A luminaire is a lighting unit typically employed on a ceiling or on a lamp pole, either indoors or outdoors. The luminaire includes a ballast assembly and an optical assembly mounted to a mounting structure such as a luminaire housing door or a canopy. Specifically, the optical assembly is mounted to the ballast housing of the luminaire providing canopy-type lighting. The ballast unit has electrical components, such as a ballast. The optical assembly includes a mounting casting and a pivotally attached lens frame that supports a lens. A lamp is held within the lens and is electrically and mechanically connected to the ballast unit. Furthermore, to change the optical assembly requires uninstalling the ballast assembly
Problems arise in installing and maintaining the luminaire. The prior art luminaires are commonly difficult to install requiring the use of more than one person to complete the installation. In addition, the prior art luminaires do not allow the installer or manufacturer to wire the ballast assembly prior to assembling it with the luminaire housing door, thus eliminating the option of installing the assembly from below the mounting structure. Also, performing maintenance on known luminaires is complicated because easy access into the ballast unit is not provided, and the entire assembly may have to be disassembled.
Other problems with the prior art luminares include not having the ability to easily adapt to pre-existing canopy fixtures and not providing protection for the optical assembly from the surrounding environmental elements such a moisture and dust. Also, the prior art ballast housings of the luminaires are bulky and do not efficiently organize the electrical components therein. Similarly the prior art ballast housings do not protect the heat-sensitive electrical components from the heat-emitting components, such as the lamp socket, held within the ballast housing. Furthermore, the prior art ballast housings do not provide a way to facilitate cooling of the ballast itself held within the housing. Finally, the ballast housings of the prior art luminaires have to be employed with an optical assembly that is specifically adapted to be used with that ballast housing.