starter circuit OC to start up the high pressure discharge lamp HPL, supply a lamp power larger than twice a rated lamp power, reduce lamp power such that light output is not significantly larger compared to that during a stable light emission time and the light output does not rapidly increase, when a metal halide charged in the high pressure discharge lamp HPL is abruptly vaporized, thereafter, gradually reduce the lamp power so as to settle the rated lamp power.

Abstract: To provide an induction heating roller unit that can efficiently supply power to a heating roller, and fixing device and image forming apparatus incorporating the same. The induction heating roller unit includes: a heating roller; and an induction coil having an outer diameter more than 0.7 times that of the heating roller, the heating roller being concentrically disposed outside said induction coil and generating heat by the effect of an induced current caused by a magnetic field produced by the induction coil. Since the ratio of the outer diameter of the induction coil to that of the heating roller is 0.7 or higher, power can be transferred from the induction coil to the heating roller with an extremely high efficiency.

Abstract: There is disclosed a high-pressure metal-vapor discharge lamp lighting apparatus comprising control circuit constituted to supply a lamp power larger than a rated lamp power from lighting circuit and light a high-pressure metal-vapor discharge lamp and to subsequently control the lighting circuit in such a manner that the lamp power is successively reduced in accordance with predetermined reduction ratio characteristics to settle at the rated lamp power and to be capable of varying the reduction ratio characteristics in accordance with fluctuations of rising characteristics of a quantity of light in the high-pressure metal-vapor discharge lamp.

Abstract: A lighting control signal generating circuit 10 controls the output pulse of a drive signal circuit 11 by the output signal. The output pulses of the drive signal circuit 11 include a first and a second pulse drive signal 11a, 11b, each of which has a phase inverted to each other. These first and second pulse drive signals 11a, 11b are controlled the repetition frequency by the output signal of said light control signal generating circuit 10. Further, the drive signal circuit 11 generates a third pulse drive signal 11c which is so controlled as to be turned ON and OFF in accordance with the output signal of the light control signal generating circuit 10. The first and second pulse drive signal 11a, 11b supplied by the drive signal circuit 11 control the first and the second switching device S1, S2 by turning them ON and OFF alternately. A pulse transformer 12 is provided with a primary coil L1 and a secondary coil L2.

Abstract: A discharge lamp driving circuit drives a discharge lamp using a high frequency wave, to start the lamp. A booster/chopper circuit has a switching element FET1, and boosts an input power supply voltage by switching the switching element. A boosting transformer supplies the discharge lamp with the voltage boosted by the booster/chopper circuit. A booster/driver circuit supplies the switching element FET1 of the booster/chopper circuit with a driving signal having a frequency of 10 to 200 kHz, thereby limiting the peak loss of the switching element FET1 to 200 W or less.

Abstract: A high pressure discharge lamp starter device comprises a starter circuit OC and control means CC. The starter circuit OC is capable of starting up an essentially mercury free high-pressure discharge lamp HPL containing a rare gas and a metal halide. The control means CC controls the starter circuit OC to start up the high pressure discharge lamp HPL, supply a lamp power larger than twice a rated lamp power, reduce lamp power such that light output is not significantly larger compared to that during a stable light emission time and the light output does not rapidly increase, when a metal halide charged in the high pressure discharge lamp HPL is abruptly vaporized, thereafter, gradually reduce the lamp power so as to settle the rated lamp power.

Abstract: A metal vapor discharge lamp whose near-infrared radiation is stronger than a conventional high-pressure discharge lamp, a projector utilizing this discharge lamp, and a metal vapor discharge lamp lighting device are disclosed. The metal vapor discharge lamp comprises a refractory light-transmitting hermetic vessel, a pair of electrode fixed to the hermetic vessel, and a discharge medium sealed in the hermetic vessel and containing a halide and a rare gas. Most of the light irradiated when the discharge lamp is in the ON state has near-infrared wavelengths (750-1100 nm).

