Patents Assigned to TE Connectivity Corporation
  • Patent number: 10256769
    Abstract: A solar junction box for a solar panel includes a housing having a base and walls defining a cavity. The cavity extends along a primary axis and a secondary axis generally perpendicular to the primary axis. The base has a foil opening receiving a foil of the solar panel. A terminal is received in the cavity. The terminal has a protection device contact terminated to a protection device and a foil contact configured to be terminated to the foil. The foil contact is oriented within the cavity such that the foil contact is configured to be terminated to the foil when the foil extends into the foil opening along the primary axis and such that the foil contact is configured to be terminated to the foil when the foil extends into the foil opening along the secondary axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Charles Raymond Gingrich, III, Matthew Edward Mostoller, Christopher George Daily
  • Patent number: 10256561
    Abstract: A terminal with ribbed contact springs for receipt of a mating terminal therein. The receptacle terminal has a contact portion which includes a bottom wall with contact sections extending from opposed sides of the bottom wall. Each of the contact sections have at least two resilient arms which extend from the bottom wall to a mating terminal engagement member. The at least two resilient arms have arcuate portions which extend from the bottom wall to the mating terminal engaging members. Each of the at least two resilient arms has a reduced contact spring rate, thereby allowing the contact normal force to be more accurately controlled with the same manufacturing tolerances. More controlled normal force allows for a minimum contact normal force to be reliably maintained while reducing the insertion force required during mating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventor: David Tracy Humphrey
  • Patent number: 10256612
    Abstract: A rotary stripping device for a wire includes a support panel having a wire opening configured to receive an end of the wire and a wire stripper mounted to the support panel. The wire stripper includes an actuating wheel and a blade wheel independently movable relative to the actuating wheel. The wheels have wire openings aligned with the wire opening of the support panel to receive the wire. The wire stripper has a stripper blade held by the blade wheel having a cutting edge configured to engage the wire. The wire stripper has an actuator associated with the actuating wheel operably coupled to the stripper blade to move the stripper blade. The actuator causes the stripper blade to move as the actuating wheel is moved relative to the blade wheel to move the cutting edge of the stripper blade relative to the wire opening in the blade wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew Steven Houser, Christopher John Karrasch
  • Patent number: 10247889
    Abstract: A cable breakout comprising: (a) a cable comprising a plurality of conductors; (b) a skeleton component having a first and second end, a substrate, conductor management (CM) members defined on said substrate, and at least a first protrusion on a first side of said substrate and a second protrusion on a second side of said substrate, said CM members being configured to receive said cable at said first end and to hold each of said plurality of conductors in place at said second end; and (c) an overmolded component overmolding said skeleton component including at least a portion of said CM members and said conductors, said overmolded component having an outer surface that defines essentially the form factor of said cable breakout, wherein at least one of said first and second protrusions extend to said outer surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Fabian, James Patrick Mosier, Douglas Harold Rohde
  • Patent number: 10241278
    Abstract: A connector sub-assembly comprising: (a) an insert housing defining two or more insert ferrule openings and at least two insert alignment pin openings, and having a mating surface; (b) a retainer attached to the insert and defining two or more retainer ferrule openings and at least two retainer alignment pin openings; (c) at least two alignment pins, each of the alignment pins disposed in one the insert alignment pin openings and in one of the retainer alignment pin openings, thereby aligning the insert ferrule openings and the retainer ferrule openings, the at least two alignment pins extending from the mating surface; and (d) only one fastener securing the insert and the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Fabian, James Patrick Mosier
  • Patent number: 10236605
    Abstract: A connector system includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a plug housing that holds a circuit card. The plug housing includes a tongue portion extending to a mating end of the plug housing. The circuit card protrudes beyond the mating end. The plug housing includes a rail disposed along an outer surface of the tongue portion. The second connector includes a receptacle housing that defines a card slot configured to receive the circuit card of the first connector therein. The second connector includes a shell mounted to the receptacle housing. The shell protrudes beyond a mating end of the receptacle housing to define a receptacle that receives the tongue portion of the plug housing therein. The shell defines a guide channel configured to receive the rail of the plug housing therein as the tongue portion enters the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips
  • Patent number: 10236673
    Abstract: An integral, unitary pre-expanded cover assembly unit for covering an electrical connection between first and second electrical cables each having a primary conductor and a sleeve defines a cable passage to receive the electrical connection and the primary conductors of the first and second cables. The outer sleeve surrounds the inner sleeve. The duct is neutral conductor includes a cover assembly and a removable holdout. The cover assembly includes an elastomeric inner sleeve, an elastomeric outer sleeve, and a duct. The inner interposed radially between the inner and outer sleeves. The duct defines a duct passage configured to receive at least one of the neutral conductors therethrough. The holdout is mounted within the inner sleeve. The holdout is operative to temporarily maintain the inner sleeve in an expanded state and the outer sleeve in an expanded state. The duct is flexible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation
    Inventors: Senthil A. Kumar, Edward O'Sullivan, Mahmoud K. Seraj, Ganpathy Iyer
  • Patent number: 10234635
