Patents by Inventor Christopher Hsu

Christopher Hsu 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).

  • Publication number: 20250108445
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes an additive manufacturing tool configured to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, a temperature control device configured to control a temperature of the part, and a controller configured to control the composition, formation, and application of each droplet to the plurality of droplets to the part independent from control of the temperature. of the part via the temperature control device. The plurality of droplets is configured to build up the part. Each droplet of the plurality of droplets includes at least one metallic anchoring material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2024
    Publication date: April 3, 2025
    Inventors: Bruce Patrick Albrecht, Christopher Hsu
  • Patent number: 12240063
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to communicate via a weld cable are disclosed. An example weld circuit communications device includes a receiver circuit, a processor, and a local communications adapter. The receiver circuit to receive a communication via a weld circuit while current is flowing through the weld circuit or after the current has stopped flowing through the weld circuit, the communication including weld voltage feedback information measured at a device remote from a power supply and remote from the weld circuit communications device while the current is flowing through the weld circuit. The processor generates power supply control information based on the weld voltage feedback information. The local communications adapter transmits the power supply control information to control welding-type power output by a power converter to regulate a weld voltage to a weld voltage setpoint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Mehn, Christopher Hsu, Maxwell Brock, Quinn William Schartner
  • Patent number: 12208476
    Abstract: A contact tip assembly with a preheating tip comprises a welding-type power source configured to provide welding-type current to a welding-type circuit, the welding-type circuit comprising a welding-type electrode and a first contact tip of a welding torch; an electrode preheating circuit configured to provide preheating current through a first portion of the electrode via a second contact tip of the welding torch; and a preheat controller to: monitor a voltage drop across a second portion of the electrode; adjust at least one of the welding-type current or the preheating current based on the voltage drop, the second portion of the electrode comprising at least part of the first portion of the electrode; and control the preheating current based on a hydrogen reduction goal and based on stored parameters associated with a type of the electrode, a chemistry of the electrode, or a wire size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Jake Zwayer, Steven Barhorst, James Lee Uecker, Christopher Hsu, Dennis Sigl, Jon Michael Patterson
  • Patent number: 12168270
    Abstract: A welding system comprises a hand-held weld tool comprises a positioning and orientation measurement system having an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a processing subsystem, and a calibration apparatus. The processing subsystem is operable to compute, based on data generated by the IMU during a weld operation on a workpiece, one or more actual motion attributes for the hand-held weld tool. The calibration apparatus is configured to hold the hand-held weld tool in a known position and orientation and in stationary state for calibration of the positioning and orientation measurement system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Hsu
  • Publication number: 20240412661
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide visual information associated with welding operations are disclosed. An weld training system includes a display, a camera, a communications device, and a welding helmet. The communications device communicates with welding equipment. The welding helmet has a view port. The communications device is configured to hold the camera, the communications device, and the display such that, when the welding helmet is worn by a wearer, the display is viewable by the wearer, the camera has a view through the view port such that the display displays to the wearer images taken by the camera through the view port and displays a simulated object generated based on information received from the welding equipment via the communications device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2024
    Publication date: December 12, 2024
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Scott Nicholas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 12145223
    Abstract: An example system includes an additive manufacturing tool configured to receive a wire from a wire feeder, to receive current from a power source, and to supply the wire to a workpiece during an additive manufacturing process, and a mechanical oscillation system configured to mechanically oscillate a structural component toward and away from the workpiece, wherein the structural component is external to the wire feeder and the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Earl Holverson, Christopher Hsu
  • Patent number: 12145226
    Abstract: A welding system includes a torch motion sensing system associated with a welding torch and is configured to sense welding torch orientations or movements. The welding system also includes a processing system that is configured to vary operation of a power source based on the sensed orientations or movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Marc Lee Denis, Christopher Hsu
  • Patent number: 12083633
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes an additive manufacturing tool configured to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, a temperature control device configured to control a temperature of the part, and a controller configured to control the composition, formation, and application of each droplet to the plurality of droplets to the part independent from control of the temperature of the part via the temperature control device. The plurality of droplets is configured to build up the part. Each droplet of the plurality of droplets includes at least one metallic anchoring material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Patrick Albrecht, Christopher Hsu
  • Publication number: 20240278349
    Abstract: A consumable filler metal delivery system includes a reciprocating wire feeding gear assembly configured to move a wire forward and backward with a net forward motion and a motor configured to drive the reciprocating wire feeding gear assembly, wherein the motor is configured to rotate only in one direction during operation of the consumable filler metal delivery system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2024
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Dennis Sigl, Herbert Alexius Bankstahl
  • Patent number: 11969836
    Abstract: A consumable filler metal delivery system includes a reciprocating wire feeding gear assembly configured to move a wire forward and backward with a net forward motion and a motor configured to drive the reciprocating wire feeding gear assembly, wherein the motor is configured to rotate only in one direction during operation of the consumable filler metal delivery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Dennis Sigl, Herbert Alexius Bankstahl
  • Publication number: 20240082942
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes an additive manufacturing tool configured to receive a plurality of metallic anchoring materials and to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, and a controller configured to independently control the composition, formation, and application of each droplet to the plurality of droplets to the part. The plurality of droplets is configured to build up the part. Each droplet of the plurality of droplets includes at least one metallic anchoring material of the plurality of metallic anchoring materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Inventors: Bruce Patrick Albrecht, Christopher Hsu
  • Patent number: 11862035
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide visual information associated with welding operations are disclosed. An weld training system includes a display, a camera, a communications device, and a welding helmet. The communications device communicates with welding equipment. The welding helmet has a view port. The communications device is configured to hold the camera, the communications device, and the display such that, when the welding helmet is worn by a wearer, the display is viewable by the wearer, the camera has a view through the view port such that the display displays to the wearer images taken by the camera through the view port and displays a simulated object generated based on information received from the welding equipment via the communications device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Scott Nicholas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11833623
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes an additive manufacturing tool configured to receive a plurality of metallic anchoring materials and to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, and a controller configured to independently control the composition, formation, and application of each droplet to the plurality of droplets to the part. The plurality of droplets is configured to build up the part. Each droplet of the plurality of droplets includes at least one metallic anchoring material of the plurality of metallic anchoring materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.
