Remote Ballast Assembly for Low Profile Ceiling Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency ballast systems for fluorescent lighting fixtures often require large spaces for mounting, making them unsuitable for installations with limited access or space above the lighting fixture, such as in suspended ceilings.
Innovation Solution
A remote ballast assembly with a low profile housing that encloses an AC or emergency ballast and power system, mounted adjacent to the lighting fixture on a ceiling grid, using inclined side walls and a wiring harness with quick connect plugs to minimize space requirements and facilitate installation in constrained areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the emergency ballast is mounted directly to the light fixture housing or in the channel of the fluorescent fixture housing, then the emergency power system can be integrated with the lighting fixture, but the required space above the lighting fixture becomes insufficient and a large ballast cover is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency ballast is extracted from the traditional mounting locations (directly to light fixture housing or in the channel) and repositioned to a remote location on the ceiling grid. This extraction eliminates the need for a large ballast cover and provides sufficient space above the lighting fixture, while still maintaining functional integration through electrical connections.
2Ease of manufacture
If the emergency ballast is mounted on top of the light fixture housing or next to the light fixture to accommodate size requirements, then the ballast system can be installed, but access from above becomes limited or unavailable in suspended ceilings
Solution Approach 1:
The ceiling grid serves as an intermediary mounting structure that provides accessible attachment points for the emergency ballast. By mounting the ballast to the ceiling grid rather than directly to the light fixture housing, the system becomes accessible from above through the suspended ceiling, while still maintaining electrical connection to the lighting fixture through the wiring harness.
3Reliability
If a traditional emergency ballast system is used with bulky wiring tails, then the ballast can be connected to the lighting fixture, but the overall profile becomes large and cannot be mounted in limited spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The emergency ballast system is segmented into separate functional components: the emergency ballast unit mounted on the ceiling grid, the wiring harness connecting to the lighting fixture, and the light fixture itself. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, resulting in a compact profile that fits within limited spaces while maintaining full emergency power functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A low profile lighting assembly includes a lighting fixture and a remote ballast housing mounted on a ceiling grid. The ballast housing encloses emergency ballast provides emergency power to the lighting fixture in the event of a power outage. The ballast housing can enclose a fluorescent ballast connected to one or more fluorescent lamps of the lighting fixture. The emergency ballast is recessed with respect to the top end of the ceiling grid to provide a low profile structure. Inclined side walls of the emergency ballast provide easy connection of the wiring harness and power cable to the emergency ballast while maintaining the low profile structure.