The present invention relates to a lighting fixture with a downwardly facing ballast designed to be accessed from below. More particularly, the invention relates to a high bay fluorescent luminaire having a center ballast assembly positioned below the top of the housing assembly, allowing a user to access the ballasts without removing the lamps, the reflectors or the luminaire from its suspended position and without using any tools to access the ballasts.
Conventional fluorescent high bay lighting fixtures for retail and industrial applications are often mounted or suspended from ceiling joists high above the floor. The ballast assembly adjacent to first and second reflectors is only accessible from the top of the lighting fixture. There are often problems for installers and regular users who need to access the ballast assembly when a ballast needs repair or replacing. The entire high bay lighting fixture must be removed from the suspension mechanism to replace one or a plurality of ballasts, and often the lamps and reflectors must be removed.
One of the problems with existing high bay lighting fixtures is the height to which they are suspended from the ceiling and their sheer size that makes disassembly difficult. Subsequent to removing the lighting fixture from its mounting or ceiling suspension, the ballast can be replaced or repaired when the ballast channel cover is detached. However, this is a time consuming, dangerous, and labor intensive process conducted high above the floor.
Accordingly, a need exists for a room side accessible ballast assembly with a downwardly facing ballast channel.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a lighting fixture having a room side accessible ballast.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture having a center accessible ballast with at least one reflector adjacent to the longitudinal axis of the ballast.
A further object of the invention is to provide a lighting fixture having reflectors and a ballast assembly extending downwardly from the housing assembly.
Still another object is to provide a lighting fixture having a means for releasably coupling the ballast cover to the housing assembly.
Yet another object is to provide an occupancy sensor electrically-connected to the lighting fixture for activating the lamps when a user is near the lighting fixture.
The foregoing objects are basically attained by providing a lighting fixture comprising a housing having a longitudinal axis with a first reflector located on a first side of the longitudinal axis. A second reflector is located on a second side of the longitudinal axis. The first and second reflectors are spaced apart with at least one ballast therebetween. At least one ballast is coupled to the housing and extends downwardly from the housing. A cover for the ballast is located below the ballast. The lighting fixture also includes a means for releasably coupling the cover to the housing.
By forming the lighting fixture in this manner, a user can access the ballast channel and operate the lighting fixture without removing the lighting fixture from its suspended position or removing the lamps or reflectors. Moreover, the lighting fixture can be electrically operated when a user enters the room controlled by an occupancy sensor electrically connected to the lighting fixture.
As used in this application, the terms “top”, “bottom”, and “side” are intended to facilitate the description of the lighting fixture, and are not intended to limit the lighting fixture of the present invention to any particular orientation.
Other objects, advantages, and salient features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses preferred embodiments of the invention.
Referring to the drawings which form a part of this disclosure:
Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts, components, and structures.
Turning to
As seen in
The reflectors 14, 18 include a plurality of apertures 44 disposed along the horizontal axis of the reflector 14, 18 closest to the edge for receiving an attaching means such as a screw or substantial equivalent. Preferably, one aperture 44 would be disposed at the end of each channel 42 at an edge 46 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A of the housing assembly 12.
Each channel 42 includes a series of light slots 48 towards the upper dome of the reflectors 14, 18. The light slots 48 are substantially rectangularly-shaped openings spaced apart an equidistant from each other along each individual channel 42 to provide a mechanism for uptight. The percentage of total light output of the lighting fixture 10 is relatively small.
At least one ballast 22 is disposed between the reflectors 14, 18 for electrically powering the lamps 40 in a conventional manner. Preferably, a plurality of ballasts 22 are arranged in a series along the longitudinal axis A of the fixture 10. The ballasts 22 are downwardly facing and contained within a ballast channel 58 disposed between first and second end caps 26, 28, respectively.
The ballast channel 58 is substantially U-shaped and downwardly facing to support the downwardly facing ballasts 22. Turning to
The ballast channel 58 further includes a plurality of venting slots 124 along the longitudinal edge of the ballast channel 58. These venting slots 124 could be used for venting the housing assembly 12. The venting slots 124 help to prevent overheating in the space between the lamps 40 and the interior downwardly facing surface of the reflectors 14, 18. The venting slots 124 promote ventilation such as air convection, and thus cooling, for the ballasts 22.
