Emergency florescent inverter for magnetic and electronic ballasts
AssigneeNational Service Industries, Inc.
InventorJames C. Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved inverter or "fluorescent battery pack" useful particularly in an emergency lighting system with both magnetic and electronic ballasts of both "rapid start" and "instant start" configurations, the present inverter is rapidly installable in emergency lighting systems which include fluorescent lighting fixtures operable with either magnetic ballasts which are typically "non-isolated" or electronic ballasts which are typically "isolated". The inverter circuitry of the invention is simply installable in the present emergency lighting system due to an effective disconnection of the ballasts with concurrent connection between the inverter and lamping, only two effective connections to the lamp thus being necessary with a resulting avoidance of wiring redundancy.
Claims16
In an emergency lighting system which can be connected to a fluorescent lighting fixture having at least one discharge lamp and a ballast for driving the lamp, the ballast being a magnetic ballast or an electronic ballast having an output stage which is magnetically isolated from remaining ballast circuitry, the ballast having a primary side for connection to normal AC power and a lamp side connected to the lamp, improved inverter circuitry having first and second power leads and a first lamp connection lead, the first and second power leads being connected to the primary side of the ballast and the first lamp connection lead being connected to a first lamp side, the inverter circuitry producing a DC output through the lamp connection lead to the lamp, the inverter circuitry being improved by means additional to the first lamp connection lead for coupling or connecting the output of the inverter circuitry to the lamp, said means being employed in the system when said electronic ballast is used therein, only the first lamp connection being necessary in the system when said magnetic ballast is used therein.
In an emergency lighting system which can be connected to a fluorescent lighting fixture having at least one discharge lamp and a ballast for driving the lamp, the ballast being a magnetic ballast or an electronic ballast which may have an output stage which is magnetically isolated from remaining ballast circuitry, the ballast having a primary side for connection to normal AC power and a lamp side connected to the lamp, improved inverter circuitry having first and second power leads and first and second lamp connection leads, the first and second power leads being connected to the primary side of the ballast and the first and second lamp connection leads being connected to the lamp, the inverter circuitry producing a DC output through the lamp connection leads to the lamp, the inverter circuitry being improved by means for coupling or connecting the output of the inverter to the lamp, said means being employed in the system when either said electronic ballast or magnetic ballast is used therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.