Patents by Inventor Phil Dietz

Phil Dietz 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: 10404045
    Abstract: In one example, a cover plate may include a face plate with at least one outlet aperture, a back plate abutting the back of the face plate, an electric load between the face plate and the back plate, and at least one prong that extends from the face plate to a free end. The prong may be configured to interface with a terminal on the side of an outlet receptacle body and may include any or all of the following: an insulated portion and/or an electrical contact. The prong may resiliently deflects outward when interfacing with the terminal and may deflect with a first resistance prior to contacting a wall and with a second resistance that is greater than the first resistance when the prong contacts the wall. The cover play may also include at least one conductor electrically connecting the prong to the electric load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: SnapRays, LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20180301882
    Abstract: In one example, a cover plate may include a face plate with at least one outlet aperture, a back plate abutting the back of the face plate, an electric load between the face plate and the back plate, and at least one prong that extends from the face plate to a free end. The prong may be configured to interface with a terminal on the side of an outlet receptacle body and may include any or all of the following: an insulated portion and/or an electrical contact. The prong may resiliently deflects outward when interfacing with the terminal and may deflect with a first resistance prior to contacting a wall and with a second resistance that is greater than the first resistance when the prong contacts the wall. The cover play may also include at least one conductor electrically connecting the prong to the electric load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Patent number: 9917430
    Abstract: In one example, a cover plate may include a face plate with at least one outlet aperture, a back plate abutting the back of the face plate, an electric load between the face plate and the back plate, and at least one prong that extends from the face plate to a free end. The prong may be configured to interface with a terminal on the side of an outlet receptacle body and may include any or all of the following: an insulated portion and/or an electrical contact. The prong may resiliently deflects outward when interfacing with the terminal and may deflect with a first resistance prior to contacting a wall and with a second resistance that is greater than the first resistance when the prong contacts the wall. The cover play may also include at least one conductor electrically connecting the prong to the electric load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Snap Rays
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Patent number: 9899814
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a wall-plate system are disclosed. For example, wall-plate system may extend in longitudinal, lateral, and transverse directions that are orthogonal to one another. The wall-plate system may include any or all of the following: (1) a face plate; (2) a back plate; (3) electronic circuitry; (4) at least one spring clip comprising at least one first portion of conductive material and resiliently deflecting between a neutral position and a deflected position located outboard of the neutral position in the lateral direction; (6) at least one insulator positioned outboard of the at least one first portion of conductive material in the lateral direction; (7) the at least one insulator tracking the at least one spring clip as the at least one spring clip deflects between the neutral position and the deflected position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SnapRays LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Patent number: 9882361
    Abstract: An active cover plate is disclosed. The active cover plate may include a face plate, a back plate; an electrical load, at least one clip may extend rearward from the face plate and a wall may extend rearward from the back plate, where the wall may cover at least a part of a rear of the clip, and an electrical connection may connect the electrical load to the clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Phil Dietz, Martin Johnson, Beau Oyler, Jeff Tung, Julian Bagirov, Charles Bates, Darren Knight
  • Patent number: 9882318
    Abstract: A wall-plate system is disclosed. The wall-plate system may include a face plate, a back plate, electronic circuitry comprising an electrical port, a clip, and a conductor. The face plate may have a front, a back, and at least one outlet aperture. The back plate may abut the back of the face plate and have a wall extending rearward away from the face plate. The clip may connect to the face plate and extend rearward away from the back of the face plate. The clip may be positioned laterally inboard of the wall and resiliently deflect from a neutral position spaced from the wall to a deflected position in contact with the wall. The conductor may be sandwiched between the face plate and the back plate and extend to electrically connect the clip to the electronic circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Phil Dietz, Martin Johnson, Beau Oyler, Jeff Tung, Julian Bagirov, Charles Bates, Darren Knight
  • Patent number: 9871324
    Abstract: Various embodiments of active cover plates are disclosed. Active cover plates may include a face plate, an electrical load, at least one clip extending rearward from the faceplate. The clip may include a contact, a resilient strip supporting the contact, wherein the contact is joined to the resilient strip and passes through the resilient strip, and a rear insulator covering a rear side of the contact. An electrical connection may be formed between the clip and the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Snap Rays LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Patent number: 9787025
    Abstract: In one example, a cover plate for an electrical receptacle may include a face plate, an engaging feature disposed on the face plate, and a spring clip, wherein the engaging feature disposed on the face plate engages with the spring clip and secures the spring clip in at least two different positions with respect to the face plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: SNAPRAYS, LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Cornell Smith, Sean Daniel Watkins, Phil Dietz, Richard Camden Robinson, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20170222364
    Abstract: Various embodiments of active cover plates are disclosed. Active cover plates may include a face plate, an electrical load, at least one clip extending rearward from the faceplate. The clip may include a contact, a resilient strip supporting the contact, wherein the contact is joined to the resilient strip and passes through the resilient strip, and a rear insulator covering a rear side of the contact. An electrical connection may be formed between the clip and the electrical load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20170222417
