US3836816A - Arrangement for igniting and supplying a gas-and/or vapour discharge lamp - Google Patents

Arrangement for igniting and supplying a gas-and/or vapour discharge lamp Download PDF

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Publication number
US3836816A
US3836816A US00311442A US31144272A US3836816A US 3836816 A US3836816 A US 3836816A US 00311442 A US00311442 A US 00311442A US 31144272 A US31144272 A US 31144272A US 3836816 A US3836816 A US 3836816A
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United States
Prior art keywords
glow discharge
lamp
starter
discharge starter
series
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00311442A
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English (en)
Inventor
C Heck
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US Philips Corp
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US Philips Corp
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Publication date
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/02—Details
    • H05B41/04—Starting switches
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J61/00—Gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps
    • H01J61/02—Details
    • H01J61/54—Igniting arrangements, e.g. promoting ionisation for starting
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S315/00—Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
    • Y10S315/05—Starting and operating circuit for fluorescent lamp

Definitions

  • the invention relates to an arrangement for igniting and supplying a gas and/or vapour discharge lamp provided with at least two preheated electrodes in which two input terminals of the arrangement are connected through a series arrangement of the discharge lamp and at least an inductor, one lamp electrode being electrically connected through a glow discharge starter to the other electrode.
  • the invention also relates to an auxiliary starter, particularly suitable for an arrangement of this kind.
  • a drawback of the known arrangement is the sometimes relatively long period elapsing until the instant when the lamp electrodes have achieved a sufficiently high temperature to be able'to ignite the lamp at a voltage peak occurring between these electrodes when the contacts of the glow discharge starter open.
  • An object of the invention is to provide a quick heating of the lamp electrodes and thereby a quick ignition of the lamp.
  • an arrangement for igniting and supplying a gasand/or vapour discharge lamp provided with at least two pre-heated electrodes in which two input terminals of the arrangement are connected through a series arrangement of the discharge lamp and at least an inductor, and in which one lamp electrode is electrically connected through a glow discharge starter to the other lamp electrode is characterized in that the glow discharge starter is shunted by an auxiliary branch which includes a photosensitive circuit element having a negative resistance coefficient onto which at least part of the light from the glow discharge of the glow discharge starter is incident, the photosensitive circuit element being arranged in-such a manner that the glow discharge starter supplies the photosensitive circuit element with an illumination which is larger than the illumination supplied to the photosensitive circuit element by the gasand/or vapour discharge lamp combined with other light sources, if any.
  • a photosensitive circuit element having a negative coefficient is understood to mean a circuit element whose impedance decreases when light is incident on it.
  • circuit elements are, for example, photosensitive resistors, photosensitive diodes and photosensitive semiconductor switching elements such as, for example, photosensitive transistors.
  • An advantage of an arrangement according to the invention is that a glow discharge is produced in the glow discharge starter after the input terminals have been connected to a suitable supply source and that part of the light from this glow discharge is incident on the photosensitive circuit element so that this element is brought from a state having a relatively high impedance (for example, high-resistive state) to a state having a relatively low impedance (for example, low-resistive). Since the photosensitive circuit element is connected in parallel with the glow discharge starter, the total current through these parallel circuits will increase and hence increase the pre-heating current of the lamp electrodes. As a result the desired effect is achieved.
  • the presence of the photosensitive circuit element influences the abrupt current reduction to a small extent because this circuit element has had the possibility during the period immediately preceding in the closed state of the glow discharge starter contact to become slightly higher resistive again. After ignition of the lamp the voltage across the glow discharge starter decreases to the operative voltage of the lamp and the glow discharge starter thereby remains extinguished and the photosensitive circuit element, for example, the LDR remains highly resistive.
  • Screening of the LDR from the light of the ignited discharge lamp is effected, for example, by placing an opaque screen between the lamp and this LDR.
  • a further possibility is to build the glow discharge starter together with the LDR in a closed part of the luminaire in which the said discharge lamp is used, or, for example, by arranging the LDR at a very large distance from the discharge lamp.
  • the series arrangement including the lamp preferably comprises a capacitor between the input terminals and the auxiliary branch including the photosensitive circuit element incorporates a rectifier element.
  • capacitor-rectifier element combination may be used as a voltage doubler so that also the glow discharge starters required for discharge lamps having a relatively high operating voltage can realize a fast ignition.
  • the impedance of the photosensitive circuit element when no light is incident on it, is not too large because otherwise the charge of the capacitor and hence the build-up of the double voltage would take a rather long period.
  • a first junction between the rectifier element and one end of the photosensitive circuit element is connected through a further resistor to a second junction between the other end of the photosensitive circuit element and the glow discharge starter,
  • the photosensitive circuit element for example, the LDR
  • the capacitor current can than initially flow through this additional resistor.
  • a resistor in series with the photosensitive circuit element is present between the two junctions.
  • the circuit of the arrangement may be simply proportioned in such a manner that the branch including the photosensitive circuit element, for example, an LDR, in case of an ignited glow discharge starter does not become so low resistive that the glow discharge in the glow discharge starter is immediately extinghuished again.
  • the necessity of, for example, a grey filter between the glow discharge starter and the LDR is prevented by this preferred method.
  • the inductor in the series arrangement connecting the input terminals and comprising the lamp has a winding of a transformer, the other winding of which is incorporated in the connection connecting the lamp electrodes and comprising the glow discharge starter.
  • An advantage of this embodiment is that a large preheating current for the lamp electrodes becomes possi ble.
  • the ignition voltage of the glow discharge starter is larger than 230 Volt effective.
