Patents Assigned to Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11661225
    Abstract: Heat shrink wrap product packaging oven or tunnel apparatus and processing methods are provided which incorporate or utilize a central divider mechanism. The central divider moves over a conveyor between a vertical, dual track position, and a retracted, single track position. The divider can additionally include a curved deflector that focuses and/or smooths air flow from the divider laterally across the dual track conveyance path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Robert C. Beesley, Mark Davidson
  • Patent number: 11661765
    Abstract: A lock and lid lock for an appliance are provided. The lock has a base supporting a driving mechanism, a sliding mechanism, a connecting mechanism and a locking mechanism. The driving mechanism includes a driving unit that drives rotation of a screw rod. A sliding block is connected to a gear that is engaged with the screw rod and drives the sliding block to move linearly back and forth with the rotation of the screw rod. One end of the connecting mechanism is connected to the sliding block and the other end is connected to the locking mechanism. This allows linear movement of the sliding block to be converted into rotational movement of the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is rotatably connected to the base and may include a locking portion which is configured to unfold or retract relative to the base along with the rotation of the locking mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Yang Wang
  • Patent number: 11660697
    Abstract: A welding-type power supply including a balanced plate rectifier to rectify high frequency alternating current from one or more transformers. The balanced plate rectifier includes an output terminal symmetrically connected to the plates of the plate rectifiers. The impedance between the output terminal and each plate is substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Adam E. Anders, Brian Schwartz, Paul William Garvey
  • Patent number: 11659840
    Abstract: An oven may include a cooking chamber, a user interface, a first energy source, a second energy source and a cooking controller. The cooking chamber may be configured to receive a food product. The user interface may be configured to display information associated with processes employed for cooking the food product. The first energy source may provide primary heating of the food product placed in the cooking chamber. The second energy source may provide browning for the food product. The cooking controller may be operably coupled to the first and second energy sources. The cooking controller may include processing circuitry configured to enable an operator to make a browning control selection via the user interface by providing operator instructions to a selected control console rendered at the user interface. The selected control console may be selected based on a cooking mode of the oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Joshua B. Murphy, Jeffrey T. Debord, Eric A. Soller, Richard W. Cartwright
  • Patent number: 11660695
    Abstract: Welding power supplies, wire feeders, and systems to measure a weld cable voltage drop are disclosed. Example welding-type power supplies include a power converter configured to convert input power to output welding-type power to a remote device via a weld cable; a reference conductor connected between the power supply and the remote device; a voltage monitor configured to determine a first voltage between the weld cable and the reference conductor while substantially zero current is being conducted through the reference conductor; and a receiver circuit configured to receive a second voltage between the weld cable and the reference conductor from the remote device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Adam E. Anders, Brian Schwartz, Andrew D. Nelson, Mark Richard Christopher
  • Patent number: 11661289
    Abstract: A transfer device for use with a conveying apparatus for controlling the flow of articles, including a first conveyor and a second conveyor. The transfer device is disposed generally across and movable along the first and second conveyors. The transfer device includes a belt guide attached to the transfer device. The belt guide includes a base configured to attach to an actuating frame of the transfer device and a tension roller that slideably engages with a portion of the base to aid in conveying articles between the first conveyor and second conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Jimmy D. Whitten, Anthony T. Burns, Jeffrey T. Allison
  • Patent number: 11660698
    Abstract: Disclosed example power supplies, user interfaces, and methods provide for monitoring, analysis and/or presentation of input power characteristics for a welding-type power supply and/or wire feeder. A welding system includes a power supply to deliver power to a welding torch based on one or more input power characteristics. The input power characteristics may correspond to received input power characteristics values during a welding procedure. The input power characteristics are responsive to the power demanded during the welding operation and may change accordingly. To maintain an accounting of the input power characteristics and their values as they change during the welding operation, control circuitry may receive information regarding the input characteristics, analyze the information, and/or generate presentable indicators for display on one or more graphical interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Craig Knoener, Joseph C. Schneider
  • Patent number: 11661964
    Abstract: A fastener for coupling a first component to a mounting hole of a second component. The fastener includes a central body portion, a head portion, provided at the proximal end of the central body portion. The fastener has at least two resilient ribs, protruding radially outward from an outer surface of the central body portion. The fastener includes at least a first pair of diametrically opposed recessed surfaces, provided at the proximal end of the central body and extending axially between the head portion and a respective shoulder portion formed by each one of the first pair of recessed surfaces. The at least two resilient ribs extend along the outer surface of the central body portion in a direction along the central axis between the distal end and the proximal end, and axially past the respective shoulder portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Javier Arteta, Ivan Cipres, Francisco Cuervas, Josep Ventallo Sabater
  • Patent number: 11654772
    Abstract: An assembly includes a movable door assembly and a heating element. The movable door assembly is configured to be disposed on an exterior of a vehicle. The heating element is coupled to the movable door assembly, and is configured to receive energy from a battery disposed on the vehicle and to heat at least a portion of the movable door assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Paul Merryweather, Christopher Thomas Schaafsma
  • Patent number: 11656396
