Apparatus for energizing an electrical load device

Claim 1

A CIRCUIT FOR ENERGIZING A GAS DISCHARGE TUBE HAVING AN ANODE AND A CATHODE FOR ESTABLISHING A CURRENT PATH THEREIN, SAID TUBE HAVING A GIVEN THRESHOLD IGNITION VOLTAGE, SAID CIRCUIT COMPRISING, FIRST AND SECOND PARALLEL CONNECTED CURRENT PATHS CONNECTED BETWEEN ONE TERMINAL OF SAID LOAD AND A POINT OF REFERENCE POTENTIAL, SAID FIRST CURRENT PATH COMPRISING, IN SERIES, A CAPACITOR AND A SOURCE OF ALTERNATING VOLTAGE HAVING A MAXIMUM AMPLITUDE LESS THAN SAID GIVEN THRESHOLD VOLTAGE, SAID SECOND CURRENT PATH COMPRISING, IN SERIES, A DIODE AND ELECTRONIC SWITCH MEANS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID TUBE CURRENT PATH IN SERIES WITH SAID ONE INPUT TERMINAL AND SAID POINT OF REFERENCE POTENTIAL, AND MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID SWITCH MEANS TO ESTABLISH A CHARGE PATH BETWEEN SAID CAPACITOR AND SAID VOLTAGE SOURCE WHICH INCLUDES SAID SWITCH MEANS THEREBY TO PRODUCE A RESULTANT VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID LOAD WHICH EXCEEDS SAID GIVEN THRESHOLD VOLTAGE.