Patent ID: 6674249
Filing Date: 2004-01-06
Classification: H05B,Y10S

Abstract:
A circuit comprising:an arc discharge lamp; an AC power source supplying an AC line voltage having a rectified peak voltage less than the voltage required to effect a glow-to-arc transition of the arc discharge lamp; a full wave bridge rectifier for rectifying the AC line voltage into a DC voltage; a voltage doubler for boosting the rectified voltage; a storage capacitor connected across the bridge and capable of sustaining the rectified line voltage; a current limiting filament connected in series with said lamp; a switch device connected in series with said current limiting filament and in parallel with said arc discharge lamp; a starter circuit that runs to break down said lamp; and a switch control circuit that closes said switch device when the starter circuit is running so that said filament is energized to provide immediate light prior to said lamp entering the normal run mode.