Abstract:
The present invention is a kit for adapting a tube lamp fixture made for a first size of lamp tubes into a fixture that accommodates smaller lamp tubes. The kit comprises a conversion apparatus that itself comprises a bar in which are disposed one or more plugs for connecting to the sockets in the existing tube lamp fixture, said plugs being slidably disposed on the bar to adapt to the position of the sockets in the fixture. The conversion apparatus further comprises one or more slidably disposed sockets on the opposite side of the bar that may be positioned independently from the plugs. Appropriate wiring permits the supply of electrical energy to the tube lamps. The invention further comprises a master-slave ballast conversion assembly. The ballast conversion assembly comprises a chain of circuit boards connected by cables and connectors that enable a single ballast to control two or more tubes through a chain of circuit boards.

Description:
This is a divisional of Ser. No. 10/353,122 filed Jan. 28, 2003 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,773,284, which claimed its priority from the following provisional applications: 60/402,045 filed Aug. 9, 2002; 60/435,996 filed Dec. 26, 2002; 60/369,874 filed Apr. 5, 2002; 60/363,312 filed Mar. 12, 2002; each of which is fully incorporated here by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to the field of electrical lighting fixtures. More particularly, the invention is related to ceiling and wall-mounted tube-type lamp mounting fixtures, such as those employed to hold fluorescent lamp tubes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fluorescent lamp tubes have been used to light schools, offices and industrial sites for decades. Recently, the need to provide more efficient lamps has driven the design of new tube-type lamps that emit either the same or higher lumen energy using less electrical power than previous lamps. For example, those skilled in the art will recognize that older T-8 and T-12 lamps can be replaced by new T-5 lamps that can emit more lumens of light energy while consuming less power than their older and larger predecessors. 
     One consequence of the popularity of the new T-5 lamp is the need for new mounting assemblies. The T-5 is not only a smaller diameter lamp tube, but it is also slightly shorter than its older counterparts and will not fit in a mounting assembly (or “reflector” or “fixture”) that was designed for the T-8 and T-12 lamps. Thus, if a facility manager decides to change over from T-8 or T-12 lamps to T-5 lamps, it has been necessary to replace all of the reflector assemblies in a facility so that the smaller, shorter T-5 lamp can be installed. As a consequence, replacing old lamps has required replacement of old fixtures as well, a cost factor that acts as a disincentive to changing from the older, less efficient lamps to the newer and much more efficient types. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a conversion apparatus that enables the conversion of a standard fluorescent lamp reflector fixture to accommodate the newer T-5 lamp without replacement of the entire fixture. In use, the invention features a pair of identical conversion apparatus, each having one or more plug/receptacle combinations. The plug/receptacle combinations are situated on opposite surfaces of a bar, the plug on one side and the receptacle on the other. The plug is sized for the original size light tube for which the lamp assembly was designed; that is, if the fixture was intended for T-8 tubes, the plug(s) on the adapter is (are) a T-8 sized plug. The receptacle (also referred to as “socket”), located on the opposite side of the bar, is sized to receive the new, smaller and shorter lamp, such as a T-5. The bar contains wiring to connect the plug and the receptacle, providing the energizing electrical power signal from the lamp ballast to the lamp(s). Two of the conversion apparatus are mounted in a lighting fixture to change the fixture&#39;s configuration from the older lamp size to accommodate the newer lamps. 
     Another important feature of the apparatus of the invention is that the plug and receptacle combinations, though mounted on opposite sides of the bar, are mounted independent from each other. Each can be moved laterally along the bar without regard to the position of the other. In this manner, variations in the spacing of the receptacles in a mounting fixture can be accommodated by adjusting the position of the plugs on the adjustable conversion apparatus. In the same fashion, the ultimate positioning of the new lamp tubes relative to each other can be set by adjusting the location of the receptacles on the conversion apparatus. 
