MODULAR LIGHT FIXTURE WITH POWER PACK WITH LATCHING ENDS

• US 20080007943A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Wetenkamp, Kenneth, Verfuerth, Neal, Bartol, Anthony, Johnson, Troy
• Granted Patent: US 7,784,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/157
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/06 by suspension
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/026 Fastening of transformers or ballasts
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 25/02 coming into action when lighting device is disturbed, dismounted, or broken
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5313 Means to assemble electrical device

Abstract

A light fixture includes a raceway, a lampholder, and a power pack. The raceway includes an aperture and a locking aperture. The lampholder is electrically connected to a lampholder connector. The power pack includes a power pack cover and a ballast. The power pack cover includes a latching end. The ballast includes a power input connector adapted to electrically connect to a power cord and a ballast output connector adapted to electrically connect to the lampholder connector. The latching end includes a flange adapted to mate with the aperture of the raceway and a locking protrusion adapted to mate with the locking aperture of the raceway such that the power pack is detachably mountable to the raceway.

Claims

1. A light fixture comprising:

a raceway comprising an aperture and a locking aperture;

a lampholder electrically connected to a lampholder connector; and

a power pack comprising

a power pack cover including a latching end, wherein the latching end comprises a flange and a locking protrusion, and further wherein the flange is adapted to mate with the aperture of the raceway and the locking protrusion is adapted to mate with the locking aperture of the raceway such that the power pack is detachably mountable to the raceway; and

a ballast mounted to the power pack cover, wherein the ballast includes a power input connector adapted to electrically connect to a power cord and a ballast output connector adapted to electrically connect to the lampholder connector.

2. The light fixture of claim 1, further comprising a light reflecting sheet, wherein the raceway is mounted to the light reflecting sheet.

3. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the latching end further comprises a flexible tab.

4. The light fixture of claim 3, wherein the locking protrusion is mounted to the flexible tab.

5. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the latching end further comprises a second flange and the raceway further comprises a second aperture adapted to receive the second flange.

6. The light fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a second raceway comprising a second aperture and a second locking aperture; and

further wherein the power pack cover further includes a second latching end comprising a second flange and a second locking protrusion, wherein the second flange is adapted to mate with the second aperture of the second raceway and the second locking protrusion is adapted to mate with the second locking aperture of the second raceway such that the power pack is detachably mountable to the second raceway.

7. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the raceway comprises a raceway base and a raceway cover mounted to the raceway base.

8. The light fixture of claim 7, wherein the aperture is formed along a boundary between the raceway base and the raceway cover.

9. The light fixture of claim 7, wherein the locking aperture is formed in the raceway base.

10. A method of accessing components of a light fixture comprising:

depressing a first flexible tab mounted to a first latching end of a power pack cover of a power pack such that a first locking protrusion mounted to the first flexible tab is disengaged from a first locking aperture in a first raceway, wherein the power pack comprises the power pack cover and a ballast mounted to the power pack cover, the ballast including a ballast output connector;

sliding the power pack cover along the first raceway such that a first flange mounted to the first latching end is disengaged from a first aperture in the first raceway; and

disconnecting the ballast output connector of the ballast from a lampholder connector, wherein the lampholder connector is electrically connectable to a lampholder.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising disconnecting a power input connector of the ballast from a power cord.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

depressing a second flexible tab mounted to a second latching end of the power pack cover such that a second locking protrusion mounted to the second flexible tab is disengaged from a second locking aperture in a second raceway; and

sliding the power pack cover along the second raceway such that a second flange mounted to the second latching end is disengaged from a second aperture in the second raceway.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first flexible tab and the second flexible tab are depressed substantially simultaneously.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first flange and the second flange are substantially simultaneously disengaged from the first aperture and the second aperture, respectively.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein sliding the power pack cover along the first raceway further causes a second flange mounted to the first latching end to disengage from a second aperture in the first raceway.

16. A power pack assembly for a light fixture comprising:

a power pack cover including a latching end, wherein the latching end comprises a flange and a locking protrusion, and further wherein the flange is adapted to mate with an aperture in a raceway and the locking protrusion is adapted to mate with a locking aperture in the raceway such that the power pack cover is detachably mountable to the raceway; and

a ballast mounted to the power pack cover, wherein the ballast includes a power input connector adapted to electrically connect to a power cord and a ballast output connector adapted to electrically connect to a lampholder connector.

17. The power pack assembly of claim 16, wherein the power pack cover further includes a second latching end, wherein the second latching end comprises a second flange and a second locking protrusion, and further wherein the second flange is adapted to mate with a second aperture in a second raceway and the second locking protrusion is adapted to mate with a second locking aperture in the second raceway such that the power pack cover is detachably mountable to the second raceway.

18. The power pack assembly of claim 16, wherein the latching end further comprises a flexible tab.

19. The power pack assembly of claim 18, wherein the locking protrusion is mounted to the flexible tab.

20. The power pack assembly of claim 16, wherein the latching end further comprises a second flange and the raceway further comprises a second aperture adapted to receive the second flange.