CA1259679A - Fluorescent ballast assembly - Google Patents
Fluorescent ballast assemblyInfo
- Publication number
- CA1259679A CA1259679A CA000512028A CA512028A CA1259679A CA 1259679 A CA1259679 A CA 1259679A CA 000512028 A CA000512028 A CA 000512028A CA 512028 A CA512028 A CA 512028A CA 1259679 A CA1259679 A CA 1259679A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- bobbin
- flange
- holes
- circuit board
- printed circuit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A ballast adapted to be used in a fluorescent lamp is disclosed. The ballast has a bobbin for winding a coil of wire, the bobbin having a bobbin core and a substantially planar flange at each end of the bobbin core. At least one of the flanges has a plurality of holes extending from an edge of the flange into the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the flange. The bobbin preferably includes at least one integral post connected to and extending away from the edge of the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the flange.
The ballast preferably includes a printed circuit board having a pattern of through holes, the pattern corresponding to the locations of the post and the holes of the flange edge, the print-ed circuit board being positioned so that at least one post is inserted into and passes through a hole in the pattern.
A ballast adapted to be used in a fluorescent lamp is disclosed. The ballast has a bobbin for winding a coil of wire, the bobbin having a bobbin core and a substantially planar flange at each end of the bobbin core. At least one of the flanges has a plurality of holes extending from an edge of the flange into the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the flange. The bobbin preferably includes at least one integral post connected to and extending away from the edge of the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the flange.
The ballast preferably includes a printed circuit board having a pattern of through holes, the pattern corresponding to the locations of the post and the holes of the flange edge, the print-ed circuit board being positioned so that at least one post is inserted into and passes through a hole in the pattern.
Description
` 1~5~67~
~0 FI,UORESCENT BALLAST AS5EMBLY
BACKGROUND OF T~E INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to ballast assemblies and more specifically to a novel and improved ballast assembly includin~ a bobbin specially suited to automated construc~ion methods.
~0 FI,UORESCENT BALLAST AS5EMBLY
BACKGROUND OF T~E INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to ballast assemblies and more specifically to a novel and improved ballast assembly includin~ a bobbin specially suited to automated construc~ion methods.
2. Descri~tion of the Prior Art A fluorescent lamp customarily requires a ballast for providing the necessry starting voltage. A ballast typically includes at least one transformer coil wound on a coil bobbin and certain associated circuitry which is known. The bobbin may be provided with metallic pins for interconnecting magnet wire ends coming from the coil to a printed circuit board assembly. Thus, the complete ballast assembly may include a printed circuit board assembLy, as well.
Different lamps having different power require-ments and starting voltages require different ballasts, One ballast may vary from another in the particular circuit components used, the size and shape of the transformer coil, or the locations of starts, taps and finishes on similarly sized transformer coils.
; Until this invention, such ballasts were manu-factured and assembled using methods which are highly manual labor intensive, with resulting labor costs per unit accounting for nearly hal the total production cost per unit. Bobbin and transformer coil arrangements designed , ~;~5~6~9 for and raquiring further assembly to printed clrcuit assemblies are ~hown in A.G. Weyrich, U.S. Patent No. 3,076,165, where terminal lugs are provided to be plugged lnto corresponding slots in a printed circult board; and in ~.A. Peterson, U.S. Patent No.
4,347,4gO, where pins are similarly provlded for electrical interconnections to associated electronic: circuitry on a printed circuit board. Since a ballast may include the printed circuit board as well, a standardized method of assembling not only the coil and bobbin, but also the lnterconnectlon pins, printed circuit board and associated electronic circuitry, would substantially reduce the overall cost of producing ballasts.
