Patents Represented by Attorney Timothy M. Morella
  • Patent number: 7922531
    Abstract: A connector shield case having a tubular shape and is attached to a housing having a plurality of terminals to thereby surround the terminals. The connector shield case is formed by bending a metal blank having a predetermined shape. The connector shield case comprises a ceiling plate portion, side wall portions extending downward from corresponding opposite side ends of the ceiling plate portion, mounting projecting-leg portions extending downward from each of the side wall portions, a bottom plate support portion connecting, at opposite ends, with the side wall portions and a bottom plate portion in parallel with the ceiling plate portion and connecting with the bottom plate support portion via a bend portion. With respect to the front-rear direction, the bottom plate portion overlaps in position with at least one of the mounting projecting-leg portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Kazuya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7909639
    Abstract: An electrical connector for a flat sheet-like cable includes an insulative housing with a plurality of terminals and an actuator. The actuator is moveable between a first insertion position and a second operational position, the first position permitting insertion of the cable into the connector and the second position configured such that the contact pads of the cable engage the contact portions of the terminals. The actuator has an abutting part formed on opposite ends thereof. A pair of generally planar securing members is provided at opposite ends of the housing. Each securing member includes a stop surface to define a depth to which the cable may be inserted, a restraining member that interacts with the abutting parts upon positioning the actuator in the second position to define a restraining surface to prevent removal of the cable, and a recess portion defined between the stop surface and the restraining surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hirata, Hiroshi Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 7905747
    Abstract: A relay connector (10) for joining together two lengths of flat printed circuitry or flat flexible cable is formed from two connector housings (31) of identical shape. The two housings are joined together by a set of conductive terminals (41) and housing engagement members. The terminals are bilaterally symmetrical and have contact and engagement portions at their ends which are received in terminal-receiving grooves in the rear of the two housings. A pair of actuators (11) are rotatably mounted to the housings and they move in opposite directions to open and close.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Teruhito Suzuki, Hideyuki Hirata, Cong Li
  • Patent number: 7901225
    Abstract: A memory card connector (10) is disclosed that includes a card engaging member (14) in the form of a slider (14) which has a projection (14d) that extends from the slider to engage a retention notch (23) in the memory card (21). The card (21) is engaged when the card is inserted into the connector, and once inserted the card is pushed to release it. A biasing spring (15) is provided to bias the slider (14) in an ejection direction and this biasing spring exerts an ejection force on the slider. The slider engages (11h) a stop formed on the connector housing (11) and the slider (14) tilts to release the slider projection (14d) from the memory card retention notch (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Shinichiro Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7891997
    Abstract: A card connector (1) includes an insulative housing and a plurality of conductive terminals mounted on the housing. A card guiding mechanism has a slide member for guiding the electronic card as it moves within the card connector. The slide member is moveable along a path between an initial card insertion position and a fully inserted position. An urging member urges the slide member in a direction opposite to the card insertion direction to thereby ejecting a card by moving the slide member. A shell is mounted on the housing and covers at least the slide member and a part of the electronic card upon insertion of the card into the card connector. One of the housing and the shell has a guide surface with a bulge projecting into the path of the slide member and upon movement of the slide member from the fully inserted position to the initial card insertion position, the slide member engages the bulge (62; 11j) to slow the movement of the slide member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Takaaki Hirayama
  • Patent number: 7892001
    Abstract: A floating connector that utilizes multiple cables or ribbon cable is described, the connector has two termination ends, each with a housing and conductive terminals. The housings have a stepped configuration having at least two different levels on which free ends of the cables are terminated to the terminals of the housing. The terminals extend from the steps to terminating faces that are mate with opposing receptacle connectors. The two housing are flexibly interconnected so that they may deflect relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Takuji Hanyu
  • Patent number: 7887348
    Abstract: A card connector is configured for receiving a card having contact pads with the card having a thickness and a width perpendicular to the thickness. The card connector includes a housing with a slot for receiving the card and conductive terminals within the housing and which contact the contact pads of the card. A switch includes a first contact member and a second contact member wherein the first contact member is moveable in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the card upon insertion of the card into the housing such that the first contact member moves relative to the second contact member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi Matsumoto, Mitsuhiro Tomita
  • Patent number: 7881072
    Abstract: A power interconnection system comprising a plurality of z-axis compliant connectors passing power and ground signals between a first circuit board to a second circuit board is disclosed. The interconnection system provides for an extremely low impedance through a broad range of frequencies and allows for large amounts of current to pass from one substrate to the next either statically or dynamically. The interconnection system may be located close to the die or may be further away depending upon the system requirements. The interconnection may also be used to take up mechanical tolerances between the two substrates while providing a low impedance interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Ted Dibene, II, David H. Hartke, Carl E. Hoge, Edward J. Derian
  • Patent number: 7833063
    Abstract: A card connector (10) may receive first and second cards includes a housing (11) having an insertion opening for receiving cards (51a and 51b), a plurality of first connection terminals (15a) disposed in the housing and configured to engage pads of the first card (51a) and a plurality of second connection terminals (15b) disposed in said housing and configured to engage pads of the second card (51b). A guide member (21) is movably attached to the housing (11) at a position between the second connection terminals (15b) and the insertion opening and is adapted to engage an inserted card and direct the card to one of a first path and a second path to properly position the first and second cards upon insertion into the card connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi Matsumoto, Mitsuhiro Tomita
  • Patent number: 7833024
