Abstract: The gas discharge lamp has a burner, which has a discharge vessel with a void, in which a filling of gas and other substances is disposed. Two electrodes protrude into the void, and between them, in operation of the gas discharge lamp, an electric arc develops. On the outside of the discharge vessel, in the region of the void, two auxiliary electrodes of opposite polarity are disposed facing one another. The auxiliary electrodes are formed by coating the outside of the discharge vessel with electrically conductive material. Prior to and optionally also during the ignition of the gas discharge lamp, high-frequency high voltage is applied to the auxiliary electrodes, which facilitates the ignition of the gas discharge lamp.

Abstract: In the method for producing a seal of a hollow chamber (12) of a glass tube (10), wherein the hollow chamber (12) contains fillers at a pressure greater than that of the atmosphere, the glass tube (10) is disposed in a working chamber (30) in which a pressure is generated that is greater than the pressure prevailing in the hollow chamber (12). The working chamber (30) contains a heating unit (50), which encompasses the glass tube (10) in a section (16) adjoining the hollow chamber (12) on at least one end and which melts the section (16) so that when melted, it is squeezed together by the pressure prevailing in the working chamber (30), thus sealing the hollow chamber (12) on at least one end. The glass tube (10) preferably constitutes a burner of a discharge lamp, in particular for use in motor vehicle headlights.

Abstract: An automotive headlight with a high-pressure gas discharge lamp arranged inside a reflector contains an electronic ballast in a housing for operation of the high-pressure gas discharge lamp. The housing dissipates heat generated by the electronic unit in particular and possibly also by the high-pressure gas discharge lamp and provides an electromagnetic shield against any resulting electronic radiation. Cooling ribs may be provided on the housing to aid in heat dissipation.

Abstract: A gaseous-discharge lamp, in particular for motor-vehicle headlamps, includes a burner vessel made of glass or the like that contains a gas. Into this burner vessel extend two main electrodes via two gas-tight electrode bushings. Between the end regions of the main electrodes arranged in the burner vessel, an arc gap is formed, along which an electric arc develops during operation. To achieve a smallest possible ignition voltage, an arrangement is provided for producing a creepage spark gap along the inner vessel wall and/or a spark gap that is shorter than the arc gap, serving as an ignition gap that is spatially separated from the arc gap.

Abstract: An automotive headlight with a high-pressure gas discharge lamp (6) arranged inside a reflector contains an electronic ballast (8) in a housing for operation of the high-pressure gas discharge lamp. The housing (1) is designed to dissipate heat and provide electromagnetic shielding, so as to dissipate the heat generated by the electronic unit (8) in particular and possibly also by the high-pressure gas discharge lamp (6) and to provide a shield against the resulting electronic radiation. Cooling ribs (11) may be provided on the housing (1). The invention makes available an electromagnetically compatible ballast for high-pressure gas discharge lamps.

Abstract: A power control of an AC-operated, high-pressure gas discharge lamp, particularly in a motor vehicle, including a bridge circuit in which two controlled switching transistors are disposed in at least one branch, and in which the high-pressure gas discharge lamp is supplied with ignition and/or burning energy by way of the bridge branch provides that the switching transistors switch the current in the form of pulse packets, with the individual pulse packets respectively containing a certain number of high-frequency pulses; switching is effected with as little loss as possible in the zero crossings of the current; and regulation for maintaining a certain power of the high-pressure gas discharge lamp is effected through continuous averaging over a predetermined interval (44, 45) of the supplied power packets.

Abstract: A discharge lamp has a base with a burner having a discharge vessel with at least two electrodes and a supply conductor extending from the base to one electrode as well as a return conductor extending from the other electrode to the base, wherein the supply conductor is surrounded in the burner by a glass tube while the return conductor extends outside the burner along it, and between the surface of the supply conductor and an inner surface of the glass tube a distance is formed by an air-filled space and retained as low as possible or preferably at least approximately zero, so that the intensity of an electrical field formed between the supply conductor and the return conductor is low and the return conductor can be guided along near the burner, which makes possible a compact construction of the discharge lamp or the use of a high ignition voltage for the discharge lamp and/or its operation at high altitudes without the danger of partial discharges in the glass tube or ark-overs outside the discharge vessel.