SummarY
:According to ~he present invention there is provided a method of assembling a ballast adapted ko be used in a fluorescent lamp, comprising the steps: providing a bobbln for wlnding a coil of wire, the hobbin having a bobbin core and a planar flange at each end of the bobbln core, at least one of the flanges having a : plurality of holes ex~ending from an edge of the flange into the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the ~0 flange, the bobbin further comprising at least one lntegral post connected to and extending away from the edge of the flange in a direction substantially paral1ei to the plane of the flange;
automatically insertlng a connecting pin into one of the holes of the ~lange edge; automatically winding a coil of wire onto the bobbin core, an end o~ the coil wire forming a lead wire;
automatically winding the lead wire around the connecting pln;
automatically solderlng the lead wire to the connecting pin;
providing a printed circuit board having a pattern oi through - ~L25~6~79
Different lamps having different power require-ments and starting voltages require different ballasts, One ballast may vary from another in the particular circuit components used, the size and shape of the transformer coil, or the locations of starts, taps and finishes on similarly sized transformer coils.
; Until this invention, such ballasts were manu-factured and assembled using methods which are highly manual labor intensive, with resulting labor costs per unit accounting for nearly hal the total production cost per unit. Bobbin and transformer coil arrangements designed , ~;~5~6~9 for and raquiring further assembly to printed clrcuit assemblies are ~hown in A.G. Weyrich, U.S. Patent No. 3,076,165, where terminal lugs are provided to be plugged lnto corresponding slots in a printed circult board; and in ~.A. Peterson, U.S. Patent No.
4,347,4gO, where pins are similarly provlded for electrical interconnections to associated electronic: circuitry on a printed circuit board. Since a ballast may include the printed circuit board as well, a standardized method of assembling not only the coil and bobbin, but also the lnterconnectlon pins, printed circuit board and associated electronic circuitry, would substantially reduce the overall cost of producing ballasts.
SummarY
:According to ~he present invention there is provided a method of assembling a ballast adapted ko be used in a fluorescent lamp, comprising the steps: providing a bobbln for wlnding a coil of wire, the hobbin having a bobbin core and a planar flange at each end of the bobbln core, at least one of the flanges having a : plurality of holes ex~ending from an edge of the flange into the flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the ~0 flange, the bobbin further comprising at least one lntegral post connected to and extending away from the edge of the flange in a direction substantially paral1ei to the plane of the flange;
automatically insertlng a connecting pin into one of the holes of the ~lange edge; automatically winding a coil of wire onto the bobbin core, an end o~ the coil wire forming a lead wire;
automatically winding the lead wire around the connecting pln;
automatically solderlng the lead wire to the connecting pin;
providing a printed circuit board having a pattern oi through - ~L25~6~79
- 3 - ~0285-821 holes, the pattern corresponding to the locations of the post and the holes of the flange edge; positioning the printed circuit board so that the pattern of through holes is aligned with the corresponding post and holes of the flange edge; and placing the printed circult board s~rai~ht onto the bobbin flange edge, the post and the connecting pin being inserted into and passing through the corresponding through holes of the pattern.
Accordlng to another aspect oE the present inven~ion there is provided a ~luorescent lamp ballast comprising: a ~irst bobbin, the bobbin having a central longitudinal opening extending from a substan~ially planar flange at one end of the bobbin to a second substantially planar flange at the other end of the bobbin;
a second bobbin, the second bobbin also having a central longitudinal opening extending from a substantially planar flange : at one end of the second bobbin to a second substantially planar flange at the other end of the second bobbin, with one flange of each of the first and second bobbins disposed ad3acent the other so that the central longitudinal openings of the ~irst and second bobblnæ are substantially aligned; a magnetic core having at least a first portion inside the aligned bobbin central openings, and second and third portions disposed on opposite sides oE the bobbins; each bobbin Elange having a plurality of holes extending inwardly Erom an outer flange edge on a side of the respective bobbin withouk the second or third magne~ic core portions disposed thereon a primary coil ~ound on one o~ the bohbins, and a lag coil wound on the other bobbin, the coils having starts, taps and finishes; conductive pins partially inserted into a number of the flange edge holes, each of the pins being electrically coupled to -' ~25~6~g - 3a - 60285-821 one of the coll starts, taps and finishes; and a planar elongated printed cixcuit board whose length and width dimensions are approximately the same as that of the first and second bob~ins positioned end-to-end, the circuit board having a predetermined pattern of holes therethrough, the holes being electrically coupled in a predetermined pattern by conductlve strips on the printed circuit board, the printed circult board being substantially perpendicular to and in contact with each of the conductive pin-bearing flange edges, each of the conductive pins extending through one of the holes throu~h the printed circuit board and also being electrically coupled to the printed circuit board conductive strip adjacent the hole through which each respective conductive pin passes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following is a description by way of example, of a preferred embodiment of the present lnvention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ballast according to ~he present invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fluorescent ballast of Fig. 1, after assembly; and Fi~. 3 is a diagrammatic repre~entation of aspects of automated ballast assembly accordlng to the present invention.
