US5189339A — Fluorescent lamp assemblies

Claim 1

Independent Claim 100 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly with axial symmetry, comprising a fluorescent lamp bulb and a solid-state ballast therefor, and two-member laterally bulb-surrounding and ballast-surrounding non-conductive housing means including a first one-piece housing member with a large flared open end to be sealed by a covering lens and with a small open end adapted to surround part of the lamp bulb, and a second one-piece housing member with a small open end to be covered by electrical screw-in means and with a large open end adapted to surround the ballast and overlap the small end of and be sealed to the first member.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 100 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly with axial symmetry, comprising a fluorescent lamp bulb and a solid-state ballast therefor, and two-member laterally bulb-surrounding and ballast-surrounding non-conductive housing means including a first one-piece housing member with a large flared open end to be sealed by a covering lens and with a small open end adapted to surround part of the lamp bulb, and a second one-piece housing member with a small open end to be covered by electrical screw-in means and with a large open end adapted to surround the ballast and overlap the small end of and be sealed to the first member.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 33 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 1, including a reflective coating on the inside surface of the first member of the laterally surrounding nonconductive housing means in the vicinity of the lamp bulb.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 92 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly comprising lamp bulb and ballast and first and second open-ended non-conductive housing members, each housing member having a large end and a small end, the large end of the second housing member overlapping the small end of the first housing member, wherein the ballast comprises a circuit board juxtaposed transversely against the small end of the first housing member, defining therewith and with the overlapping larger end of the second housing member an annular compartment, such annular compartment being adapted to accommodate ballast components mounted on the circuit board.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 92 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly comprising lamp bulb and ballast and first and second open-ended non-conductive housing members, each housing member having a large end and a small end, the large end of the second housing member overlapping the small end of the first housing member, wherein the ballast comprises a circuit board juxtaposed transversely against the small end of the first housing member, defining therewith and with the overlapping larger end of the second housing member an annular compartment, such annular compartment being adapted to accommodate ballast components mounted on the circuit board.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 29 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 3, wherein the lamp bulb has a base with protruding electrical plug-in contacts, and the circuit board has contactor openings accommodating such contacts.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 52 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 3, wherein the lamp bulb has a base with an extension of reduced transverse section extending therefrom, and the circuit board has a central opening therein smaller than the small end of the first housing member but adapted to accommodate the extension of the lamp base.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 84 words

Sealed fluorescent lamp assembly with longitudinal axial symmetry, comprising a fluorescent lamp bulb and a solid-state ballast therefor, plus a reflective housing member laterally surrounding the bulb and having a flared light-emitting end with covering lens and a smaller opposite end, and an Edison hood having a small end with an electrical screw-in base and a larger opposite end overlapping and be sealed to the smaller end of the reflective housing member, defining an annular space therebetween adapted to accommodate solid-state ballast components therewithin.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 84 words

Sealed fluorescent lamp assembly with longitudinal axial symmetry, comprising a fluorescent lamp bulb and a solid-state ballast therefor, plus a reflective housing member laterally surrounding the bulb and having a flared light-emitting end with covering lens and a smaller opposite end, and an Edison hood having a small end with an electrical screw-in base and a larger opposite end overlapping and be sealed to the smaller end of the reflective housing member, defining an annular space therebetween adapted to accommodate solid-state ballast components therewithin.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 80 words

Sealed fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 6, including a circuit board transverse to the axis within the larger end of the Edison hood and juxtaposed to the smaller end of the reflective housing and thereby adapted to define further such annular space, with ballast components mounted thereon extending into such space, with such larger end of the Edison hood so surrounding such ballast components, and surrounding in turn at least part of the smaller end of the reflective housing.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 47 words

Sealed fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 7, wherein the circuit board has a coaxial opening smaller than the smaller end of the reflective housing and is thereby adapted to surround a base part of the lamp bulb when such bulb is in place in such housing.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 119 words

Method of assembling the sealed fluorescent lamp assembly of claim 8, wherein the lamp bulb has base pin contacts, and wherein the circuit board has contactor openings adapted to receive such contacts, comprising the steps of inserting such circuit board with ballast components thereon into the large end of the Edison hood and securing them together, overlapping the larger end of the Edison hood about the smaller end of the reflective housing and securing and sealing them removably together, inserting the lamp bulb into the flared end of the reflective housing and inserting its base pin contacts into the contactor openings in the circuit board, and securing and sealing the lens over the large end of the reflective housing.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 63 words

