Patents Assigned to Putco, Inc.
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Patent number: 10618461Abstract: A lighted accessory for a motor vehicle includes a machined aluminum body. The body includes a front wall that has a plurality of openings through it and a cavity behind it. A plurality of lenses are potted in place within the openings. LED lights are installed on the aluminum body in alignment with the lenses. Additional potting compound is applied to cover the LEDs and substantially fill the cavity. A faulty LED board may be replaced by removing a portion of the potting compound and the faulty LED board, replacing the faulty LED board with an operable one, and refilling the removed portion of the potting compound with additional potting compound.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2018Date of Patent: April 14, 2020Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Trent Quick
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Patent number: 10598332Abstract: A light bar has a circuit board positioned within a housing and having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) or a thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display (TFT LCD) is configured to transmit light. The housing has wiring electrically connected to a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the electrical system of the vehicle, interpret the signals received from the electrical system of the vehicle, and in response automatically control illumination of independently controllable segments of the vehicle light bar. The controller is initially programmed to perform specific function(s) and/or strobe according to specific patterns and is thereafter at least partially restricted from being reprogrammed by a user to serve other function(s), either by restricting the emission of light in at least one color and/or preventing specific strobing pattern(s).Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2019Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, James P. Elwell, II, Joshua J. Burhite
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Patent number: 10351050Abstract: A light bar has a circuit board positioned within a housing and having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to transmit light from an outward facing surface of the circuit board. The housing has wiring electrically connected to a controller. The controller is configured to receive signals from the electrical system of the vehicle, interpret the signals received from the electrical system of the vehicle, and in response automatically control illumination of independently controllable segments of the vehicle light bar. An override mechanism within the controller allows an operator to manually override the automatic response to control illumination of the independently controllable segments with a selected strobing pattern. The override mechanism may be tied into the electrical system of the vehicle such that both the LEDs on the vehicle light bar and the external lights of the vehicle are synced.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2018Date of Patent: July 16, 2019Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventor: James P. Elwell
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Patent number: 10281095Abstract: A light bar having an extruded housing with a curved cover portion and a flat back wall and flat side walls with a hollow interior. A circuit board positioned within the hollow interior and separated into a plurality of electrical segments. The circuit board includes a row of white, amber, and red LEDs which are fully encapsulated with an encapsulant within the housing. The ends of the housing are enclosed by end caps. The light bar is electrically connected to the electrical system of the vehicle and is installed using a plurality of adhesively attached clips and is controlled by a control box that interprets the operational signals of practically any commercially available pickup truck and outputs commands that controls illumination of the light bar. The compact size of the light bar facilitates installation of the light bar on practically any commercially available pickup truck.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: May 7, 2019Assignee: PUTCO, INC.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Tian Xiaojun
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Patent number: 10156336Abstract: A tail light for installation on a vehicle having an electrical system includes a tail light housing configured to replace an existing housing of an existing tail light of the automobile, the tail light housing having a hollow interior, a circuit board positioned within the hollow interior of the tail light housing and comprising independently controllable segments having light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to transmit light from an outward facing surface of the circuit board; and a controller electrically connected to the electrical system of the vehicle and the tail light. The controller has a microprocessor and memory. The controller is configured to receive signals from the electrical system of the vehicle, interpret the signals received from the electrical system of the vehicle, and in response control illumination of the independently controllable segments.Type: GrantFiled: December 28, 2017Date of Patent: December 18, 2018Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Tian Xiaojun
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Patent number: 9995473Abstract: An LED lamp uses a flexible metal fabric as a heat sink. At least one light emitting diode is attached to a circuit board that is mounted on a heat conducting member. The flexible heat sink is attached to the heat conducting member, such that heat generated by the light emitting diode and circuit board is conducted to the flexible heat sink. The flexible heat sink can be deformed to fit in a variety of spaces. The flexible heat sink dissipates the heat generated by the LED lamp without the need for a fan. The flexible heat sink may be made from braided copper fabric.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2016Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Trent Quick, Baozhou Xu
