U.S. Philips Corporation

Pieter Postma

Rainer Hilbig

Petrus H Antonis

Uwe Chittka

A circuit arrangement for alternatingly, at a frequency f, establishing and extinguishing a discharge in each of a plurality of discharge paths, each of which is associated with a first electrode situated at a first end of the discharge path and with a second electrode situated at a second end of the discharge path. Operating voltages are generated from a supply voltage during operation and are present across respective discharge paths and are periodic at the frequency f. The same operating voltage is present across each discharge path. During operation each discharge path is associated with an auxiliary electrode situated alongside the discharge path and the circuit arrangement further comprises respective switching devices for connecting and disconnecting each of the auxiliary electrodes at the frequency f to a terminal of the circuit arrangement to establish an ignition voltage during a part of each period between one of the electrodes and the auxiliary electrode associated with the same discharge path. As a result, a discharge is only established in the proper discharge path(s).

Variable color discharge lamp

A lighting unit according to the invention comprises an electrodeless low-pressure discharge lamp and a high-frequency supply. The electrodeless low-pressure discharge lamp is provided with a discharge vessel which is closed in a gastight manner, comprises an ionizable filling, and has an enveloping portion and a recessed portion surrounded by the enveloping portion, which enveloping and recessed portions of the discharge vessel each support a luminescent layer. The electrodeless low-pressure discharge lamp is in addition provided with a coil which is arranged in the recessed portion of the discharge vessel and which is electrically connected to the supply. The conversion efficiency of the luminescent layer on the recessed portion is relatively high compared with that of the luminescent layer on the enveloping portion. This measure renders possible a lower temperature of the core.

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Aachen, Germany

Pieter Postma