Detachable ballast housing

A detachable ballast housing for use with fluorescent lights includes a ballast, a housing for the ballast, and electrical contacts for detachably mounting and dismounting to a lighting fixture without connecting or disconnecting power wires.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to ballasts and mounts for fluorescent lighting.

BACKGROUND

Fluorescent bulbs requires a ballast in order to start and maintain lighting. The bulbs and also the ballasts are subject to wearing out over time. Typically, changing the ballast involves disconnecting wiring of the lighting fixture from the electrical power source, which is inconvenient and potentially unsafe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

References to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may.

FIG. 1is an illustration of various views of an embodiment of a detachable ballast housing.

The housing102includes a recessed mounting disc106. The disc106may have a 1.1″ or larger outer diameter and electrical contacts108compatible with a GU24 lamp interface. The contacts108may measure 24 mm from center to center. The mounting disc106and contacts108may be employed to detachably mount the housing102to an electrical light fixture having a GU24 compatible mount. A mounting hole110(e.g. having 0.40″ outer diameter, or larger) is also available to accept a threaded fixture mounting tube. Receptacles114are available to accept either compact fluorescent tubes (possibly having different types of fluorescent lamp holders) or “circline” lights. In this embodiment, two compact fluorescent lights may be mounted along116of the housing102. The sides118of the housing102are adapted with curvature to accept a circline light, for example one having an outer diameter of 5.9″ or smaller. In one embodiment the housing has a profile of 1.22 inches or less, or 1.25 inches or less, which facilitates proper light dispersion and patterning. The length of the housing102may be six inches or less.

Although shown with two lamp interfaces114, each compatible with multiple types of compact fluorescent sockets, other embodiments may comprise only a single interface. A single ballast within the housing102may be used to drive one or more compact fluorescent lamps. The hole110may have an outer diamer of 10 mm or larger.

The housing102further includes slotted tabs104which may accept screws, nails, or other retaining mechanisms to help stabilize the housing102once it is mounted in place.

FIG. 2is a top view illustration of an embodiment of a detachable ballast housing with a compact fluorescent light mounted thereon.

FIG. 3is an illustration of an embodiment of a detachable ballast housing and lighting fixture. The lighting fixture302includes a mount304with wires312to interface with the electrical source, typically an A/C power source from a GU24 lamp socket. The mount304includes a retaining mechanism310to retain the mount304and the lighting fixture302in a standard A/C lighting electrical wiring box. The GU24 mount socket304includes a hole308, for example of 0.4″ outer diameter or smaller, which like the hole110in the housing102, may receive a threaded mounting tube. The mount304may include slots306to accept the contacts108of the ballast housing102. A light cover314may fit over the housing102and may mount to the fixture302.

An expired light bulb may be replaced by removing the cover314and disconnecting the bulb from the receptacle114. An expired ballast may be replaced by removing the cover314, twisting the ballast housing102free of the mount304, and twisting on a new housing102. Thus an expired ballast may be replaced without inconvenient and potentially dangerous unwiring of the ballast from the electrical source.

FIG. 4is an illustration of an embodiment of a detachable ballast housing with a “circline” lamp mounted thereon. A circline light402attaches to the housing under a fixture404via one of the receptacles114. Note the fitting of the circline light402around the curved ends118of the housing102. Note the retaining bolt406affixed to a threaded tube that retains the housing102, mount304, and fixture404to the wall or ceiling (typically to a standard A/C mounting and wiring box recessed into the wall or ceiling).