Patents Assigned to FCI Americas Technology LLC
  • Patent number: 8715003
    Abstract: An electrical connector is provided that includes a connector housing supporting a plurality of electrical contacts. The electrical contacts are edge-coupled along a column direction, and spaced apart along a row direction so as to define a space that is defined by adjacent electrical contacts along the row direction. The electrical connector includes at least one rib disposed in the space. The rib has a dielectric constant greater than air such that the dielectric constant of the space is increased with respect to a substantially identical space that is filled only with air. The increased dielectric constant reduces the impedance of the electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignees: FCI Americas Technology LLC, FCI
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Buck, Stefaan Hendrik Jozef Sercu, Jan De Geest
  • Patent number: 8715004
    Abstract: A right-angle electrical connector is configured to be mounted onto an upper mounting surface of a substrate that defines a bottom surface opposed from the upper mounting surface so as to define a thickness. The connector includes a connector housing and a plurality of electrical contacts retained by the connector housing. The connector housing overhangs an edge of the substrate and extends down with respect to the upper surface to a depth from the upper mounting surface that is less than the thickness of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: Alan D. Crighton
  • Patent number: 8702443
    Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment, an electrical connector includes a connector housing, and at least one electrical terminal supported by the connector housing. The electrical terminal defines a mating portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion carrying a pair of crimp members having crimp teeth configured to pierce through a flex cable when crimped so as to mount the flex cable to the mounting portion of the electrical terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignees: FCI Americas Technology LLC, FCI
    Inventors: Motomu Kajiura, Yasutoshi Kameda, Jeffery Garvais
  • Patent number: 8690589
    Abstract: A card-edge connector has a housing that includes a housing body, and a plurality of electrical contacts carried by the housing body. The electrical contacts include a plurality of electrical signal contacts and a plurality of electrical power contacts. The electrical signal contacts are sized thinner than the electrical power contacts. The card-edge connector includes a mounting fastener extending out from only one side wall of the housing body at a location adjacent the electrical signal contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: Hung Viet Ngo
  • Patent number: 8678860
    Abstract: An electrical connector may include a first connector with electrically-conductive contacts. The contacts may have blade-shaped mating ends, and may be arranged in a centerline. The electrical connector may include a second connector with electrically-conductive receptacle contacts, which may also be arranged in a centerline. The connectors may be mated such that the mating portion of a first contact in the second connector may physically contact of a corresponding blade-shaped mating end of a contact in the first connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignees: FCI Americas Technology LLC, FCI
    Inventors: Steven E. Minich, Douglas M. Johnescu, Stefaan Hendrik Jozef Sercu, Jonathan E. Buck
  • Patent number: 8657616
    Abstract: An electrical connector including a housing; and a plurality of first ground contacts. The first ground contacts each comprise a male contact blade configured to be inserted into a contact channel of a housing of a mating electrical connector. The male contact blade has a portion configured to contact the housing of the mating electrical connector, after the male contact blade makes electrical contact with the deflectable beam, to move the male contact blade in the contact channel, increase deflection of the deflectable beam by the male contact blade, and increase or maintain normal force between the mating contact and the ground contact generally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Alan Raistrick, Stuart C. Stoner
  • Patent number: 8641432
    Abstract: An electrical connector system includes a plurality of electrical connectors that can be mounted onto a powered rail. Each of the electrical connectors includes a connector housing that retains an electrical contact. The powered rail includes a tapered alignment guide that receives a complementary tapered arm of the connector housing that locates into the alignment guide so as to position the connectors to the rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: William A. Northey
  • Patent number: 8632365
    Abstract: A card-edge connector has a housing that includes a housing body, and a plurality of electrical contacts carried by the housing body. The housing is devoid of mounting ears that would extend out from the housing body. Rather, the housing includes opposing mounting guides carried by opposed housing side walls that are configured to receive a complimentary circuit board that the card-edge connector is mounted to.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: Hung Viet Ngo
  • Patent number: 8616919
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes at least one leadframe assembly, including a leadframe housing that carries a plurality of electrical contacts, and an external component, such as an electrically conductive plate, configured to be attached to the leadframe housing. The leadframe assembly includes an attachment system that includes an alignment assembly configured to align the electrically conductive plate with the leadframe housing as the plate is attached to the housing, and an attachment assembly that can be mated to attach the plate to the leadframe housing. The attachment assembly can be provided without creating any openings in the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: Stuart C. Stoner