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing an optically variable film includes a laser configured to emit a beam, a telescoping lens section having a first lens and a second lens spaced apart by a first distance and an interferometer configured to direct the beam toward a workpiece. The laser may be operated at a predetermined power level and the first and second lenses are sized and spaced relative to one another to direct the beam onto the workpiece at about 200-230 dots per inch. The workpiece may include a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer configured to be ablated by the beam, forming a microstructure in the surface of the layer. The microstructure may be randomized and used to present non-chroma visual effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Dean Randazzo
  • Patent number: 11654503
    Abstract: Submerged arc welding torches and systems to resistively preheat electrode wire are disclosed. A disclosed example submerged arc welding torch includes: a first contact tip configured to transfer weld current and preheating current to the wire; a second contact tip configured to conduct the preheating current to the wire; an air-cooled first conductive body portion configured to receive the weld current and to conduct the weld current and the preheating current to the first contact tip; an air-cooled second conductive body portion configured to receive the preheating current and to conduct the preheating current to the second contact tip; and an insulator coupled between the first and second conductive body portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Zakary Stapp, Jake Zwayer, Aniruddha Bhide, Valarie Schwartz
  • Patent number: 11654501
    Abstract: A motion detection system having detection circuitry, motion recognition circuitry, and communication circuitry is provided. The detection circuitry is configured to detect gestures or motions of a welding system operator. In some embodiments, the detection circuitry is configured to detect gestures or motions of a welding operator via an accessory device, where the accessory device is in wireless communication with the motion detection system. The motion recognition circuitry receives the detected gestures or motions, and translates the detected gestures or motions into a welding command. The welding command is communicated to a welding system via the communications circuitry, and is configured to adjust an operating parameter of the welding system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Jason Dunahoo, Seth Michael Gregory
  • Patent number: 11655835
    Abstract: An example fastener includes a body and a clamp. The body includes a first resilient arm. The clamp is pivotably engaged with the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Mark O. Lepper
  • Patent number: 11654808
    Abstract: A seat assembly includes a frame, a seating base layer, a compression limiter layer, a load distribution layer, and an adjustment module. The seating base layer is arranged on the frame. The compression limiter layer is arranged adjacent to the seating base layer and comprises a wave portion forming a knee support. The load distribution layer is connected to the compression limiter layer. The adjustment module is movable between a rear position and a forward position and is configured to move the wave portion between a retracted position and an extended position. The wave portion has one of more first wave elements formed as springs and one or more second wave elements formed as springs. The first wave elements are offset from the second wave elements in a radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Craig M. Oomen
  • Patent number: 11654583
    Abstract: A valve operating device includes first and second pivots, a first arm portion extending therebetween, a second arm portion extending from the second pivot, a valve operating machine on the second arm portion, and an actuator connected between the first pivot and the first arm portion. The first arm portion can rotate around a first vertical axis defined by the first pivot and can pivot around a horizontal axis defined by the first pivot. The second arm portion can rotate around a second vertical axis defined by the second pivot. The actuator causes the first and second arm portions, the second pivot, and the valve operating machine to pivot upward and downward relative to the first pivot around the horizontal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Mark W. Wozniak, Jeffrey M. Swiatowy
  • Patent number: 11653747
    Abstract: Provided is a disclosure for a multi-attachment accessory holder that includes a main body configured to couple a first side of the main body to an accessory device. The main body is configured to hold a magnet, and the main body includes one or more coupling points for attaching an ancillary accessory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Michael V. Hoeger
  • Patent number: 11654859
    Abstract: A diffuser includes a first tube and a second tube. The first tube includes a key and defines a first opening. The second tube is inserted through the first opening. The second tube defines a notch. The key is inserted into the notch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Randall Joseph Schoenborn, John David Bisset, David Aaron Prymula
  • Publication number: 20230150731
    Abstract: A child-resistant reclosable bag includes a container configured to retain one or more items within a product portion. A zipper is coupled to the container. The zipper is above the product portion. The zipper includes one or more primary seals, and one or more secondary seals at one or more defined locations. The one or more secondary seals at the one or more defined locations identify opening areas on the product portion. The opening areas are configured to be grasped and pulled apart to open the zipper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Plourde
  • Patent number: 11649659
    Abstract: A mechanism for opening a vehicle door, comprising: a door opening component for opening the vehicle door, a cover plate, and a first fixed rotational axle. The door opening component is disposed in an operating cavity. The cover plate covers the operating cavity such that the cover plate is concealed in the door. The first fixed rotational axle is mounted adjacent to the operating cavity. A side edge of the cover plate is mounted on the first fixed rotational axle such that when an external force is applied to the cover plate, the cover plate is rotatable about the first fixed rotational axle to enter the operating cavity such that the door opening component is accessible to an operator via the operating cavity to open the vehicle door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Bin Chen, Wenquan Sha
  • Patent number: 11648621
    Abstract: Systems and methods to design part weld processes using media libraries are disclosed. An example system to generate weld instructions for display to a weld operator during a welding sequence, the system including: a processor; and a machine readable storage device comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: provide an interface to define a weld program comprising a sequence of weld instructions for display to a weld operator during a weld sequence; in response to an input specifying a location of an object in a media library, defining an element in the weld program based on an identifier of the object in the media library; and generating the weld program by including the identifier of the object in the media library in association with the element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Adam Pliska, Leland Falde