Patents by Inventor Michael Lay

Michael Lay 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: 9222659
    Abstract: A lamp comprises an enclosure that is at least partially optically transmissive. The enclosure comprises an optically transmissive lens and a base where the lens is connected to the base; and a LED board supporting an LED. A first of pins and a second pair of pins are rotatable relative to the enclosure and are in the electrical path supplying power to the LEDs. The lamp is positioned between a pair of tombstone connectors such that the first pair of pins engages the first tombstone connector and the second pair of pins engages the second tombstone connector. The first and second pair of pins are inserted into the tombstone connectors and are rotated to engage the electrical connectors in the tombstone connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas William Medendorp, Jr., Randall Levy Bernard, James Michael Lay, Nathan Ray Snell, Paul Kenneth Pickard
  • Patent number: 9188290
    Abstract: A light fixture comprising a chamber portion is disclosed. In some embodiments, the fixture comprises a chamber portion shaped to house circuitry required for lighting elements such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) mounted elsewhere in the fixture. In some embodiments, LEDs are mounted facing a back reflector, which in turn reflects light out of a troffer to form an indirect lighting fixture. In some embodiments, light is emitted from one mixing chamber. In some embodiments, light is emitted from two or more mixing chambers. In some embodiments, LEDs are mounted on a heat sink which cooperates with a chamber portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Lay, Nathan Snell
  • Patent number: 9182096
    Abstract: An LED light fixture includes a heat-sink body having a circuit-board mounting surface and a circuit board in thermal-contact relationship to the circuit-board mounting surface. The circuit board has an LED-populated area and a surrounding non-LED-populated area such that lateral heat conduction within the circuit board is greater than heat conduction from the circuit board to the circuit-board mounting surface. The fixture may be a low-profile LED light fixture including a base plate which has a substantially planar back surface, a front surface and heat-dissipating surfaces extending forward from the front surface. An LED circuit board and at least one LED power-circuitry unit, which are secured with respect to the front surface adjacent to the heat-dissipating surfaces, do not extend behind the back surface of the base plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian L. Kinnune, David P. Goelz, James Michael Lay, Don Miletich
  • Patent number: 9169977
    Abstract: A LED lamp has an enclosure including an optically transmissive lens. LEDs are mounted on a plane in the enclosure and are operable to emit light through the lens when energized through an electrical path. A portion of the lens extends behind the plane of the plurality of LEDs such that a portion of the light is emitted as back light. Approximately between 5 and 25 percent of the total Lumen output of the lamp is emitted as backlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas William Medendorp, Jr., Randall Levy Bernard, James Michael Lay, Nathan Ray Snell, Paul Kenneth Pickard
  • Patent number: 9151477
    Abstract: A lighting device configured to be held relative to a space extending from an opening in a first surface. A distance between first and second emitters and/or a dimension of a lens is/are larger than a largest dimension of the opening and/or a largest dimension of a power supply. Also, a bracket comprising a body member and at least two mounting clips, the body member configured to be attached to a lighting device, each mounting clip pivotable about respective pivot axes at least from a first position, where a first end region of the clip does not extend farther from an axis of the body member than all portions of the body member, to a second position, where the first end region of the clip extends farther from the axis of the body member than all portions of the body member. Also, a lighting device comprising a removable bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Kenneth Pickard, Nicholas W. Medendorp, Jr., Mark D. Edmond, Dong Lu, Curt Progl, Mark Dixon, Spencer Scott Pratt, Nathan R. Snell, James Michael Lay
  • Publication number: 20150252971
    Abstract: A driver module is configured to generate the drive signals necessary to drive an LED or an array of LEDs of one or more LED luminaires. The driver module may, but need not, be located remotely from the LED luminaires. Since the driver module provides the drive signals, the LED luminaires do not need to have their own driver electronics, and as such, can be rendered in a more aesthetically pleasing and cost effective manner. As an example, the driver module may be located within a junction box or escutcheon plate associated with a light fixture and the LED luminaires can be mounted in the existing sockets of the light fixture. The internal wiring of the light fixture may be used to carry the drive signals provided by the driver module to the LED luminaires via the sockets of the light fixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2015
    Publication date: September 10, 2015
    Inventors: Randy Demuynck, James Michael Lay
  • Publication number: 20150242632
