Electrodeless Discharge Lamp Lighting Device and Lighting Apparatus

Abstract

There is provided an electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device with small size and low cost by simplifying a noise suppression part and a lighting apparatus having the electrodeless discharge lamp lighting device. A counter circuit of a frequency signal generating circuit repeatedly generates a frequency signal of which the amplitude is varied in a multi-step shape on the basis of an oscillation period of an oscillation circuit. An oscillation circuit outputs an oscillation signal of a frequency corresponding to the amplitude of the frequency signal. A drive circuit drives a switching element of an inverter circuit at the frequency of the oscillation signal and the inverter circuit applies a high-frequency voltage generated by the switching operation of the switching element to an induction coil to start up and light the electrodeless discharge lamp. That is, a high-frequency voltage which is varied at three discrete frequencies f1, f2, and f3 is repeatedly and periodically applied to the induction coil and thus a magnetic-component noise generated from a discharge lamp lighting device is distributed into three frequency components.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.