INDUCTIVELY-POWERED GAS DISCHARGE LAMP CIRCUIT WITH CAPACITOR IN SERIES BETWEEN ELECTRODES

摘要

Disclosed is an inductively powered gas discharge lamp assembly having a secondary circuit (14) with starter circuitry that provides pre-heating when power is supplied to the secondary circuit (14) at a pre-heat frequency and that provides normal operation when power is supplied to the secondary circuit (14) at an operating frequency. The starter circuitry includes a pre-heat capacitor (32) connected between the lamp electrodes (24, 26) and an operating capacitor (30) located between a secondary coil (22) and the lamp (16). The pre-heat capacitor (32) is selected so that the electrical flow path through the pre-heat capacitor (32) has a lesser impedance than the electrical flow path through the gas of the lamp (16) when power is applied to the secondary circuit (14) at the pre-heat frequency, and so that the electrical flow path through the pre-heat capacitor (32) has a greater impedance than the electrical flow path through the gas when power is applied at the operating frequency.