Patents by Inventor Ronald J. Lenk
Ronald J. Lenk 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).
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Patent number: 8439528Abstract: A glass LED bulb, which includes a body of glass, the body having at least one hollow portion, and at least one LED contained within the at least one hollow portion. A thermally conductive material is preferably included within the at least one hollow portion. The body of glass can be bulb-shaped or alternatively shaped like an incandescent bulb.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2008Date of Patent: May 14, 2013Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Jonathan B. Betts-Lacroix
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Patent number: 8283877Abstract: A light-emitting diode (LED) bulb has an LED within a shell. The LED bulb also includes a driver circuit for providing current to the LED. The drive circuit has a thermal protection circuit, which includes a thermistor having a positive thermal coefficient and a switching temperature. The driver circuit also includes a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) controller with an input pin and an output pin. The thermistor is connected to the input pin. When the thermistor temperature is above the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a second duty cycle on the output pin. When the thermistor temperature is below the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a first duty cycle on the output pin. The second duty cycle is higher than the first duty cycle.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2011Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, John D. Grainger
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Patent number: 8278837Abstract: A circuit for driving multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) includes at least two sets of LEDs, each set comprised of one or more LEDs in series. The circuit further includes a single inductor connected in series with the two sets of LEDs. At least one set of LEDs is connected to a shunting transistor connected in parallel with the set of LEDs. The duty cycle of the shunting transistor is controlled by a single controller connected to the shunting transistor and the inductor.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
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Publication number: 20120235586Abstract: A lighting circuit for a light emitting diode (LED) bulb capable of operating at different light output levels depending on received AC power includes a first group of LEDs and second group of LEDs, each of which is configured to emit light as a group. The lighting circuit also includes an AC/DC converter electrically connected to the first and second groups of LEDs. A detector circuit detects received AC power. A selection circuit is operable to cause the AC/DC converter circuit to provide current into one configuration of LEDs from the group of configurations of LEDs consisting of: the first group of LEDs only, the second group of LEDs only, and the first and second group of LEDs. The configuration of LEDs to provide current to is selected based on received AC power.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2012Publication date: September 20, 2012Applicant: Swtich Bulb Company, Inc.Inventor: Ronald J. LENK
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Publication number: 20120229018Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) bulb configured to scatter certain wavelengths of light. The LED bulb includes a base having threads, a bulb shell, at least one LED, and a plurality of particles disposed within the bulb shell. The plurality of particles has a first and second set of particles. The first set of particles is configured to scatter short wavelength components of light emitted from the at least one LED and has particles with an effective diameter that is a fraction of the dominant wavelength of the light emitted from the at least one LED. The second set of particles is configured to scatter light emitted from the at least one LED, and has particles with an effective diameter equal to or greater than the dominant wavelength of the light emitted from the at least one LED.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. LENK, Carol Lenk
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Patent number: 8198819Abstract: Circuits to make a 3-way LED light bulb correctly interface to a standard 3-way light socket, producing three levels of light corresponding to the three settings of the socket. One of the circuits prevents color shift due to varying LED current.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2009Date of Patent: June 12, 2012Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
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Patent number: 8193702Abstract: A method for preferential scattering of certain wavelengths of light and/or dispersing light in an LED or LED bulb. The method includes emitting light from at least one LED die, and scattering the light from the at least one LED die by dispersing a plurality of particles having a size a fraction of at least one dominant wavelength of the light from the at least one LED die in the LED outer shell or in an LED bulb or in an at least one shell of an LED bulb. Alternatively, the method includes emitting light from the at least one LED die, and dispersing the light from the at least one LED die by distributing a plurality of particles having a size one to a few times larger than a dominant wavelength of the light from the LED in an outer shell, or body of the LED bulb.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2007Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk
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Publication number: 20120098443Abstract: A multi-color white LED which can be driven by a single current, and more particularly, to the use of a specific ratio of numbers of different color LEDs to obtain a specific desired color while running all of them at the same current.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2009Publication date: April 26, 2012Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
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Publication number: 20110298374Abstract: A light-emitting diode (LED) bulb has an LED within a shell. The LED bulb also includes a driver circuit for providing current to the LED. The drive circuit has a thermal protection circuit, which includes a thermistor having a positive thermal coefficient and a switching temperature. The driver circuit also includes a switch-mode power supply (SMPS) controller with an input pin and an output pin. The thermistor is connected to the input pin. When the thermistor temperature is above the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a second duty cycle on the output pin. When the thermistor temperature is below the switching temperature, the thermal protection circuit causes the SMPS controller to produce a signal with a first duty cycle on the output pin. The second duty cycle is higher than the first duty cycle.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 7, 2011Publication date: December 8, 2011Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, John D. Grainger
