Patents by Inventor Harold William Kerlin

Harold William Kerlin 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).

  • Patent number: 7918678
    Abstract: A connector assembly for mating with a pluggable module includes a receptacle assembly for receiving the pluggable module and an interface electrical connector defining a back of the receptacle assembly. The interface electrical connector is configured to mate with the pluggable module. A guide rail defines a side of the receptacle assembly. The guide rail is configured to guide the pluggable module within the receptacle assembly. The guide rail has a rail body having a cavity and the rail body having a side wall opening open to the cavity. A latch assembly is received in the cavity. The latch assembly includes a latch movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch is configured to extend through the side wall opening to engage the pluggable module when the latch is in the latched position. The latch assembly further includes an actuator that forces the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jordan Marshall Cole, Robert Paul Nichols, Brian Patrick Costello, Edward John Bright, Harold William Kerlin
  • Patent number: 7892013
    Abstract: A transceiver assembly includes a receptacle guide frame configured to be mounted to a host circuit board, where the receptacle guide frame has a front being open to an interior space, and where the receptacle guide frame is configured to receive a pluggable module through the front. A receptacle connector is received within the interior space of the receptacle guide frame at a rear of the receptacle guide frame. The receptacle connector includes contacts having contact tails configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The contacts have retention sections positioned at a predetermined location relative to the contact tails, and the contacts have mating sections configured for mating with a mating connector. A housing holds the contacts and has a front and a rear with a cavity at the front being configured to receive the mating connector. The housing has a shelf at the rear. A stuffer bar is separately provided from the housing and securely coupled to the rear of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: William Walter Piekos, Brian Keith McMaster, Jr., Lester Robert Zimmerman, Jr., Edward J. Bright, Michael F. Cina, Harold William Kerlin
  • Patent number: 7833068
    Abstract: A receptacle connector includes a housing having a front, a rear, and a cavity configured to receive a mating connector through a slot at the front of the housing. A plurality of contacts are loaded into the cavity of the housing through the rear of the housing, and the contacts have channel portions aligned with one another. A retention plug is separately provided from the housing and securely coupled to the rear of the housing. The retention plug is received within the channel portions of the contacts and engages the contacts to hold the contacts within the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Edward John Bright, Michael Frank Cina, Harold William Kerlin
  • Publication number: 20100178790
    Abstract: A receptacle connector includes a housing having a front, a rear, and a cavity configured to receive a mating connector through a slot at the front of the housing. A plurality of contacts are loaded into the cavity of the housing through the rear of the housing, and the contacts have channel portions aligned with one another. A retention plug is separately provided from the housing and securely coupled to the rear of the housing. The retention plug is received within the channel portions of the contacts and engages the contacts to hold the contacts within the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: EDWARD JOHN BRIGHT, MICHAEL FRANK CINA, HAROLD WILLIAM KERLIN
  • Patent number: 7699641
    Abstract: An electrical connector module configured to form a communicative connection with a host device is provided. The module includes a housing that is configured to be inserted into a receptacle of the host device. The housing extends substantially in an axial direction and includes a surface. The module also includes an actuating member that is slidably coupled to and movable along the surface of the housing from a locked position to a disengaged position. The module includes a spring member that is positioned on the actuating member and configured to exert a force against the housing and the actuating member. The spring member is biased in order to maintain the actuating member in the locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Edward John Bright, Harold William Kerlin
  • Publication number: 20100068912
    Abstract: A connector assembly for mating with a pluggable module includes a receptacle assembly for receiving the pluggable module and an interface electrical connector defining a back of the receptacle assembly. The interface electrical connector is configured to mate with the pluggable module. A guide rail defines a side of the receptacle assembly. The guide rail is configured to guide the pluggable module within the receptacle assembly. The guide rail has a rail body having a cavity and the rail body having a side wall opening open to the cavity. A latch assembly is received in the cavity. The latch assembly includes a latch movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch is configured to extend through the side wall opening to engage the pluggable module when the latch is in the latched position. The latch assembly further includes an actuator that forces the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: JORDAN MARSHALL COLE, ROBERT PAUL NICHOLS, BRIAN PATRICK COSTELLO, EDWARD JOHN BRIGHT, HAROLD WILLIAM KERLIN
  • Patent number: 7621773