  • An auxiliary starter suitable for an arrangement according to the invention preferably includes a combination of a glow discharge starter and a photosensitive circuit element which are jointly surrounded by a substantially light-tight jacket.
  • the photo-sensitive circuit element is then preferably included in series with a rectifier element in a circuit shunting the glow discharge tube of the glow discharge starter.
  • FIG. I shows an electrical circuit diagram of an arrangement according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 shows an auxiliary, starter according to the invention.
  • the reference numerals l and 2 are input terminals which are intended for connection to an alternating voltage supply of 220 Volts, 50 Herz.
  • the reference numeral 3 denotes a low-pressure mercury vapour discharge lamp of approximately 85 Watts having a length of approximately 2.5 metres (approximately 8 feet) and an operating voltage of approximately 180 Volts.
  • the lamp 3 has two pre-heated electrodes 4 and 5.
  • the input terminal 1 is connected through a capacitor 6 and a winding 7 of a transformer 8 to one end of the lamp electrode 4.
  • the other end of the lamp electrode 4 is connected through a further winding 9 of the transformer 8 to an auxiliary starter 10.
  • the auxiliary starter includes a glow discharge starter 11 which is shunted by a capacitor 12 having a relatively low capacitance.
  • the glow discharge starter 11 is furthermore shunted by a series arrangement of a diode 13, a fixed resistor 14 and a photosensitive resistor having a negative coefficient (LDR) 15. Furthermore an additional resistor 16 is connected in parallel with the series arrangement of the resistors 14 and 15. The glow discharge starter 11 and the branches connected in parallel therewith are furthermore connected through the electrode 5 to the terminal 2.
  • the LDR 15 can receive light from the glow discharge starter 11 (see the arrow in FIG. 1).
  • the circuit elements 11 to 16 are positioned within a light-tight jacket.
  • One object thereof is to screen the LDR 15 from the light of the lamp 3 and from the light of possible further light sources.
  • the combination of the circuit elements 11 to 16 within the jacket 17 is shown in FIG 2.
  • the connection lugs 18 and 19 are the connection members for the auxiliary starter.
  • the capacitor will undergo a variation of charge in the half cycles when the terminal 2 is positive relative to terminal 1 due to a current flowing through starter 11 and in the next half cycles it will undergo an opposite charge variation due to a current which flows, inter alia, through the then low resistive branch l3, l4 and 15.
  • These currents have a considerably higher value than at the instant prior to the light being incident on the LDR because the branch 13, l4, 15 has a lower resistive value than before.
  • the contacts of the glow discharge starter 11 will then close. This results in a strong pre-heating current through the electrodes 4 and 5 which had already been heated to some extent due to the contribution of the previous current through the LDR.
  • the abrupt current reduction thereby produced generates a voltage peak between the lamp electrodes 4, 5 whereupon the lamp is ignited, possibly after one or more repetitions of the procedure described.
  • the voltage between the lamp electrodes 4 5 decreases to the operating voltage of approximately Volts whereupon the glow discharge starter no longer ignites and no further light is incident on the LDR, also due to the jacket 17 and the base plate 17a (see FIG. 2).
  • This glow discharge-starter 11 could not sustain a glow discharge below this value of 230 Volts.
  • the capacitance of the capacitors 6 and 12 were approximately 5 IL Farad and approximately 8,000 pFarad, respectively.
  • the resistors 14 and 16 had a value of approximately I kOhm and 15 kOhm, respectively. When no light was incident on the LDR ithad a'resistance which was'more than 10 M Ohm and in a state in which light wasincident on it by-the glow discharge starter it had a value of approximately 5 kOhm.
  • the circuit elements 9, l3 and 16 and pos sibly also 6 may be omitted. ln that case, however, the glow discharge starter 11 will have to be exchanged for a glow discharge starter having a slightly lower ignition voltage. In the latter case likewise asin the circuit of FIG. 1 the pre-heating current through'the lamp electrodes may be slightlylarger than inthe-absence of the LDR, and this larger;pre-heating current enhances a rapid ignition of the lamp.
  • the given embodiment see FIGS.
  • LDR 1 and 2 uses only one LDR. If necessary, several LDRs may be used in series or inparallel, for example, on either side of the glow discharge starter 11. To increase the light intensity onthe LDR a small reflector within the jacket 17 maybe used, if desired.
  • the photosensitive circuit element for example, an
  • LDR may alternatively be incorporated in a holder of the auxiliary starter, that is'to say, in a holder which cooperates with the connection lugs 18' and 19 (see FIG. 2). in that case there will be a hole in the centre of the base plate 17a so that light from the glow discharge starter may pass through the hole and be incident on the photosensitive circuit element, for example, the LDR, located in the holder of the auxiliary starter.
  • a supply circuit for anelectric discharge lamp having at least two preheated electrodes comprisng, a-pair of input terminals adapted for connection to a source of electric current, an inductor, means connecting said inductor in series with the lamp across said input terminals, a glow discharge starter, means connecting said glow discharge'starter across. the lamp electrodes, a photosensitive element having a negative coefficient of resistance and located to receive at least a part of the light emitted by the glow discharge starter, the illumination received by said photosensitive element from the glow discharge starter-being greater than all of the illumination received from other light sources including said discharge lamp, and means connecting an auxiliary branch circuit including said photosensitive element in shunt with the glow discharge starter.
  • circuit further comprising, a resistor, means connecting said resistor between the junction of said rectifier element and one end of said photosensitive element and a second junction between the other end of the photosensitive element and the glow discharge starter.
  • a supply circuit as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a second resistor connected in series with the photosensitive element and between the two junctions.
  • a supply circuit as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a rectifier element connectedin series with said photosensitive element across the glow discharge starter.
  • a supply circuit as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a rectifier element connected in series with said photosensitive element across the glow discharge starter.
  • a supply circuit for an electric discharge lamp having at least two preheated electrodes comprising, a
  • a supply'circuit as claimed in claim, 10 further comprising a capacitor connected in series with the instarter across the input terminals, and a rectifier element connected in series with the photosensitive element across the glow discharge starter whereby the capacitor-rectifier combination cooperate to provide a voltage multiplier effect across the electrodes of th 13.
  • a supply circuit as claimed in claim 12 further comprising an impedance element connected in shunt with the photosensitive element and in series with the rectifier element across the input terminals.

