Magnetek, Inc.

Stuart E Sanders

Fred P Bauer

Raymond H Van Wagener

Mark R Opperthauser

Robert A Kulka

David S Stratton

Richard Hoogmoed

John L Cox

Theodore Miller, Jr

Methods of manufacturing ballasts and starter assemblies used in gas discharge lamps are disclosed. One embodiment of a starter assembly includes a one-piece plastic enclosure for a glow bulb which is used as a starter for a fluorescent lamp. The enclosure has a latching hinged lid, a partition wall to isolate the glow bulb leads, and integral strain relief. The glow bulb enclosure is preferably mounted inside a ballast assembly and the glow bulb leads are preferably ultrasonically welded to the ballast power supply wires. Methods of reducing manufacturing expenses by physically separating the glow bulb from other ballast components are also disclosed.

Methods of manufacturing ballasts and starter assemblies used in gas

An one-piece plastic protective enclosure is provided for a glow bulb used as a starter for a fluorescent lamp. The enclosure has a latching hinged lid, a partition wall to isolate the glow bulb leads, and integral strain relief. The glow bulb enclosure is mounted inside a ballast assembly and the glow bulb leads are ultrasonically welded to the ballast power supply wires.

Enclosure for glow bulb starter used with gas discharge lamps

One half-connector terminates leads in the ballast, carrying electricity to and from the ballast coils. Another half-connector terminates leads outside the ballast, connected e. g. to carry power to lamp sockets. A hook extended from a first of the half-connectors engages a catch formed in a second. A retaining surface, preferably associated with the second half-connector, keeps the hook engaged with the catch. Preferably the space between the retaining surface and the catch is smaller than the unstressed dimension of the hook barb--but during the act of engagement the barb deforms to pass between the catch and surface; then the barb springs back into shape and is held behind the catch. In this process also preferably the retaining surface cooperates with the first half-connector to support the shaft or beam of the hook at both ends--as in a classical double-ended beam spring structure, contrasted with a cantilevered spring in a conventional hook and catch. A ramp guides the hook between the catch and surface even if the hook has been warped before assembly, at least in commonly occurring modes of warping.

Electrical connector with improved safety latching for a

One half-connector terminates a set of leads in the ballast, for carrying electrical power to and from the ballast coils. Another half-connector terminates another set of leads outside the ballast, connected e.g. to carry power to lamp sockets. Male contacts, preferably formed very inexpensively as bared ends of one set of leads, are held in a first of the half-connectors; female contacts, connected to the other set of leads, are held in a second of the two half-connectors. Through-holes in the second half-connector each hold one female contact; each hole has a necked-down section, forward from the contact, and some device (preferably an ultrasonically displaced slug) to retain the contact. In one aspect of the invention, each hole also has a bore whose transverse preformed dimension is biggest immediately rearward from the necked-down forward section. In a second aspect of the invention, each necked-down section has a large-mouthed funnel to guide even a badly bent male contact into the female contact, accommodating weak tips of the bared wire ends. The first aspect of the invention enables low-cost use of the second.

Electrical connector with improved centering of mating terminal pins,

An assembly tool helps connect an electrical external half-connector to an internal half-connector at an aperture in a ballast case. The tool includes a fulcrum for stabilizing the tool against the case, and tongue for pushing the external half-connector into engagement while clearing the connector wires, to avoid damage. A handle of the tool is used to rotate the tool about the fulcrum. If the connector has a latch to deter pull-out, the tool also preactuates or depresses the latch to eliminate frictional resistance to inserting the latch--and so reduce the required engagement force. Latch depression is simultaneous with the point in the insertion process where the latch hook passes its mating engagement member. The tool dimensions provide a high mechanical advantage to help push the two connector halves together against friction. The tool converts the connector-engaging task from wrist action to a stress-free upper-body movement. Various fulcrum configurations are preferred for engaging existing features of the ballast case or luminaire, or both.

Apparatus and method for improving assembly of leadless ballasts into

This inexpensive, small half connector includes at least one electrical terminal (usually a female contact). The half-connector body defines a hole to receive each terminal. Each terminal has at least one retaining element for engaging the half connector (e.g., a springy tang that snaps into behind an internal flange) to retain the terminal in the half connector. Each hole has a segment of relatively large transverse dimension to receive its terminal, generally with transverse clearance about the circumference of the terminal. Each hole also has a segment of reduced transverse dimension to receive the terminal and engage the retaining element(s) of that terminal to retain the terminal. Each hole has some integral feature--in other words, some structural element(s) integral with the half-connector body--for centering the terminal in the large-dimension segment of the hole. Preferably the integral element includes at least two and preferably three radially inward-extending protrusions from an inner wall of the large-dimension segment of the hole. Each of these is preferably very thin, ideally about 0.2 to 0.23 millimeter thick.

Electrical half connector with contact-centering vanes

A half-connector body has lateral ears that fit in small notches in the ends of the side walls of a ballast can, preferably at the top. An end wall, if present, traps the ears longitudinally in the notches; resilience of that wall, and of its attachment to the can bottom, enhance tight longitudinal fit. The half connector (a receptacle) presses against, and partly protrudes through an orifice in, the end wall (if present). Outside the ballast, in a new fixture, a jack slides freely in the receptacle to make wiring-harness connections. The jack has a ratchet-like manually operable hook to secure the jack until manually released. Each contact or lead in either half connector is preferably provided with individual strain relief by permanent deformation (as for example using a die punch, without heating or plastic flow) of the connector wall inward, to displace material irreversibly around the wires. In either the jack or receptacle, cylindrical female contacts make smooth wiping contact with bared ends of standard fixture wires held in the opposite half connector, serving as pin contacts. If the female contacts are in the jack, a person may replace conventional ballasts with this new one, by cutting and baring the old harness wires and inserting them individually into the receptacle. Alternatively, for field retrofit a jack can be supplied, e.g. with poke-in wiring.

Growing community of inventors

Brandon, MS, United States of America

Stuart E Sanders