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Publication number: 20110215728Abstract: A constant power drive for light emitting diodes, such that there is automatic compensation for variation in forward voltage of the LED, both in a single unit with temperature, and also due to unit-to-unit variations.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2009Publication date: September 8, 2011Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
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Publication number: 20110210669Abstract: An LED light bulb which turns itself permanently off when it reaches the end of its useful life, and more particularly, to a scheme which slightly varies the end-of-life condition from unit to unit.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2009Publication date: September 1, 2011Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk, Ethan Thorman
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Publication number: 20110204777Abstract: A settable light bulb whose brightness can be set by the user, and more particularly, to the use of a switch or a slide built in to the bulb itself to control the brightness in either discrete or continuous increments.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2009Publication date: August 25, 2011Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
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Publication number: 20110193465Abstract: A light bulb having anti-reflective coatings on an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the shell of the light bulb. The anti-reflective coatings reduce light loss due to reflections at the interfaces between the interior of the bulb and the shell and between the shell and the exterior of the bulb. The light source may be either incandescent, fluorescent or LED.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2009Publication date: August 11, 2011Applicant: Switch Bulb Compnay, IncInventor: Ronald J. Lenk
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Publication number: 20110050098Abstract: A glass LED bulb, which includes a body of glass, the body having at least one hollow portion, and at least one LED contained within the at least one hollow portion. A thermally conductive material is preferably included within the at least one hollow portion. The body of glass can be bulb-shaped or alternatively shaped like an incandescent bulb.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2008Publication date: March 3, 2011Applicant: SuperBulbs, Inc.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Jonathan B. Lacroix
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Publication number: 20100301727Abstract: An LED bulb, which includes a shell, a filler material within the shell of the bulb, at least one type of phosphor dispersed inside the filler material and at least one LED within the shell.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 12, 2008Publication date: December 2, 2010Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Bruce Carsten
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Publication number: 20100090609Abstract: Circuits to make a 3-way LED light bulb correctly interface to a standard 3-way light socket, producing three levels of light corresponding to the three settings of the socket. One of the circuits prevents color shift due to varying LED current.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2009Publication date: April 15, 2010Applicant: SuperBulbs, Inc.Inventor: Ronald J. LENK
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Publication number: 20090309473Abstract: An LED bulb having bulb-shaped shell and thermally conductive fluid or gel within the shell. The bulb includes at least one LED within the shell. The bulb includes at least one LED within the shell and a base. The base can be configured to fit within an electrical socket and can include a series of screw threads and a base pin, wherein the screw threads and base pin are dimensioned to be received within a standard electrical socket. Alternatively, the base can be configured to fit within a suitable electric socket.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2007Publication date: December 17, 2009Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk, Daniel Chandler, Matthew Galla
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Publication number: 20090257220Abstract: An LED bulb having a bulb-shaped shell, a thermally conductive plastic material within the bulb-shaped shell, and at least one LED within the bulb-shaped shell. The bulb also includes a base, wherein the base is dimensioned to be received within a standard electrical socket.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2007Publication date: October 15, 2009Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk, Daniel Chandler
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Publication number: 20090200939Abstract: A method for preferential scattering of certain wavelengths of light and/or dispersing light in an LED or LED bulb. The method includes emitting light from at least one LED die, and scattering the light from the at least one LED die by dispersing a plurality of particles having a size a fraction of at least one dominant wavelength of the light from the at least one LED die in the LED outer shell or in an LED bulb or in an at least one shell of an LED bulb. Alternatively, the method includes emitting light from the at least one LED die, and dispersing the light from the at least one LED die by distributing a plurality of particles having a size one to a few times larger than a dominant wavelength of the light from the LED in an outer shell, or body of the LED bulb.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2007Publication date: August 13, 2009Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk
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Patent number: 6538516Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing a plurality of synchronizable oscillators are disclosed. The method includes monitoring a respective output signal of each synchronizable oscillator, each output signal having a respective frequency, generating a synchronization signal based on the output signal having the highest frequency of all of the output signals, and providing the synchronization signal to all of the synchronizable oscillators.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2001Date of Patent: March 25, 2003Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor CorporationInventor: Ronald J. Lenk