1.;~5~6~7~
. .
Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of the inventive ballast, and FigO 2 is a perspective view of the assembled device. Ballast 11 comprises a laminated core 12. The S core 12 includes a center bar lamination stack 14 and a figure-eight-shaped lamination stack 15. The laminations may be held together by clips 17. The center bar 14 e~tends from inside one end 18 of the figure~eight-shaped opening to the other end 19 of the opening, forming four spaces or windows 22 in the two openings of the figure-eight shape. Bobbins 30,40 are located around center bar 14. Coils of wire (windings) 31,41 are wound around bobbins 30,40, respectively, and may comprise the primary and lag windings of the ballast.
The bobbins 30,40 may be made of any well known relatively hard plastic. Since bobbins 30,40 have similar inventive features, only one bobbin 30 will be further des-cribed in detail. Bobbin 30 has a central, generally rectangular bobbin core 33 for holding the winding 31.
Through the bobbin core 33 passes a central rectangular hole 34 for receiving the center bar 14. Substantially planar flanges 35,36 are providea at the ends of the bobbin 30 for purposes to be described.
It is customary to provide flanges 35,36 to retain winding 31 on the bobbin core 33. The inventive flanges 35,36 according to the present invention have built-up portions 39,40 on at least one side of the bobbin 30. Extending outwardly from the edges of the built-up portions 39,40, substantially parallel to one another and to the respective planes of each of the flanges, are integral posts 42, spaced at predetermined locations. The built-up portions 39,40 further have a plurality of holes 44, which mày be rectangular, for receivinq connecting pins 45, which also may be rectangular in cross-section. The 3S holes 44 extend from the edge of each flange into that flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the flange. The holes 44 are spaced at predetermined locations, for reasons made clear below.
-- 1.25~ 7 1 Ballast 11 further comprises a printed circuit board 24, which may have electrical components connected to it, as is customary. Printed circuit board 24 has a pattern 25 of through holes 26 corresponding to the loca~
tions of the posts 42 and holes 44 of the bobbin flanges 35,36. The pattern 25 is formed at several locations and orientations on the circuit board 24, thus permitting circuit board 24 to be affixed to the the bobbins 30,40 in several different positions, in accordance with aspects of the invention.
In any particular ballast according to the invention, fewer connecting pins 45 may be required than the number of holes 44 provided for these pins. Pins 45 and posts 42 provide structures onto which winding leads from coil starts, taps and finishes can be wound and attached. Different ballast variations may have starts, taps and finishes located differently, yet the connecting pins 45 and posts 42 are still located in predetermined spacing relationships.
According to the invention, the bobbin and printed circuit board thus provide an extremely flexible ~- and versatile combination which can be used to make many different ballasts. Certain ballasts may require all available connecting pin holes 44 to be used; others may require only a few pins 45 to be automatically inserted into the bobbin flange. Also, a particular printed circuit board 24 may not occupy all of the available posts 42, thus permitting another printed circuit board to be mounted on the remaining posts.
