Patents Examined by Brian W Jennison
  • Patent number: 11648629
    Abstract: A laser processing apparatus is used which includes: a laser oscillator that oscillates a processing laser beam at a processing point to be processed on a surface of a workpiece; an optical interferometer that emits a measurement beam to the processing point and generates an optical interference intensity signal based on interference generated due to an optical path difference between the measurement beam reflected at the processing point and a reference beam; a first mirror that changes traveling directions of the processing laser beam and the measurement beam; a second mirror that changes an incident angle of the measurement beam onto the first mirror; a lens that focuses the processing laser beam and the measurement beam on the processing point; a memory that stores corrected processing data; a control unit that controls the laser oscillator, the first mirror, and the second mirror based on the corrected processing data; and a measurement processing unit that derives a depth of a keyhole generated at the p
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yohei Takechi, Jun Yokoyama, Takashi Urashima
  • Patent number: 11648619
    Abstract: Method and device for marking a workpiece surface (2A) of a metal workpiece (2), in which a welding torch (3) comprising a welding wire electrode (4) is guided along the workpiece surface (2A) to be marked and meanwhile a wire end (4A) of the welding wire electrode (4) is moved towards and away from the work-piece surface (2A) to be marked, wherein an electric voltage (U) present at the welding wire electrode (4) and/or an electric current (I) flowing through the welding wire electrode (4) bring about electric sparks, which bring about material removal and/or material alteration at the workpiece surface (2A) of the metal workpiece (2) to mark the workpiece surface (2A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Fronius International GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Schörghuber, Andreas Waldhör, Manuel Mayer
  • Patent number: 11642735
    Abstract: A power supply system includes multiple power supply devices including a first power supply device and a second power supply device that are connected in common to a load. The first power supply device calculates control information for controlling voltage or current to be output to the load and source information for obtaining the control information, and controls the output to the load based on the calculated control information while transmitting the source information to the second power supply device. The second power supply device receives the source information transmitted from the first power supply device, calculates control information based on the received source information, and controls the output to the load while detecting current to be output from itself to the load and transmitting current information to the first power supply device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Kawai, Songjie Hou, Futoshi Nishisaka, Haruhiko Manabe
  • Patent number: 11641976
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cooker including: a housing; a pressure pot; an air fryer pot; a heater; and a fan. The pressure pot is configured to be disposed in the housing. The air fryer pot is configured to be disposed in the housing. The heater is disposed in the housing. The heater is configured to heat air outside the air fryer pot when the air fryer pot is in the housing. The fan blows the air heated by the heater into an inside space of the air fryer pot when the air fryer pot is disposed in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: The Steelstone Group LLC
    Inventor: Binyumen Itzkowitz
  • Patent number: 11641970
    Abstract: A cooking appliance is provided. The lid comprises a pressure-limiting valve, a lever, and a button assembly comprising a steam-discharging button and a button seat, the steam-discharging button being fastened to the button seat and being vertically movable for actuating the lever to activate the pressure-limiting valve for steam discharging. The button assembly comprises a guiding rod, the steam-discharging button comprises a heart-shaped groove. A downward movement of the steam-discharging button causes a first end of the guiding rod to slide within the heart-shaped groove. When the steam-discharging button is released, the first end of the guiding rod slides to a position for lockingly engaging with the heart-shaped groove, to keep the steam-discharging button at a steam-discharging position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Instant Brands Inc.
