Patents by Inventor Eric Van Fossen

Eric Van Fossen 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: 20240173830
    Abstract: A hand tool includes a head section which may include a top jaw and a bottom jaw, a handle section which may include a top handle and a bottom handle, a joint assembly which may operably couple the head section to the handle section, and a pin assembly which may include a first pin disposed at a distal end of the top jaw and a second pin disposed at a distal end of the bottom jaw. A high friction surface may be disposed over at least a portion of the first and second pins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Jesse Higgins, Eric Van Fossen, Zhihong Fu, Kyle Romanick, Miles Cawley
  • Publication number: 20240173831
    Abstract: A hand tool may include a head section which may include a top jaw and a bottom jaw, a handle section which may include a top handle and a bottom handle, a joint assembly which may operably couple the head section to the handle section, a pin assembly which may include a first pin disposed at a distal end of the top jaw and a second pin disposed at a distal end of the bottom jaw, and a gripping assembly which may include a first gripping surface disposed at the top jaw proximate to the first pin and a second gripping surface disposed at the bottom jaw proximate to the second pin. The first and second gripping surfaces may grip objects therebetween responsive to the top jaw and the bottom jaw moving towards each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Jesse Higgins, Eric Van Fossen, Zhihong Fu, Kyle Romanick
  • Publication number: 20240123759
    Abstract: A chalk box may include a housing having an aperture, a reel assembly enclosed within the housing, a string having a first end operably coupled to an end hook and configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and having a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly, a chalk reservoir in which the string is retained or through which the string passes prior to extending out of the aperture, and a seating assembly configured to extend around at least fifty percent of the length or volume of the end hook when the string is fully withdrawn into the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Cecil Wilson, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: 11897280
    Abstract: A chalk box including a housing (110) having an aperture (140), a reel assembly (120) enclosed within the housing, a string (140) having a first end operably coupled to an end hook (170) and configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and having a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly, a chalk reservoir (160) in which the string is retained or through which the string passes prior to extending out of the aperture, and a seating assembly (180) configured to extend around at least fifty percent of the length or volume of the end hook when the string is fully withdrawn into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Cecil Wilson, Eric Van Fossen
  • Publication number: 20230299598
    Abstract: A battery charger includes a housing with a base and battery charging electronics disposed within the housing. The battery charger also includes a first magnet disposed adjacent to the base on an internal side of the base, and a second magnet disposed adjacent to the base on the internal side of the base. Magnetic fields of the first magnet and the second magnet extend from the housing and away from the base to magnetically attract the base of the housing to a ferromagnetic surface to magnetically secure the battery charger to the ferromagnetic surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Scott Bublitz, Pratik Bendale, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: 11590645
    Abstract: A wrench rack includes a base portion having a first side and a second side, and a first rail and a second rail. Each of the first rail and second rail includes a plurality of wrench slots formed at a predetermined angle. The first rail and second rail are releasably coupled with the first side and second side of the base portion, respectively, in a first configuration and the first rail and second rail are releasably coupled to the second side and first side of the base portion, respectively, in a second configuration, such that an orientation of the predetermined angle of the wrench slots of the first configuration is reversed in the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Paul Steinweg, Eric Van Fossen
  • Publication number: 20220185006
    Abstract: A chalk box including a housing (110) having an aperture (140), a reel assembly (120) enclosed within the housing, a string (140) having a first end operably coupled to an end hook (170) and configured to extend from the housing through the aperture and having a second end configured to be wound on the reel assembly, a chalk reservoir (160) in which the string is retained or through which the string passes prior to extending out of the aperture, and a seating assembly (180) configured to extend around at least fifty percent of the length or volume of the end hook when the string is fully withdrawn into the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Cecil Wilson, Eric Van Fossen
  • Publication number: 20220176733
    Abstract: A line lock assembly for locking a retraction assembly of a chalk box may include a line lock cover (250) operably coupled to a housing of the chalk box to form a line lock member enclosure, and a line lock member (260) disposed within the line lock member enclosure. The line lock member may be configured to move responsive to rotation of the line lock cover to alternately lock the retraction assembly and unlock the retraction assembly based on a position of the line lock cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Cecil Wilson, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: 11219963
    Abstract: A soldering station includes a first tool port configured to interface with a first soldering tool, a second tool port configured to interface with a second soldering tool, a display configured to display information relating to one or both of the first and second soldering tools, and processing circuitry configured to interface with the display to provide the information relating to one or both of the first and second soldering tools. The first tool port has a first indicator associated therewith and the second tool port has a second indicator associated therewith. The first indicator generates a first color that is also generated at a third indicator associated with the first soldering tool. The second indictor generates a second color that is also generated at a fourth indicator associated with the second soldering tool, the first and second colors being different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Van Fossen
  • Publication number: 20210362259
    Abstract: A soldering station includes a first tool port configured to interface with a first soldering tool, a second tool port configured to interface with a second soldering tool, a display configured to display information relating to one or both of the first and second soldering tools, and processing circuitry configured to interface with the display to provide the information relating to one or both of the first and second soldering tools. The first tool port has a first indicator associated therewith and the second tool port has a second indicator associated therewith. The first indicator generates a first color that is also generated at a third indicator associated with the first soldering tool. The second indictor generates a second color that is also generated at a fourth indicator associated with the second soldering tool, the first and second colors being different from each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventor: Eric Van Fossen
  • Publication number: 20210283767
    Abstract: A wrench rack includes a base portion having a first side and a second side, and a first rail and a second rail. Each of the first rail and second rail includes a plurality of wrench slots formed at a predetermined angle. The first rail and second rail are releasably coupled with the first side and second side of the base portion, respectively, in a first configuration and the first rail and second rail are releasably coupled to the second side and first side of the base portion, respectively, in a second configuration, such that an orientation of the predetermined angle of the wrench slots of the first configuration is reversed in the second configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Paul Steinweg, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: D926009
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Cecil Wilson, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: D928001
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Cecil Wilson, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: D938504
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: D953137
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Zhihong Fu, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: D953831
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Van Fossen, Brian Butler, Scott Bublitz
  • Patent number: D967684
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Zhihong Fu, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: D991760
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: APEX BRANDS, INC.
    Inventors: Eric Van Fossen, Scott Bublitz
  • Patent number: D991764
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong Fu, Eric Van Fossen
  • Patent number: D1002314
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Van Fossen, Brian Butler, Scott Bublitz