Patents Issued the Week of October 12-16

10.14.26

Patent Protection & Registration

Patents grant property rights on new and useful inventions, allowing the patent holder to prevent others from using, making, or selling that invention without permission for a limited time. U.S. patents are permitted by the U.S. Constitution and are designed to promote scientific progress and invention. By allowing inventors to profit from licensing or selling their patent rights, inventors can recoup their research and development costs and benefit financially from their inventing efforts. There are three main types of patents utility, plant, and design. Utility and plant patents can last up to 20 years, while design patents can last up to 15 years. When a patent expires, the patented material enters the public domain, making it free to use by anyone without a license. U.S. patents are issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

U.S. Patent No. 12,759,066 entitled “Hand-Held Power Tool” issued October 13, 2026 to Festool GmbH of Wendlingen am Neckar, Germany. Invented by José Gabriel Kunze of Tübingen, Germany; Dominic Ender of Reudern, Germany; and Charlotte Schleifenbaum of Rechberghausen, Germany. Abstract: A hand-held power tool includes a guide plate including a bearing surface and a top face. A drive assembly includes a drive motor supported above the top face and configured to drive a cutting tool. An illumination arrangement is configured to emit a light cone onto the cutting tool in a direction of travel of the power tool. When the cutting tool is in a locked cutting position in which the drive assembly is locked in position with respect to the guide plate and the cutting tool projects beyond the bearing surface, the cutting tool is disposed in a light path of the light cone to generate a cast shadow of the cutting tool on an end face of the workpiece to be cut, which end face faces the cutting tool and is oriented transversely to the bearing surface of the guide plate.

U.S. Patent No. 12,760,501 entitled “Usage Profile Monitoring and Feedback for Track Units of a Work Vehicle” issued October 13, 2026 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Walter M. Schlesser, Nicholas J. Hoefler, and Adam G. Harwood all of Dubuque, Iowa. Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for usage profile monitoring with respect to ground-engaging track units of work vehicles, driven according to selected track commands. Respective usage values are ascertained corresponding to a duty cycle of the track unit operating at each of one or more selected track commands over a specified (e.g., rolling) time period, wherein the respective usage values are further scaled according to specified factors associated with the respective track commands. An output signal is generated corresponding to a determined intervention event, for example an alert to the operator based on a detected or predicted exceeding of a specified target, based at least in part on the scaled usage values. The specified target may, e.g., be based on a current estimated life state of the track unit relative to an estimated life cycle, or a specified total number of hours the track unit has been in operation.

U.S. Patent No. 12,759,416 entitled “Battery Electric Excavator” issued October 13, 2026 to Deere & Company of Moline, Illinois. Invented by Nathan H. Laws of Sherrill, Iowa; Richard Pugh of Dubuque, Iowa; Manish M. Kute of Dubuque, Iowa; Reece J. Bachman of Dubuque, Iowa; Adam B. Zell of Dubuque, Iowa; and Mark C. Eckstein of Dubuque, Iowa. Abstract: A battery powered electric excavator includes an undercarriage including left and right crawler tracks. A main frame is mounted on the undercarriage to be pivotable about a vertical pivot axis relative to the undercarriage. An operator’s cabin is located on the main frame closer to the forward end than to the rearward end and located to one lateral side of the vertical pivot axis. At least one high voltage battery is located on the main frame rearward of the vertical pivot axis and rearward of the operator’s cabin. A primary electric motor is operably connected to the at least one high voltage battery. At least one main hydraulic pump is driven by the primary electric motor. The primary electric motor, the main hydraulic pump, and a hydraulic reservoir are located on the main frame on an opposite lateral side of the vertical pivot axis from the operator’s cabin.

U.S. Patent No. 12,760,478 entitled “Self-Propelled Construction Machine for Working the Ground” issued October 13, 2026 to Wirtgen GmbH of Windhagen, Germany. Invented by Christoph Menzenbach of Neustadt, Germany. Abstract: A self-propelled construction machine for working the ground, in particular a stabilizer or recycler, has a controller for automatically reversing the direction of travel, which interacts with the drive device for the wheels or crawler tracks. The controller is configured such that the drive device, after receiving a travel direction reversal control signal, reduces the predefined first speed at which the construction machine travels in the first direction of travel until the construction machine is stationary, and, after the construction machine is stationary, drives the wheels or crawler tracks in the opposite direction, wherein the drive device increases the speed in the second direction of travel up to a predetermined second speed. Not only the drive device, but also other components of the construction machine, may be automatically controlled depending on different driving situations.