Patents by Inventor Randy S. McDonald
Randy S. McDonald 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).
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Patent number: 11859337Abstract: An appliance latch receives a strike when the appliance lid is closed and provides an electrically activated lock holding the lid closed during portions of the wash cycle that might present a hazard. The strike presents two different surfaces to the latch, the first to activate a lock mechanism and the second to activate an anti-tamper switch before the appliance may be actuated thereby reducing the risk of tampering.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2020Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Joel C. Bragg, Jeffrey J. Krieger
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Patent number: 11352731Abstract: An appliance lid lock mechanism provides a lock pin that may be extended into or withdrawn out of a lock cavity that receives a strike attached to the appliance lid interacting with the lock pin when the lid is closed. The lock pin communicates with the electric actuator on the opposite side of the lock pin from the lock pin's entry into the lock cavity by means of sidebars passing to the side of the lock cavity. The lock bar and sidebars are substantially coplanar with an actuation axis to prevent passage of liquid along these elements between the lock pin and the actuator.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2018Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Jeffrey J. Krieger, Michael K. Hintz
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Publication number: 20200340164Abstract: An appliance latch receives a strike when the appliance lid is closed and provides an electrically activated lock holding the lid closed during portions of the wash cycle that might present a hazard. The strike presents two different surfaces to the latch, the first to activate a lock mechanism and the second to activate an anti-tamper switch before the appliance may be actuated thereby reducing the risk of tampering.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2020Publication date: October 29, 2020Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Joel C. Bragg, Jeffrey J. Krieger
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Patent number: 10745846Abstract: An appliance latch receives a strike when the appliance lid is closed and provides an electrically activated lock holding the lid closed during portions of the wash cycle that might present a hazard. The strike presents two different surfaces to the latch, the first to activate a lock mechanism and the second to activate an anti-tamper switch before the appliance may be actuated thereby reducing the risk of tampering.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2019Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Joel C. Bragg, Jeffrey J. Krieger
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Patent number: 10590587Abstract: A latch system provides a latch striker including a flexible arm that can navigate a hook on the latch striker through an aperture in a corresponding latch mechanism. The aperture provides a tortuous passageway through which a hook on the latch striker must pass to activate an internal switch allowing operation of the appliance.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2014Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Joseph M. Finney, Randy S. McDonald
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Publication number: 20190284744Abstract: An appliance latch receives a strike when the appliance lid is closed and provides an electrically activated lock holding the lid closed during portions of the wash cycle that might present a hazard. The strike presents two different surfaces to the latch, the first to activate a lock mechanism and the second to activate an anti-tamper switch before the appliance may be actuated thereby reducing the risk of tampering.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2019Publication date: September 19, 2019Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Joel C. Bragg, Jeffrey J. Krieger
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Patent number: 10316454Abstract: An appliance latch receives a strike when the appliance lid is closed and provides an electrically activated lock holding the lid closed during portions of the wash cycle that might present a hazard. The strike presents two different surfaces to the latch, the first to activate a lock mechanism and the second to activate an anti-tamper switch before the appliance may be actuated thereby reducing the risk of tampering.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2014Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Joel C. Bragg, Jeffrey J. Krieger
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Patent number: 10247175Abstract: A seal assembly for a wax motor or the like provides an elastomeric seal, fitting against an actuator shaft that may slide through the elastomeric seal, where the elastomeric seal has mold flash regions that are displaced from the contact area between the shaft and the elastomeric seal significantly increasing elastomeric seal life.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2014Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Brian A. Stelloh
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Publication number: 20180371800Abstract: An appliance lid lock mechanism provides a lock pin that may be extended into or withdrawn out of a lock cavity that receives a strike attached to the appliance lid interacting with the lock pin when the lid is closed. The lock pin communicates with the electric actuator on the opposite side of the lock pin from the lock pin's entry into the lock cavity by means of sidebars passing to the side of the lock cavity. The lock bar and sidebars are substantially coplanar with an actuation axis to prevent passage of liquid along these elements between the lock pin and the actuator.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2018Publication date: December 27, 2018Inventors: Randy S. McDonald, Jeffrey J. Krieger, Michael K. Hintz
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Publication number: 20160376742Abstract: An appliance latch receives a strike when the appliance lid is closed and provides an electrically activated lock holding the lid closed during portions of the wash cycle that might present a hazard. The strike presents two different surfaces to the latch, the first to activate a lock mechanism and the second to activate an anti-tamper switch before the appliance may be actuated thereby reducing the risk of tampering.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2014Publication date: December 29, 2016Inventors: Randy S. MCDONALD, Joel C. BRAGG, Jeffrey J. KRIEGER
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Publication number: 20160251793Abstract: A latch system provides a latch striker including a flexible arm that can navigate a hook on the latch striker through an aperture in a corresponding latch mechanism. The aperture provides a tortuous passageway through which a hook on the latch striker must pass to activate an internal switch allowing operation of the appliance.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2014Publication date: September 1, 2016Inventors: Joseph M. FINNEY, Randy S. MCDONALD
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Publication number: 20160069330Abstract: A seal assembly for a wax motor or the like provides an elastomeric seal, fitting against an actuator shaft that may slide through the elastomeric seal, where the elastomeric seal has mold flash regions that are displaced from the contact area between the shaft and the elastomeric seal significantly increasing elastomeric seal life.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2014Publication date: March 10, 2016Inventors: Randy S. MCDONALD, Brian A. STELLOH
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Patent number: 8736406Abstract: A latch for a washing machine or other appliance provides two interengaging elements on a lid and housing each having a magnet oriented for mutual repulsion. Proper repulsion of the magnets is necessary to signal that the lid is properly closed such as may be used to determine if the appliance may be locked and safely operated, for example, in a clothes spinning mode.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 2011Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.Inventors: Kenyon A Hapke, Joel C Bragg, Michael K Hintz, Randy S McDonald, Mark R Heckenkamp, Jonathan H Olson, Adrian J. Tengler, Jarod M Sulik
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Publication number: 20120312594Abstract: A latch for a washing machine or other appliance provides two interengaging elements on a lid and housing each having a magnet oriented for mutual repulsion. Proper repulsion of the magnets is necessary to signal that the lid is properly closed such as may be used to determine if the appliance may be locked and safely operated, for example, in a clothes spinning mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 25, 2011Publication date: December 13, 2012Applicant: ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.Inventors: Kenyon A. Hapke, Joel C. Bragg, Michael K. Hintz, Randy S. McDonald, Mark R. Heckenkamp, Jonathan H. Olson, Adrian J. Tengler, Jarod M. Sulik
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Patent number: 7900979Abstract: A transportation-robust bi-stable latch mechanism preserves low actuation forces by means of an auxiliary mechanism blocking the effects of shock forces during transportation.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2007Date of Patent: March 8, 2011Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.Inventors: Joel C. Bragg, Kenyon A. Hapke, Michael K. Hintz, Randy S. McDonald, Michael S. Osvatic, Jarod M. Sulik