Abstract: One half-connector terminates leads in the ballast, carrying electricity to and from the ballast coils. Another half-connector terminates leads outside the ballast, connected e. g. to carry power to lamp sockets. A hook extended from a first of the half-connectors engages a catch formed in a second. A retaining surface, preferably associated with the second half-connector, keeps the hook engaged with the catch. Preferably the space between the retaining surface and the catch is smaller than the unstressed dimension of the hook barb--but during the act of engagement the barb deforms to pass between the catch and surface; then the barb springs back into shape and is held behind the catch. In this process also preferably the retaining surface cooperates with the first half-connector to support the shaft or beam of the hook at both ends--as in a classical double-ended beam spring structure, contrasted with a cantilevered spring in a conventional hook and catch.

Abstract: One half-connector terminates a set of leads in the ballast, for carrying electrical power to and from the ballast coils. Another half-connector terminates another set of leads outside the ballast, connected e.g. to carry power to lamp sockets. Male contacts, preferably formed very inexpensively as bared ends of one set of leads, are held in a first of the half-connectors; female contacts, connected to the other set of leads, are held in a second of the two half-connectors. Through-holes in the second half-connector each hold one female contact; each hole has a necked-down section, forward from the contact, and some device (preferably an ultrasonically displaced slug) to retain the contact. In one aspect of the invention, each hole also has a bore whose transverse preformed dimension is biggest immediately rearward from the necked-down forward section.

Abstract: A housing of electrical insulating material for a thermal protector used with an inductive device, such as a ballast transformer, in which the housing has an open portion through which the case of the thermal protector is accessible to be placed adjacent a part of the inductive device to sense its temperature. The housing also has an aperture through which a current carrying inductor device lead wire connected to the protector extends. An adhesive tape on the housing is used to fasten the housing to the inductor. An insulated part of the housing protects a junction of a current carrying wire connected to the protector and a wire of a coil of the inductive device.

Abstract: A half-connector body has lateral ears that fit in small notches in the ends of the side walls of a ballast can, preferably at the top. An end wall, if present, traps the ears longitudinally in the notches; resilience of that wall, and of its attachment to the can bottom, enhance tight longitudinal fit. The half connector (a receptacle) presses against, and partly protrudes through an orifice in, the end wall (if present). Outside the ballast, in a new fixture, a jack slides freely in the receptacle to make wiring-harness connections. The jack has a ratchet-like manually operable hook to secure the jack until manually released. Each contact or lead in either half connector is preferably provided with individual strain relief by permanent deformation (as for example using a die punch, without heating or plastic flow) of the connector wall inward, to displace material irreversibly around the wires.

Abstract: A half-connector body has lateral ears that fit in small notches in the ends of the side walls of a ballast can, preferably at the top. An end wall, if present, traps the ears longitudinally in the notches; resilience of that wall, and of its attachment to the can bottom, enhance tight longitudinal fit. The half connector (a receptacle) presses against, and partly protrudes through an orifice in, the end wall (if present). Outside the ballast, in a new fixture, a jack slides freely in the receptacle to make wiring-harness connections. The jack has a ratchet-like manually operable hook to secure the jack until manually released. Each contact or lead in either half connector is preferably provided with individual strain relief by permanent deformation (as for example using a die punch, without heating or plastic flow) of the connector wall inward, to displace material irreversibly around the wires.

Abstract: A ballast assembly for a fluorescent lighting fixture includes a magnetic core, a primary winding and a secondary winding, both windings mounted on a central leg of the core, with a shunt disposed between the windings to prevent a flux generated by the primary winding from coupling with a flux generated by the secondary winding. The ballast further includes means for securing the shunt comprising a wall placed between the windings, with the wall having one or more structures formed integrally on the wall for engaging the shunt. The wall may comprise a flange of a bobbin, or be free standing. Using formed structures eliminates the need for winding tape around the shunts to provide an air gap between the sunt and the core. This assures long-term stability and reduces the potential for nuisance humming.

