Patents by Inventor Michael James Porter

Michael James Porter 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: 11069999
    Abstract: An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member that has a contact base. Contact arms extend from the contact base in an arm direction on opposite sides of a terminal plane. A connection portion extends from the contact base and includes a connection surface. A mount hole that extends through the connection portion and the connection surface. The electrical terminal assembly also includes a spring member supported on the contact member and including a spring base. Spring arms extend from the spring base on opposite sides of the terminal plane. The spring arms extend into engagement with the contact arms at respective spring contacts. A shroud is connected to the spring base and extends around the contact arms and beyond the contact arms in the arm direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Fisher, Michael James Porter, David Menzies, Deborah Probert
  • Publication number: 20210194171
    Abstract: An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member that has a contact base. Contact arms extend from the contact base in an arm direction on opposite sides of a terminal plane. A connection portion extends from the contact base and includes a connection surface. A mount hole that extends through the connection portion and the connection surface. The electrical terminal assembly also includes a spring member supported on the contact member and including a spring base. Spring arms extend from the spring base on opposite sides of the terminal plane. The spring arms extend into engagement with the contact arms at respective spring contacts. A shroud is connected to the spring base and extends around the contact arms and beyond the contact arms in the arm direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Fisher, Michael James Porter, David Menzies, Deborah Probert
  • Patent number: 10992073
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a contact member and a spring member. The contact member has a base and contact arms that extend from the base in an arm direction on opposite sides of a terminal plane. The spring member is supported on the contact member and includes a spring base and spring arms that extend from the spring base in the arm direction. The spring arms are on opposite sides of the terminal plane and engage respective ones of the contact arms at respective spring contacts. The spring member also includes a shroud that is connected to the spring base and has an end shield that extends beyond the arms. The shroud includes side shields that are located on opposite sides of the contact arms and connect the end shield to the spring base. Shield arms also connect the end shield to the spring base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Deborah Probert, Michael James Porter, Jens Lamping, David Menzies, Tulasi Sadras-Ravindra, Michael Glick, Andrew Fisher
  • Patent number: 10396482
    Abstract: An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member. The contact member includes a contact base. A plurality of contact arms extend from the contact base in an arm direction. The contact arms are arranged on opposed sides of a terminal plane. The electrical terminal assembly also includes a spring member. The spring member is supported on the contact member. The spring member includes a spring base. A plurality of spring arms extend from the spring base in the arm direction. The spring arms include respective spring contacts where the spring arms engage one of the contact arms. The spring arms include respective spring deflections between the spring base and the spring contact. Each spring deflection extends into a spring space between adjacent ones of the contact arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Glick, Deborah Probert, David Menzies, Michael James Porter
  • Publication number: 20190190178
    Abstract: An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member. The contact member includes a contact base. A plurality of contact arms extend from the contact base in an arm direction. The contact arms are arranged on opposed sides of a terminal plane. The electrical terminal assembly also includes a spring member. The spring member is supported on the contact member. The spring member includes a spring base. A plurality of spring arms extend from the spring base in the arm direction. The spring arms include respective spring contacts where the spring arms engage one of the contact arms. The spring arms include respective spring deflections between the spring base and the spring contact. Each spring deflection extends into a spring space between adjacent ones of the contact arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: June 20, 2019
    Applicant: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Glick, Deborah Probert, David Menzies, Michael James Porter
  • Patent number: 10283895
    Abstract: An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member with a contact base. A plurality of contact arms extend from the contact base in an arm direction. The contact arms are arranged on opposed sides of a terminal plane. The electrical terminal assembly includes a spring member supported on the contact member. The spring member includes a spring base. A plurality of spring arms extend from the spring base on opposed sides of the terminal plane in the arm direction. The spring arms engage the plurality of contact arms and bias the contact arms toward the terminal plane. The spring member also includes a shroud. The shroud extends in the arm direction around and beyond the contact arms. The shroud includes a terminal pass that the terminal plane is located in.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Deborah Probert, Michael Glick, David Menzies, Michael James Porter
  • Patent number: 10283889
    Abstract: An electrical terminal includes a contact member. The contact member includes a contact base. The contact member includes a plurality of contact arms extending from the contact base. The contact arms are arranged on opposed sides of a terminal plane. The electrical terminal also includes a spring member. The spring member includes a spring base. The spring member includes a plurality of spring arms. The spring arms extend from the spring base. Each of the spring arms engages one or more of the contact arms. The spring member also includes a shroud. The shroud is connected to the spring base and extends around the contact arms and beyond the contact arms. The spring member is symmetrical across the terminal plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Glick, Deborah Probert, David Menzies, Michael James Porter
  • Publication number: 20190081425
    Abstract: An electrical terminal includes a contact member. The contact member includes a contact base. The contact member includes a plurality of contact arms extending from the contact base. The contact arms are arranged on opposed sides of a terminal plane. The electrical terminal also includes a spring member. The spring member includes a spring base. The spring member includes a plurality of spring arms. The spring arms extend from the spring base. Each of the spring arms engages one or more of the contact arms. The spring member also includes a shroud. The shroud is connected to the spring base and extends around the contact arms and beyond the contact arms. The spring member is symmetrical across the terminal plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Publication date: March 14, 2019
    Applicant: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Glick, Deborah Probert, David Menzies, Michael James Porter
  • Patent number: 8480412
    Abstract: A connector assembly is provided with a body that extends along a lateral length with a longitudinal height defined by a first body surface and an opposing second body surface. A locking terminal extends through the body and includes an elongate blade having a distal end for electrically connecting to a mating connector and a proximal end adapted to electrically connect to an electronic component with an aperture. At least one tab extends lengthwise from an intermediate portion of the blade and extends through the electronic component aperture. A projection extends outward from the tab such that the projection interferes with the aperture during insertion of the tab therethrough for deforming the tab. After insertion, the tab returns from the deformation and engages the projection to the electronic component for retaining the tab within the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas D. Belanger, Jr., Bert William Eakins, George E. Fox, Michael James Porter
  • Publication number: 20120329297
    Abstract: A connector assembly is provided with a body that extends along a lateral length with a longitudinal height defined by a first body surface and an opposing second body surface. A locking terminal extends through the body and includes an elongate blade having a distal end for electrically connecting to a mating connector and a proximal end adapted to electrically connect to an electronic component with an aperture. At least one tab extends lengthwise from an intermediate portion of the blade and extends through the electronic component aperture. A projection extends outward from the tab such that the projection interferes with the aperture during insertion of the tab therethrough for deforming the tab. After insertion, the tab returns from the deformation and engages the projection to the electronic component for retaining the tab within the aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: Lear Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas D. Belanger, JR., Bert William Eakins, George E. Fox, Michael James Porter