  • Patent number: 8608510
    Abstract: An electrical power connector comprises a housing having a mounting interface and a mating interface. The mating interface defines a plurality of receptacles spaced apart in more than one direction. A plurality of electrical contacts is supported by the housing. These electrical contacts define respective mounting ends that are configured to electrically connect with an electrical component at the mounting interface, and opposed mating ends. At least one of the electrical contacts defines a common contact beam disposed within at least a select one of the receptacles. This common contact beam is configured to be electrically connected to a pair of adjacent electrical contacts of a mated electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Buck, Stephen B. Smith
  • Patent number: 8608512
    Abstract: An assembly including an electrical wire and a plug housing forming an electrical connector. The electrical wire includes an electrical conductor and electrical insulation surrounding the electrical conductor. An end of the electrical conductor is not surrounded by the electrical insulation. The plug housing is on the end of the electrical wire. The plug housing covers a bottom of the end of the electrical conductor and covers a first portion of a front side of the end of the electrical conductor. The plug housing does not cover a top of the end and does not cover a second portion of the front side such that the top of the end and the second portion are exposed to be able to electrically contact an electrical contact of a mating electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Charles M. Gross
  • Patent number: 8585426
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a connector housing and at least one electrical contact supported by the connector housing, the at least one electrical contact configured to mate with a complementary electrical contact of a complementary electrical connector. The electrical connector further includes a latch assembly that includes an actuator and a latch body. The actuator has an actuator portion and at least one arm extending from the actuator portion. The arm includes a proximal end connected to the actuator portion, an opposed distal end, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion is retained by the connector housing at a location below the distal end. The latch body is connected to the connector housing so as to rotate about a pivot axis. The latch body includes a latch member at one side of the pivot axis, and a spring disposed at a second opposite side of the pivot axis. The spring provides a spring force that biases the latch member toward a latched position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Arkady Y. Zerebilov, Deborah A. Ingram
  • Publication number: 20130196526
    Abstract: An electrical connector including electrical terminals, and a housing. The housing includes a first housing member and a second housing member. The second housing member includes terminal receiving areas which house the electrical terminals. The second housing member includes projections into the terminal receiving areas to limit forward movement of the electrical terminals in the terminal receiving areas. The first housing member includes a plurality of projections respectively extending into each of the terminal receiving areas to limit rearward movement of the electrical terminals in the terminal receiving areas. The electrical terminals float in the terminal receiving areas between the projections of the first housing member and the projections of the second housing member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: FCI Americas Technology LLC
  • Patent number: 8485848
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed for manufacturing an electrical connector. A mold is presented having a pair of opposing dies that each define a mold pocket. The mold pockets of each die can be joined to form a mold cavity. Plastic can be injection molded into the mold cavity to form an electrical connector housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Thomas K. Burns, Dale A. Croasmun, Francisco Salas
  • Patent number: D691958
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignees: FCI, FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Motomu Kajiura, Yasutoshi Kameda, Jeffery Garvais
  • Patent number: D691959
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignees: FCI, FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Motomu Kajiura, Yasutoshi Kameda, Jeffery Garvais
  • Patent number: RE44556
    Abstract: A printed circuit board electrical power contact for connecting a daughter printed circuit hoard to a mating contact on another electrical component. The power contact includes a main section; at least one daughter board electrical contact section extending from the main section; and at least one mating connector contact section extending from the main section. The mating connector contact section includes at least three forward projecting beams. A first one of the beams extends outward in a first direction as the first beam extends forward from the main section and has a contact surface facing the first direction. Two second ones of the beams are located on opposite sides of the first beam and extend outward in a second opposite direction as the second beams extend forward from the main section. The second beams have contact surfaces facing the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Steven E. Minich, Christopher J. Kolivoski
  • Patent number: D693772
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignees: FCI, FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventors: Motomu Kajiura, Yasutoshi Kameda, Jeffery Garvais
  • Patent number: D696199
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: Hung Viet Ngo
  • Patent number: D701839
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology LLC
    Inventor: Hung Viet Ngo