Patent ID: 6028400
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: H05B,Y10S

Abstract:
A circuit arrangement for igniting and operating at least two discharge lamps, comprising:input terminals for connection to a supply voltage source,means I coupled to the input terminals for generating a high-frequency voltage from a supply voltage delivered by the supply voltage source,a load branch B coupled to the means I and comprising:a first branch A comprising first terminals for accomodating a discharge lamp and a first inductive element L1,a second branch C shunting the first branch A and comprising further terminals for accomodating another discharge lamp and a second inductive element L2 which is magnetically coupled to the first inductive element L1,means II for limiting the voltage across branch A and branch C to a first value during ignition of the first one of the discharge lamps to ignite, andmeans III for limiting the voltage across branch A and branch C to a second value after ignition of the first one of the discharge lamps to ignite and during ignition of the other one of the discharge lamps,thereby limiting ignition voltage across the other one of the discharge lamps after ignition of the first one of the discharge lamps to ignite.