IGNITION CIRCUIT FOR IGNITING A DISCHARGE LAMP AND METHOD FOR IGNITING THE DISCHARGE LAMP

摘要

The invention specifies an ignition circuit for igniting at least one discharge lamp by applying an electrical ignition voltage pulse to the discharge lamp, wherein the ignition circuit has the following features: at least one source circuit for providing an electrical primary voltage pulse, at least one ignition circuit for providing the ignition voltage pulse and at least one inductive coupling element for inductively coupling the primary voltage pulse into the ignition circuit for producing the ignition voltage pulse. The ignition circuit is characterized by the fact that the inductive coupling element has a voltage transformation ratio which is selected from t he range of 1/25 to 1/400. In addition, the invention also specifies a method f or igniting a discharge lamp by applying an ignition voltage pulse using the ignition circuit according to one of the preceding claims having the followi ng method steps: a) forming a resonant ignition circuit with a discharge lamp connected in parallel, b) producing the ignition voltage pulse in the resona nt ignition circuit. The ignition circuit is used in particular for igniting VI P lamps, wherein the VIP lamps can be ignited again even in the operationally hot state at temperatures of from 500~C to 1000~C.