Method of replacing the ballast of a sealed fluorescent lamp assembly assembled according to claim 9, comprising unsealing and separating the Edison hood with ballast from the reflective housing, removing the ballast from the Edison hood, discarding the ballast, inserting a new ballast into the Edison hood, and securing and resealing the Edison hood with new ballast therein removably to the reflective housing.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 55 words

Method of replacing the ballast of a sealed fluorescent lamp assembly assembled according to claim 9, comprising unsealing and separating the Edison hood with ballast from the reflective housing, inserting a new ballast into a new Edison hood, and securing and resealing the new Edison hood with new ballast therein removably to the reflective housing.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 77 words

Method of replacing the lamp bulb of a sealed fluorescent lamp assembly assembled according to claim 9, comprising removing the lens covering the light-emitting end of the reflective housing unplugging the pin contacts of the lamp bulb from the circuit board and removing the lamp bulb from the reflective housing, and then inserting a new lamp bulb into the housing and its pin contacts into the contactor openings and recovering and resealing the housing with the lens.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 10 words

Fluorescent lamp assembly assembled and sealed according to claim 9.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 56 words

Sealed fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 13, in combination with a canister-like ceiling fixture having a closed end enclosing an interior socket to accommodate the screw-in connector of such fluorescent lamp assembly and having an open light-emitting end, the lens having a characteristic beam-dispersing angle matched to the depth of insertion of the lamp bulb.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 95 words

Two-piece housing for a fluorescent lamp assembly with axial symmetry, comprising a first housing member with a flared large open end adapted to emit light when a lamp is therein and with a smaller open end, and a second housing member with a small end adapted to carry a screw-in electrical fitting and with a larger open end overlapping and juxtaposed to the first housing member about the smaller open end thereof, the overlapping ends of the respective housing members being non-conductive and defining therebetween an annular space adapted to receive a solid-state ballast therewithin.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 95 words

Two-piece housing for a fluorescent lamp assembly with axial symmetry, comprising a first housing member with a flared large open end adapted to emit light when a lamp is therein and with a smaller open end, and a second housing member with a small end adapted to carry a screw-in electrical fitting and with a larger open end overlapping and juxtaposed to the first housing member about the smaller open end thereof, the overlapping ends of the respective housing members being non-conductive and defining therebetween an annular space adapted to receive a solid-state ballast therewithin.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 18 words

Two-piece housing according to claim 15, wherein both of the housing members are non-conductive throughout their overlapping extent.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 41 words

Two-piece housing according to claim 15, wherein both of the housing members are adapted to be secured together when so juxtaposed, by retaining means accessible at the exterior of the small end of the second housing means, plus such retaining means.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 30 words

Two-piece housing according to claim 15, wherein both of the housing members are further adapted to be sealed disengageably together when so juxtaposed, plus sealing means adapted to do so.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 47 words

Two-piece housing according to claim 17, wherein the large open end of the first housing member is adapted to be covered by a lens, and wherein the first housing member and the lens are adapted to be sealed disengageably together, plus sealing means adapted to do so.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 66 words

Article of manufacture comprising a two-piece housing for a fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 15 provided with a solid-state ballast of annular form adapted to be received within the annular space between the overlapping non-conductive housing ends and itself being adapted to receive within its annular space the base of a fluorescent lamp bulb extending thereinto from the first housing member when in place therewithin.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 48 words

Two-piece fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 20, plus such solid-state ballast within the annular space between the overlapping non-conductive housing ends, itself adapted to receive within its annular space the base of a fluorescent lamp bulb extending thereinto from the first housing member when in place therein.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 24 words

Two-piece fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 21, plus a fluorescent lamp bulb with base extending within the annular space of the solid-state ballast.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 34 words

Two-piece fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 22, wherein the ballast has openings therein to receive electrical contactors and the lamp bulb has electrical contactors extending from its base and fitting in such openings.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 54 words

Two-piece fluorescent lamp assembly according to claim 23, in combination with a canister type of fixture having a closed end enclosing an interior socket for the screw-in connector of the lamp assembly, having an open light-emitting end, and being cylindrical and large enough intermediately to receive the lamp assembly therewithin spaced from the fixture.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-02-23	1996-08-24	1997-02-23	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-02-23	2000-08-24	2001-02-23	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-02-23	2004-08-24	2005-02-23	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Fluorescent lamp assemblies

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