Black & Decker Inc.

Design and optimization of the mechanical components and power transmission systems within powered hand tools, including motors, gears, spindles, and impact mechanisms, for efficiency, durability, and compact form factor.

Design elements and integrated components that improve the usability, comfort, and versatility of hand tools, such as built-in lighting, vibration reduction, modular storage, or adjustable form factors.

Software, algorithms, and associated hardware for monitoring, controlling, and optimizing battery performance, safety, and lifespan, including charge/discharge cycles, thermal regulation, and system integration.

Design and application of abrasive tools and deburring heads tailored for specific geometries, materials, or access constraints, including flexible, expandable, or multi-component designs for precision finishing.

Development of novel motor architectures beyond traditional radial flux designs, including linear, axial, or multi-armature configurations, often to optimize for specific performance characteristics like torque density or form factor.

Focuses on the structural integrity, housing, mounting, and physical integration of battery cells into robust and protected packs within electric vehicles, including manufacturing considerations.

Design and engineering solutions for creating self-contained, mobile, or miniaturized pump systems, often incorporating battery power, ergonomic features, and integrated components for ease of use and transport.

Strategies and circuits for optimizing the supply and consumption of electrical power for motors, including current limiting, regenerative energy handling, battery integration, and managing power quality.

Methods and components for converting power into mechanical motion to drive pump mechanisms, encompassing electric motors, hydraulic actuators, and specialized motion converters like ball screws or solenoids.

Manufacturing processes and techniques for producing stator cores, windings, and coils, including lamination, impregnation, hairpin winding, and segment coil bending, to improve motor efficiency, power density, or reliability.

Sophisticated software or hardware-implemented control strategies that optimize motor performance, such as precise speed/torque regulation, vibration reduction, or efficiency, often using model-based, predictive, or adaptive techniques.

Innovations in vacuum cleaner components and systems for efficiently separating, compacting, and containing collected dust, dirt, or lint. This often involves multi-stage filtration, cyclonic separation, or specialized disposal mechanisms to improve air quality and ease of maintenance.

Design and control of power supply architectures that combine multiple power sources (e.g., AC grid, DC battery, generators) or modular battery units, often featuring switching, conversion, and redundancy for enhanced reliability and flexibility.

Design and material innovations for specific cleaning components or attachments, such as brush rolls, mop pads, scrapers, or multi-functional surface tools. These are often tailored for particular surfaces, debris types, or cleaning tasks to enhance effectiveness.

Tools and systems engineered for the precise installation, removal, or manipulation of specific components or fasteners, often involving specialized gripping, depth control, or extraction mechanisms.

Integration of electric motors into larger systems (e.g., vehicles, power tools) and safety features for high-voltage components, including control interfaces, mechanical integration, and environmental protection (e.g., waterproofing).

Methods and systems for identifying anomalies, failures, or impending issues within electric motors or their associated drive and power management circuits, often by monitoring electrical or operational parameters.

Integration of robotics, sensors, and control systems to automate the grinding, polishing, or deburring process, including workpiece handling, tool adjustment, and system maintenance for improved efficiency and precision.

Design features and accessories that improve the installation, storage, usability, and overall user experience of household cleaning appliances and manual tools. This includes mounting brackets, ergonomic handles, and integrated storage solutions.

Process and equipment for producing solid-state battery cells, including solid electrolyte synthesis (sulfide/oxide/polymer), thin-film deposition, lamination, sintering, dry-electrode fabrication, and stacking under controlled atmosphere.

Techniques for determining the rotor position, speed, or other operational parameters of an electric motor without dedicated physical sensors, often relying on back-EMF, current, or voltage measurements.

Methods and circuits for controlling the power electronic converters (inverters, bridges) that supply current and voltage to electric motors, including switching strategies, voltage command generation, and multi-phase configurations.

Technologies for efficiently delivering power to electric vehicles, encompassing fast charging, wireless charging, and smart grid integration, alongside vehicle-side control and management of the charging process.

Systems and methods for transferring electrical energy without physical contact, often utilizing inductive or resonant coupling, including antenna design, resonance tracking, and control mechanisms for efficient power delivery.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning polishing pads, dressers, chamber components, or finished substrates to remove residues, debris, or contaminants, often involving specialized nozzles, fluids, or mechanical actions.

Innovations in the design, materials, and maintenance of seals, valves, and related components to improve durability, reduce leakage, and enable specific pump functions like high-pressure operation or automated seal replacement.

Systems for storing, heating, pumping, and precisely dispensing water or cleaning solutions within domestic appliances or cleaning tools. This includes cartridge-based systems, dissolvable cleaning agents, and controlled fluid delivery for optimal cleaning performance.

Integration of power converters with energy storage devices (batteries, supercapacitors) or grid interfaces, often involving AC/DC conversion, power flow management, and fault handling for hybrid power systems or specific applications like EVs or PV.

Systems and mechanisms that allow autonomous cleaning robots or devices to return to a base station for automated tasks such as mop washing, dustbin emptying, fluid replenishment, or cleaning of tool heads without human intervention.

Technologies enabling autonomous cleaning robots to perceive their environment, create maps, localize themselves within those maps, and plan efficient cleaning paths in dynamic spaces. This includes sensor integration, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithms, and adaptive mapping techniques.

Techniques and systems for optimizing pump operation, including capacity modulation, energy management, pulsation reduction, and precise fluid dispensing to improve performance and reduce energy consumption.