Remote ballast assembly

1. A remote ballast and lighting assembly comprising:

a lighting fixture having a housing adapted for mounting in association with a ceiling grid;

a ballast housing remote from said lighting fixture housing and enclosing a ballast and having a top wall, a support platform, and first and second side walls inclined with respect to said support platform, at least one of said side walls having an electrical connection; and

an electrical cable extending between said ballast housing and said top wall of said lighting fixture housing, said ballast housing being mounted on said ceiling grid adjacent said lighting fixture housing, and said lighting fixture housing and cable having a combined height equal to or less than a height of said ballast housing with respect to the ceiling grid.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein

said lighting fixture housing includes a top wall, side walls extending from said top wall, and an open bottom, said housing enclosing a ballast and at least one lamp connected to said ballast, said top wall having an opening for receiving said electrical cable and where said ballast housing encloses an emergency ballast having an emergency power source.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein

said opening in said top wall includes an adapter plate coupled to said housing and where said adapter plate includes a coupling for coupling with said electrical cable.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein

at least one of said inclined side walls having an opening and an adapter plate covering said opening and coupled to said housing, said adapter plate having a coupling member for coupling with the electrical cable to electrically connect the ballast to the lighting fixture.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein

said support platform as a first longitudinal end having an upwardly extending flange with a top end and a coupling lip extending from said top end, and a second longitudinal end having an upwardly extending flange with a top end and a coupling lip extending from said top end,

said coupling lips engaging the ceiling grid to support said ballast housing, and where said support platform is positioned below a top edge of the ceiling grid.

6. The assembly of claim 5 , wherein

said ballast housing having a test light or test switch on said support platform and being accessible below said ballast housing.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , further comprising

a ceiling tile below said ballast housing, said ceiling tile having an access opening for accessing said test light or test switch.

8. A remote ballast and lighting assembly comprising:

a lighting fixture mounted to a ceiling grid, said lighting fixture having a housing with a top wall, an open bottom and first and second side walls, a first ballast and at least one lamp contained within said housing;

a ballast housing having a support platform defining a bottom wall, a top wall and first and second side walls that are inclined with respect to said support platform, said ballast housing enclosing an emergency ballast and a rechargeable power source, the support platform having a first longitudinal end with a first coupling lip and a second longitudinal end with a second coupling lip, said first and second coupling lips being coupled to the ceiling grid to mount the ballast housing adjacent the lighting fixture on the ceiling grid; and

a wiring harness extending between said top wall of said lighting fixture and one of said inclined side walls of said ballast housing, said lighting fixture and said wiring harness having a combined height equal to or less than a height of said ballast housing.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein

said top wall of said lighting fixture housing includes an opening and an adapter plate covering said opening and coupled to said top wall, and an L-shaped connector member on said adapter plate for coupling with said wiring harness to electrically couple to said lighting fixture, and where said ballast housing encloses a second fluorescent ballast connected to at least one fluorescent lamp in said lighting fixture.

10. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein

said first side wall of said ballast housing having an opening and an adapter plate coupled to said ballast housing and covering said opening, and an L-shaped connector member on said adapter plate for coupling with said wiring harness, said second side wall of said ballast housing having an opening and an adapter plate coupled to said ballast housing and covering said opening, and an L-shaped connector member on said adapter plate for coupling to a power cable, wherein said wiring harness and said power cable lie below a plane of said top wall of said ballast housing.

11. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein

said first longitudinal end of said support platform has a first upwardly extending flange and said first coupling lip extending from a top end of said flange,

said second longitudinal end of said support platform has a second upwardly extending flange and said second coupling lip extending from a top end of said flange, and

wherein said support platform lies in a plane below a top end of said ceiling grid.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein

said support platform of said ballast housing includes a test light or test switch operatively coupled to said emergency ballast and rechargeable power source, said test light or test switch being accessible from below said ballast housing, and

said ceiling grid including a ceiling tile below said ballast housing, said ceiling tile having an aperture for accessing said test light or test switch.

13. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein

said ballast housing extends above a top end of said ceiling grid a distance less than a height of said ballast housing and where said ballast housing is recessed with respect to the top end of the ceiling grid.

14. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein

said wiring harness lies in a plane below a plane of said top wall of said ballast housing.