The cover 24 is a substantially upwardly-opening, U-shaped longitudinal structure covering the side of the ballasts 22 opposite the ballast channel 58 and located between the reflectors 14, 18. The cover 24 includes a tab 50 towards a first end 52 of the housing assembly 12 and an aperture 54 towards a second end 56 of the cover 24. The tab 50 is substantially rectangularly-shaped with a multilevel interior such as a step or raised ridge. The aperture 54 is substantially circularly-shaped with a raised outer edge and receded interior edge adapted for receiving a fastener, such as fastener 94 as seen in
The housing assembly 12 further includes first and second end caps 26, 28 arranged substantially-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A of the housing assembly 12. Each of the end caps 26, 28 includes a socket pan 30, a base 32, first and second edges 34, 36, and a side wall 38. The base 32 is perpendicular to the side wall 38, both meeting at an outer edge and forming a 90° corner piece with first and second edges 34, 36. The base 32 includes a plurality of openings 66 that are circularly-shaped and adapted to receive a mounting means. The socket pan 30 is located along the base 32 and transversely oriented with the side wall 38.
Moreover, each end cap 26, 28 includes a slot 60, 60a disposed approximately along the bottom edge of the side wall 38 and parallel to the base 32 of the housing assembly 12. Each slot 60, 60a is substantially rectangularly-shaped with two receiving apertures for accepting a variety of connecting means. The end caps 26, 28 also include a substantially circular-shaped aperture 68 disposed along the midline of the side wall 38 having a diameter large enough for receiving electrical wires.
Each of the end caps 26, 28 includes a series of lamp holders 74 attached to the base 32. Specifically, the lamp holders 74 are substantially D-shaped clips arranged lengthwise along the socket pan 30 adapted to connect to the lamps 40. Each end cap 26, 28 includes the same number of lamp holders 74 attached to each socket pan 30 as there are lamps 40 located beneath the reflectors 14, 18.
The side of the housing assembly 12 is lined with rails 70 disposed between each end cap 26, 28. The rails 70 are oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis A and perpendicular to each end cap 26, 28. The rails 70 are located on the outermost edge of each reflector 14, 18 opposite the edges adjacent to the ballast channel 58.
In a further embodiment, illustrated in
Assembly
The housing assembly 12 is assembled with the ballast channel 58 attached to the end caps 26, 28 by aligning the channel apertures 76 with apertures 90 along the base 32. Each exterior edge of the ballast channel 58 is flush with the corners of each end cap 26, 28. The ballast channel openings 76 are aligned with the base apertures 90 for receiving a mounting means such as a plurality of screws 78 threaded therein to connect the ballast channel 58 to the end caps 26, 28.
The reflectors 14, 18 are attached to the housing assembly 12 by aligning the interior edge of the first reflector 14 with the U-shaped ballast channel 58 along the first side 16 and the interior edge of the second reflector 18 with the ballast channel 58 along the second side 20. When the exterior edges 46 of each reflector 14, 18 are aligned with each end cap 26, 28, a plurality of screws 72 or similarly situated mounting means are threaded through the reflector apertures 44 and into a plurality of end cap apertures 92.
Turning to
The plurality of downwardly facing ballasts 22 are contained in the ballast channel 58 and arranged in a series along the longitudinal axis A of the housing assembly 12. The ballasts 22 are enclosed by a protective ballast cover 24 located below the ballasts 22 opposite the ballast channel 58. The cover 24 is releasably coupled to the housing by aligning the shorter sides of the cover 24 around the side rails 70 of the channel 58 as seen in
The lamps 40 are attached to the housing assembly 12 by connecting each lamp 40 to a lamp holder 74 disposed along the surface of the base 32. The lamps 40 are individually aligned in lamp channels 42 parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the housing assembly 12. The lamp holder 74 attachment to the socket pan 30 supplies electrical power to the lamps 40.
If included with the housing assembly 12, the occupancy sensor 80 is mechanically attached to one of the end caps 26, 28 and electrically connected to the lamps 40 in a conventional manner. The electrical wiring 88 passes through an opening 68 in the end cap 28. Once the wiring 88 is connected, the bracket 82 is aligned with the side wall 38 of the end cap 28. Preferably two clips 84 attach to the lower end of the bracket 82, one clip 84 clasped around each side for latching beneath the side wall 38. The upper end of the bracket 82 includes at least one tab 86, but preferably two tabs 86 gripping the base 32 of the end cap 28. The tabs 86 snap over the end cap screws 78 which protrude through slotted openings 87 in the tabs 86 to further secure the sensor 80 to the base 32.
Once the housing assembly 12 is completely assembled, the lighting fixture 10 can be suspended from the ceiling or joist with a variety of devices. Turning to
The mounting brackets 100 are substantially U-shaped with a circularly-shaped opening 102 along the top of the bracket 100. A subsequent mounting channel 104 is inverted with respect to the U-shaped bracket 100 and connected to the tops of the brackets 100. The mounting channel 104 is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the housing assembly 12.
