Patent ID: 7656099

Claim:
A circuit arrangement for operating high-pressure discharge lamps, the circuit arrangement having the following features, a voltage converter (S 1 , S 2 ) for generating an AC voltage, a transformer (T 1 ) having a secondary winding (T 1 b ), which is connected to the voltage converter (S 1 , S 2 ) or is formed as part of the voltage converter (S 1 , S 2 ), a load circuit, which is fed by the secondary winding (T 1 b ) of the transformer (T 1 ) and has terminals for a high-pressure discharge lamp (La) and the ignition voltage output of a pulse ignition apparatus (IZV), which serves the purpose of igniting the gas discharge in the high-pressure discharge lamp (La), said pulse ignition apparatus (IVZ) having an ignition capacitor (C 3 ), a rectifier diode (D 3 ), a resistor (R 1 ), a spark gap (FS) and an ignition transformer (T 2 ) with a primary winding (L 2 a ) and a secondary winding (L 2 b ), wherein during ignition phase of the high-pressure discharge lamp said ignition capacitor (C 3 ) is charged via said rectifier diode (D 3 ) and said resistor (R 1 ) to the breakthrough voltage of said spark gap (FS), and on breakthrough of said spark gap (FS) the ignition capacitor (C 3 ) is discharged via the primary winding (L 2 a ) of said ignition transformer (T 2 ), and high-voltage ignition pulses are generated in its second winding (L 2 b ) for the purpose of igniting the gas discharge in the high-pressure discharge lamp (La), wherein a series resonant circuit (L 3 , C 4 ) or a voltage-multiplying cascade circuit or a symmetrical voltage-doubling circuit or the combination of a series resonant circuit with a voltage-multiplying cascade circuit or a symmetrical voltage-doubling circuit is provided for supplying voltage to the pulse ignition apparatus (IZV) during the ignition phase of the high-pressure discharge lamp (La).