Patents by Inventor Gerald L Cler

Gerald L Cler 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).

  • System and method for an electrical insulating shutter system
    Patent number: 8165719
    Abstract: A system, and a method for manufacturing that system, for electrically and automatically opening, closing and otherwise controlling window shutters on a building, for the purposes of limiting radiant, conductive, and convective thermal losses from the inside of the building to the outside during the heating season, and limiting radiant, conductive, and convective thermal gains from the outside of the building to the inside during the cooling season. The system further comprises an interface to accommodate connection to other sensors not used to control the thermal environment of the building, such as motion detectors, burglar alarms, CO sensors and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Inventors: Laurence F. Kinney, Gerald L. Cler, Todd Eric Bergeson, Derek Christopher Lindberg
  • Direct beam solar light system
    Patent number: 7982956
    Abstract: A direct beam solar lighting system for collecting and distributing sunlight into a room. The system includes a rotatable solar collector head to receive sunlight and to reflect the sunlight downward into a transition tube having a reflective interior surface. The light-concentrating transition tube reflects sunlight into a reflective light tube which directs the reflected sunlight through a plenum space into the room. The system includes a drive mechanism for rotating the rotatable solar collector, and a light fixture at end of the light tube to disburse said reflected sunlight onto a ceiling and a wall in the room. In an embodiment the system includes one or more homogenizing reflectors within the solar collector for collecting the sunlight and directing the sunlight more uniformly over the aperture of the transition tube. In an alternative embodiment, the solar collector includes a rotatable tiltable mirror for providing two-axis tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignees: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc., Sunflower Corporation
    Inventors: Laurence F Kinney, Jim Walsh, William Ross McCluney, Gerald L Cler, John Hutson
  • System and Method for an Electrical Insulating Shutter System
    Publication number: 20100332034
    Abstract: A system, and a method for manufacturing that system, for electrically and automatically opening, closing and otherwise controlling window shutters on a building, for the purposes of limiting radiant, conductive, and convective thermal losses from the inside of the building to the outside during the heating season, and limiting radiant, conductive, and convective thermal gains from the outside of the building to the inside during the cooling season. The system further comprises an interface to accommodate connection to other sensors not used to control the thermal environment of the building, such as motion detectors, burglar alarms, CO sensors and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Todd Bergeson, Derek Lingberg, Laurence F. Kinney, Gerald L. Cler
  • Direct Beam Solar Light System
    Publication number: 20100067114
    Abstract: A direct beam solar lighting system for collecting and distributing sunlight into a room. The system includes a rotatable solar collector head to receive sunlight and to reflect the sunlight downward into a transition tube having a reflective interior surface. The light-concentrating transition tube reflects sunlight into a reflective light tube which directs the reflected sunlight through a plenum space into the room. The system includes a drive mechanism for rotating the rotatable solar collector, and a light fixture at end of the light tube to disburse said reflected sunlight onto a ceiling and a wall in the room. In an embodiment the system includes one or more homogenizing reflectors within the solar collector for collecting the sunlight and directing the sunlight more uniformly over the aperture of the transition tube. In an alternative embodiment, the solar collector includes a rotatable tiltable mirror for providing two-axis tracking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Laurence F. Kinney, William Ross McCluney, Gerald L. Cler, Jim Walsh, John Hutson
  • Direct beam solar lighting system
    Patent number: 7639423
    Abstract: A direct beam solar lighting system for collecting and distributing sunlight into a room. The system includes a rotatable solar collector head to receive sunlight and to reflect the sunlight downward into a transition tube having a reflective interior surface. The light-concentrating transition tube reflects sunlight into a reflective light tube which directs the reflected sunlight through a plenum space into the room. The system includes a drive mechanism for rotating the rotatable solar collector, and a light fixture at end of the light tube to disburse said reflected sunlight onto a ceiling and a wall in the room. In an embodiment the system includes one or more homogenizing reflectors within the solar collector for collecting the sunlight and directing the sunlight more uniformly over the aperture of the transition tube. In an alternative embodiment, the solar collector includes a rotatable tiltable mirror for providing two-axis tracking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignees: University of Central Florida, Research Foundation, Inc., Sunflower Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence F Kinney, Jim Walsh, William Ross McCluney, Gerald L Cler, John Hutson