Each mounting bracket 100 is attached to the channel 104 with a screw 106 passing through the circularly-shaped opening 102 and engaging first and second carriage openings 112, 113 of the mounting channel 104 and the bracket 100. The mounting channel 104 can include a series of openings 117 disposed evenly along the longitudinal axis of the channel 104. With this configuration, the housing assembly 12 could be attached to the channel 104 at a plurality of openings 117 rather than being committed to specific locations.
To further secure the mounting bracket 100, a carriage bolt 108 engages the sides 110 of the mounting bracket 100 that extend parallel to each other. The carriage bolt 108 passes from a first side 110 of the mounting bracket through the bottom of the U-shape and into a second side 110. The carriage bolt 108 is secured with a nut 115 threaded onto its body between first and second carriage openings 112, 113 until the nut 115 is directly adjacent to the side 110 of the mounting bracket 100.
In another embodiment, a central mounting bracket 114 can be attached to the middle of the ballast channel 58, as seen in
The mounting bracket 114 is attached at first and second edges 126, 128 to a first bracket end cap 130 and a second bracket end cap 132. The bracket end caps 130, 132 are flat ends to close off the opening of the U-shaped mounting bracket 114, as seen in
Bracket end cap 130 includes a first tab 140 at the bottom of the end cap 130 to engage a substantially rectangularly-shaped opening 144 in the ballast channel 58. A second bracket end cap 132 includes a second tab 142 at the bottom of the end cap 132 to engage the opposite side of the opening 144 in the ballast channel 58.
Once the mounting bracket 114 is attached to the ballast channel 58, the mounting bracket 114 can be connected to a ceiling joist by a screw or similar mounting means threaded between the circularly-shaped opening 116 and the respective ceiling joist. Preferably, the mounting bracket 114 suspends the fixture 10 from a single means through an opening 116 in the bracket 114. This can be a power feed location. When additional stability is required, cable hangers (such as those described below and illustrated in
Turning to
Operation
To operate the lighting fixture 10, ballasts 22 are assembled into the ballast channel 58. Optionally, if the occupancy sensor 80 is attached to the end cap 28, when a user enters a room, the occupancy sensor 80 will be activated and it will trigger the lamps 40 to power on. The wiring between the occupancy sensor 80 and the end cap 28 will transmit power to the ballasts 22 in the ballast channel 58. The ballasts 22 will transport power to the socket pan 30. Electrical power will then be transported from the socket pan 30 to activate the lamps 40 supported by the lamp holders 74. The light emitted by the lamps 40 will be reflected by the first reflector 14 along the first side 16 of the housing assembly 12 and the second reflector 18 along the second side 20 of the housing assembly 12. Optionally, if slots 48 are present in either of the reflectors 14, 18, a small percentage of the total light emitted by the lamps 40 will be upwardly directed.
Eventually, when the ballasts 22 expire causing the lamps 40 to deactivate, an installer can access the ballast channel 58 from the room side of, i.e., below, the lighting fixture 10. The orientation of the ballast cover 24 and the reflectors 14, 18 adjacent to the ballast channel 58 enables a user to quickly and easily replace the ballasts 22. Without requiring any tools, the user can rotate the fastener 94 from the cover aperture 54. Once the fastener 94 is rotated, it unlatches from the slot 60 in end cap 38 and is retained in the cover aperture 54. Then, the user disengages tab 50 from the second slot 60a and pivots the cover 24 away from the second end cap 28 and thus the ballast channel 58. When the cover 24 is completely detached from end cap 28, the ballasts 22 can be replaced. Optionally, the cover 24 can be rotated 180° and attached to the ballast channel 58 such that the fastener 94 engages the second slot 60a or the tab 50 engages the first slot 60.
The cover 24 is reinstalled by connecting the tab 50 to the slot 60 adjacent the side wall 38. Once the slot 60 is engaged, the cover 24 is pivoted upwardly towards the ballast channel 58. The fastener 94 is rotated through the ballast cover aperture 54 and connected to the housing assembly 12.
The lighting fixture 10 can be suspended from a ceiling or joist using any one of the disclosed embodiments above. The lighting fixture 10 can be suspended with wire hangers 148 or a cable assembly 152. Also, the lighting fixture 10 can be suspended with a substantially-open mounting bracket 100 or a substantially-closed mounting bracket 114, preferably attached to a mounting channel 104. As seen in
While a particular embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.