Integrated ballast and lamp connector
AssigneeThe Whitaker Corporation
InventorsRobert Stewart Correll, Jr., Earl William McCleerey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector (3) for a fluorescent lighting fixture (1) comprises a circuit board (9) having an integral lamp ballast (10), a first bank of sockets (4) and wire connecting ports (11,12). A housing (16) encloses the ballast and the circuit board. The first bank of sockets are exposed from the housing for connection to fluorescent lamps, and the wire connecting ports are exposed from the housing for connection between external wiring from a source of electrical power and wiring extending to a second bank of sockets for the fluorescent lamps.
Claims22
An electrical connector comprising:
- a first bank of sockets for fluorescent lamps,
- a lamp ballast for the first bank of sockets,
- wire connecting ports adapted to connect the first bank of sockets and the ballast between external wiring from a source of electrical power and wiring extending to a second bank of sockets for the fluorescent lamps,
- a circuit board integrating the first bank of sockets, the ballast and the wire connecting ports, and
- a housing covering the ballast and the wire connecting ports and the circuit board, with the first bank of sockets being exposed from the housing for connection to the fluorescent lamps, and with the wire connecting ports being exposed from the housing for connection between the external wiring and the wiring extending to the second bank of sockets.
A fluorescent lighting fixture comprising:
- a reflector housing, an electrical connector for mounting to one side of the reflector housing, a first bank of fluorescent lamp sockets on the connector, a second bank of fluorescent lamp sockets on an opposite side of the reflector housing, at least one insulated wire interconnecting the first and second banks of sockets, and the electrical connector further comprising:
- a lamp ballast for said first bank of sockets,
- wire connecting ports adapted to connect the first bank of sockets and the ballast between external wiring from a source of electrical power and said insulated wire interconnecting the first and second banks of sockets,
- a circuit board integrating the first bank of sockets, the ballast and the wire connecting ports, and
- a housing covering the ballast and the wire connecting ports and the circuit board, with the first bank of sockets being exposed from the housing for connection to fluorescent lamps, and with the wire connecting ports being exposed from the housing for connection between the external wiring and said insulated wire interconnecting the first and second banks of sockets.
An electrical connector for a fluorescent lighting fixture comprising:
- an integrated circuit on a circuit board interconnecting a first bank of sockets for fluorescent lamps, and wire connecting ports for connecting the circuit board between wiring supplying electrical power and wiring extending to a second bank of sockets for the fluorescent lamps, and a housing enclosing the integrated circuit, and the integrated circuit comprising:
- a lamp ballast and a power bus and a ground bus.
An electrical connector comprising:
- a circuit board having an integral lamp ballast;
- a first bank of sockets for fluorescent lamps, each of the sockets including a respective terminal electrically connected to the circuit board;
- wire connecting ports mounted on the circuit board;
- and
- a housing covering the ballast and the circuit board, with the first bank of sockets being exposed from the housing for connection to the fluorescent lamps, and the wire connecting ports being exposed from the housing for termination to an external conductor from a source of electrical power and wiring to a second bank of sockets for the fluorescent lamps.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.