Ignition device for discharge lamp

• US 5,828,174 A
• Filed: 03/07/1997
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kramp, Ralf, Frey, Martin, Seiler, Hartmut, Gorille, Ingo, Woerner, Bernhard, Fabry, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US08/812,526
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 362/265, 362/61, 362/310, 362/221, 315/82, 315/62, 315/85, 336/57, 336/183, 361/821, 361/816, 361/818
• US Class Current: 315/62
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/17 Discharge light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/192 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/55 Attachment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/00 Safety devices structurally associated with lighting devices gas- tight or water-tight arrangements F21V31/00; in general F16P; protective circuit arrangements per se H02H7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/54 Igniting arrangements, e.g. promoting ionisation for starting
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 61/56 One or more circuit elements structurally associated with the lamp
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/042 using semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2881 Load circuits; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/292 Arrangements for protecting lamps or circuits against abnormal operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/382 during the transitional start-up phase

Abstract

A discharge lamp assembly has a discharge lamp, and an ignition device for the discharge lamp, the ignition device including at least one inductive component and at least one capacitive component, at least a part of one of the components being surrounded by at least a part of the other of the components, the ignition device further having a housing in which the components are arranged and which is connectable with the discharge lamp.

Claims

1. A discharge lamp assembly, comprising a discharge lamp;

and an ignition device for said discharge lamp, said ignition device including at least one inductive component and at least one capacitive component, at least a part of one of said components being surrounded by at least a part of the other of said components, said ignition device further having a housing in which said components are arranged and which is connectable with said discharge lamp.

2. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said discharge lamp has a base and a discharge container, said housing forming said base of said discharge lamp and is connected with said discharge container.

3. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing is formed as a plug part, said discharge lamp having a base which is connectable with said plug part.

4. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing is formed so as to screen electromagnetic radiation.

5. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one inductive component has at least one coil winding, at least a part of said coil winding surrounding at least a part of said capacitive component.

6. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said at least one inductive component has at least one coil winding, said capacitive component having at least one electrode which surrounds said at least one coil winding.

7. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said inductive component is formed as an air coil structure.

8. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein said inductive component is formed as an air coil having a single coil winding.

9. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 7, wherein said inductive component is formed as a Tesla-transformer which has a primary winding and a secondary winding which is arranged at least approximately coaxially to said primary winding.

10. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said components has a winding selected from the group consisting of a coil winding and a secondary winding and further comprising a winding body, at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding being arranged on said winding body, at least a part of said capacitive component being arranged inside said winding body.

11. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said winding body at least partially is composed of material acting as dielectric, at least one electrode is arranged in said winding body for forming said capacitive component and at least a second electrode is arranged separately from said first electrode by the material acting as the dielectric.

12. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein at least two said electrodes of said capacitive component are arranged in said winding body.

13. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein at least one second electrode of said capacitive component is formed by at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding.

14. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 13, wherein said electrode of said capacitive component which is arranged in said winding body is formed as a hollow cylinder and located at least approximately coaxially to a longitudinal axis of at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding.

15. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said winding body is composed of an electrically insulating material, said capacitive component having two electrodes which are separated from one another by material which is different from a material of the winding body and acts as dielectric.

16. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 15, wherein said electrodes are formed as electrically conductive coatings provided on opposite sides of the material acting as dielectric.

17. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 10, wherein said winding body is formed of one-piece with a bottom part of a base of said discharge lamp, with which said discharge container is connected.

18. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said components has a winding selected from the group consisting of a coil winding and a secondary winding, at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding being surrounded by a part of said housing of electrically conductive material, a material acting as dielectric being arranged between at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding and said part of said housing, and at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding and said part of said housing, and at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding forming a first electrode while said part of said housing forming a second electrode of said capacitive component.

19. A discharge lamp assembly as defined in claim 18, wherein said part of said housing at least approximately coaxially surrounds at least one of said coil winding and said secondary winding.