    Inventors: Yi Qin, Jiwei Wang
  • Patent number: 11646598
    Abstract: A welding-type power system that includes an engine configured to drive an electric generator to provide a first power output. In addition to the electric generator, the system includes an energy storage system to provide a second power output. The system includes energy storage devices and charging devices that are used to charge the energy storage devices. A controller is configured to control the charging devices to provide charging power output to the energy storage devices based on the parameters related to the charge level of the energy storage devices. The controller, using data received from sensors and charge measurement devices, determines the respective charge level for each energy storage device; compares the respective charge levels to one or more threshold charge levels; and controls the charging devices to provide a charging power output to the energy storage devices with a charge level that is below a threshold charge level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: David Edwin Radtke
  • Patent number: 11641981
    Abstract: The present application discloses an automated cooking apparatus that includes a cooking container to contain or otherwise hold food or food ingredients and a stirring motion mechanism to move the cooking container by fast speed yet points on the internal surface of the container are displaced by properly small distance. The stirring motion mechanism may comprise one or more kinematic mechanisms or pairs, each comprising a first mating part and a second mating part whose movement is constrained relative the first mating part, wherein the first mating part is connected to the cooking container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Inventor: Zhengxu He
  • Patent number: 11639022
    Abstract: A method and apparatus, for manufacturing a duct for a fluid management system of an aircraft. A filament-fed additive manufacturing apparatus is used to perform the additive manufacturing process. The additive manufacturing apparatus comprises a nozzle, wherein the nozzle receives material in the form of a filament and adds said material to the duct in a location proximate to the nozzle location, and wherein the nozzle moves in a generally helical path relative to the duct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Modest Reszewicz, Tomasz Serafinowicz
  • Patent number: 11633813
    Abstract: A weld system includes: a robot control module configured to actuate a robot and move a welder along a joint of metal workpieces during welding, the welder being attached to the robot; a weld control module configured to, during the welding, apply power to the welder, supply a shield gas, and supply electrode material; a vision sensor configured to, during the welding, optically measure distances between the vision sensor and locations, respectively, on an outer surface of a weld bead created along the joint by the welder; and a weld module configured to: determine a strength of the weld bead at a location based on: the distances at the location along the joint; and at least one parameter from at least one of the robot control module during the welding, the weld control module during the welding, and a sensor configured to capture data of the welding during the welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Pei-chung Wang, Spyros P. Mellas, Debejyo Chakraborty, James Michael Ward, Diana M. Wegner
  • Patent number: 11633812
    Abstract: A machine learning device performs machine learning on a laser machine including a plurality of galvanometer mirrors for reflection of a laser beam and a plurality of galvanometer motors for driving the galvanometer mirrors to rotate, and scanning the laser beam over a workpiece. The machine learning device includes: input data acquisition unit that acquires at least two detected temperatures from the galvanometer mirrors and the galvanometer motors as input data; label acquisition unit that acquires a coefficient as a label for calculating a machining target position from an actual position of machining with the laser beam on the workpiece; and learning unit that performs supervised learning using a set of the label and the input data as training data to construct a mathematical model for calculating the machining target position from the actual machining position on the workpiece based on the at least two detected temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yousuke Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11623293
    Abstract: A device and method for welding a welding stud to a base is provided. A welding current is applied to a welding stud between the welding stud and the base material, wherein a material of the welding stud and the base material is partially liquefied. The welding stud is then immersed into the solidifying material of the welding stud or the base material in order to create a bond between the welding stud and the base material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Klaus Bertsch, Uwe Popp
  • Patent number: 11622645
    Abstract: A beverage making machine may include a cartridge holder to hold a cartridge used to form a beverage. The cartridge holder may include a lower portion arranged to receive and hold the cartridge and a movable upper portion arranged to clamp the cartridge in place. The cartridge holder may be arranged to hold upper and lower compartments of the cartridge in spaces having a different pressure, e.g., an upper compartment of the cartridge may be held under relatively high pressure, and a lower compartment may be held in a space at ambient pressure. The cartridge holder may pierce upper and/or lower compartments of the cartridge to introduce activating fluid and/or receive carbonating gas from the upper compartment, and/or to introduced pressurized air into the lower compartment to force beverage medium to exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Bedford Systems LLC
    Inventors: Jeremy B. Gordon, Thomas Fedorka, Thomas Paul Dutremble, Gwynn Masada, Bradford Range, William Philip McHugh
