Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Richard R Herzog

Robert Dam

David R Nowak

Terrence P Meier

Karl S Morgan

Kurt A Kuehn

Michael W Hartley

Alberto Bassi

Juan J Barrena

Richard D Gjerde

Chong Bin Wong

Robert G Tegel

Michael W Davis

John G Drelicharz

Kurt H Lundsfedt

Kurt H Lundtedt

Ronald R Hostert

Robert DeBiase

Theodore James John Veselsky

A thermally actuated lock for an appliance incorporates a fusible material that holds a spring-loaded bolt in retraction. Temperatures that would indicate an appliance fire allow the bolt to extend between the housing and appliance door to lock the appliance door in a closed position.

Thermally actuated dryer door lock

Embodiments of the invention provide a switch for use with an appliance valve, such as for gas appliances. The switch may comprise a base for coupling the switch to a valve, a rotatable hub in communication with the base and providing rotation therewith, a first protrusion projecting outwardly from the hub, and a detent disposed on the base and in communication with the first protrusion for resisting rotatable motion of the hub. Rotation of the hub in a first direction for turning an appliance valve to an on position requires the first protrusion to flexibly deflect the detent to permit the hub to rotate past the detent. As a result, danger of inadvertent rotation of the switch is reduced.

Rotatable switch for appliance valve

An ignition switch assembly is configured to be operatively connected to a gas valve. The ignition switch assembly may include a first ignition contact and a second ignition contact. The first and second ignition contacts may be sized and shaped the same. A hub may be configured to be rotated within the ignition switch assembly. A rotation of the hub in a first direction causes a portion of the first ignition contact to engage the second ignition contact. Further rotation of the hub in the first direction or rotation of the hub in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction causes the portion of the first ignition contact to disengage from the second ignition contact.

Ignition switch assembly

A dual function switch assembly includes a switch housing part containing multiple switches at different elevations and a rotor having cam surfaces aligned with the switches for operating the switches. A mounting part is connected to the switch housing part and provides mounting features for attachment in a desired installation.

Dual function switch assembly

A system for dampening an opening motion of a door includes a frame, an access door and at least one dampening member. The access door is rotatably secured to the frame. The access door is configured to be moved with respect to the frame between closed and completely open positions. The at least one dampening member is secured to the access door or the frame. The dampening member(s) dampens movement of the access door toward the completely open position over a range of motion.

Door motion dampening system

A storage rack system, locking latch therefor, and combinations thereof. The latch having generally a flexible and resilient arm coupleable to a beam member and having a locking pin coupled thereto. The resilient arm biases the locking pin through a locking pin opening of the beam member so that the locking pin protrudes at least partially into a post opening aligned at least partially with the locking pin opening when the beam member is connected to the post by a headed lug. A locking flange extending generally radially from the locking pin is engageable with a portion of the beam member to inhibit withdrawal of the locking pin from the locking pin opening.

Storage rack system and locking latch therefor

An electrical assembly for mounting an electrical device, such as a lamp socket, in an appliance has first and second components on opposite sides of a wall of the appliance. The first component is attached to the wall and closes a hole through the wall on a first side thereof. The second component is attached to the first component and closes the hole on an opposite side of the wall. Complementary quick connect electrical terminals are provided in the first and second components whereby electrical connection is established as the first and second components are attached one to the other.

Electrical component assembly

A light assembly for a refrigerator drawer includes a light source assembly, a reflector and a lens assembly keyed one to another for positioning, and secured to each other as a preassembled unit. The preassembled light assembly is snap fit into an opening in a panel of the drawer.

Light assembly

The shelf support assembly includes an integral disk and shank with an aperture through the longitudinal axis thereof. A screw passes through the aperture. Flexible arms are formed around an opening in the disk formed by the aperture. The flexible arms engage the threads of screw during a pre-assembled position. However, the flexible arms deflect in response to axial urging of the screw thereby allowing the screw to move axially during the initial insertion of the screw into the pre-assembled position. This deflection further occurs in response to subsequent axial adjustment of the screw prior to installation, in response to the dropping of the shelf support assembly in the pre-assembled position thereby allowing the flexible arms to absorb a portion of the energy of the fall, and in response to the installation of the shelf support assembly into the mounting panel.

Shelf support assembly

A furniture leveling foot and system therefor includes a threaded shaft with a lead end portion, and a foot end portion having a resilient head with a curved flange portion curving generally radially outwardly from the threaded shaft with increasing axial distance from the foot end portion thereof, whereby the head is flexible so as to absorb impact shock directed toward the threaded shaft. The threaded shaft has screw threads disposed helically thereabout, and the screw threads have a leading side configured at an angle. An opening disposed through a plate member has a partially circumferential helical edge defined by a helical surface portion having an outer surface at an angle equal to the angle of the leading side of the screw thread. The lead end portion of the threaded shaft is rotatably disposable in the opening of the plate member from the second side thereof by engaging the screw threads with the helical edge. The helical surface portion of the plate member is engageable with a surface area of the leading side of the screw thread to provide support.

Furniture leveling foot and system

A method of making an electrical subassembly and a subassembly formed by the method which includes the steps of providing a conductive member having a predetermined configuration and a housing for receiving the conductive member, connecting the conductive member to the housing, and removing a portion of the conductive member so as to separate it into a plurality of discrete contacts, each contact being connected to the housing and thereby providing a desired circuit path through the subassembly. The subassembly includes one or more electrical components mounted thereto and can be readily attached to a support and wired to a desired circuit without soldering while enabling removal and replacement of an electrical component as desired.

Method of making an electrical subassembly

A light bulb socket assembly adapts a primary light bulb socket housing to accept a light bulb of a smaller size. The assembly includes a primary housing including desired electrical contacts and a bulb insert for mounting within the primary housing wherein the insert threadingly accepts a base portion of a light bulb and enables contact between the bulb and the electrical contacts. A connecting member is also included which releasably mounts the bulb insert to the primary housing and prevents removal of the bulb insert in the event the bulb is over-tightened.

Light bulb socket assembly

A socket for receiving a threaded article therein for complementary threaded engagement between the article and the socket. The socket includes one or more sets of threads integrally formed upon an interior side wall of the socket wherein at least one thread of the set has a length shorter than the remaining threads so as to prevent cross-threading.

Socket for receiving a threaded member which prevents cross-threading

A molded receptacle including an interior wall surface and screw threads formed on the interior wall surface by a mold core. The threads have a predetermined thread profile including root radii substantially corresponding to a desired thread standard and crest radii which are smaller than the root radii. The crests of the threads are deformable after molding to enable the mold core forming the threads to be stripped from the receptacle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the major axis of the threads to provide crests which are deformed from their original molded shape yet dimensioned to fall within the desired thread standard. The receptacle is utilized as a threaded socket having one or more electrical contact members. The socket includes a housing which can be formed as stated above including an interior side wall having the threads, a first closed end, a second open end and a first aperture formed through a portion of the housing. A first substantially flat electrical contact member extends through the first aperture and includes a first portion extending outwardly away from an exterior surface of the socket and a second portion extending onto the interior of the socket. The first contact member is fixed to the socket by manipulation of the first contact member with respect to the socket and provides resilient engagement between the first portion of the first contact member and an article to be threadingly inserted within the socket.

Growing community of inventors

Arlington Heights, IL, United States of America

Richard R Herzog