    Abstract: A receptacle assembly that is coupled to a host system and configured to receive an electrical component is provided. The receptacle assembly includes a guideframe having a front end, a back end, and a passage that extends therebetween. The guideframe is configured to receive the electrical component and includes a rear panel that is proximate to the back end and a side panel that has a support member extending therefrom. The receptacle assembly also includes a light pipe structure that has a light pipe that extends alongside the guideframe from the front end to the back end. The light pipe includes a rearward end portion that is configured to receive a status indication from the host system. The light pipe structure is directly engaged to the support member and the rearward end portion is directly engaged to at least one of the side panel and the rear panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Edward John Bright, Harold William Kerlin
  • Publication number: 20090258534
    Abstract: A receptacle assembly that is coupled to a host system and configured to receive an electrical component is provided. The receptacle assembly includes a guideframe having a front end, a back end, and a passage that extends therebetween. The guideframe is configured to receive the electrical component and includes a rear panel that is proximate to the back end and a side panel that has a support member extending therefrom. The receptacle assembly also includes a light pipe structure that has a light pipe that extends alongside the guideframe from the front end to the back end. The light pipe includes a rearward end portion that is configured to receive a status indication from the host system. The light pipe structure is directly engaged to the support member and the rearward end portion is directly engaged to at least one of the side panel and the rear panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Edward John Bright, Harold William Kerlin
  • Publication number: 20090209125
    Abstract: An electrical connector module configured to form a communicative connection with a host device is provided. The module includes a housing that is configured to be inserted into a receptacle of the host device. The housing extends substantially in an axial direction and includes a surface. The module also includes an actuating member that is slidably coupled to and movable along the surface of the housing from a locked position to a disengaged position. The module includes a spring member that is positioned on the actuating member and configured to exert a force against the housing and the actuating member. The spring member is biased in order to maintain the actuating member in the locked position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Edward John Bright, Harold William Kerlin
  • Patent number: 6039610
    Abstract: Improved electrical connectors and an improved technique for mounting metal contacts in an electrical connector. Such a technique employs overlapping, staggered arrays of forked electrical contacts in connector channels which engage corresponding blade contacts in a mating connector. The blades are inserted between prongs of the forked contacts. In the preferred embodiment, the electrical connector has an insulating housing having two parallel arrays of linearly aligned, offset, overlapping channels extending inwardly through a front of the housing. Each of the channel arrays extend inwardly through to two arrays of channels at a rear of the first housing. A forked metallic contact having a planar base, a pair of parallel and coplanar prongs at one of the ends separated by a gap, is mounted in each of the front channels such that the prongs from each forked metallic contact is positioned in one of the channels of the rear arrays of channels. A second housing is mated with the first housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: William Vito Pauza, Harold William Kerlin
  • Patent number: 5890926
    Abstract: A cable bend controller (50) comprising a relatively rigid member includes a body section (52) having first and second cable-engaging sections (56,60) at opposing ends thereof. The first and second cable-engaging sections (56) are securable to a cable at a first and second spaced apart locations. The said body section (52) is curved about a preselected radius such that said first cable-engaging section (56) is oriented at a substantial angle to said second cable-engaging section, (60) the body section thereby defining an externally arcuate concave cable-engaging surface (54). Upon fastening the first and second cable-engaging sections (56,60) to the cable (42), cable (42) is required to assume a bend to lie along said externally arcuate concave cable-engaging surface (54).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: William Vito Pauza, Harold William Kerlin
  • Patent number: 5842872
    Abstract: A right-angle coaxial electrical connector (22) mountable to a circuit board includes a housing (24) having a plurality of contact-receiving passageways (32) and at least two coaxial contacts (36, 38) disposed in the same column defining a stacked configuration. Each coaxial contact (36, 38) includes an inner terminal and an outer conductor, the inner terminal including a right angle body portion (46) extending outwardly of the housing (24) and concluding in a first connecting portion (44) adapted for mounting to the circuit board. A metal shell (64) having two interlocking halves joinable at opposed assembly faces is disposed over the outwardly extending body portion (46) of the inner terminal thereof and engageable with the outer conductor for connection to ground. In one embodiment, the inner terminal is comprised of two terminal subassemblies (40, 52). As an alternative, the connector housing (222) could be used with an intermixture of board mountable contacts (36, 38) and cable terminated contacts (235).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Craig Hosler, Sr., Robert Leroy Fisher, Jr., Timothy Lee Kocher, William Vito Pauza, Harold William Kerlin