AIR COOLED HORTICULTURE LIGHTING FIXTURE WITH INTERNAL BALLAST
An air cooled horticulture lighting fixture for growing plants in confined indoor growing spaces having a cooling chamber between a first duct and a second duct and an internal ballast within the cooling chamber such that air flowing between the two ducts flows through the ballast components to cool the ballast, and also removes heat from operation of the lamp bulb. An access cover is provided for easy removal and replacement of the ballast board.
1 . An air cooled horticulture lamp fixture for growing plants in confined indoor growing spaces, comprising:
a housing having an open bottom circumscribed by a housing edge, a first duct 235 and a second duct 245 , and a housing interior;
a reflector captured within the housing interior, the reflector having at least one aperture therein, a reflector interior side 101 , a reflector exterior side 102 , a reflector top 104 , and an open bottom circumscribed by a reflector lip, the reflector lip located adjacent to the housing edge defining at least one cooling chamber 300 in the space between the reflector exterior side 102 and the housing interior, the cooling chamber 300 being in air communication with the first duct 235 and the second duct 245 ;
at least one socket disposed to substantially fill said at least one aperture and capable of electrically connecting an end of a horticulture lamp bulb;
a cooling air stream 310 disposed through the cooling chamber 300 between the first duct 235 and the second duct 245 ;
a ballast having ballast components positioned within said cooling chamber 300 and oriented so that said cooling air stream 310 is capable of cooling said ballast components; and
a glass sheet 30 covering a plane formed by the reflector lip to enclose the reflector interior side 101 from the confined growing space.
2 . The fixture of claim 1 further comprising an access cover on said housing sized and oriented to allow removal of a ballast board comprising said ballast components without further disassembly of said fixture.
3 . The fixture of claim 1 wherein said lamp comprises a double ended horticulture lamp.
4 . A method of using a fixture as claimed in claim 1 comprising electrically powering said ballast, and cooling said fixture and said ballast therewithin by flowing air between said first duct 235 and said second duct 245 .
5 . A method as in claim 4 further comprising installing a replacement ballast board comprising replacement ballast components without any disassembly of the fixture beyond the steps of removing said access cover to allow removal of a ballast board comprising said ballast components, removing said ballast board, inserting said replacement ballast board, and replacing said access cover.