    Abstract: In one example, a cover plate may include a face plate with at least one outlet aperture, a back plate abutting the back of the face plate, an electric load between the face plate and the back plate, and at least one prong that extends from the face plate to a free end. The prong may be configured to interface with a terminal on the side of an outlet receptacle body and may include any or all of the following: an insulated portion and/or an electrical contact. The prong may resiliently deflects outward when interfacing with the terminal and may deflect with a first resistance prior to contacting a wall and with a second resistance that is greater than the first resistance when the prong contacts the wall. The cover play may also include at least one conductor electrically connecting the prong to the electric load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20170222414
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a wall-plate system are disclosed. For example, wall-plate system may extend in longitudinal, lateral, and transverse directions that are orthogonal to one another. The wall-plate system may include any or all of the following: (1) a face plate; (2) a back plate; (3) electronic circuitry; (4) at least one spring clip comprising at least one first portion of conductive material and resiliently deflecting between a neutral position and a deflected position located outboard of the neutral position in the lateral direction; (6) at least one insulator positioned outboard of the at least one first portion of conductive material in the lateral direction; (7) the at least one insulator tracking the at least one spring clip as the at least one spring clip deflects between the neutral position and the deflected position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Martin Johnson, Phil Dietz, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20170214229
    Abstract: An active cover plate is disclosed. The active cover plate may include a face plate, a back plate; an electrical load, at least one clip may extend rearward from the face plate and a wall may extend rearward from the back plate, where the wall may cover at least a part of a rear of the clip, and an electrical connection may connect the electrical load to the clip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Phil Dietz, Martin Johnson, Beau Olyer, Jeff Tung, Julian Bagirov, Charles Bates, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20170214188
    Abstract: A wall-plate system is disclosed. The wall-plate system may include a face plate, a back plate, electronic circuitry comprising an electrical port, a clip, and a conductor. The face plate may have a front, a back, and at least one outlet aperture. The back plate may abut the back of the face plate and have a wall extending rearward away from the face plate. The clip may connect to the face plate and extend rearward away from the back of the face plate. The clip may be positioned laterally inboard of the wall and resiliently deflect from a neutral position spaced from the wall to a deflected position in contact with the wall. The conductor may be sandwiched between the face plate and the back plate and extend to electrically connect the clip to the electronic circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Phil Dietz, Martin Johnson, Beau Olyer, Jeff Tung, Julian Bagirov, Charles Bates, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20170125947
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a cover plate for an electrical receptacle. The cover plate includes first and second conductors that protrude rearward from the cover plate and are configured to contact terminals of a receptacle to supply power to a load associated with the cover plate. Insulators over at least a portion of the conductors inhibit the conductors from contacting other conductive materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2017
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Jeremy Cornell Smith, Sean Daniel Watkins, Phil Dietz, Richard Camden Robinson, Darren Knight
  • Publication number: 20160248202
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a face plate, an electrical contact, and a support structure interfacing to the face plate and supporting the electrical contact, wherein the electrical contact is repositionable with respect to the face plate along two distinct axes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: SnapRays LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Cornell Smith, Sean Daniel Watkins, Phil Dietz, Richard Camden Robinson, Darren Knight
  • Patent number: 9362728
    Abstract: In one example, an active cover plate includes a faceplate, a load and a spring clip adjustable in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction with respect to the faceplate to electrically interface with a receptacle body and extract electrical power from the receptacle body to energize the load. A method for installing an active cover plate on an electrical receptacle is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: SnapPower
    Inventors: Jeremy Cornell Smith, Sean Daniel Watkins, Phil Dietz, Beau Oyler, Yulian Bagirov, Jeffrey Tung, Charles Lyman Bates
  • Patent number: 9035180
    Abstract: In one example, an active cover plate includes a faceplate, a load and a spring clip extending rearward from the faceplate to interface with a receptacle body, wherein the spring clip includes a flexible conductive portion connected to the face plate by a first end and a non-conductive portion connected to an opposite end of the flexible conductive portion, wherein the spring clips extract electrical power from the receptacle body to energize the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Phil Dietz, Sean Watkins, Jan Finlinson, Martin Johnson, Jeremy Willden
  • Publication number: 20150075836
    Abstract: In one example, an active cover plate includes a faceplate, a load and a spring clip adjustable in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction with respect to the faceplate to electrically interface with a receptacle body and extract electrical power from the receptacle body to energize the load. A method for installing an active cover plate on an electrical receptacle is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: SNAPPOWER
    Inventors: Jeremy Cornell Smith, Sean Daniel Watkins, Phil Dietz, Beau Oyler, Yulian Bagirov, Jeffery Tung, Charles Lyman Bates
  • Publication number: 20140054059
    Abstract: In one example, an active cover plate includes a faceplate, a load and a spring clip adjustable in at least one of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction with respect to the faceplate to electrically interface with a receptacle body and extract electrical power from the receptacle body to energize the load. A method for installing an active cover plate on an electrical receptacle is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Publication date: February 27, 2014
    Applicant: SnapRays LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy Smith, Phil Dietz, Sean Watkins, Jan Finlinson
  • Patent number: D773330
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Novi Security, Inc.
    Inventors: Phil Dietz, Matthew Henningson, Ethan Grabau, Martin Johnson