Ruud Lighting, Inc.

Theodore O Sokoly

Wayne P Guillien

Eric J Haugaard

A ballast for electrical lighting fixtures with improved thermal protection features has ballast laminations, primary and secondary coils, and a thermal protector, the thermal protector being wired in series with the secondary coil. The ballast preferably is of the type having multiple input voltage taps on the primary coil; in such cases, the electrical positioning of the thermal protector in series with the secondary coil causes the wiring assembly of the thermal protector (as part of the ballast) to be independent of the primary coil input voltage tap used in a particular application. Improved electrical lighting circuits for high-intensity-discharge lamps have the above-described thermally-protected ballasts.

Thermally-protected ballast for high-intensity-discharge lamps

A ballast for electrical lighting fixtures has improved thermal protection features. The ballast has ballast laminations, primary and secondary coils, and a thermal protector, the thermal protector being wired in series with the secondary coil. When the ballast is of the type having multiple input voltage taps on the primary coil, the electrical positioning of the thermal protector in series with the secondary coil causes the wiring assembly of the thermal protector (as part of the ballast) to be independent of the primary coil input voltage tap used in a particular application. Improved electrical lighting circuits for high-intensity-discharge lamps may be obtained, the circuits having the above-described thermally-protected ballasts.

A unitary bracket particularly suited for mounting a thermal protector to a ballast for an electrical lighting fixture. The unitary bracket has a holding-face portion with opposite edges and a mounting end, edge portions on the opposite edges angled toward the electrical device, and a mounting-end portion on the mounting end and extending toward the electrical device, the mounting-end portion having a mounting tab for engagement with the electrical device, the portions being configured and dimensioned to sandwich the thermal protector against the electrical device when the mounting-end portion is secured thereto. An improved thermally-protected ballast includes the bracket.

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Franklin, WI, United States of America

Theodore O Sokoly