Method for igniting several fluorescent lamps and circuit arrangement for carrying out this method

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR OPERATING A PLURALITY OF FLUORESCENT LAMPS CONNECTED IN A COMMON CIRCUIT AND EACH HAVING A PAIR OF HEATERS ENERGIZABLE FOR THE PASSAGE OF AN ELECTRIC CURRENT THROUGH SAID HEATERS PREPARATORILY TO THE ILLUMINATION OF SAID LAMPS AND SUSTAINING A DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID LAMPS FOR ILLUMINATION THEREOF, SAID CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING: A HIGH-VOLTAGE SOURCE CAPABLE OF EFFECTING DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID LAMPS UPON THE HEATING THEREOF AND A LOW-VOLTAGE SOURCE OF A LEVEL INSUFFICIENT TO IGNITE SAID LAMPS; A TWO-POSITION SWITCH IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID HEATERS AND HAVING A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN SAID LOW-VOLTAGE SOURCE IS CONNECTED ACROSS SAID HEATERS AND A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID HIGH-VOLTAGE SOURCE IS CONNECTED ACROSS SAID HEATERS; AND A CONTROL NETWORK ENERGIZED BY SAID HIGH-VOLTAGE SOURCE FOR INITIATING SAID DISCHARGE THROUGH SAID LAMPS, SAID NETWORK INCLUDING AN OPERATING SWITCH, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID OPERATING SWITCH AND SAID TWO-POSITION SWITCH FOR OPERATING SAME AFTER THE LAPSE OF A PERIOD OF ENERGIZATION OF SAID HEATERS IN SAID FIRST POSITION OF SAID TWO-POSITION SWITCH TO SHIFT SAME TO SAID SECOND POSITION AND APPLY HIGH VOLTAGE TO SAID HEATERS PRIOR TO THE INITATION OF SAID DISCHARGE.