Patent ID: 6376989
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: H01J,Y10S

Abstract:
An operating method for a discharge lamp having a discharge vessel, containing a discharge medium, an electrode arrangement with an anode (2) and a cathode (1), and having a dielectric layer (4) between at least the anode (2) and the discharge medium, the electrode arrangement (1, 2) being inhomogeneous along a control length (SL) in a way which varies a burning voltage, by virtue of the fact that it defines along the control length (SL) a discharge spacing varying monotonically at least in a local mean value, characterized in that it holds for the quantitative ratio between a difference between a maximum arcing distance dmax between the electrodes (1, 2) in the control length (SL) and a minimum arcing distance dmin between the electrodes (1, 2) in the control length (SL) and this control length (SL) that: (dmaxâˆ’dmin)/SL&lE;0.6, and an electric parameter of the power supply of the discharge lamp is varied during operation in order to control the power of the discharge lamp.