     The invention further comprises a series-connected master-slave ballast configuration and cable apparatus. In the conversion of an existing fluorescent lamp assembly to a new configuration, new electronics are installed in the lamp fixture to convert the ballast in the existing fixture to provide the appropriate power for the new lamp tubes. The old ballasts remain and provide the basic power signals. New circuit boards are installed in the fixture to provide the correct power supply, heater and oscillator signals to the new lamps. A shield for protecting the circuit boards is provided for installation in the existing fixture along with the plug/receptacle conversion assembly. A series connection cable designed specifically for connecting the new circuits to provide a master-slave ballast configuration is also provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a bottom plan view of a standard lamp tube lighting assembly with the lamps shown. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation of the adjustable assembly of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the plug side of the adjustable assembly of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the receptacle side of the adjustable assembly of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the adjustable assembly of the invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of a light tube assembly with the adjustable assembly of the invention installed in it. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an advanced embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of a new power system for a converted fixture according to the invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic diagram of a master-slave ballast conversion assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a plan view of a ballast circuit board and cable/connector assembly of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a conversion apparatus of the present invention including an enclosure for the ballast conversion assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration of a standard lamp tube mounting assembly  100 , also referred to as a fixture or a reflector. In many assemblies a diffuser, a plastic or glass panel for diffusing the emitted light, closes the fixture such that the lamp tubes cannot be seen. In  FIG. 1 , the fixture comprises a housing  110  commonly mounted in the ceiling (or a wall) with its outer surface flush with the ceiling (wall). The remainder of this description is written with reference to a ceiling fixture, though wall fixtures are intended to be included by reference. 
     The housing  110  of the fixture  100  is normally recessed into the ceiling such that one or more lamp tubes may be mounted within the fixture. The upper interior surface of the housing  110  reflects the light emitted from the lamp tubes  112  out of the fixture  100  for maximum lighting effect. 
     At opposite ends of the fixture  100  are sockets  114  into which the lamp tubes  112  are plugged. The lamp tubes  112  have pins (not shown) at each end that are inserted into the sockets  114  and then the tube is rotated such that the pins lock into place in the sockets. The distance between the sockets  114  is a standard distance for the lamp tubes to be mounted in the fixture. 
     In most lamp fixtures  100 , a ballast circuit is incorporated into the fixture. In  FIG. 1 , the ballast is located under the ballast cover  118 . The ballast circuit, powered by conventional AC power, converts the line power into a higher frequency driving signal that energizes the lamp tubes and causes them to emit light. The electrical driving signal from the ballast is conveyed to the lamp tubes by wires (not shown) running within the housing  110  and connected to the sockets  114 . 
     In order to avoid replacing the entire fixture when a facility changes (for example) from the older, less efficient T-8 or T-12 lamp tubes to the new, more efficient T-5 style, the distance between the sockets in the fixture must change because the replacement T-5 lamps are shorter than the older lamps. The present invention is a solution to that problem. It also allows flexibility in the number and positioning of the new lamps. 
     The invention is described with reference to  FIGS. 2–5 . In  FIG. 2 , the conversion apparatus  10  of the invention is shown in side elevation and comprises a bar  12 , a plug  14  having pins  16  protruding from it, and a socket  20 . The bar  12  may have one, two or more sets of plugs  14  and sockets  20  mounted along its length. The plugs  14  can be rotated.  FIG. 3  shows the invention in a form having two plugs  14  on one side of the bar. The plugs  14  are situated to engage with the sockets in the old light fixture. When engaged in the old light fixture sockets, the plugs are rotated to lock the pins  16  in the old socket just as a lamp tube would be locked in place. 
     The position of the plugs  14  on the bar  12  may be adjusted. Each plug  14  is mounted on a slide  22  that is disposed within the bar. The slides  22  are independent of each other so that each plug  14  may be moved laterally without regard to the other. This feature allows the conversion apparatus  10  to be adapted to fit within various light fixtures in which the old sockets may be spaced apart by varying distances, making the conversion apparatus  10  of the invention versatile in application. 
       FIG. 4  shows the other side of the example conversion apparatus  10  shown in  FIG. 3 . The apparatus  10  has two sockets  20  on this side of the bar  12 . Each socket  20  comprises the necessary grooves or tracks  26  in which the pins of a lamp tube may be engaged and locked to mount a lamp in the light fixture. There are various designs of such grooves, tracks and similar mounting means known to those skilled in the art; the design of the grooves shown in  FIG. 4  is merely exemplary. As on the opposite side of the apparatus  10 , each of the sockets  20  is mounted on a slide  28 . The slides  28  are independent of each other such that each of the sockets  20  may be moved laterally independent of the other. 