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  • Circuit Arrangements For Discharge Lamps (AREA)
US00311442A 1971-12-22 1972-12-01 Arrangement for igniting and supplying a gas-and/or vapour discharge lamp Expired - Lifetime US3836816A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL7117622A NL7117622A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-12-22 1971-12-22

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3836816A true US3836816A (en) 1974-09-17

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US00311442A Expired - Lifetime US3836816A (en) 1971-12-22 1972-12-01 Arrangement for igniting and supplying a gas-and/or vapour discharge lamp

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US3836816A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5516400Y2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE793068A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA1021016A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2260629C3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2164797B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1359965A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL7117622A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4350929A (en) * 1978-12-06 1982-09-21 Moriyama Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha Fluorescent lighting device
US4381476A (en) * 1979-12-20 1983-04-26 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Fluorescent lamp instantaneous starting device
US4987342A (en) * 1989-03-27 1991-01-22 Gte Products Corporation Self-ballasted glow discharge lamp having indirectly-heated cathode
US5177407A (en) * 1988-12-27 1993-01-05 Gte Products Corporation Glow discharge lamp having dual anodes and circuit for operating same
US5920153A (en) * 1995-03-22 1999-07-06 United Light Electronics Ltd. Power supply for light sources, particularly for the quick ignition of fluorescent lamps and the like
US6181078B1 (en) * 1998-08-25 2001-01-30 Kabushiki Kaisha Tamurariken Discharge lamp lighting system

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3209202A (en) * 1961-11-21 1965-09-28 Machinery Electrification Inc Photosensitive fluorescent lamp starter
US3644780A (en) * 1968-12-27 1972-02-22 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Starting device for discharge lamp including semiconductors preheating and starting circuits
US3705329A (en) * 1970-04-09 1972-12-05 Ernst Jakob Vogeli Starting unit for heated gas discharge tubes

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3209202A (en) * 1961-11-21 1965-09-28 Machinery Electrification Inc Photosensitive fluorescent lamp starter
US3644780A (en) * 1968-12-27 1972-02-22 Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd Starting device for discharge lamp including semiconductors preheating and starting circuits
US3705329A (en) * 1970-04-09 1972-12-05 Ernst Jakob Vogeli Starting unit for heated gas discharge tubes

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4350929A (en) * 1978-12-06 1982-09-21 Moriyama Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha Fluorescent lighting device
US4381476A (en) * 1979-12-20 1983-04-26 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Fluorescent lamp instantaneous starting device
US5177407A (en) * 1988-12-27 1993-01-05 Gte Products Corporation Glow discharge lamp having dual anodes and circuit for operating same
US4987342A (en) * 1989-03-27 1991-01-22 Gte Products Corporation Self-ballasted glow discharge lamp having indirectly-heated cathode
US5920153A (en) * 1995-03-22 1999-07-06 United Light Electronics Ltd. Power supply for light sources, particularly for the quick ignition of fluorescent lamps and the like
US6181078B1 (en) * 1998-08-25 2001-01-30 Kabushiki Kaisha Tamurariken Discharge lamp lighting system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA1021016A (en) 1977-11-15
BE793068A (fr) 1973-06-20
GB1359965A (en) 1974-07-17
DE2260629C3 (de) 1980-08-14
DE2260629B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1979-11-22
JPS5516400Y2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1980-04-16
JPS4875485U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-09-19
FR2164797B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1978-01-06
NL7117622A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-06-26
DE2260629A1 (de) 1973-06-28
FR2164797A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-08-03

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