Patent ID: 7138769

Claim:
Device for operating a high pressure discharge lamp which comprises: a high pressure discharge lamp having a silica glass discharge vessel, a pair of opposed electrodes located in the discharge vessel and a trigger electrode located outside of the discharge vessel; and a feed device which supplies an alternating discharge current with a rectangular waveform to the high pressure discharge lamp, wherein the feed device comprises: a starter circuit which produces a high voltage with respect to the trigger electrode when operation is started; an inverter circuit which has at least two switching devices; a coil which is located downstream of the inverter circuit and which is series-connected to the discharge lamp; and a control element which subjects the switching devices to on and off driving in alternation, with a dead time, and wherein the inductance of the coil is at most 210 μH; and wherein the feed device subjects the discharge lamp to operating control with a rated operating frequency in the range of from 60 Hz to 1000 Hz.