Patents by Inventor Nicholas A. Gronneberg-Schnoes

Nicholas A. Gronneberg-Schnoes 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).

  • Resistance spot weld head with integrated accelerometer
    Patent number: 11224932
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a welding system that is configured to execute opposed, step, and parallel gap resistance spot welds (RSW) and associated methods. The system may be configured to switch bases to switch between an opposed weld configuration, a step weld configuration, and a parallel gap configuration. The system may include an accelerometer that is secured to the weld head adjacent one of the electrodes. The system may use the accelerometer to determine whether or not an RSW was defective. Acceleration data may indicate a defective weld when it includes acceleration data that is outside of a threshold range of acceptable acceleration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven J. Schultz, Nicholas A. Gronneberg-Schnoes, John E. Hartung, Vadim A. Yakovlev, Peter Nikrin, Scott N. Tuominen, Enrico Westenberg, Jeffrey P. Weiss
  • RESISTANCE SPOT WELD HEAD WITH INTEGRATED ACCELEROMETER
    Publication number: 20190314925
    Abstract: Aspects of this disclosure relate to a welding system that is configured to execute opposed, step, and parallel gap resistance spot welds (RSW) and associated methods. The system may be configured to switch bases to switch between an opposed weld configuration, a step weld configuration, and a parallel gap configuration. The system may include an accelerometer that is secured to the weld head adjacent one of the electrodes. The system may use the accelerometer to determine whether or not an RSW was defective. Acceleration data may indicate a defective weld when it includes acceleration data that is outside of a threshold range of acceptable acceleration data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Steven J. Schultz, Nicholas A. Gronneberg-Schnoes, John E. Hartung, Vadim A. Yakovlev, Peter Nikrin, Scott N. Tuominen, Enrico Westenberg, Jeffrey P. Weiss