MICHIGAN PATENT OF THE MONTH – NOVEMBER 2026
Company: Dragonfish Technologies LLC
Patent Number: US12773945B2
Title: Lamp assembly with quick connect mount
Swanson Reed has awarded the Michigan Patent of the Month for November 2026 to Dragonfish Technologies LLC for their invention, “Lamp assembly with quick connect mount”. The patent, developed by a team of inventors including Kevin Koyle, Patrick Condon, Mark Williams, Timothy Chadderdon, Jeffrey Leverton, and Mark Pruss, introduces a highly efficient method for coupling a lamp body to a mounting bracket. This development bridges the gap between complex engineering and practical industrial design, earning recognition for its potential to streamline manufacturing and maintenance processes without the use of cumbersome hardware.
The invention is particularly innovative due to its specialized cantilevered locking system and rear surface snap features. The lamp body utilizes a plurality of alternating, U-shaped snap features aligned in a row, which allow for a secure yet releasable engagement with the corresponding mounting hole in the bracket. Furthermore, the design incorporates an alignment pin that frictionally engages with an alignment hole and a bias tab to maintain structural stability. It also includes a gasket coupled to the rear surface that effectively prevents liquid intrusion between the lamp and the mounting bracket. By solving the technical challenges of creating a waterproof, easily replaceable, and robust lighting mount, the assembly offers significant improvements over conventional mounting methods.
R&D Tax Credit Eligibility for Practical Applications
The practical applications of this patent present strong opportunities for companies to qualify for the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit in the United States. Developing a commercial product based on this quick connect mount involves systematic experimentation to optimize the tolerances of the snap features, the durability of the U-shaped latches under various environmental conditions, and the effectiveness of the liquid sealing gasket. Manufacturers adapting this technology for commercial vehicles, marine vessels, or industrial machinery would need to conduct extensive prototyping and stress testing to eliminate technical uncertainties regarding performance, vibration resistance, and longevity. These engineering and testing activities directly align with the IRS four-part test for qualified research, meaning that the expenses incurred during the development and integration of these advanced lighting assemblies could be eligible for substantial federal and state R&D tax incentives.