       FIG. 5  indicates the presence of wiring  30  that may connect the plugs  14  to the sockets  20  to pass the energizing electrical signals from the ballast through the old sockets in the light fixture and through the plugs  14  and into the sockets  20  in the conversion apparatus. Alternatively, the wiring in the conversion apparatus may be connected directly from a replacement ballast to the one or more sockets  20  in the conversion apparatus through wiring that passes through the bar  12  of the apparatus. Or perhaps the wiring can be routed directly to each new socket  20  from a ballast as necessary. In any event, it is understood that there may be wiring within the bar  12  of the conversion apparatus  10  in order to energize the lamp tubes. An example of a wiring conversion is described below (see  FIGS. 8 ,  9  and  10  and accompanying discussion). 
     The initial aspect of the invention, then, is the conversion apparatus that plugs into the sockets in an old tube-type light fixture, changing the distance between the sockets to accommodate the shorter new light tubes so that the entire fixture need not be replaced. The conversion apparatus plugs can be moved laterally to be used in various fixtures where the distance between sockets is different, or to skip over a socket in the old fixture entirely. In the latter case, a fixture that once mounted three lamp tubes may converted into a fixture for only two tubes. 
     The number of plugs on the conversion apparatus need not match the number of sockets in the old fixture. In various configurations, the conversion apparatus of the present invention can be made with more or less plugs than the sockets in the old fixture, and with more or less sockets for new lamps than were in the old fixture. 
     For example, an old fixture with four lamp socket pairs can be converted into a fixture with three new lamps or with five new lamps. The spacing can be changed by adjusting the position of the sockets in the conversion assembly using the range of motion provided by the slides. 
       FIG. 6  is an illustration of the conversion of an old standard fixture into a more modem light fixture  200  using the invention. The conversion apparatus  10  plugs into the sockets in the standard fixture  210 . The new lamp tubes  212  are mounted in the sockets of the conversion apparatus, which can be positioned wherever along the bar of the conversion apparatus they need to be to assume the proper location in the fixture  210  for best light reflection out of the fixture. A ballast cover  220  separates the fixture into two halves and contains the ballast electronics for energizing the lamps  212 . (Ballasts can be otherwise located in various fixtures.) 
     If the standard fixture  210  had three socket locations for lamp tubes, that does not dictate that three new lamps need to be provided by the conversion apparatus. The conversion can change the fixture from three lamps to two, four to three, two to four, or any other number by configuring the conversion apparatus as needed to accomplish the result. 
     An advanced example of a two-T-8 to one-T-5 conversion apparatus according to the invention is shown in  FIG. 7 . The conversion apparatus  300  converts a two T-8 lamp fixture to a one T-5 lamp fixture by providing two T-8 sized mounting pin assemblies  302  to mount the conversion apparatus in the light fixture. Each assembly comprises a frame  301 , a slidable mount  304 , a rotating pin disk  306  carrying the connecting pins  308  with a control arm  310  extending from the rotating disk  306  for locking the pins into place in the old fixture (not shown), and a T-5 lamp holder  314 . 
     The conversion apparatus of  FIG. 7  mounts into two T-8 fixture connectors in a lighting fixture. The mounting pin assemblies  302  operate by positioning the slidable mounts  304  to match the position of the T-8 connectors in the fixture. The pins  308  on the slidable mounts  304  are inserted into the T-8 connectors, then are locked by rotating the pins using the control arms  310  connected to each rotating disk  306 . The electrical power from the ballast (not shown) is routed by wire through the frame  301  of the apparatus  300  to the T-5 lamp holder  314 . A single T-5 lamp is mounted in the lamp holder  314  on the side not shown in the Figure. Using two such apparatus as shown in  FIG. 7 , a fixture that once required two T-8 lamps can be retrofitted to accommodate a single T-5 lamp, saving the expense of one lamp per fixture and consuming less power in the process. Other conversion ratios are possible, of course (e.g., 4 to 2, 3 to 2, 4 to 4, etc.). 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram that introduces the description of another aspect of the invention, the electrical conversion from the standard fixture ballast power to a new power system for the new lamps. In a standard lamp tube assembly having four lamps, there might be found two ballasts  412 ,  414  that provide energizing signals (A, B, C, D) to the lamps through the respective sockets  416  and return sockets  418  (which rout the return signals (not shown) back to the ballasts). 