    Abstract: A board-to-board connector for mating with another connector has a housing and a plurality of terminals. The terminals and housing interact at a reference surface to accurately locate the terminals relative to the housing. The housing includes an elongated recess that extends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing and has a plurality of terminal receiving cavities spaced therealong. Each cavity includes a terminal retention wall with a reference surface on one side thereof and a terminal alignment opening extending from the cavity. Each terminals is disposed in a terminal receiving cavity. Each terminal includes a U-shaped retention portion, an L-shaped resilient contact portion extending from the U-shaped retention portion and has a contact projection thereon. A tail portion for interconnection to a circuit member is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Ryotaro Takeuchi, Tomonari Kaneko
  • Patent number: 7833043
    Abstract: A socket connector configured such that elongated guide holes are formed in the housing so as to receive guide members of a device to be connected, and a slide member is attached to the housing to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the elongated guide holes so as to restrict the guide members to their initial positions. The socket enables direct placement of the device on the housing, can shorten the projection length of projection terminals of the device, can facilitate positioning of the device to thereby enhance the easiness of attachment operation, can prevent bending of the projection terminals, can cope with an increase in density of the projection terminals, and has a simple structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Hoshikawa, Atsuhito Noda
  • Patent number: 7815449
    Abstract: A memory card connector includes an insulative housing having a terminal-mounting section which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions for engaging appropriate contacts on a memory card. The housing at least in part defines a card-receiving cavity for receiving the memory card. A card eject mechanism includes a slider movably mounted on the housing. The slider is engageable with the memory card for movement therewith into and out of the cavity between an inserted connection position and a withdrawal position. A slide lock member is mounted on the connector, independent of the eject mechanism, and is engageable with the slider to hold the slider in its inserted connection position. An ejection control member is mounted on the housing for releasing the slide lock from engagement with the slider to allow the slider and memory card to be ejected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Shinichiro Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7802992
    Abstract: Rotary electrical connector comprising a ring-shaped outside terminal having a circular inner circumference portion, a ring-shaped inside terminal having a circular outer circumference portion, which is concentric with the inner circumference portion of the ring-shaped outside terminal; and a rotatable ring-shaped connection terminal electrically connecting the outside terminal with the inside terminal; wherein the connection terminal elastically deforms along a radial direction thereof, an outer circumference portion of the connection terminal abutting the inner circumference portion of the outside terminal and the outer circumference portion of the inside terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Toshihiro Niitsu, Shigeyuki Hoshikawa, Kimiyasu Makino
  • Patent number: 7798180
    Abstract: An electric harness fabricating apparatus includes wire reel out means provided for a pressure welding apparatus for pressure-welding a connector a wire of a wire harness; two rotary encoders are provided at a wire supply apparatus for supplying the wire to the pressure welding apparatus and for detecting the of wire supplied from the wire supply apparatus to the pressure welding apparatus. A main computer is provided to calculate the length of wire reeled out by the wire reel out means and a detected value detected by the rotary encoders and calculating a difference therebetween. The computer provides a means for comparing the difference calculated by the calculating means with a previously determined allowable range, and the wire reel out amount abnormality determining means for determining that an actual amount of wire fed out by the wire reel out means is different from the desired reel out amount when the difference exceeds the allowable range by a comparison by the comparing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Kamei Kazuaki, Masahiro Osawa, Ken Sano
  • Patent number: 7794281
    Abstract: A card connector is configured for receiving a generally rectangular card therein. The card has contact pads and generally parallel first and second sides with a cut-away portion formed in the first side in proximity to a front end of the card. The cut-away portion includes a short length extending from the front end generally parallel to the first side, and a tapered shoulder part extending from the short length to the first side. The connector includes an insulative housing with first and second spaced apart sidewalls that define a cavity therein for receiving the card in an insertion direction. A tapered surface is provided adjacent the first sidewall to guide an improperly inserted card at an angle to the insertion direction and a second sidewall recess is formed in the second sidewall to permit entrance of a corner part of such improperly inserted card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Yasuyoshi Matsumoto, Junichi Miyazawa, Mitsuhiro Tomita, Hisato Takase, Ayako Ida
  • Patent number: 7785121
    Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for terminating a flat electrical circuit. The connector includes a dielectric housing having an opening at a front portion thereof for receiving an end of the flat circuit, along with a rear terminating portion. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing in a side-by-side array spaced along the opening. An actuator is movably mounted relative to the housing for movement between an open position allowing the end of the flat circuit to be inserted into the opening and a closed position to relatively bias the flat circuit against the terminals. The actuator has a dust cover portion for covering the rear terminating portion of the housing when the actuator is in its closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Naotoshi Ito, Kazushige Asakawa
  • Patent number: 7772501
    Abstract: A flexible printed circuit board (FPC) is disclosed which can eliminate the need for forming through holes and ensure the strength required for mounting components. The FPC has a metal foil layer formed only on one side of an insulating layer via an adhesive layer. The FPC is configured such that the insulating layer and the adhesive layer are partially removed, and the surface of the metal foil layer on the side from which the insulating layer and the adhesive layer have been removed is flattened. In a region from which the insulating layer and the adhesive layer have been removed, an overcoat layer for reinforcing the metal foil layer is provided along the metal foil layer on a surface opposite to the flattened surface. A drive IC is mounted on a first metal foil face of the metal foil layer and on a second metal foil face which is the flattened surface of the metal foil layer, and is provided with electrical conduction by the metal foil layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignees: Molex Incorporated, Innovation TS Flex-Technology
    Inventors: Susumu Ueda, Shuichi Arimura
  • Patent number: D629754
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Toshiya Oda, Keiko Fukui, Hiroki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: D629755
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Toshiya Oda, Keiko Fukui, Hiroki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: D630584
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Takaaki Hirayama, Hideki Iijima, Naoya Matsuura