Patents by Inventor Kenneth Mackenzie, IV

Kenneth Mackenzie, IV has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9391441
    Abstract: Nuisance tripping is reduced in a power protection and distribution system including an upstream circuit breaker, a power distribution bus, and one or more downstream circuit breakers. A signal indicative of a current or pending downstream circuit breaker tripping action, such as a Zone Selective Interlocking (ZSI) signal, normally used to delay tripping of the upstream breaker, is used to suppress an optical flash detection system from tripping the upstream breaker in response to an optical flash resulting from the tripping of the downstream breaker. In this way, nuisance tripping of the upstream breaker is avoided when the downstream breaker trips (and the ZSI function is preserved).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Julius Michael Liptak, John Kenneth Mackenzie, IV
  • Patent number: 9373980
    Abstract: In a power protection and distribution assembly a trip system monitors electrical current and sends a current status signal to an arc flash protection system indicating whether current characteristic of an arc event is detected. The arc flash protection system evaluates this current status signal along with a light status signal indicating whether light characteristic of an arc event has been detected. Based on this evaluation, the arc flash protection system sends a control signal to the trip system for controlling the trip system to trip a breaker. The systems each include a full-duplex signaling module for sending the signals between the systems over a pair of conductors. Each signaling module sends one of the signals by modulating the magnitude of a current through or a voltage across the conductors, and receives the other signal by demodulating the magnitude of the current through or the voltage across the conductors, as distinctively modulated by the other signaling module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC USA, INC.
    Inventors: Julius Michael Liptak, John Kenneth Mackenzie, IV
  • Publication number: 20140111896
    Abstract: In a power protection and distribution assembly a trip system monitors electrical current and sends a current status signal to an arc flash protection system indicating whether current characteristic of an arc event is detected. The arc flash protection system evaluates this current status signal along with a light status signal indicating whether light characteristic of an arc event has been detected. Based on this evaluation, the arc flash protection system sends a control signal to the trip system for controlling the trip system to trip a breaker. The systems each include a full-duplex signaling module for sending the signals between the systems over a pair of conductors. Each signaling module sends one of the signals by modulating the magnitude of a current through or a voltage across the conductors, and receives the other signal by demodulating the magnitude of the current through or the voltage across the conductors, as distinctively modulated by the other signaling module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Inventors: Julius Michael Liptak, John Kenneth Mackenzie, IV
  • Publication number: 20140071569
    Abstract: Nuisance tripping is reduced in a power protection and distribution system including an upstream circuit breaker, a power distribution bus, and one or more downstream circuit breakers. A signal indicative of a current or pending downstream circuit breaker tripping action, such as a Zone Selective Interlocking (ZSI) signal, normally used to delay tripping of the upstream breaker, is used to suppress an optical flash detection system from tripping the upstream breaker in response to an optical flash resulting from the tripping of the downstream breaker. In this way, nuisance tripping of the upstream breaker is avoided when the downstream breaker trips (and the ZSI function is preserved).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: Schneider Electric USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Julius Michael Liptak, John Kenneth Mackenzie, IV
  • Patent number: 8144025
    Abstract: A current limiting system in accordance with the present invention comprises an accessory or canopy mount device that is permanently installed between a source of electrical power 1 and a track lighting system 2. The system may be installed integrally with a track lighting system to supply power to a plurality of lighting tracks from a plurality of power sources or circuits, as desired by a user or lighting designer. The system may also be configured to be compatible with a wide variety of track lighting system power tracks and is difficult to remove once properly installed, thereby making it tamper-proof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Mackenzie, IV, Alejandro Mier-Langner, Michael S. O'Boyle, James Edward Kuchar
  • Publication number: 20110133671
    Abstract: A current limiting system in accordance with the present invention comprises an accessory or canopy mount device that is permanently installed between a source of electrical power 1 and a track lighting system 2. The system may be installed integrally with a track lighting system to supply power to a plurality of lighting tracks from a plurality of power sources or circuits, as desired by a user or lighting designer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: GENLYTE THOMAS GROUP LLC
    Inventors: KENNETH MACKENZIE, IV, ALEJANDRO MIER-LANGNER, MICHAEL S. O'BOYLE, JAMES EDWARD KUCHAR
  • Patent number: 7911351
    Abstract: A current limiting system in accordance with the present invention comprises an accessory or canopy mount device that is permanently installed between a source of electrical power 1 and a track lighting system 2. The system may be installed integrally with a track lighting system to supply power to a plurality of lighting tracks from a plurality of power sources or circuits, as desired by a user or lighting designer. The system may also be configured to be compatible with a wide variety of track lighting system power tracks and is difficult to remove once properly installed, thereby making it tamper-proof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth Mackenzie, IV, Alejandro Mier-Langner, Michael S O'Boyle, James Edward Kuchar
  • Patent number: 7397384
    Abstract: A current limiting system in accordance with the present invention comprises an accessory or canopy mount device that is permanently installed between a source of electrical power 1 and a track lighting system 2. The system may be installed integrally with a track lighting system to supply power to a plurality of lighting tracks from a plurality of power sources or circuits, as desired by a user or lighting designer. The system may also be configured to be compatible with a wide variety of track lighting system power tracks and is difficult to remove once properly installed, thereby making it tamper-proof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group, LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth MacKenzie, IV, Alejandro Mier-Langner, Michael S. O'Boyle, James Edward Kuchar
  • Patent number: 7180759
    Abstract: A power inverter comprises a push-pull inverter circuit that includes a transformer having a primary winding coupled to a DC bus and a secondary winding coupled to an AC bus, main power switches coupling each end of the primary winding to a DC return, and one or more supplemental power switches coupling at least one end of the primary winding to a snubber bus. The supplemental switch at a given end of the primary winding forms a buck-mode converter in combination with the primary winding and the associated free-wheeling diode at that end of the primary winding, and can be controlled by a switching controller to effect energy transfer between the snubber bus and DC bus. The switching controller can be configured to control power flow between the DC, AC, and snubber buses by controlling the common-mode and differential-mode voltages of the primary winding via main/supplemental power switch control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Square D Company
    Inventors: Julius Michael Liptak, Mark John Kocher, John Kenneth MacKenzie, IV
  • Patent number: 6173980
    Abstract: A novel child's bicycle seat/rack assembly is provided. The seat is capable of slidable attachment to a touring rack of the type including a substantially rectangular frame formed from struts. The seat has integrally-formed channels for slidably engaging the struts and forward and rear integrally-formed, latches adapted to releasably engage the struts so as to lock the seat member against rearward movement relative to the rack. A locking wedge is provided to secure a latch against unintentional flexing and disengagement from the strut. A child's seat may have a seat portion and a back portion pivotably attached to one another. The seat also may have a grab bar and a seat stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Bell Sports, Inc.
    Inventors: Dixon Newbold, Kenneth Mackenzie, IV