The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 25, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 10, 1997
Barry Eddington Altman, Mechanicsburg, PA (US);
John Francis Turner, Jr, Clemmons, NC (US);
Albert David Willette, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
The Whitaker Corporation, Wilmington, DE (US);
Abstract
A lighting assembly 2 includes a ballast subassembly 4, fluorescent lamps 30 and connectors 50 for connecting the ends of two lamps forming an associated pair. The ballast subassembly 4 is connected to only one base of two lamps and the other ends are connected by commoning socket connectors 50 that are not attached to the ballast subassembly 4. The ballast subassembly 4 includes a power supply circuit 100 and a ballast circuit 102 that can energize two fluorescent lamps 30 with remote lamp bases 34 commoned. The ballast subassembly 4 is mounted on one end of the lighting subassembly, for example on one end of a troffer 80. No wires or other direct electrical connection are necessary with the other end of the lighting assembly 4, the lamps 30, or the troffer 80. The commoning connectors 50 can employ bus contacts 64 having integral cantilever terminals 74 extending from a central bus section 66. These contacts can be mounted in socket housings 52 for connecting two side by side instant start fluorescent lamps.