Furthermore, certain fluorescent lamps may require two or more o each of the primary and lag coils, or one ballast assembly cluster may be used for a number of lamps. In these cases, ballast coils may be arranged end~to-end or side-by-side, with uniform printed circuit boards having predetermined repetitive uniform hole patterns overlapping from bobbin to bobbin. This modular approach provides for greater versatility than was possible before this invention.
"
L2~ 9 1 Other features of ballast 11 include magnetic gapping ~insulating) material 50, which, if used in a particular ballast, may be positioned between the windings 31,41 and the figure eight-shaped lamination 15. The coils and core may be mounted in a housing 52, having grommets 53 through which wires 54 may pass for providing power in, power out, ground, and switch connections.
The above-described structure provides a highly versatile ballast construction which may be used to produce a number of different ballasts from the same combination of basic standardized piece parts. For example, the wind-ings 31,41 may have more or fewer turns; the core 12 may have more or fewer lamination layers; different arrange-ments of electrical components may be required; or connect-ing pins 45 may be located in any available holes 44. Asnoted above, more than one circuit board 24 may be mounted on the posts 42 of the flanges 35,36 where additional circuitry or coil interconnection points are required.
Many other variations, modifications and substitutions will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and are not considered by the inventors to deviate from the spirit or scope of this invention.
Referring to Fig. 3, an automated assembly pro-cess is shown which takes advantage of the structural features of the ballast according to the present invention.
While each assembly stage is conventional, the collection of these stages in a continuous automatic process has not before been realized. Only with highly modular and versa-; tile piece parts, such as those descxribed above, can an automated assembly process provide the large number ofballast variations possible.
Bobbins stored in a hopper 60 are fed by a vibratory bowl feeder 62, or similar feeding device, to a loading device 64 which automatically places individual bobbins onto a moving caro~sel 70. When a bobbin according to the invention is placed on the carousel 70, the precise locations of the posts and holes are accurately determin-able with respect to the carousel.
--7~
Proceeding around the moving carousel, a bobbin 30 passes a detector 72 for initiating a timed sequence of events to be described. Since the travel speed of the carousel is easily determined, the precise position of a bobbin 30 at any given instant is determined. As a bobbin 30 proceeds around the carousel 70, one or more conductive connecting pins 45 may be automatically inserted or press-fit at stage 74 into one or more predetermined receiving holes 44 on the bobbin flanges. Proceeding further, the bobbin may be tested at stage 76 or probed for the presence of the proper number of connecting pillS 45 . As previously described t the pins and posts of the bobbin are oriented generally parallel to one another, thus permitting straight-in insertion of the printed circuit board, as will be made more clear.
A predetermined amount of wire is automatically wound onto the bobbin by, for example, a twelve spindle winder 80. Wire leads from starts, taps and finishes of the windinq are automatically dressed at stage ~2 onto one or more of the posts 42 and connecting pins 45 . Since each of the posts 42 and connecting pins 45 necessarily protrudes beyond the edges of the bobbin 30, the leads may be affixed in place by flow soldering techniques, including dipping first in a flu~ composition at stage 84, and then in a molten solder bath at stage 86.
Electrical resistance of the bobbin so assembled may be tested automatically at stage 88 further along the carousel. The prepared bobbin may then be automatically taped at stage 90 with gapping material 50, if desired, and placed in a storage and transfer tray 92.
Each of the aforementioned automated steps is made possible, in part, because the locations of the connecting pins, bobbin core, flanges, etc. are precisely determined once the bobbin is placed on the carousel. The entire winding assembly process can be computer controlled, so that bobbins of different sizes, such as the primary and lag bobbins described above, can be assembled on the same 1 carousel, as well as different pin and winding configura-tions of the same bobbin. The method of winding assembly eliminates previously required assembly steps known by those skilled in the art as stick-winding, paper wrapping, sawing (of the wound stick), sizing, gauging, twisting (of leads), hand soldering, and picking. This reduces the cost of manufacture of ballast assemblies by eliminating many manual labor intensive steps, while at the same time improving consistency and quality of the finished ballast.
