Method of initiating lighting of a discharge lamp, circuit for lighting a discharge lamp, light source device using the circuit, and optical instrument incorporating the light source device

• US 20040207336A1
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Electric Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Electric Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Furukawa, Hisao
• Application Number:
  US10/844,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/219
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/042 using semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2881 Load circuits; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/382 during the transitional start-up phase
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/388 for a transition from glow to arc

Abstract

A method of initiating lighting of a discharge lamp is provided including applying to the discharge lamp to be lighted an initiating voltage resulting from superimposition of a step-up pulse voltage of 1,000 to 3,000 V onto a voltage of 500 to 1,500 V which is continuously applied to the discharge lamp. Also provided is a circuit for lighting a discharge lamp, including a ballast for lighting the discharge lamp, and a low-voltage igniter connected to the ballast for initiating lighting of the lamp, the low-voltage igniter comprising: a lighting diode having an input side connected to an output side of the ballast and an output side connected to the discharge lamp; and a step-up device for superimposing step-up pulses onto the output of the lighting diode via a step-up pulse supply branch line connected to the output side of the lighting diode in initiating lighting of the discharge lamp.

Claims

1. A method of initiating lighting of a discharge lamp, comprising applying to the discharge lamp to be lighted an initiating voltage resulting from superimposition of a superimposition of a step-up pulse voltage of 1,000 to 3,000 V onto a voltage of 500 to 1,500 V which is continuously applied to the discharge lamp.

2. The method of initiating lighting of a discharge lamp according to claim 1, wherein the pulse voltage has a pulse width of 1 to 100 μ

s.

4. The method of initiating of a discharge lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pulse voltage has a pulse frequency of 100 to 10,000 Hz.

3. A method of initiating lighting of a discharge lamp, comprising applying to the discharge lamp to be lighted an initiating voltage resulting from superimposition of a step-up pulse voltage of 1,000 to 3,000V having a pulse width of 1 to 100 μ

s onto a voltage of 400 to 600V which is continuously applied to the discharge lamp.

5-15. -15. (Canceled)