    Inventors: Bruce Patrick Albrecht, Christopher Hsu
  • Patent number: 11819959
    Abstract: A contact tip assembly with a preheating tip comprises a welding-type power source configured to provide welding-type current to a welding-type circuit, the welding-type circuit comprising a welding-type electrode and a first contact tip of a welding torch. The assembly also includes an electrode preheating circuit configured to provide preheating current through a portion of the welding-type electrode via a second contact tip of the welding torch, and a voltage sense circuit to monitor a voltage drop across the two contact tips, and the electrode preheating circuit adjusts at least one of the first current or the preheating current based on the voltage drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: James Lee Uecker, Jake Zwayer, Christopher Hsu
  • Publication number: 20230364698
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to communicate via a weld cable are disclosed. An example weld circuit communications device includes a receiver circuit, a processor, and a local communications adapter. The receiver circuit to receive a communication via a weld circuit while current is flowing through the weld circuit or after the current has stopped flowing through the weld circuit, the communication including weld voltage feedback information measured at a device remote from a power supply and remote from the weld circuit communications device while the current is flowing through the weld circuit. The processor generates power supply control information based on the weld voltage feedback information. The local communications adapter transmits the power supply control information to control welding-type power output by a power converter to regulate a weld voltage to a weld voltage setpoint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Peter Mehn, Christopher Hsu, Maxwell Brock, Quinn William Schartner
  • Patent number: 11759879
    Abstract: A welding method includes feeding a welding electrode axially from a welding torch, moving the welding electrode radially in a desired pattern with respect to a central axis of the welding torch by a motion control assembly within the welding torch, transmitting from control circuitry a signal corresponding to a position of the welding electrode relative to a weld joint or weld pool, advancing the welding torch or a workpiece to establish a weld, and transferring material from the welding electrode to a first location in an area of the weld pool. The welding electrode moves radially while feeding the welding electrode from the welding torch, the material from the welding electrode is transferred to the first location during a first cycle of the desired pattern, and the first location is controlled based at least in part on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Richard Martin Hutchison, Kevin Michael Scott, Kevin Pagano, James Lee Uecker
  • Publication number: 20230222938
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide visual information associated with welding operations are disclosed. An weld training system includes a display, a camera, a communications device, and a welding helmet. The communications device communicates with welding equipment. The welding helmet has a view port. The communications device is configured to hold the camera, the communications device, and the display such that, when the welding helmet is worn by a wearer, the display is viewable by the wearer, the camera has a view through the view port such that the display displays to the wearer images taken by the camera through the view port and displays a simulated object generated based on information received from the welding equipment via the communications device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Scott Nicholas Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11691198
    Abstract: Systems and methods for the manufacture of a solid wire using additive manufacturing techniques are disclosed. In one embodiment, a fine powdery material is sintered or melted or soldered or metallurgically bonded onto a metal strip substrate in a compacted solid form or a near-net shape (e.g., a near-net solid wire shape) before being turned into a final product through forming or drawing dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Hsu
  • Patent number: 11691213
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine heat input to a weld are disclosed. An example welding-type power supply includes a power converter to convert input power to output welding-type power, and a controller configured to: during a welding-type operation, calculate average instantaneous power values of the welding-type operation for discrete, non-overlapping time periods by multiplying voltage measurements and corresponding current measurements; identify an end of the welding-type operation; determine a duration of the welding-type operation; calculate a total average instantaneous power of the welding-type operation based on the average instantaneous power values for the time periods and the duration of the welding-type operation; and determine whether an acceptable range of the welding-type operation is exceeded based on the total average instantaneous power and the duration of the welding-type operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Hsu, Jake Zwayer
  • Patent number: 11679452
    Abstract: A machine-vision-assisted welding system comprises welding equipment, a time of Flight (ToF) camera operable to generate a three-dimensional depth map of a welding scene, digital image processing circuitry operable to extract welding information from the 3D depth map, and circuitry operable to control a function of the welding equipment based on the extracted welding information. The welding equipment may comprise, for example, arc welding equipment that forms an arc during a welding operation, and a light source of the ToF camera may emit light whose spectrum comprises a peak that is centered at a first wavelength, wherein the first wavelength is selected such that a power of the peak is at least a threshold amount above a power of light from the arc at the first wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Hsu