Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Combined load device or load device temperature modifying... – Discharge device load
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-17
2001-03-20
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Combined load device or load device temperature modifying...
Discharge device load
C315S224000, C362S260000, C362S294000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204602
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electronic ballasts for fluorescent lamps. More particularly, this invention pertains to a compact fluorescent lamp and ballast assembly that provides a ballast housing having an air gap for isolating a ballast circuit from the heat generated by an energized lamp.
Several patents describe a compact ballast design having a heat shield for reducing the heat received by a ballast circuit from the attached lamp. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,598 issued to Belle, et al., describes a device that provides a thermal heat shield between the lamp tubes and the ballast circuitry. The thermal heat shield is positioned inside the ballast casing to attempt to reduce the temperature present around the ballast circuitry. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,649 issued to Wang describes a ballast having thermal baffle contained in a gas-tight envelope and positioned close to the miniature arc tube of the lamp to reduce the ballast temperature. Neither of these designs, however, describes the usage of an air gap between the lamp and the ballast to allow ventilation between the ballast and the lamp and to thermally isolate the ballast circuit from the heat generated by the lamp.
European Patent Application No. 66,855 A2 designed by Takteto describes a compact ballast having a housing that includes a partition plate to thermally isolate the ballast and a series of air ducts on the sides of the ballast housing for circulating the outside air with the air contained inside the housing. The fluorescent lamp is in contact with outside air to thereby protect the ballast circuit. This design further includes a partition plate and several vents surrounding the bowl to reduce the temperature inside the housing. Although this design provides a vent for the heat within the bowl member such that the ballast circuit is not overheated, it does not provide an air gap between the fluorescent lamp and the ballast circuit. Consequently, this design does not isolate the ballast circuit from the heat generated by the fluorescent lamp.
What is needed, then, and not found in the prior art, is a compact ballast that provides an air gap between the ballast housing and the fluorescent lamp to isolate the ballast circuit from the heat generated by the fluorescent lamp.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a design for a compact fluorescent ballast having a housing for an electronic ballast circuit that includes an air gap to thermally isolate the ballast circuit from the fluorescent lamp. The housing includes a bowl-shaped member, a shield, and a thermal isolation member connected between the bowl-shaped member and the shield. The bowl-shaped member is designed to hold and encircle the electronic ballast circuit and to provide a connection to a power supply. The shield is designed to engage and secure the ends of the fluorescent lamp and two pairs of cathode lead wires that are attached to the ends of the fluorescent lamp. The cathode lead wires are used to connect the fluorescent lamp to the ballast circuit through the thermal isolation member. The thermal isolation member connects the bowl-shaped member to the shield, while providing an air gap between the lamp and the ballast circuit to isolate the ballast circuit from the heat generated by the lamp while energized.
The thermal isolation member includes a first and a second disc that are joined by a pair of connecting arms. The distance between the first and second discs thereby defines the air gap between the bowl-shaped member and the shield. Furthermore, the arms connecting the first and second discs are designed such that the cathode lead wires attached to the lamps can pass through the connecting arms (and thereby the thermal isolation member) to connect the fluorescent lamp with the ballast circuit housed in the bowl-shaped member.
Consequently, this design provides an air gap between the ballast circuit and the fluorescent lamp to isolate the ballast circuit from the heat transmitted by the illuminated lamp. Accordingly, this thermal isolation lowers the temperature surrounding the ballast circuit to extend the time that the ballast circuit can operate before failure.
It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide an efficient and inexpensive means of thermally isolating a ballast circuit in a compact ballast to reduce the heat surrounding the ballast circuit and thereby extend the time of that the ballast circuit can properly operate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4490649 (1984-12-01), Wang
patent: 5424610 (1995-06-01), Pelton et al.
patent: 5629581 (1997-05-01), Belle et al.
patent: 5686799 (1997-11-01), Moisin et al.
patent: 5691598 (1997-11-01), Belle et al.
patent: 5703440 (1997-12-01), Kachmarik et al.
patent: 5720548 (1998-02-01), Geary
patent: 5839822 (1998-11-01), Oechsle
patent: 66855 (1982-12-01), None
patent: 778609 (1997-06-01), None
Wang Gang
Xu Xin Li
Yang Kevin J.
Zhao Zheng Zhi
Alemu Ephrem
MagneTek, Inc.
Patterson Mark J.
Waddey & Patterson
Wong Don
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