Discharge lamp lighting device and illumination fixture using the same

摘要

[Object] To provide a discharge lamp lighting device capable of reducing electric stress that is placed on a discharge lamp at the start time, and an illumination fixture using the discharge lamp lighting device. [Means for Settlement] AC power to which DC power of a DC power source E is converted by an inverter circuit including a switching part 1 and a resonant part 2 is outputted through windings of the balancer T to thereby light a plurality of discharge lamps La. The discharge lamp lighting device is provided with: a drive part 3 that drives respective switching elements Q1 and Q2 constituting the switching part 1; a control part 4 that controls the drive part 3; and a lighting detection part 5 that detects the start of lighting of a part of the plurality of discharge lamps La. When the lighting detection part 5 detects the start of the lighting, the control part 4 controls the drive part 3 so as to sufficiently increase a frequency of the AC power supplied to the respective discharge lamps La through the balancer T to thereby decrease an effective value of the output voltage Vo of the resonant part 4, and thereby electric stress placed on the respective discharge lamps La is reduced.