  • Patent number: 11612949
    Abstract: A travel speed sensing system includes an optical sensor configured to be coupled to a welding torch. The optical sensor is configured to sense light incident on the optical sensor, and the travel speed sensing system is configured to determine a travel speed of the welding torch, a direction of the welding torch, or both, based on the sensed light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Kyle Andrew Pfeifer, Todd Earl Holverson, William Todd Watson, Richard Martin Hutchison, William Joshua Becker
  • Patent number: 11612955
    Abstract: A joining device and method for laser-based joining of two components includes a first laser radiation source, a first radiation guide connected to the first radiation source to couple first laser radiation into the first radiation guide, a second laser radiation source, at least one second radiation guide connected to the second radiation source to couple second laser radiation into the second radiation guide, and a focusing device coupled to the laser radiations and focusing them at a distance from each other into a joining zone of the components. To reduce installation effort, the focusing device focuses the first and second laser radiations through a common beam path and a coupling device is connected on its input side to the first and second radiation guides and on its output side to the focusing device. The coupling device couples the first and second laser radiations into the common beam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft, IPG Laser GmbH
    Inventors: Thorge Hammer, Wilfried Reimann, Eugene Shcherbakov
  • Patent number: 11613853
    Abstract: A device for welding a rail joint of a track, comprising two rail clamping devices spaced from one another in a rail longitudinal direction which are connected to one another via push rods to press rail ends apart prior to welding. In this, it is provided that at least one rail clamping device is coupled to a transverse displacement device for flush-aligning the rail ends after being pressed apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Plasser & Theurer Export von Bahnbaumaschinen GmbH
    Inventor: Heinz Muehlleitner
  • Patent number: 11612950
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for a welding-type power system that includes an engine configured to drive an electric generator to provide a first power output. An energy storage device to provide a second power output. A controller is configured to receive one or more control signals to provide a total power output to at least one of a welding-type output or an auxiliary type output, determine proportional values for the first power output and the second power output that add up to the total power output based on a power demand signal that indicates a contribution of the first power output and the second power output, control the engine to adjust speed based on the first power output value, and control a connection from the energy storage device to provide the second power output to the welding-type output based on the second power output value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventor: David Edwin Radtke
  • Patent number: 11612951
    Abstract: A system and method for wirelessly controlling, monitoring, and updating various welding parameters from a remote device using a single remote control. The remote does not need to have the software to communicate with the welding-type system prior to initiating communications with the welding-type system. Rather, the welding-type system can provide a code download to the remote to perform an over-the-air programming of the remote to configure the remote to control the welding-type system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Marc L. Denis, Michael A. Gill, Todd G. Batzler
  • Patent number: 11617236
    Abstract: The invention relates to an induction hob comprising: a hob plate (2); two or more induction coils (3) arranged below the hob plate in order to form heating zones (4) at the hob plate (2); one or more pot detection sensors (5), the pot detection sensors (5) being at least partially placed between a pair of adjacent induction coils (3); wherein the pot detection sensor (5) is a strip-shaped sensor extending in a space between said pair of adjacent induction coils (3) and the pot detection sensor (5) is coupled with an evaluation unit (8) adapted to determine information regarding the coverage of the pot detection sensor (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolag
    Inventors: Harald Hoffmann, Jochen Holzinger, Gerhard Klein
  • Patent number: 11617238
    Abstract: An induction heating system includes interchangeable secondary induction heating assemblies and/or secondary induction heating coil flux concentrators that are specifically configured for the particular type of weld being created and/or the particular weld joint where the weld is created. For example, the secondary induction heating assemblies and/or secondary induction heating coil flux concentrators may have specific physical configurations (e.g., shapes, contours, etc.) and/or include specific materials (e.g., ferrites) that are well suited for the particular type of weld being created and/or the particular weld joint where the weld is created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis Roland Sigl
  • Patent number: 11617230
    Abstract: An aerosol generating system includes a heater assembly and a manually operated pump. The pump includes a hollow member with an inlet portion and an outlet portion. The inlet portion of the hollow member is configured connectable with a liquid storage portion. The outlet portion of the hollow member is in fluid communication with a dispensing assembly. The pump is configured to dispense a liquid material onto the heater assembly. The pump is configured to pump the liquid material from the liquid storage portion via the dispensing assembly and onto the heater assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Laurent Manca, Rui Nuno Batista