After the automatic winding processes, the center bar 14 of the laminated core 12 may be inserted through the bobbin core 34. The remaining portions 15 of the laminated core are specially designed to be easily and rapidly pressed into position surrounding the bobbin.
With the ballast core laminations 15 in place, simplified final assembly according to the present inven-tion may be done. The printed circuit board 24 having predetermined through holes may be inserted straight onto the pins 45 and posts 42 extending from the bobbin flanges 39. This eliminates the costly and time consuming steps of locating the coil leads or attached terminals or connecting pins to appropriate connection points on the circuit board.
By simply placing the circuit board onto the posts of the bobbin flange, the connecting pins are already properly aligned with the circuit board. Electrical co~ponents may be placed on the circuit board and all connections may be completed at one time by wave soldering. Connecting pins may even be bent over against the circuit board before wave soldering, to better hold the circuit board to the bobbin/
core assembly. The entire assembly may then be placed in its housing and potted, as i5 customary.
While the invention has been disclosed with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordlng to another aspect oE the present inven~ion there is provided a ~luorescent lamp ballast comprising: a ~irst bobbin, the bobbin having a central longitudinal opening extending from a substan~ially planar flange at one end of the bobbin to a second substantially planar flange at the other end of the bobbin;
a second bobbin, the second bobbin also having a central longitudinal opening extending from a substantially planar flange : at one end of the second bobbin to a second substantially planar flange at the other end of the second bobbin, with one flange of each of the first and second bobbins disposed ad3acent the other so that the central longitudinal openings of the ~irst and second bobblnæ are substantially aligned; a magnetic core having at least a first portion inside the aligned bobbin central openings, and second and third portions disposed on opposite sides oE the bobbins; each bobbin Elange having a plurality of holes extending inwardly Erom an outer flange edge on a side of the respective bobbin withouk the second or third magne~ic core portions disposed thereon a primary coil ~ound on one o~ the bohbins, and a lag coil wound on the other bobbin, the coils having starts, taps and finishes; conductive pins partially inserted into a number of the flange edge holes, each of the pins being electrically coupled to -' ~25~6~g - 3a - 60285-821 one of the coll starts, taps and finishes; and a planar elongated printed cixcuit board whose length and width dimensions are approximately the same as that of the first and second bob~ins positioned end-to-end, the circuit board having a predetermined pattern of holes therethrough, the holes being electrically coupled in a predetermined pattern by conductlve strips on the printed circuit board, the printed circult board being substantially perpendicular to and in contact with each of the conductive pin-bearing flange edges, each of the conductive pins extending through one of the holes throu~h the printed circuit board and also being electrically coupled to the printed circuit board conductive strip adjacent the hole through which each respective conductive pin passes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The following is a description by way of example, of a preferred embodiment of the present lnvention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ballast according to ~he present invention;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the fluorescent ballast of Fig. 1, after assembly; and Fi~. 3 is a diagrammatic repre~entation of aspects of automated ballast assembly accordlng to the present invention.
1.;~5~6~7~
. .
Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of the inventive ballast, and FigO 2 is a perspective view of the assembled device. Ballast 11 comprises a laminated core 12. The S core 12 includes a center bar lamination stack 14 and a figure-eight-shaped lamination stack 15. The laminations may be held together by clips 17. The center bar 14 e~tends from inside one end 18 of the figure~eight-shaped opening to the other end 19 of the opening, forming four spaces or windows 22 in the two openings of the figure-eight shape. Bobbins 30,40 are located around center bar 14. Coils of wire (windings) 31,41 are wound around bobbins 30,40, respectively, and may comprise the primary and lag windings of the ballast.
