Patents by Inventor Dennis Oddsen

Dennis Oddsen 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).

  • Publication number: 20030226678
    Abstract: The instant invention overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting electrical wiring devices to a common box and then positioning the devices relative to each other prior to attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. In the prior art, the wiring devices are first loosely attached to a box and then moved back and forth, and up and down to fit within cut outs in a wall plate which is then attached to the wiring devices with screws. A time consuming and tedious job. This invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing wiring devices that have locating openings for engaging alignment pins located in a plate that is subsequently attached to a box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Dennis Oddsen, Leslie Lindenstraus, Anthony Tufano, Steve Zacharevitz
  • Publication number: 20030226683
    Abstract: There is disclosed structure which overcomes the deficiencies with respect to prior art devices by providing a wiring device such as a receptacle or a spring loaded switch having a paddle that pivots about its upper end and is biased to assume the same at rest position when either in its on position or off position. Repeated pressing and releasing the lower portion of the face of the switch paddle alternately closes and opens a set of contacts within the switch to alternately connect and disconnect a load from a source of electricity each time the paddle is pressed. Thus, regardless of whether adjacent switches are on-off switches or 3-way switches, they will always be in alignment. An on-off indicator such as a small light, a flag in a window, a mechanical protrusion of the like can be provided to indicate to a user when the contacts of the switch are opened or closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Anthony Tufano, Dennis Oddsen, Leslie Lindenstraus, Steve Zacharevitz, Paul Endres
  • Publication number: 20030226681
    Abstract: The instant invention overcomes the deficiencies with respect to prior art devices by providing a spring loaded switch having a paddle that pivots about its upper end and is biased to assume the same at rest position when either in its on position or off position. Repeated pressing and releasing the lower portion of the face of the switch paddle alternately closes and opens a set of contacts within the switch to alternately connect and disconnect a load from a source of electricity each time the arm is pressed. Thus, regardless of whether adjacent switches are on-off switches or 3-way switches, they will always be in alignment. An on-off indicator such as a small light, a flag in a window, a mechanical protrusion of the like can be provided to indicate to a user when the contacts of the switch are opened or closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Leslie Lindenstraus, Steve Zacharevitz, Dennis Oddsen
  • Publication number: 20030226684
    Abstract: There is disclosed structure which overcomes the deficiencies with respect to prior art devices by providing a wiring device such as a receptacle or a spring loaded switch having a paddle that pivots about its upper end and is biased to assume the same at rest position when either in its on position or off position. Repeated pressing and releasing the lower portion of the face of the switch paddle alternately closes and opens a set of contacts within the switch to alternately connect and disconnect a load from a source of electricity each time the paddle is pressed. Thus, regardless of whether adjacent switches are on-off switches or 3-way switches, they will always be in alignment. An on-off indicator such as a small light, a flag in a window, a mechanical protrusion of the like can be provided to indicate to a user when the contacts of the switch are opened or closed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2002
    Publication date: December 11, 2003
    Inventors: Gerd Schmieta, Michael Meyer, Dennis Oddsen, Anthony Tufano, Leslie Lindenstraus, James J. Sherman, Tim Langfitt
  • Patent number: 6135808
    Abstract: A quick wired lamp socket assembly which employs a pivoting actuator lever to cause the engagement between an electric cord inserted therein and assembly contacts and provides strain relief to such cord. The actuator lever has a partial top member, an edge of which defines an exposed edge with two conductor recesses and a tooth thereon. The recesses receive the conductors of the cord and the tooth engages the web between the two conductors. The cord is retained against the exposed edge by the circuitous path the cord follows through the lamp socket assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Scot J. Hale, James N. Pearse, Dennis A. Oddsen, Anthony Tufano
  • Patent number: 6010356
    Abstract: A quick wired lamp socket assembly which employs a pivoting actuator lever to cause the engagement between an electric cord inserted therein and assembly contacts and provides strain relief to such cord. The actuator lever has a partial top member, an edge of which defines an exposed edge with two conductor recesses and a tooth thereon. The recesses receive the conductors of the cord and the tooth engages the web between the two conductors. The cord is retained against the exposed edge by the circuitous path the cord follows through the lamp socket assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Scot J. Hale, James N. Pearse, Dennis A. Oddsen, Anthony Tufano
  • Patent number: 5954534
    Abstract: A lamp socket assembly having insulation piercing and displacing contacts which make electrical and mechanical joints with the two conductors of an electrical lamp cord. The contacts have two pointed ends to pierce the insulation and a slot between to sever and displace the insulation from the contact which is arranged transverse to the path of the cord in the socket. An actuating lever, pivotally mounted to the socket body, is held in different ratchet controlled position ranges to hold the lever and socket in assembly and accept the cord end and then force the cord in to the insulation piercing and displacing contacts. A strain relief member is made to engage the cord when the lever is fully operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Levition Manufacturing Co.,Inc.
    Inventors: Scot J. Hale, James N. Pearse, Dennis A. Oddsen, Anthony T. Tufano
  • Patent number: 5779497
    Abstract: A lamp socket assembly having insulation piercing and displacing contacts which make electrical and mechanical joints with the two conductors of an electrical lamp cord. The contacts have two pointed ends to pierce the insulation and a slot between to sever and displace the insulation from the contact which is arranged transverse to the path of the cord in the socket. An actuating lever, pivotally mounted to the socket body, is held in different ratchet controlled position ranges to hold the lever and socket in assembly and accept the cord end and then force the cord in to the insulation piercing and displacing contacts. A strain relief member is made to engage the cord when the lever is fully operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Scot J. Hale, James N. Pearse, Dennis A. Oddsen, Anthony C. Tufano