Abstract: A discharge lamp assembly has a discharge lamp, and an ignition device for the discharge lamp, the ignition device including at least one inductive component and at least one capacitive component, at least a part of one of the components being surrounded by at least a part of the other of the components, the ignition device further having a housing in which the components are arranged and which is connectable with the discharge lamp.

Abstract: A device for operating a gas discharge lamp is disclosed which includes a voltage transformer preferably an inverse transformer, to whose output a bridge circuit is connected, with the lamp being disposed in the diagonal of the bridge. A component disposed in the vicinity of lamp and able to carry an electrical potential is arranged in such a manner that an electrical field is able to develop between the lamp and the component. The component is connected with that terminal at the output of the voltage transformer at which the potential is positive relative to that at the other terminal.

Abstract: An input-output unit carries out some of the operations previously carried out in the microcomputer controlling the ignition, injection, etc. processes so that the number of bits in the microprocessor can be reduced. The input-output unit includes a counter which furnishes speed-dependent or angle-dependent signals. During a predetermined angle of rotation or while a particular speed-dependent value is counted and down, a frequency proportional to the quantity of air in the air inlet is counted, the resultant air number transferred to the microprocessor where it is modified. The modified air number can be counted down in the same counter which was used to count down the speed-dependent signals. The time required for counting down the modified air number determines the injection time and/or the closing time for an electronic switch in the primary circuit of the ignition coil.

Abstract: The duty factor of pulses controlling the time throughout which current flows through an ignition coil is increased or decreased depending upon whether the current through the ignition coil at the last ignition time was less than or greater than the desired amplitude required for ignition. A sample--and--hold circuit samples the output of a comparator comparing the actual current to the desired current at ignition time. If the comparator indicates that the actual current amplitude was less than the desired current amplitude, a first counter is set to count downwards. It counds down by one unit and then its count is transferred to another counter. When the count on the other counter reaches a predetermined count, the current through the ignition coil is initiated. The current is interrupted when either the next ignition timing signal or a signal signifying that the actual current through the ignition coil has reached the desired value is received, whichever is later.

Abstract: The composition of exhaust gases from an IC engine is dependent on ignition timing; to control the composition, therefore, ignition timing is adjusted in accordance with sensed exhaust gas composition signals. To prevent abrupt change of ignition timing, as the exhaust gas composition signal changes upon change of exhaust gases between reducing and oxidizing state, a limit stage is included which limits the change of ignition timing between succeeding ignition events to a predetermined incremental crankshaft angle, for example 2.degree.. The ignition angle adjustment may be nonsymmetrical in adding and subtracting direction, and, in any event, is limited to a maximum adjustment angle beyond which undesirable or unsafe operating conditions of the engine might obtain. In a preferred digital form, the count number of an accumulator counter, the output signal of which determines the occurrence of an ignition event, is modified, in said incremental steps, to thereby control the timing of the ignition event.

Abstract: To operate an ignition control transistor, connected into the primary ignition coil under minimum saturation condition regardless of voltage level of the supply voltage, delivered, for example, from the battery of an automotive vehicle, at least one timing circuit is connected to the voltage supply to have a timing interval which varies as a function of supply voltage, the timing interval controlling the duration of current flow through the transistor as a function of supply voltage so that the transistor will be conductive for the required time to store magnetic energy in the coil, though not for an excessively long period of time regardless of the level of supply voltage within the limits normally experienced in automotive ignition systems.

Abstract: Operating parameters, such as speed and loading of the engine are converted in electrical signals which are converted into pulse rates, to control counting of an address counter, addressing a read-only (ROM) memory in which characteristics of the engine are stored. To provide easy introduction of additional parameters such as temperature, idle condition, maximum speed, start condition, etc., the final value of an accumulator counter, the number of which at a given time controls the ignition timing, can be changed; further, to simplify the system, the speed and load signals are processed during a portion of the time between successive ignition events, the remaining portion of the time being controlled solely by one of the parameters (preferably speed), thus simplifying the circuitry by providing a transfer switch connecting for the remaining period only the selected (preferably speed) signal to the accumulator counter, the count state of which controls the ignition instant.