15. An emergency ballast and lighting assembly, comprising:

a lighting fixture mounted to a ceiling grid, said lighting fixture having a housing with a top wall, an open bottom and side walls extending between said top wall and said open bottom, said lighting housing enclosing at least one lamp and a ballast;

a ballast housing having a support platform defining a bottom wall, a top wall and first and second inclined side walls extending between said bottom wall and top wall, the ballast housing enclosing an emergency ballast and an emergency rechargeable power source, the support platform having a first longitudinal end with a first coupling lip and a second longitudinal end having a second coupling lip, said first and second coupling lips being coupled to said ceiling grid to mount the ballast housing adjacent the lighting fixture, said support platform lying in a plane below a top edge of the ceiling grid; and

a wiring harness extending between the top wall of the lighting fixture and one of said side walls of said ballast housing, said wiring harness lying in a plane at or below a plane of said top wall of said ballast housing, said ballast housing and said lighting fixture including an electrical receptacle and said wiring harness including a plug for mating with a respective plug for electrically connecting said lighting fixture to said ballast housing.

16. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein

said top wall of said lighting fixture housing includes an opening and an adapter plate covering said opening and coupled to said housing, and an L-shaped connector member extending from said adapter plate and being coupled to said wiring harness whereby said wiring harness lies below a plane of said top wall of said ballast housing.

17. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein

said first side wall of said ballast housing has an opening with an adapter plate covering said opening and coupled to said side wall, and an L-shaped connector member extending from said adapter plate and first side wall and coupled to said wiring harness whereby said wiring harness lies below a plane of said top wall of said ballast housing.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein

said second side wall of said ballast housing has an opening with an adapter plate covering said opening and coupled to said side wall, and an L-shaped connector member extending from said adapter plate and second side wall and coupled to a power cable whereby said power cable lies in a plane below a plane of said top wall of said ballast housing.

19. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein

said first longitudinal end of said support platform of said ballast housing has a first upwardly extending flange with said first coupling lip extending from a top end of said first flange,

said second longitudinal end of said support platform has a second upwardly extending flange with said second coupling lip extending from a top end of said second flange, and

wherein said support platform lies in a plane below a top end of the ceiling grid with said top wall of said ballast housing lying in a plane at or below a plane of said wiring harness on the top wall of said lighting fixture.

20. The assembly of claim 19 , further comprising

a test light or test switch on a bottom face of said support platform and operatively connected to said emergency ballast and rechargeable power source, said test light or test switch being accessible from below said ballast housing, and

a ceiling tile suspended by said ceiling grid and having an aperture for accessing said test light or test switch.

21. The assembly of claim 20 , wherein

said ballast housing extends above a top end of said ceiling grid a distance less than a height of said ballast housing and where said ballast housing is recessed with respect to said ceiling grid.

22. The assembly of claim 15 , wherein

said ballast housing encloses a fluorescent ballast operatively connected to at least one fluorescent lamp on said lighting fixture.

23. A remote ballast and lighting assembly comprising:

a lighting fixture housing adapted for mounting on a ceiling grid, said lighting fixture housing including a light source;

a ballast housing enclosing a ballast and having a top wall, a bottom wall, and first and second side walls, at least one of said side walls having an electrical connection, said ballast housing adapted for mounting to a ceiling grid remote from said lighting fixture housing; and

an electrical cable extending between said ballast housing and said lighting fixture housing, said ballast housing being mountable on said ceiling grid adjacent said lighting fixture housing, and said lighting fixture housing and cable having a combined height with respect to the ceiling grid equal to or less than a height of said ballast housing.

24. The assembly of claim 23 , wherein

said lighting fixture housing comprises a light source and a primary ballast.

25. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein

said ballast housing further comprises an emergency power supply.

26. The assembly of claim 25 , wherein

said emergency power supply is rechargeable.

27. The assembly of claim 23 , wherein

said lighting fixture housing includes an opening for receiving an adapter plate having a coupling for coupling to said electrical cable.

28. The assembly of claim 23 , wherein

said ballast housing has a coupling member at a first end and a coupling member at a second end for mating with the ceiling grid.

29. The assembly of claim 28 , wherein

said coupling members position said bottom wall below a top edge of the ceiling grid.

30. The assembly of claim 23 , wherein

said electrical cable is coupled to a side wall of said ballast housing and coupled to a top wall of said lighting fixture housing.