Patents by Inventor Paul T. Cote

Paul T. Cote 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: 5585697
    Abstract: A reflector lamp assembly having an integral photo-sensor and sensing circuit arrangement associated therewith provides for sensing the ambient light conditions at a point adjacent the top surface of the lamp envelope. The photo-sensor element is disposed within a sensor housing member mounted along an edge portion of the top surface of the lamp. A channel pathway is integrally formed with the sensor housing member and extends along the side lamp envelope to protect the sensor lead wires extending from the photo-sensor device to the sensing circuitry contained in the threaded screw base. The sensing circuitry is disposed vertically within a cavity formed in the bottom of the screw base so as to achieve optimum thermal dissipation properties for the sensing circuit. A collimator tube can be inserted into an opening formed at the top of the sensor housing member so as to control the field of view for sensing the ambient light conditions occurring near the top surface of the lamp assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul T. Cote, Lance G. Kaczorowski, Joseph W. Magalotti, Joseph F. Schiciano, Douglas M. Rutan
  • Patent number: 4654560
    Abstract: A three (3)-way lamp having a tungsten halogen-cycle inner envelope and an operating circuit for the inner envelope is disclosed. The operating circuit comprises a ballast element and two diodes lodged within the confines of the base of the lamp. The operating circuit allows the inner envelope to provide three different levels of illumination for the lamp while still maintaining the desired operation of the halogen additive within the inner envelope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1987
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4572991
    Abstract: An improved general service incandescent lamp having an improved capacitive ballast circuit for operating a low voltage filament of the lamp is disclosed. Various embodiments of an improved capacitive ballast circuit that substantially eliminates unwanted stored energy and unwanted resistive dissipation are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1986
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4516056
    Abstract: A capacitively ballasted low voltage lamp utilizing a main capacitor connected electrically in series with the lamp, across an alternating current source, and one or more auxiliary capacitors that can be connected electrically across the main capacitor by switching means for one or more source waveform cycles. Each switching means comprises a unidirectional conductive device electrically connected in parallel with an active switching device. The minimum lamp current is established by the main capacitor, with additional lamp current flowing through one or more auxiliary capacitors during a source waveform cycle or integral multiples thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1985
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4447765
    Abstract: A power supply providing power to a low voltage lamp utilizing a main capacitor connected electrically in series with the lamp, across an alternating current source, and an auxiliary capacitor connected electrically across the main capacitor by a switching device during selected portions of the source waveform cycle. The minimum lamp current is established by the main capacitor, with additional lamp current flowing through the auxiliary capacitor during portions of the source waveform cycle when the auxiliary capacitor is electrically connected across the main capacitor. The load current is adjusted over a desired range established by the magnitude of the main and auxiliary capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4447764
    Abstract: A power supply, operating at line frequencies, for energizing a low-voltage lamp and like loads, utilizes a main capacitor in series with the load across the A.C. line source, and an auxiliary capacitor connected across the main capacitor by a switching device during a selected portion of the source waveform cycle. The minimum load current is established by the main capacitor, with additional load current flowing through the auxiliary capacitor during those portions of the source waveform cycle when connected, whereby the load current may be adjusted over a range established by the magnitude of the main and auxiliary capacitors. An open-loop circuit is disclosed for controlling the portion of the cycle during which the auxiliary capacitor is connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1984
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William P. Kornrumpf, Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4408154
    Abstract: A dual voltage power supply, for example operable from 120 and 240 volts a-c and having three voltage input terminals, is provided with an input filter having three windings on a core and inductively coupled together, the three windings being connected respectively to the three input terminals. Filter capacitors are connected to the windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: October 4, 1983
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4097220
    Abstract: A sequencing flash array having flash lamps which are short-circuited across their lead-in wires after flashing. The lamps contain primer material at the bases of their bulbs and bridging across the inner ends of the lead-in wires. The primer material is a type having a low impedance after flashing, and the inner end regions of the lead-in wires are shaped to hold the flashed primer residue in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1978
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paul T. Cote, Lewis J. Schupp
  • Patent number: 4064431
    Abstract: A multiple lamp photoflash array of the FlipFlash type having flash-sequencing circuitry for causing the lamps to flash one at a time in response to firing pulses applied to the array. A radiation switch associated with the last lamp to be flashed causes a short circuit across the array's electrical terminals when the last lamp is flashed and actuates a last-flash indicator in the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1977
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4039273
    Abstract: A photoflash lamp having a pair of lead-in wires arranged within the lamp so that one wire extends laterally above the other and is of a size and material so as to deform due to heat of the flashing lamp and make contact with the other wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1977
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 4015093
    Abstract: A photoflash lamp array having electrical terminals adapted to be connected to a camera socket. Means are provided for shorting the terminals when the array is out of a socket. This reduces the possibility of accidental flashing of lamps in the array when a connector terminal is touched by a person or object having an electrical potential such as an electrostatic voltage charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1975
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1977
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 3980877
    Abstract: A multiple flash lamp array having a plastic housing provided with one or more openings through the housing wall adjacent to an electrical ground part of circuitry contained in the array, to provide a discharge path for an electrostatically charged person or object touching the array. This reduces the possibility of accidental flashing of lamps by electrostatic charges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1976
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 3980876
    Abstract: A multiple flash lamp unit having a group of electrical connector terminals adapted to be plugged into a socket. The unit is provided with a transverse protective terminal which momentarily electrically shorts across the socket contacts while the unit is being plugged into the socket, so as to discharge any residual voltage in the firing pulse source, such as a piezoelectric element, before the lamp connector terminals engage the socket contacts. The transverse protective terminal may be integral with a lamp connector terminal, and preferably is integral with a terminal connected electrically so as to have a relatively large stray capacitance to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1974
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1976
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 3980875
    Abstract: A multiple flash lamp unit having a group of electrical connector terminals connected via circuitry to lamps in the unit in a manner so that one terminal and its associated circuitry has relatively more stray capacitance to ground than any of the other terminals and their circuitry. This one terminal is shaped and arranged to be more readily touched than the other terminals when the unit is handled, thus reducing the likelihood of lamps being accidentally flashed by electrostatic charges. Preferably, a large-area shield member is connected to the more readily touchable terminal to increase its stray capacitance to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1974
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1976
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Paul T. Cote
  • Patent number: 3941992
    Abstract: A multiple flash lamp array contains a sequentially switching lamp flashing circuit in the form of a printed circuit on a surface of a circuit board. A metal shield is provided over the other surface of the circuit board to reduce the possibility of accidental flashing of lamps by electrostatic voltage, which flashing tends to occur particularly when high voltage types of lamps are used in the array. Preferably, the shield is connected electrically to a lead-in wire of each lamp in the array, and also is connected electrically to a conductive reflector member positioned near the other side of the circuit board from the shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1974
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1976
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Richard Blount, Paul T. Cote, Edward C. Zukowski