Patents by Inventor Eric Louis KUNZ

Eric Louis KUNZ 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: 20240063748
    Abstract: An impact power tool includes a housing, a motor, a controller, an output member configured to be rotated when the motor is energized, and an impact mechanism configured to rotationally drive the output member. The impact mechanism is configured to selectively apply rotational impacts to the output member when a torque on the output member exceeds a torque threshold. The controller is configured to control the motor during a first phase of operation with open loop control and a baseline conduction band and advance angle setting when a sensed tool operation parameter is one of above or below a threshold value. The controller is configured to control the motor during a second phase of operation with closed speed loop control and an increased conduction band and advance angle setting when the sensed tool operation parameter is the other of above or below the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Inventors: Brian E. FRIEDMAN, Peter Hague WADESON, Eric Louis KUNZ, BhanuPrakash VILLURI, Tyler PETRUS, Wing W. LIN
  • Patent number: 11855567
    Abstract: An impact power tool includes a housing, a motor, a controller, an output member configured to be rotated when the motor is energized, and an impact mechanism configured to rotationally drive the output member. The impact mechanism is configured to selectively apply rotational impacts to the output member when a torque on the output member exceeds a torque threshold. The controller is configured to control the motor during a first phase of operation with open loop control and a baseline conduction band and advance angle setting when a sensed tool operation parameter is one of above or below a threshold value. The controller is configured to control the motor during a second phase of operation with closed speed loop control and an increased conduction band and advance angle setting when the sensed tool operation parameter is the other of above or below the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: Brian E. Friedman, Peter Hague Wadeson, Eric Louis Kunz, BhanuPrakash Villuri, Tyler Petrus, Wing W. Lin
  • Publication number: 20230268866
    Abstract: An impact power tool includes a motor, a controller, and an impact mechanism configured to rotationally drive an output spindle. The controller is configured to control power delivered to the motor, during a third phase of operation after a second phase of operation and starting upon expiration of a predetermined time period. The third phase has one or more of a third non-zero target rotational speed, a third duty cycle setting, a third conduction band setting, or a third advance angle setting. The controller is configured to control power delivered to the motor, during a fourth phase of operation after the third phase upon detection of a reduction in load on the output spindle or cessation of impacting. The fourth phase has one or more of a fourth non-zero target rotational speed, a fourth duty cycle setting, a fourth conduction band setting, or a fourth advance angle setting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Brian E. FRIEDMAN, Peter Hague WADESON, Eric Louis KUNZ, BhanuPrakash VILLURI, Tyler PETRUS, Wing W. LIN, Abhinav JAYAKUMAR
  • Publication number: 20220200511
    Abstract: A power tool includes a housing, a brushless motor received in the housing, a power switch coupled to the housing and actuatable by a user, a controller configured to control power delivery to the motor in response to actuation of the power switch, and an output spindle configured to rotate when the motor is energized. The controller is configured to maintain an amount of current delivered to the motor to be less than or equal to a current limit by turning off or reducing power to the motor for a time period if the current exceeds the current limit and then restarting power delivery to the motor. The time period is greater than the duration of one full current cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Brian E. FRIEDMAN, Peter Hague WADESON, Eric Louis KUNZ, BhanuPrakash VILLURI, Tyler PETRUS, Wing W. LIN
  • Publication number: 20220193871
    Abstract: An impact power tool includes a housing, a motor, a controller, an impact mechanism configured to be driven by the motor, and an output spindle configured to receive rotational impacts from the impact mechanism to rotate the output spindle. The controller is configured to detect a first impact of the rotational impacts or to detect when the motor speed drops below a speed threshold value. The controller is configured to control the motor to have a first non-zero target rotational speed using closed loop control for a predetermined time period after the first impact is detected or when the motor speed dropping below the speed threshold value is detected. The controller is configured to control the motor to have a second non-zero target rotational speed using the closed loop control after the predetermined time period. The first non-zero target rotational speed is less than the second non-zero target rotational speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Brian E. FRIEDMAN, Peter Hague WADESON, Eric Louis KUNZ, BhanuPrakash VILLURI, Tyler PETRUS, Wing W. LIN
  • Publication number: 20220193868
    Abstract: An impact power tool includes a housing, a motor, a controller, an output member configured to be rotated when the motor is energized, and an impact mechanism configured to rotationally drive the output member. The impact mechanism is configured to selectively apply rotational impacts to the output member when a torque on the output member exceeds a torque threshold. The controller is configured to control the motor during a first phase of operation with open loop control and a baseline conduction band and advance angle setting when a sensed tool operation parameter is one of above or below a threshold value. The controller is configured to control the motor during a second phase of operation with closed speed loop control and an increased conduction band and advance angle setting when the sensed tool operation parameter is the other of above or below the threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Brian E. FRIEDMAN, Peter Hague WADESON, Eric Louis KUNZ, BhanuPrakash VILLURI, Tyler PETRUS, Wing W. LIN