Fire-initiation-safe lighting system
First Claim
1. An arrangement comprising:
- a pair of power line conductors across which exists an AC power line voltage of frequency lower than 100 Hz;
the amount of power available from the power line conductors being distinctly higher than the maximum amount usually considered safe from fire-initiation hazard;
a power conditioner having (i) a pair of power input terminals connected with the power line conductors, and (ii) a pair of DC output terminals across which is conditionally provided a DC supply voltage;
the power conditioner including sensing and control circuitry operative to prevent any power drawn from the DC output terminals from exceeding the maximum amount usually considered safe from fire initiation hazard;
an electronic ballast having (i) a pair of DC input terminals disconnectably connected with the DC output terminals by way of a flexible connect cord, and (ii) a pair of AC output terminals at which is conditionally provided an AC ballast voltage of frequency higher than 10 kHz; and
a lighting panel mounted in a ceiling grid system suspended some distance below a permanent ceiling;
the lighting panel having (i) a pair of AC input terminals connected with the AC output terminals, and (ii) gas discharge lamp means connected in circuit with the AC input terminals.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lighting system for a suspended ceiling comprises a plurality of power conditioning units permanently wired-in with the 120 Volt/60 Hz power line and mounted in various suitable locations on the permanent ceiling above the suspended ceiling. Each power conditioning unit conditionally provides a voltage at each of several multi-connector power output ports. Each power output port is operable: (i) to connect with a special lighting fixture by way of a light-weight flexible disconnectable connect cord; and (ii) on receipt of a special signal from the lighting fixture, to power the lamp(s) therein. Plural such special lighting fixtures are mounted in the suspended ceiling, with each lighting fixture being connected with and powered from one of the power output ports of a power conditioning unit mounted somewhere nearby on the permanent ceiling above. Due to the manifestly power-limited nature of the output of each of the power output ports, as combined with the light-weight flexible and detachable nature of the connect cords, each special lighting fixture may be made without the usual concerns with respect to fire-initiation safety and may be treated as a plug-in portable lighting product; which implies particularly low cost and a high degree of flexibility in installation and use.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. An arrangement comprising:
-
a pair of power line conductors across which exists an AC power line voltage of frequency lower than 100 Hz;
the amount of power available from the power line conductors being distinctly higher than the maximum amount usually considered safe from fire-initiation hazard;a power conditioner having (i) a pair of power input terminals connected with the power line conductors, and (ii) a pair of DC output terminals across which is conditionally provided a DC supply voltage;
the power conditioner including sensing and control circuitry operative to prevent any power drawn from the DC output terminals from exceeding the maximum amount usually considered safe from fire initiation hazard;an electronic ballast having (i) a pair of DC input terminals disconnectably connected with the DC output terminals by way of a flexible connect cord, and (ii) a pair of AC output terminals at which is conditionally provided an AC ballast voltage of frequency higher than 10 kHz; and a lighting panel mounted in a ceiling grid system suspended some distance below a permanent ceiling;
the lighting panel having (i) a pair of AC input terminals connected with the AC output terminals, and (ii) gas discharge lamp means connected in circuit with the AC input terminals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An arrangement comprising:
-
a pair of power line conductors across which exists an AC power line voltage;
the amount of power available from the power line conductors being far higher than 100 Watt;a power conditioner having;
(i) a pair of power input terminals connected with the power line conductors; and
(ii) plural power output ports, each one of which having a pair of DC output terminals and being conditionally operable to provide a DC supply voltage across this pair of DC output terminals;plural lighting means;
each one;
(i) having ballasting means and lamp means, the ballasting means being connected in circuit with the lamp means and conditionally operative to provide an alternating lamp current thereto;
(ii) being mounted in a ceiling grid suspended some distance below a permanent ceiling;
(iii) having a power input port with a pair of DC input terminals; and
(iv) producing luminous output whenever an appropriate DC voltage is provided across the DC input terminals; andplural connect cords;
each connect cord being operable to provide disconnectable connection between one of the plural power output ports and the power input port of one of the plural lighting means, thereby to cause said DC supply voltage to be provided across the DC input terminals of that power input port and to constitute said appropriate DC voltage;the arrangement being further characterized in that the power conditioner provides the DC supply voltage across the DC output terminals of a given one of its plural power output ports only if that given power output port is connected with the power input port of one of the plural lighting means by way of one of the plural connect cords. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. An arrangement comprising:
-
a pair of power line conductors across which exists an AC power line voltage; a power conditioner;
(i) having a pair of power input terminals connected with the power line conductors;
(ii) having a power output port with a pair of DC output terminals; and
(iii) being conditionally operable to provide a DC supply voltage across the DC output terminals;a lighting means;
(i) having ballasting means and lamp means, the ballasting means being connected in circuit with the lamp means and conditionally operative to provide an alternating lamp current thereto;
(ii) having a power input port with a pair of DC input terminals; and
(iii) producing luminous output whenever an appropriate DC voltage is provided across the DC input terminals; anda connect cord operable to provide disconnectable connection between the power output port and the power input port, thereby to cause said DC supply voltage to be provided across the DC input terminals of the power input port and to constitute said appropriate DC voltage; the arrangement being further characterized in that the power conditioner provides the DC supply voltage across the DC output terminals of its power output port only if the power output port is connected with the power input port by way of the connect cord. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
-
-
24. An arrangement comprising:
-
a pair of power line conductors across which exists an AC power line voltage; a power conditioner;
(i) having a pair of power input terminals connected with the power line conductors;
(ii) having a power output port with a pair of DC output terminals; and
(iii) being conditionally operable to provide a DC supply voltage across the DC output terminals; anda light-producing means having a power input port with a pair of DC input terminals;
the power input port being disconnectably connected with the power output port;
the DC output voltage existing across the DC input terminals as well, but only as long as the power input port is indeed connected with the power output port;the arrangement being further characterized in that, if the power input port were not to be connected with the power output port, the DC supply voltage would not exist across the DC output terminals.
-
-
25. An arrangement comprising:
-
a light-generating structure having a power input port with a pair of DC input terminals;
the light-generating structure being functional to generate light whenever an appropriate DC voltage exists across the DC input terminals; anda power conditioner;
(i) having a pair of power input terminals connected with the AC power line voltage of an ordinary electric utility power line;
(ii) having a power output port with a pair of DC output terminals, the power output port being disconnectably connected with the power input port in such manner that the DC output terminals get connected with the DC input terminals and such that any voltage existing between the DC output terminals must exist across the DC input terminals as well; and
(iii) being operable, but only when the power output port is indeed connected with the power input port, to provide a DC supply voltage across the DC output terminals, the DC supply voltage, when indeed present across the DC input terminals, constituting said appropriate DC voltage. - View Dependent Claims (26)
-
-
27. An arrangement comprising:
-
a power supply (i) having a pair of AC input terminals connected with the AC power line voltage on the power line conductors of an ordinary electric utility power line, (ii) including a pair of DC terminals across which exists a DC voltage, and (iii) having a pair of power output terminals across which is supplied an output voltage;
the power supply being further characterized by including circuitry operative to limit the maximum amount of power extractable from said pair of power output terminals to 100 Watt, anda light-generating structure mounted in a ceiling grid suspended some distance below a permanent ceiling and having a pair of power input terminals connected with the power output terminals by way of a flexible connect cord, thereby to be provided with said output voltage across its power input terminals, thereby to generate light.
-
Specification