Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.

Robert V Burke

Gerald L Ballard

Daoshen Chen

Michael Litvinovich

Robert McCoy

Eric Bobbitt

A ballast having fused leads protects against uncommon, but harmful, ballast failures. The fused leads prevent a current in the primary coil of the ballast from exceeding a potentially damaging value. A thermal protector shorts the primary ballast coil if the temperature of the secondary ballast coil exceeds a potentially damaging value. Since the thermal protector permanently disables the ballast, potentially damaging repetitive overheating of the ballast is prevented.

Fused lead wire for ballast protection

A transformer assembly and method for powering a load with a secondary fault protected isolated secondary. The fault fault path is isolated from ground allowing voltage detection of faults and the return terminal is isolated from the midpoint for multiple load connection schemes using the midpoint as a ground connection. A power control system is connected between the primary winding and the input terminal with a ground fault detection circuit connected between the fault path and the ground terminal, where the ground fault detection circuit is operable to detect a fault and activate the power control system to disconnect the source of power from the primary winding in response to detecting the fault. Also disclosed is a high frequency filter adapted to reduce the effects of high frequency transients and a capacitive reactance connected between the input terminal means and the ground terminal. The capacitive reactance is adapted to provide a ground fault path for fault signals. Another improvement teaches the improved performance of an optocoupler using a breakover device for improved bias control.

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Indianapolis, IN, United States of America

Robert V Burke