The bobbins 30,40 may be made of any well known relatively hard plastic. Since bobbins 30,40 have similar inventive features, only one bobbin 30 will be further des-cribed in detail. Bobbin 30 has a central, generally rectangular bobbin core 33 for holding the winding 31.
Through the bobbin core 33 passes a central rectangular hole 34 for receiving the center bar 14. Substantially planar flanges 35,36 are providea at the ends of the bobbin 30 for purposes to be described.
It is customary to provide flanges 35,36 to retain winding 31 on the bobbin core 33. The inventive flanges 35,36 according to the present invention have built-up portions 39,40 on at least one side of the bobbin 30. Extending outwardly from the edges of the built-up portions 39,40, substantially parallel to one another and to the respective planes of each of the flanges, are integral posts 42, spaced at predetermined locations. The built-up portions 39,40 further have a plurality of holes 44, which mày be rectangular, for receivinq connecting pins 45, which also may be rectangular in cross-section. The 3S holes 44 extend from the edge of each flange into that flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the flange. The holes 44 are spaced at predetermined locations, for reasons made clear below.
-- 1.25~ 7 1 Ballast 11 further comprises a printed circuit board 24, which may have electrical components connected to it, as is customary. Printed circuit board 24 has a pattern 25 of through holes 26 corresponding to the loca~
tions of the posts 42 and holes 44 of the bobbin flanges 35,36. The pattern 25 is formed at several locations and orientations on the circuit board 24, thus permitting circuit board 24 to be affixed to the the bobbins 30,40 in several different positions, in accordance with aspects of the invention.
In any particular ballast according to the invention, fewer connecting pins 45 may be required than the number of holes 44 provided for these pins. Pins 45 and posts 42 provide structures onto which winding leads from coil starts, taps and finishes can be wound and attached. Different ballast variations may have starts, taps and finishes located differently, yet the connecting pins 45 and posts 42 are still located in predetermined spacing relationships.
According to the invention, the bobbin and printed circuit board thus provide an extremely flexible ~- and versatile combination which can be used to make many different ballasts. Certain ballasts may require all available connecting pin holes 44 to be used; others may require only a few pins 45 to be automatically inserted into the bobbin flange. Also, a particular printed circuit board 24 may not occupy all of the available posts 42, thus permitting another printed circuit board to be mounted on the remaining posts.
Furthermore, certain fluorescent lamps may require two or more o each of the primary and lag coils, or one ballast assembly cluster may be used for a number of lamps. In these cases, ballast coils may be arranged end~to-end or side-by-side, with uniform printed circuit boards having predetermined repetitive uniform hole patterns overlapping from bobbin to bobbin. This modular approach provides for greater versatility than was possible before this invention.
"
L2~ 9 1 Other features of ballast 11 include magnetic gapping ~insulating) material 50, which, if used in a particular ballast, may be positioned between the windings 31,41 and the figure eight-shaped lamination 15. The coils and core may be mounted in a housing 52, having grommets 53 through which wires 54 may pass for providing power in, power out, ground, and switch connections.
The above-described structure provides a highly versatile ballast construction which may be used to produce a number of different ballasts from the same combination of basic standardized piece parts. For example, the wind-ings 31,41 may have more or fewer turns; the core 12 may have more or fewer lamination layers; different arrange-ments of electrical components may be required; or connect-ing pins 45 may be located in any available holes 44. Asnoted above, more than one circuit board 24 may be mounted on the posts 42 of the flanges 35,36 where additional circuitry or coil interconnection points are required.
Many other variations, modifications and substitutions will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and are not considered by the inventors to deviate from the spirit or scope of this invention.
Referring to Fig. 3, an automated assembly pro-cess is shown which takes advantage of the structural features of the ballast according to the present invention.