Abstract: An ignition device which ignites a discharge lamp comprises high-frequency voltage generator, a feeding harness line, and a lowpass filter. The high-frequency voltage generator includes a switch for generating a high-frequency voltage through high-frequency switching and an output transformer which outputs a high-frequency voltage. The discharge lamp is ignited by the high-frequency output voltage of the output transformer being applied between its paired electrodes. The feeding harness line has its one end connected to the high-frequency voltage generator and its other end connected to the discharge lamp and includes parallel conductors the length of which is 200 mm or more in length. The lowpass filter bypasses a high-frequency oscillating current which flows at no-load time mainly due to stray capacitance associated with the feeding harness line.

Abstract: An induction heating roller apparatus that varies temperature distribution in the axial direction of a heating roller. The apparatus includes a heating roller and a plurality of induction coils arranged separately along an axial direction of the heating roller. The heating roller includes a secondary coil that is air-core transfer coupled to the induction coils. The apparatus further includes a plurality of capacitors, each being connected to one of the induction coils to form a resonance circuit. At least one of the resonance circuits has a resonance point that differs from the remaining resonance circuits.

Abstract: A metal halide discharge lamp which essentially permits disusing mercury is provided. The metal halide discharge lamp comprises a refractory and transparent hermetic vessel, a pair of electrodes fixed to the hermetic vessel, and a discharge medium sealed in the hermetic vessel and containing a first halide, a second halide, and a rare gas. The first halide is a halide of a metal which achieves a desired light emission. The second halide has a relatively high vapor pressure, being at least one halide of a metal which is unlikely to emit a visible light compared with the metal of the first halide and acts as a buffer gas.

Abstract: A cable suspension system for linear lighting fixtures simplifies installation procedures by providing a simple leveling adjustment compensation for weight imbalance about a longitudinal axis of the lighting fixture. A suspension cable is fixed in a bore of a cable fitting, with the cable fitting being mounted to a bracket which pivots relative to the fixture. The pivot axis is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the fixture. The angle of the bracket is adjusted relative to the fixture is adjusted such that the fixture as a whole hangs horizontally level.

Abstract: An ignition device which ignites a discharge lamp comprises high-frequency voltage generator, a feeding harness line, and a lowpass filter. The high-frequency voltage generator includes a switch for generating a high-frequency voltage through high-frequency switching and an output transformer which outputs a high-frequency voltage. The discharge lamp is ignited by the high-frequency output voltage of the output transformer being applied between its paired electrodes. The feeding harness line has its one end connected to the high-frequency voltage generator and its other end connected to the discharge lamp and includes parallel conductors the length of which is 200 mm or more in length. The lowpass filter bypasses a high-frequency oscillating current which flows at no-load time mainly due to stray capacitance associated with the feeding harness line.

Abstract: Disclosed a high pressure discharge lamp driving apparatus for driving a high pressure discharge lamp during a stable operation thereof with an AC lamp current alternating for opposite half-cycle periods, the apparatus comprising an AC lamp current supply for supplying the AC lamp current to the high pressure discharge lamp, a detector for detecting the output AC lamp current to the high pressure discharge lamp, a controller responsive to the detector for controlling the AC supply to output the AC lamp current with a waveform which is characterized by that (i) a mean value in the second half of each half-cycle period is larger than the means value of the first half of each half-cycle period, (ii) no pulse current is contained in the second half of each half-cycle period, (iii) the AC lamp current has a maximum value immediately after polarity change between the positive and negative half-cycle periods, and (iv) the AC lamp current has also a waveform defined by that the ratio (d/a) of the maximum value (d) of

Abstract: An induction heating roller apparatus that varies temperature distribution in the axial direction of a heating roller. The apparatus includes a heating roller and a plurality of induction coils arranged separately along an axial direction of the heating roller. The heating roller includes a secondary coil that is air-core transfer coupled to the induction coils. The apparatus further includes a plurality of capacitors, each being connected to one of the induction coils to form a resonance circuit. At least one of the resonance circuits has a resonance point that differs from the remaining resonance circuits.