Abstract: A ballast assembly for a fluorescent lighting fixture has a magnetic core, a primary winding and a secondary winding, both windings mounted on a central leg of the core, with a shunt disposed between the windings to prevent a flux generated by the primary winding from coupling with the flux generated by the secondary winding. The ballast further includes a shunt retaining clip disposable between the windings, the clip including a essentially U-shaped wall having a pair of upright portions and a crossover portion, a bottom ledge attached to the crossover portion for accepting the shunt. A spring arm extends between the pair of upright wall portions of the U-shaped wall with the spring arm sized to resiliently engage a top surface of the central core leg.

Abstract: A retention clip for retaining a thermal protection sensor in contact with a ballast transformer core is disclosed which includes a vertical support engageable with a ballast housing for minimizing lateral movement, and a horizontal support, internal with the vertical support and engageable with the transformer laminations. A retaining bracket, integral with the vertical and horizontal supports, is provided which includes a channel defined by oppositely disposed shoulders and, such that a thermal protecton sensor is easily disposable therein. The retaining bracket is angled relative to the transformer and may be contactable with a removable cover for driving the sensor into contact with the core. The bracket is preferably composed of a resilient material for spring loading upon insertion, urging the thermal protection sensor into initimate contact with the transformer and thereby assuring optimum thermal protection over the transformer's life.

Abstract: A fluorescent ballast assembly has a primary coil wound on a primary coil bobbin and a lag coil wound on a lag coil bobbin, each coil having wire starts, taps and finishes. A strip circuit board including a plurality of pin receiving holes and a plurality of wire insertion holes corresponding to the wire starts, tabs and finishes, is attached substantially perpendicular to and in contact with the bobbins. The strip circuit board has an insulating support with conductive strips attached thereto, preferably manufactured using automated equipment. Substituting a mechanically constructed and assembled strip circuit board for a printed circuit board eliminates the need for chemical plating or etching operations, reducing costs and easing assembly.

Abstract: A wire bobbin (1) for use with inductive devices is disclosed having a central core (2) about which a wire is windable, with side walls (3) and (4) oppositely disposed about the core for retaining the wire thereon. A coil of wire, wound about the core, has a wire end (20) extending through at least one side wall. The side wall further includes a first channel (7) sized to retain a lead wire (21) therein, with the channel open at both ends. A second channel (13), which is preferably directly adjacent to the first channel, communicates through an open end (9) with the first channel. The lead wire is then inserted into the first channel, with a stripped end (22) extending into the second channel. The stripped end is combined with the magnet wire end, permanently joined, such as by dip soldering, and then bent into position within the second channel.

Abstract: An integral terminal made from a non-stranded, electrically conductive wire has a portion of the wire which is distorted and flattened from its normal shape in first and second dimensions relative to the axis of the wire into a substantially flat piece. This flat piece has substantially increased surface area and reduced thickness relative to the original cross-sectional area of the wire and which can be bent. The flat piece has an integral part formed therefrom extending in a third dimension different from the first and second dimensions for making mechanical engaging contact with an external post or pin where the third dimension is in a direction above or below the flat piece.

Abstract: A bobbin for use in an inductive device is provided. The bobbin has an integral strain relief member including first and second sections having colinear passageways, the first and second sections being separated by a gap. A locking member located in the gap engages a lead wire previously inserted through the passageways and sets the engaged portion of the lead wire off the colinear axis of the passageways.

Abstract: A carrier for holding sheets of material to be bound along one edge thereof for use in a thermal binding machine. The carrier includes two side portions and a bottom portion which cooperate to support glue material to maintain the edges of the sheets being bound proximate the glue material. The bottom portion defines an inner surface which allows the bound material to be withdrawn from the bottom portion while maintaining the material in a bound disposition.

Abstract: A unit having a plurality of bins for holding inclined stacks of sheets to be collated having a reciprocating arrangement supported by the unit which arrangement includes rigid push rods for pushing simultaneously one sheet from the top of each stack of sheets. The push rods and bin construction are so arranged that the frictional pads on the rod ends do not engage the bin surface when the bin is empty. A portion of the reciprocating arrangement may be tilted to permit lifting the push rod ends to the upper region of the bins to facilitate loading.