(19)
(11) EP 0 411 617 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
13.05.1992 Bulletin 1992/20

(43) Date of publication A2:
06.02.1991 Bulletin 1991/06

(21) Application number: 90114791.8

(22) Date of filing: 01.08.1990
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5: H05B 41/38, H05B 41/29, H05B 41/04
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE GB

(30) Priority: 01.08.1989 JP 197918/89
07.08.1989 JP 202935/89

(71) Applicant: TOSHIBA LIGHTING & TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Minato-ku, Tokyo-To (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • Ueda, Akihiro
    Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi (JP)
  • Kimura, Mitsutoshi
    Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa-ken (JP)

(74) Representative: Henkel, Feiler, Hänzel & Partner 
Möhlstrasse 37
81675 München
81675 München (DE)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Method of lighting discharge lamp and discharge lamp lighting apparatus


    (57) A discharge lamp (18) is connected to the output terminal of a lighting circuit (100). A starting cir­cuit (200) is connected in parallel with the discharge lamp (18). A driver (104) and a transistor (116) in the lighting circuit (100), and a transistor (64) on the starting circuit (200) side serve to control a timing at which an output from the lighting circuit (100) is supplied to the discharge lamp (18). When a power source (12) is tuned on, a glow discharge of the discharge lamp (18) is maintained by the transistor (64) using power supplied from a pulse transformer (202) of the starting circuit (200). Subsequently, the glow discharge is shifted to an arc discharge by power supply from the lighting circuit (100) in accordance with a predetermined timing control operation by means of the driver (104) and the transistor (116), thereby lighting the discharge lamp (18).







    Search report