Patent ID: 6583585
Filing Date: 2003-06-24
Classification: H05B

Abstract:
A discharge lamp lighting circuit comprising:a lighting control circuit having a pair of power output terminals, which performs lighting control of a discharge lamp; a starting circuit including a transformer, a capacitor connected to a primary winding of said transformer and a self-breakdown type switch element, which supplies a starting pulse to the discharge lamp, a charge feeding output terminal being connected to said capacitor directly or through the primary winding, and an accumulation electric charge of said capacitor being discharged through the primary winding of the transformer by conduction of the self-breakdown type switch element and thereby the starting pulse is generated and said pulse is supplied to the discharge lamp through a secondary winding of the transformer; and a socket connected to said discharge lamp to supply electric power and the starting pulse to the discharge lamp, which accommodates said starting circuit therein, said socket including first, second and third terminals, the first terminal being connected to an end of the discharge lamp, the second terminal being connected to the other end of the discharge lamp and the secondary winding of the transformer and the third terminal being connected to the capacitor of the starting circuit directly or through the primary winding, wherein one power output terminal is connected to the second terminal through the secondary winding of the transformer and the other output terminal is connected to the first terminal, and a feeding path to the capacitor is formed through the charge feeding output terminal to charge said capacitor only when the discharge lamp is connected to the socket and a connection between the first terminal and the third terminal is made.