Patents by Inventor John Helms

John Helms 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: 10794576
    Abstract: A hinge apparatus and method of use are provided for securing to a slide of a retrofit kit and to an opening of a fixture. The hinge apparatus includes a hinge configured to couple to the opening of the fixture, a top section coupled to the hinge, a lower section coupled to the top section and having a cavity formed therebetween, the cavity configured to be coupleable to the retrofit kit, a hinge brake securement device coupled to the top section, a neck extending outwardly from the hinge brake securement device, a hinge brake coupled to the neck, and a notch coupled to the hinge brake, the notch configured to be receivable at the slide of the retrofit kit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John Helms
  • Patent number: 9807830
    Abstract: An LED driver apparatus provides discrete output current configuration. User interfaces such as dip switches enable user selection of output current settings. LED driver circuitry includes an inverter, a primary transformer winding coupled to the inverter switches and providing resonant inductance, and a secondary transformer winding coupled on a first end to an output rectifier. Various circuit branches are coupled in parallel between the output rectifier and the secondary winding, each including a switching element driven between open and closed states associated with the user-selected output current setting. The circuit branches may be coupled to respective secondary winding taps, wherein output current is regulated according to an effective turns ratio defined by the closed circuit branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL LIGHTING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Wei Xiong, John Helms
  • Patent number: 9801262
    Abstract: A power over Ethernet (PoE) interface device includes a knockout adapter. The knockout adapter is configured for mounting to a conduit knockout opening in an LED luminaire. The interface device includes a power assembly having an input section and an output section. The power assembly is connected to the knockout adapter such that the output section is positioned inside the luminaire when the knockout adapter is mounted to the luminaire. The power assembly further includes a data connector mounted to the input section. The data connector is configured to receive PoE signals from a data cable coupled to the data connector. Power output terminals are mounted to the output section and electrically coupled to the data connector. The power output terminals may be configured to couple the PoE signals from the data connector to an LED light source in the luminaire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: John Helms
  • Patent number: 9693404
    Abstract: A multi-channel LED driver is provided with a negative current sensing method for inherent output short circuit protection, as well as protection from output misconnection. A plurality of power converters are configured to drive respective LED arrays, each power converter respectively comprising a first stage configured to provide current through a primary winding of an isolation transformer. A second stage has a capacitor coupled in parallel with a secondary winding of the isolation transformer, a current sensing resistor coupled between the secondary winding and a circuit ground for the second stage. A filtering circuit is coupled on a first end to a node between the secondary winding and the current sensing resistor, and on a second end to the circuit ground. A feedback circuit is coupled between the first stage and the filtering circuit, and configured to deliver a control signal corresponding to current through the secondary winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Xiong, Mark Arias, John Helms, Haiqing Yang