The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 07, 2012
Filed:
Jul. 14, 2005
Frans Slegers, Eindhoven, NL;
Christofher Daniel Charles Hooijer, Eindhoven, NL;
Thijs Oosterbaan, Eindhoven, NL;
Johannis Antonie Amerens Toonen, Eindhoven, NL;
Frans Slegers, Eindhoven, NL;
Christofher Daniel Charles Hooijer, Eindhoven, NL;
Thijs Oosterbaan, Eindhoven, NL;
Johannis Antonie Amerens Toonen, Eindhoven, NL;
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
An ignition circuit for igniting a gas discharge lamp generates a high voltage gas breakdown pulse by building up a current through a primary winding of a transformer. After a predetermined period and thus when a predetermined current flows through the primary winding, a capacitance is switched in series with said primary winding, thereby generating said high voltage gas breakdown pulse in a secondary winding of said transformer. After generating the high voltage pulse, the capacitance is short-circuited in order to preserve energy in the primary winding. The preserved energy is employed to build up energy again for a next high voltage pulse in a short time. At a high repetition rate and high voltage of the generated pulses, the ignition circuit according to the present invention is also suitable for driving the gas discharge lamp during a take-over period following the gas breakdown of the lamp for heating the lamp electrodes.