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Patent number: 9987973Abstract: A lighted accessory for a motor vehicle includes a machined aluminum body. The body includes a front wall that has a plurality of openings through it and a cavity behind it. A plurality of lenses are potted in place within the openings. LED lights are installed on the aluminum body in alignment with the lenses. Additional potting compound is applied to cover the LEDs and substantially fill the cavity. A faulty LED board may be replaced by removing a portion of the potting compound and the faulty LED board, replacing the faulty LED board with an operable one, and refilling the removed portion of the potting compound with additional potting compound.Type: GrantFiled: November 2, 2015Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Trent Quick
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Patent number: 9909752Abstract: An LED lamp uses a flexible metal belt as a heat sink. At least one light emitting diode is attached to a circuit board that is mounted on a heat conducting member. The flexible heat sink is attached to the heat conducting member, such that heat generated by the light emitting diode and circuit board is conducted to the flexible heat sink. The flexible heat sink can be deformed to fit in a variety of spaces. The flexible heat sink dissipates the heat generated by the LED lamp without the need for a fan. The flexible heat sink may be made from braided copper fabric or even a plurality of flexible metal sheets.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2017Date of Patent: March 6, 2018Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Trent Quick, Baozhou Xu
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Patent number: 9243796Abstract: An LED lamp uses a flexible metal fabric as a heat sink. At least one light emitting diode is attached to a circuit board that is mounted on a heat conducting member. The flexible heat sink is attached to the heat conducting member, such that heat generated by the light emitting diode and circuit board is conducted to the flexible heat sink. The flexible heat sink can be deformed to fit in a variety of spaces. The flexible heat sink dissipates the heat generated by the LED lamp without the need for a fan. The flexible heat sink may be made from braided copper fabric.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2015Date of Patent: January 26, 2016Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Trent Quick
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Patent number: 8020270Abstract: The apparatus requires a replacement board capable of replacing the existing bulb.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2008Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventor: James P. Elwell
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Patent number: 8011817Abstract: The attachment for a vehicle and the method for providing the attachment to the vehicle includes mounting a housing on the outside of the vehicle. The housing includes a back attachable to the vehicle, a compartment within the housing, and a lens visible from outside the vehicle. At least one or more lights is contained within the compartment between the lens and the outside of the compartment. The lens is opaque when the lights are turned off so as to conceal the lights within the compartment and the lens is visible from outside the vehicle when the lights are turned on.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2008Date of Patent: September 6, 2011Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventor: James P. Elwell
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Publication number: 20090193640Abstract: A method for replacing a vehicle dome light comprises removing an existing bulb from first and second clamps which engage the first and second ends respectively of the bulb. Attaching a replacement board having a first contact and a second contact corresponding to the first and second clamps respectively. The method includes delivering electricity to the first clamp whereby the replacement bulbs are lighted from electricity passing through the first contact to the plurality of replacement bulbs to the second contact and to the second clamp. The apparatus requires a replacement board capable of replacing the existing bulb.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2008Publication date: August 6, 2009Applicant: PUTCO, INC.Inventor: JAMES P. ELWELL
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Publication number: 20090190369Abstract: The attachment for a vehicle and the method for providing the attachment to the vehicle includes mounting a housing on the outside of the vehicle. The housing includes a back attachable to the vehicle, a compartment within the housing, and a lens visible from outside the vehicle. At least one or more lights is contained within the compartment between the lens and the outside of the compartment. The lens is opaque when the lights are turned off so as to conceal the lights within the compartment and the lens is visible from outside the vehicle when the lights are turned on.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2008Publication date: July 30, 2009Applicant: PUTCO, INC.Inventor: JAMES P. ELWELL
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Patent number: D574693Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2006Date of Patent: August 12, 2008Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Adam Robert Koesters
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Patent number: D582748Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2006Date of Patent: December 16, 2008Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Zachary Scott Healy
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Patent number: D586483Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2008Date of Patent: February 10, 2009Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James P. Elwell, Chung-Hsu Kao
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Patent number: D638146Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2008Date of Patent: May 17, 2011Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventor: James P. Elwell
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Patent number: D642952Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2009Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventor: James P. Elwell
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Patent number: D730548Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2013Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: Putco, Inc.Inventors: James Elwell, Jason Schmid
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Patent number: D736432Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2013Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: PUTCO, INC.Inventors: James Elwell, Jason Schmid