    Abstract: A method of risk assessment of an entity includes converting one or more element of risk information into a character string and combining the character string of each element of risk information into a continuous character string to produce a signature containing the risk information for the entity. The method may include one or more of the following or above features. For example, the risk information may be parsed to produce the one or more element of risk information. As another example, the character string may include a numeric code such that converting one or more element of risk information into a character string comprises converting one or more element of risk information into a numeric code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Inventors: William Michael Lay, Aaron Kilinski, Fan Tao Pu
  • Patent number: 9062869
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus has an upper housing assembly and at least one additional housing assembly. The upper housing assembly has a top wall and at least one sidewall. The top wall includes a mounting portion with mounting brackets that are configured to attach to respective extension members when the lighting apparatus is rotated into a locking arrangement, with the mounting plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: James Michael Lay, William L. Dungan
  • Patent number: 9062830
    Abstract: Solid state lamps and bulbs comprising different combinations and arrangements of a light source, one or more wavelength conversion materials, regions or layers which are positioned separately or remotely with respect to the light source, and a separate diffuser. These are arranged on a heat sink in a manner that allows for the fabrication of lamps and bulbs that are efficient, reliable and cost effective and can provide an essentially omnidirectional emission pattern, even with a light source comprised of a co-planar arrangement of LEDs. Additionally, this arrangement allows aesthetic masking or concealment of the appearance of the conversion regions or layers when the lamp is not illuminated. Various embodiments of the invention may be used to address many of the difficulties associated with utilizing efficient solid state light sources such as LEDs in the fabrication of lamps or bulbs suitable for direct replacement of traditional incandescent bulbs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Long Larry Le, Paul Pickard, James Michael Lay, Tao Tong, Ronan Letoquin, Bernd Keller, Eric Tarsa, Mark Youmans, Theodore Lowes, Nicholas W. Medendorp, Jr., Antony Van De Ven, Gerald Negley
  • Patent number: 9057511
    Abstract: Solid state lamps and bulbs comprising different combinations and arrangements of a light source, one or more wavelength conversion materials, regions or layers which are positioned separately or remotely with respect to the light source, and a separate diffuser. These are arranged on a heat sink in a manner that allows for the fabrication of lamps and bulbs that are efficient, reliable and cost effective and can provide an essentially omni-directional emission pattern, even with a light source comprised of a co-planar arrangement of LEDs. Additionally, this arrangement allows aesthetic masking or concealment of the appearance of the conversion regions or layers when the lamp is not illuminated. Various embodiments of the invention may be used to address many of the difficulties associated with utilizing efficient solid state light sources such as LEDs in the fabrication of lamps or bulbs suitable for direct replacement of traditional incandescent bulbs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Long Larry Le, Ronan Letoquin, Bernd Keller, Eric Tarsa, Paul Pickard, James Michael Lay, Tao Tong, Mark Youmans, Theodore Lowes, Nicholas W. Medendorp, Jr., Antony Van De Ven, Gerald Negley
  • Publication number: 20150138776
    Abstract: A multiple-ply solid state light fixture is disclosed. A panelized, solid state light fixture includes combined layers of material chemically bonded together without a traditional mechanical housing and with relatively few or no fasteners. In example embodiments, the solid state light fixture includes an LED mounting substrate, a thermal material on a non-LED side of the LED mounting substrate, and an optical material on the LED side of the LED mounting substrate. A plurality of LEDs are disposed or mounted, with or without additional packaging, on the LED side of the LED mounting substrate. A chemical bond is created between the substrate and the other layers. This chemical bond can be created, for example, through use of applied fluid or gelatinous compounds that are then solidified, or through the use of adhesives.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: James Michael Lay
  • Patent number: D730558
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: William Laird Dungan, Nathan Snell, James Michael Lay, Jennifer West, Peter Lopez, S. Scott Pratt
  • Patent number: D733347
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: William Laird Dungan, Nathan Snell, James Michael Lay, Jennifer West, Peter Lopez, S. Scott Pratt
  • Patent number: D733952
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: James Michael Lay, Nathan Snell
  • Patent number: D738026
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: William Laird Dungan, Nathan Snell, James Michael Lay, Jennifer West, Peter Lopez, S. Scott Pratt
  • Patent number: D738033
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt S. Wilcox, John W. Durkee, James Michael Lay
  • Patent number: D738034
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt S. Wilcox, John W. Durkee, James Michael Lay
  • Patent number: D743084
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: James Michael Lay, Don Miletich
  • Patent number: D743088
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Snell, James Michael Lay
  • Patent number: D743090
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Kurt S. Wilcox, John W. Durkee, James Michael Lay