Patents by Inventor W.W. GRAINGER, INC.

W.W. GRAINGER, INC. 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: 20140183324
    Abstract: An assembly for holding and displaying books, or items having a book-like structure includes a book attached to a hinged book-holding device, which displays the book in various positions. The hinge allows the book to move in at least two positions, a first standing position and a second, inclined position. The disclosed book-holding system also comprises a stabilizing mechanism that, when activated, provides a broader structural base. Thus, when the book is inclined and opened, the stabilizing mechanism holds the entire system steady so it does not tilt open.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
    Inventor: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130191245
    Abstract: Prior ordering history of a product is examined to determine an historical ordering quantity distribution for a product. A customer specified, to-be-purchased quantity of a product is then compared against the determined historical ordering-quantity frequency distribution for the product. When the customer specified, to-be-purchased quantity of the product falls below a certain probability threshold determined using the historical ordering-quantity frequency distribution, or is otherwise suspicious, the customer is notified of a suspected error in the provided product order quantity and/or asked to verify if the provided product quantity is correct.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
    Inventor: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130080288
    Abstract: A dynamic merchandising system creates for each of a plurality of products in a plurality of purchase orders a list of products purchased together. This information is then used to create ordered lists reflecting relationships between various product attributes, e.g., the relationships between different brand names purchased together, different product categories purchased together, different catalog pages of products purchased together, etc. From these ordered relationship lists information may be selected and presented to the customer for the purpose of directing the customer to additional purchasing opportunities.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Publication date: March 28, 2013
    Applicant: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
    Inventor: W.W. Grainger, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130024319
    Abstract: An aggregation of functionality related to a product within an electronic catalog hosted by a wholesaler web system is provided by presenting on a client computing device a webpage in which a single product is directly associated with a single access point. The single access point provides a means by which plural wholesaler web system functions related to the single product are made available to a consumer. A listing of the plural wholesaler web system functions related to the single product is displayed within the webpage in response to an activation of the single access point by the consumer. In response to a selection by the consumer from the displayed listing the wholesaler web system initiates a performance of the one of the plural wholesaler web system functions so selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Applicant: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.
    Inventor: W.W. GRAINGER, INC.