     The example depicted in  FIG. 9  shows a 4 to 4 lamp electrical conversion in schematic form that is a modification of the elements of  FIG. 8 . In the diagram of  FIG. 9 , the existing fixture has two ballast controllers  412 ,  414  providing controlled power to the four old lamp tube sockets  416 . The diagram schematically represents the neutral side  418  of each old socket, each of which would carry the return connections (not shown) to the ballasts that close the circuit. 
     In the conversion apparatus of the present invention, the electronics of the converted assembly are dramatically changed. In the conversion, the old sockets  416 ,  418  are connected and converted to new sockets  430 ,  432  for holding new lamps. The old ballasts continue to provide their primary energy signal “L” to the old sockets  416  (and receive the returns through sockets  418 ). The primary ballast energy L is passed through the old sockets  416  and is wired to a new ballast circuit assembly  420 ,  422 ,  424 ,  426  for each new lamp. Each new ballast circuit uses the input L to stimulate the creation of new control energy that is represented in the diagram of  FIG. 9  as five signals:
         1: pre-heat   2: oscillator   3: protection   4: ground   5: shared DC       

     These power signals are generated on a first circuit board  420 , then routed in serial fashion through a cable  440  connected from board to board (e.g.,  420  to  422 ,  422  to  424 ,  424  to  426 ) using connectors  428 . In this manner, there is formed a master-slave ballast circuit wherein a master ballast control (e.g.,  420 ) is established and one or more lamps are controlled as slaves from the master ballast (as are the three slave lamps that are connected to boards  422 ,  424  and  426  in  FIG. 9 ). Each of the ballast circuit boards  420 ,  422 ,  424 ,  426  are wired to the power sockets  430 ,  432  that hold the new lamps in the conversion apparatus. As for the physical assembly described for mounting the lamps, the ballast conversion circuits can be provided for any number of lamps through cable and connectors installed into the conversion apparatus. The cable and connectors installed in the conversion apparatus form a “daisy-chain” ballast control for energizing the new lamps. 
     The assembly that represents the combination of a circuit board with a cable and connector is an aspect of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 10 , the circuit board  422 , cable  440  and connector  428  can be made into an integral assembly  450  that is generic to installation in thousands of conversion apparatus. The cable assembly  450  can be formed in variants that have only one cable connected to the board  420  if the board is either the master circuit board (board  420  in  FIG. 9 ) or the terminus of the chain of slave boards (as is board  426  in  FIG. 9 ). The cable assembly shown in  FIG. 10  represents one of the slave boards  422 ,  424  with both an input and output cable connection in the chain of slave boards. 
     The board/cable assembly can be mounted in an enclosure that can be installed as part of the conversion apparatus.  FIG. 11  shows such an enclosure fitted to a conversion apparatus of the present invention.  FIG. 11  shows a conventional fixture  210 . Into this fixture  210  the conversion apparatus  10  shown and described in connection with  FIGS. 3–7  is installed to accept the new, smaller and more efficient lamp tubes. The original ballast cover  506  is mounted in the middle of the fixture  210 . Added to the arrangement already described is an enclosure  502  for holding the circuit boards (not shown) for the converted master-slave ballast. The cable assemblies that connect one circuit board to another can be routed along the interior of the fixture around the sockets and contained, as much as possible, within the enclosures  502 . Wiring from the interior of the enclosure can be routed through the socket conversion apparatus  10  to the sockets. 
     The enclosure shown in  FIG. 11  is formed with a telescoping section  504  that permits the enclosure to be fitted within an existing fixture  210  as an element of a conversion according to the present invention. The enclosure can be spring-loaded along its length to create the outward force necessary to expand the telescoping section  504  and secure the enclosure within the fixture  210 . There are numerous other methods of securing the enclosure  502  within the fixture  210  that will be evident to persons skilled in the relevant art. 
     Other variations of the apparatus can be conceived that provide the beneficial results of the invention while not deviating from the basic design features described herein. For that reason, resort must be taken to the claims to determine the legal scope of the invention.