Ballast apparatus utilizing temperature responsive fuse

Claim 1

A BALLAST APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AT LEAST ONE FLUORESCENT LAMP FROM AN ALTERNATING CURRENT SOURCE COMPRISING A HIGH REACTANCE BALLAST TRANSFORMER INCLUDING A MAGNETIC CORE, A PRIMARY WINDING AND A SECONDARY WINDING MOUNTED ON SAID CORE, A PAIR OF INPUT LEADS FOR CONNECTION TO SAID POWER SUPPLY, A PAIR OF OUTPUT LEADS FOR CONNECTION TO SAID LAMP, SAID PRIMARY WINDING BEING CONNECTED ACROSS SAID INPUT LEADS, A FUSIBLE LINK CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH ONE OF SAID WINDINGS AND PROVIDING A CURRENT CONDUCTION PATH THERETO, SAID FUSIBLE LINK HAVING A PREDETERMINED MELTING TEMPERATURE RANGE AND BEING ACTIVATED TO A MOLTEN STATE IN RESPONSE TO THE TEMPERA TURE OF THE AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT OF SAID FUSIBLE LINK, A FUSE BODY HAVING A MELTING TEMPERATURE NO GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED MELTING RANGE AND SUBSTANTIALLY ENCASING SAID FUSIBLE LINK, SAID FUSE BODY PROVIDING A LIQUID MEDIUM WHEN HEATED TO SAID PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE RANGE, WHEREIN THE MOLTEN LINK CAN FREELY FLOW AND OPEN THE CIRCUIT, A BALLAST CASE ENCLOSING SAID TRANSFORMER, SAID LINK AND SAID FUSE BODY, AND A THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE POTTING COMPOUND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING SAID BALLAST CASE AND SURROUNDING SAID TRANSFORMER AND FUSE BODY, SAID THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE POTTING MATERIAL SUPPORTING SAID FUSE BODY.