STARTING AND OPERATING APPARATUS FOR FLUORESCENT LAMPS

摘要

Lightweight, transistorized, inverter circuit is particularly adapted for starting and operating screw-in compact flurorescent lamp intended for incandescent lamp replacement. Household-type AC is converted to DC with one terminal connected to the center tap of a transformer primary through a choke which constitutes a high impedance at the operating frequency. A tuned circuit capacitor is connected across the transformer primary and a current-limiting capacitor and the lamp to be operated are connected in series across the transformer primary. A pair of transistors are connected in push-pull arrangement between the end portions of the transformer primary and the other terminal of the DC source, with the base members of the transistors connected to the transformer secondary winding so that the push-pull connected transistors oscillate at the tuned circuit resonant frequency which is determined by the inductance of the transformer primary winding and the total capacitance of the connected capacitor means. A potential is applied to the midpoint of the transformer secondary upon energization of the apparatus in order to initiate transistor conduction.