Patents by Inventor Zenon Hotra

Zenon Hotra 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: 5910029
    Abstract: A two-piece battery terminal shield generally comprises a base having a first hinge member hingedly interlocked with a second hinge member which is integral with a cover. The base further includes a first connector, such as a latch window, for removable connection to a second connector, on the cover. The second connector generally comprises a peninsular leg portion formed by two slits in a peripheral wall of the cover and a latch at a lower end of the leg portion. A release beam formed integrally with the leg portion extends outwardly and laterally from the leg portion. Portions of the release beam are spaced away from portions of the peripheral wall adjacent the leg portion, such that upon inward deformation of the leg portion, the release beam abuts the peripheral wall, thereby impeding excessive inward deformation of the leg portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1999
    Assignee: UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Anthony Siedlik, Zenon Hotra, Michael Jerome Gniewek
  • Patent number: 5902695
    Abstract: A battery terminal shield comprises a base including a lower wall having an orifice for receiving a battery terminal and a cover including an upper wall and a peripheral wall extending downwardly from the periphery of the upper wall. Preferably, the cover includes an integral generally cylindrical hinge pin having opposite axial ends. The base preferably includes a pair of hinge sockets into which the hinge in snap fits to hingedly connect the cover to the base. Each of the hinge sockets comprises a locking finger flexing axially outwardly of the hinge pin upon insertion of the hinge pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1999
    Assignee: UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry Anthony Siedlik, Zenon Hotra, Michael Jerome Gniewek
  • Patent number: 5800219
    Abstract: In automotive applications, a storage battery is substantially box-like and includes a first surface and a second surface. An electrical terminal is disposed on the first surface. An apparatus is used no connect a battery cable to the battery. The apparatus includes a first conductor and a second conductor. The first conductor is adapted for attaching to the electrical terminal. The second conductor is adapted for attaching the battery cable to the first conductor. The conductors are shaped to conform with a change in contour between the first surface and the second surface of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Henry A. Siedlik, Zenon Hotra
  • Patent number: 5779501
    Abstract: A connector for holding at least one terminal includes a housing and a separate finger assembly. The housing defines a channel and a slot there below. Upon insertion of the finger assembly into the slot, a flexible finger extends into the channel. Upon insertion into the channel, the terminal contacts the finger and causes the finger to flex out of the channel into the slot. Upon full insertion of the terminal, the finger rebounds back into the channel and securely holds the terminal within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 14, 1998
    Assignee: UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
    Inventors: Zenon Hotra, Brian M. Hood
  • Patent number: 5690518
    Abstract: A female electrical connector has a wire attachment segment and a receptacle segment. A pair of apertures are juxtapositioned within the receptacle segment circumferentially separated from one another by solid portions of the receptacle segment therebetween. A male electrical connector has a wire attachment segment, a bulged segment and a shaft segment. The male electrical connector has a longitudinal channel positioned within the shaft segment. Considered individually or together, these electrical connectors substantially reduce required insertion forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Dhirendra C. Roy, Zenon Hotra, Steven K. Heckman
  • Patent number: 5350311
    Abstract: A sealing member of the present invention is used in an automotive vehicle electrical connector assembly and has a pentagonal cross sectional shape thereto with an inside surface defining an aperture centrally therein. A first electrical connector half has an electrical contact proximate therewith and is surrounded by a support structure. A second electrical connector half has an electrical contact proximate therewith and has a body segment and a mating segment within which extends an outer peripheral wall. Furthermore, the second connector half outer peripheral wall has an outside surface and an inside surface which are joined by a peripheral edge therearound. The sealing member is juxtapositioned between the inside surface of the second connector half and the outside surface of the first connector half supporting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1994
    Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Dhirendra C. Roy, Zenon Hotra
  • Patent number: 5300917
    Abstract: A junction box incorporating an integrally formed shunt busbar. The shunt busbar incorporates a first pair of terminals to act as leads to couple the shunt busbar in a current loop of a circuit, and a second pair of terminals to couple a voltage sensing device across a portion of the shunt busbar. The voltage sensing device is preferably a high input impedance voltage comparator. The input impedance of the voltage comparator is great enough to negate the affect of the internal resistance of the mating terminals of the busbar. Furthermore, the second pair of terminals is located on the shunt busbar such that the terminal resistances thereof are outside of the current loop. The electrical busbar is preferably mounted in a suitable insulating housing. When the shunt busbar of the present invention is connected to the high input impedance voltage comparator, a circuit path that allows for easily and accurately measuring the voltage drop across the busbar is made possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 5, 1994
    Inventors: H. Winston Maue, Zenon Hotra, Tomoyuki Yamai
  • Patent number: 5179503
    Abstract: A modular automobile power distribution box having a housing for mounting a plurality of interchangeable support modules. Each support module is adapted for supporting a specific electrical component such as an ISO relay, a mini-fuse, a maxi-fuse, etc., and the support modules are uniform so as to permit interchangeable positioning within the housing for selective variation of combinations of electrical components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Fouts, Thomas F. Rahrig, David E. Champlin, Zenon Hotra
  • Patent number: 5137464
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly having a first connector mounted to a battery cable, a second connector mounted to a load circuit lead, a connector housing with internal contacts for electrically interconnecting the first and second connectors and a turnbuckle assembly for concurrently driving the first and second connectors to automatically disconnect the power side connector from the internal contacts of the housing when disconnecting the second connector from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1992
    Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc.
    Inventors: H. Winston Maue, Zenon Hotra, Vinod T. Patel