Patent ID: 7560877
Filing Date: 2009-07-14
Classification: H05B,Y02B

Abstract:
1. Operating circuit for operating a discharge lamp in which, in addition to main discharge electrodes, there is an auxiliary electrode without contact with a discharge space of the lamp, comprising the following components: a feed circuit for supplying voltage to the discharge lamp; an inverter for inverting the polarity of the voltage supplied to the discharge lamp, the inverter following the feed circuit; a trigger circuit for supplying a pulsed current to a primary winding of a high voltage transformer with an autotransformer arrangement for applying a high voltage to the auxiliary electrode; main feed terminals for connecting the main discharge electrodes to the inverter; and trigger terminals for connection of the trigger circuit to the high voltage transformer, wherein said components are arranged in the operating circuit such that the electrical potential of the trigger terminals is maintained essentially at the same electrical potential as an output line on a low voltage side of the feed circuit when the trigger circuit is inoperative.