While each assembly stage is conventional, the collection of these stages in a continuous automatic process has not before been realized. Only with highly modular and versa-; tile piece parts, such as those descxribed above, can an automated assembly process provide the large number ofballast variations possible.
Bobbins stored in a hopper 60 are fed by a vibratory bowl feeder 62, or similar feeding device, to a loading device 64 which automatically places individual bobbins onto a moving caro~sel 70. When a bobbin according to the invention is placed on the carousel 70, the precise locations of the posts and holes are accurately determin-able with respect to the carousel.
--7~
Proceeding around the moving carousel, a bobbin 30 passes a detector 72 for initiating a timed sequence of events to be described. Since the travel speed of the carousel is easily determined, the precise position of a bobbin 30 at any given instant is determined. As a bobbin 30 proceeds around the carousel 70, one or more conductive connecting pins 45 may be automatically inserted or press-fit at stage 74 into one or more predetermined receiving holes 44 on the bobbin flanges. Proceeding further, the bobbin may be tested at stage 76 or probed for the presence of the proper number of connecting pillS 45 . As previously described t the pins and posts of the bobbin are oriented generally parallel to one another, thus permitting straight-in insertion of the printed circuit board, as will be made more clear.
A predetermined amount of wire is automatically wound onto the bobbin by, for example, a twelve spindle winder 80. Wire leads from starts, taps and finishes of the windinq are automatically dressed at stage ~2 onto one or more of the posts 42 and connecting pins 45 . Since each of the posts 42 and connecting pins 45 necessarily protrudes beyond the edges of the bobbin 30, the leads may be affixed in place by flow soldering techniques, including dipping first in a flu~ composition at stage 84, and then in a molten solder bath at stage 86.
Electrical resistance of the bobbin so assembled may be tested automatically at stage 88 further along the carousel. The prepared bobbin may then be automatically taped at stage 90 with gapping material 50, if desired, and placed in a storage and transfer tray 92.
Each of the aforementioned automated steps is made possible, in part, because the locations of the connecting pins, bobbin core, flanges, etc. are precisely determined once the bobbin is placed on the carousel. The entire winding assembly process can be computer controlled, so that bobbins of different sizes, such as the primary and lag bobbins described above, can be assembled on the same 1 carousel, as well as different pin and winding configura-tions of the same bobbin. The method of winding assembly eliminates previously required assembly steps known by those skilled in the art as stick-winding, paper wrapping, sawing (of the wound stick), sizing, gauging, twisting (of leads), hand soldering, and picking. This reduces the cost of manufacture of ballast assemblies by eliminating many manual labor intensive steps, while at the same time improving consistency and quality of the finished ballast.
After the automatic winding processes, the center bar 14 of the laminated core 12 may be inserted through the bobbin core 34. The remaining portions 15 of the laminated core are specially designed to be easily and rapidly pressed into position surrounding the bobbin.
With the ballast core laminations 15 in place, simplified final assembly according to the present inven-tion may be done. The printed circuit board 24 having predetermined through holes may be inserted straight onto the pins 45 and posts 42 extending from the bobbin flanges 39. This eliminates the costly and time consuming steps of locating the coil leads or attached terminals or connecting pins to appropriate connection points on the circuit board.
By simply placing the circuit board onto the posts of the bobbin flange, the connecting pins are already properly aligned with the circuit board. Electrical co~ponents may be placed on the circuit board and all connections may be completed at one time by wave soldering. Connecting pins may even be bent over against the circuit board before wave soldering, to better hold the circuit board to the bobbin/
core assembly. The entire assembly may then be placed in its housing and potted, as i5 customary.
