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).

  • Patent number: 8439528
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Jonathan B. Betts-Lacroix
  • Patent number: 8283877
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, John D. Grainger
  • Patent number: 8278837
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
  • Publication number: 20120235586
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Swtich Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. LENK
  • Publication number: 20120229018
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. LENK, Carol Lenk
  • Patent number: 8198819
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
  • Patent number: 8193702
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk
  • Publication number: 20120098443
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
  • Publication number: 20110298374
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, John D. Grainger
  • Publication number: 20110215728
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
  • Publication number: 20110210669
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk, Ethan Thorman
  • Publication number: 20110204777
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
  • Publication number: 20110193465
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: Switch Bulb Compnay, Inc
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
  • Publication number: 20110050098
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: SuperBulbs, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Jonathan B. Lacroix
  • Publication number: 20100301727
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Bruce Carsten
  • Publication number: 20100090609
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: SuperBulbs, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. LENK
  • Publication number: 20090309473
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk, Daniel Chandler, Matthew Galla
  • Publication number: 20090257220
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk, Daniel Chandler
  • Publication number: 20090200939
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: SUPERBULBS, INC.
    Inventors: Ronald J. Lenk, Carol Lenk
  • Patent number: 6538516
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk