Converter

Claim 2

An inverter for use with a dc voltage source, comprising: a dc-regulator formed of a charging capacitor connected through a charging diode and a charging inductor to said dc voltage source, and a charging circuit connected for charging the inductor wherein the dc-voltage source and a charging switch are connected in series; a converter supplied by said charging capacitor and having alternatingly closing switches which are a primary switch and a secondary switch connected in series with each other and parallel to said charging capacitor; and a control means for periodically closing the charging switch dependent on a square-wave voltage at said primary switch, said control means comprising a delay storage element arranged in a control charging circuit and in a control discharging circuit, the control charging circuit including said primary switch and the control discharging circuit including said secondary switch.

Claim 3

An inverter according to claim 1 wherein the control charging circuit further includes in a series circuit a resistor, diode, and a control voltage source comprising a storage capacitor and a control transistor connected in parallel to the storage capacitor, said control transistor being controlled by a control signal.

Claim 4

An inverter according to claim 2 wherein said delay storage element is a delay capacitor controlling a thyristor through a trigger diode, said thyristor being located in a series circuit with said primary switch of said converter which is included in the control charging circuit and is forming with said thyristor said charging switch.

Claim 5

An inverter according to claim 2 wherein the dc voltage source comprises a rectifier which delivers an unsmoothed half-wave voltage, and wherein the control means provides a switching frequency of the charging switch which is higher than a frequency of an AC voltage feeding the rectifier, and wherein said control signal of the control transistor of the control means is dependent upon an instantaneous value of the half-wave voltage of the rectifier.

Claim 6

In an inverter for feeding at least one load circuit wherein said load circuit contains a series resonant circuit formed of a capacitor and inductor and a discharge lamp with two electrodes, said two electrodes lying in said load circuit such that said capacitor of said series resonant circuit is positioned between said two electrodes, and first and second alternately periodically switching devices being provided, one of which connects said load circuit to a dc voltage source and the other of which lies parallel to said load circuit, wherein the improvement comprises: a bistable switch means having an operating mode and a shutdown mode and means connected to the bistable switch means for keeping the inverter shut down during said shutdown mode and operating during the operating mode; holding circuit means connected to said bistable switch means for holding it in its shutdown mode, one of said electrodes of said discharge lamp lying in said holding circuit means; and a control circuit being connected to said bistable switch means including an RC circuit connected for being charged dependent on at least one of the parameters current or voltage of said load circuit and being dimensioned such that said bistable switch means flips into said shutdown mode given a non-triggering discharge lamp.

Claim 7

In an inverter for feeding at least one load circuit wherein said load circuit contains a series resonant circuit formed of a capacitor and inductor and a discharge lamp with two electrodes, said two electrodes lying in said load circuit such that said capacitor of said series resonant circuit is positioned between said two electrodes, and first and second alternately periodically switching devices being provided, one of which connects said load circuit to a dc voltage source and the other of which lies parallel to said load circuit, wherein the improvement comprises: a bistable switch means having an operating mode and a shutdown mode and means connected to the bistable switch means for keeping the inverter shut down during said shutdown mode and operating during the operating mode; holding circuit means connected to said bistable switch means for holding it in its shutdown mode, one of said electrodes of said discharge lamp lying in said holding circuit means; and a control circuit being connected to said bistable switch means including an RC circuit connected for being charged dependent on at least one of the parameters current or voltage of said load circuit and being dimensioned such that said bistable switch means flips into said shutdown mode given a non-triggering discharge lamp.

Claim 8

An inverter according to claim 5 further including a start capacitor connected in parallel with a control path of one of said first and second switching devices via a trigger-diode, and a charging circuit of said start capacitor including an electrode of the discharge lamp.

Claim 9

An inverter according to claim 5 wherein the first and second switching devices are controlled by a saturation transformer, a primary winding of which is included in said load circuit and wherein said bistable switch means includes a stop thyristor having a switching section and a control section, the control section being connected through a trigger diode to said RC circuit, and said switching section being included in the holding circuit means and connected through a diode to a winding of the saturation transformer.