While the invention has been disclosed with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Claims (6)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method of assembling a ballast adapted to be used in a fluorescent lamp, comprising the steps: providing a bobbin for winding a coil of wire, said bobbin having a bobbin core and a planar flange at each end of said bobbin core, at least one of said flanges having a plurality of holes extending from an edge of said flange into said flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said flange, said bobbin further comprising at least one integral post connected to and extending away from said edge of said flange in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of said flange; automatically inserting a connecting pin into one of said holes of said flange edge; automatically winding a coil of wire onto said bobbin core, an end of said coil wire forming a lead wire; automatically winding said lead wire around said connecting pin; automatically soldering said lead wire to said connecting pin; providing a printed circuit board having a pattern of through holes, said pattern corresponding to the locations of said post and said holes of said flange edge;
positioning said printed circuit board so that said pattern of through holes is aligned with said corresponding post and holes of said flange edge; and placing said printed circuit board straight onto said bobbin flange edge, said post and said connecting pin being inserted into and passing through said corresponding through holes of said pattern.
positioning said printed circuit board so that said pattern of through holes is aligned with said corresponding post and holes of said flange edge; and placing said printed circuit board straight onto said bobbin flange edge, said post and said connecting pin being inserted into and passing through said corresponding through holes of said pattern.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step:
soldering said connecting pin to said printed circuit board.
soldering said connecting pin to said printed circuit board.
3. A fluorescent lamp ballast comprising: a first bobbin, the bobbin having a central longitudinal opening extending from a substantially planar flange at one end of the bobbin to a second substantially planar flange at the other end of the bobbin; a second bobbin, the second bobbin also having a central longitudinal opening extending from a substantially planar flange at one end of the second bobbins to a second substantially planar flange at the other end of the second bobbin, with one flange of each of the first and second bobbins disposed adjacent the other so that the central longitudinal openings of the first and second bobbins are substantially aligned; a magnetic core having at least a first portion inside the aligned bobbin central openings, and second and third portions disposed on opposite sides of the bobbins; each bobbin flange having a plurality of holes extending inwardly from an outer flange edge on a side of the respective bobbin without said second or third magnetic core portions disposed thereon; a primary coil wound on one of the bobbins, and a lag coil wound on the other bobbin, the coils having starts, taps and finishes; conductive pins partially inserted into a number of the flange edge holes, each of the pins being electrically coupled to one of the coil starts, taps and finishes;
and a planar elongated printed circuit board whose length and width dimensions are approximately the same as that of the first and second bobbins positioned end-to-end, the circuit board having a predetermined pattern of holes therethrough, the holes being electrically coupled in a predetermined pattern by conductive strips on the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being substantially perpendicular to and in contact with each of the conductive pin-bearing flange edges, each of the conductive pins extending through one of the holes through the printed circuit board and also being electrically coupled to the printed circuit board conductive strip adjacent the hole through which each respective conductive pin passes.
and a planar elongated printed circuit board whose length and width dimensions are approximately the same as that of the first and second bobbins positioned end-to-end, the circuit board having a predetermined pattern of holes therethrough, the holes being electrically coupled in a predetermined pattern by conductive strips on the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being substantially perpendicular to and in contact with each of the conductive pin-bearing flange edges, each of the conductive pins extending through one of the holes through the printed circuit board and also being electrically coupled to the printed circuit board conductive strip adjacent the hole through which each respective conductive pin passes.
4. The ballast of claim 3, wherein the pin-bearing flange edges further comprise integral posts extending outwardly from the flange edges for positioning the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board further having positioning holes therethrough for receiving the integral flange posts.
5. The ballast of claim 3, wherein the bobbins are made of a hard plastic.
6. The ballast of claim 3, wherein the magnetic core consists of laminations.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US74735385A | 1985-06-21 | 1985-06-21 | |
| US747,353 | 1985-06-21 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1259679A true CA1259679A (en) | 1989-09-19 |
Family
ID=25004714
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000512028A Expired CA1259679A (en) | 1985-06-21 | 1986-06-20 | Fluorescent ballast assembly |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1259679A (en) |
-
1986
- 1986-06-20 CA CA000512028A patent/CA1259679A/en not_active Expired
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| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| MKEX | Expiry |