    Abstract: A connector comprising: (a) shell acing a cavity configured to receive a single conventional insert (b) one or more modular inserts, each modular insert having a form factor ½ to ¼ of the form factor of said conventional insert, such that said cavity is capable of receiving 2 to 4 said modular inserts; (c) said each modular insert having at least: (i) a housing having a front opening and a rear opening, (ii) an interface disposed in said front opening, said interface presenting one or more conductors, said conductors extending from said interface rearward through said rear opening and into a jacketed cable, (iii) a crimp portion rearward of said rear opening, said jacketed cable being secured to said crimp portion, and (iv) one or more seals sealing said front and rear opening such that said interior of said housing is sealed from environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Fabian, James Patrick Mosier, Douglas Harold Rohde
  • Patent number: 10236681
    Abstract: A power cable assembly includes a power cable extending between a first end and a second end having a hot conductor and a neutral conductor. The power cable assembly includes a circuit protection device along the power cable between the first and second ends. The circuit protection device has a ground fault circuit interrupt (GFCI) device configured to sense a current difference on the hot and neutral conductors to initiate a triggering event. The circuit protection device has a high-power relay device connected to the GFCI device. The high-power relay device is connected to the hot conductor and is configured to open the hot line when the triggering event is initiated by the GFCI device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Roger Lee Thrush, Sean Delaney O'Brien, Thomas Michael Banas
  • Patent number: 10230196
    Abstract: A latch for latching a connector to a device includes a body comprising a hub, an actuator extending from the hub, a latch pin extending from the hub and a return spring extending from the hub, the actuator and/or the latch pin. The latch pin is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, wherein the latch pin is configured to latch the connector to the device when the latch pin is in the latched position. The actuator is configured such that movement of the actuator moves the latch pin between the latched position and the unlatched position. The return spring is configured to bias the latch pin to the latched position. The actuator, the latch pin and the return spring are integrally integrally formed as a single, unitary body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry
  • Patent number: 10230184
    Abstract: An electrical contact for insertion into a hole of a substrate. The electrical contact includes a compliant portion having an opening extending between contact arms. At least one contact arm of the contact arms has a resilient engagement section which extends into the opening of the compliant portion and resilient contacting sections which extend from the engagement section in a direction away from the opening. Upon insertion of the compliant portion into the hole of the substrate, the resilient engagement section of the at least one contact arm engages an opposed contact arm of the contact arms, causing each of the resilient contacting sections to move independently of the resilient engagement section and other resilient contacting sections. Each of the resilient engagement section and the resilient contacting sections are deformed and generate independent retention forces which are combined to generate the total retention force of the compliant portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Mark Myer, Hurley Chester Moll, Ronald Louis Marion, Daniel Williams Fry, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10224657
    Abstract: A spring for use in an RF contact for a plug-in module including a hollow unitary cylindrical body having a longitudinal axis and a spring portion positioned between opposed first and second ends. The spring includes a first retainer near the first end, the first retainer adapted to be captured between first and second socket body portions of an RF contact, the first socket body portion, at least a segment of the second socket body portion, and the body adapted to be disposed within a receptacle module. The spring includes a second retainer near the second end, the second retainer adapted to be captured by a corresponding feature of the receptacle module. In response to the body being mounted in the receptacle module to floatingly secure the first socket body portion and the at least a segment of the second socket body portion therein, the spring portion is in tension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nicholas Paul Ruffini, Kevin Michael Thackston, Cammie L. Johanning, Brian Todd Klinger
  • Patent number: 10224652
    Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot configured to receive a paddle card of a pluggable module and having a mounting lug having a datum surface. The card edge connector assembly includes support hardware coupled to the housing having a base including a locating cavity having a locating surface that receives the mounting lug such that the locating surface engages the datum surface of the mounting lug to locate the support hardware relative to the housing at a support location. The support hardware has a support beam extending from the base having a support surface for supporting the pluggable module independent of the card edge connector such that the paddle card is oriented in the card slot relative to the contacts for electrical connection therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael David Herring, Michael John Phillips
  • Patent number: 10221034
    Abstract: Provided are a mobile processing frame, a mobile processing system, and a method of processing. The mobile processing frame includes a base portion having an electrical receptacle and a pneumatic receptacle positioned thereon, a turntable rotatably coupled to the base portion, a motor secured to the base portion and operably connected to the turntable, a mobile support secured to the base portion, opposite the turntable, and a locking member configured to selectively restrict movement of the mobile support. The turntable is configured to receive a processing material thereon, and feed the processing material therefrom. The processing system includes the mobile processing frame, a control device, and a transport device configured to move the frame. The method includes positioning a processing material on a frame, moving the frame to a processing area, coupling a control device to the frame, and feeding the processing material from the frame to a processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daniel Len Johnson, Darden Ramsey Jones
  • Patent number: 10218097
    Abstract: A card edge connector assembly includes a card edge connector having a housing defining a card slot receiving a circuit card and a card guide module coupled to the housing. The card guide module has a base and a support beam extending from the base having a support surface supporting the circuit card. The card guide module has a locking arm pivotably coupled to the support beam. The locking arm has a latch at a distal end thereof latchably secured to the circuit card in a latched position to secure the circuit card in the card slot. The locking arm has an ejector engaging the circuit card and moving the circuit card in an unmating direction when the locking arm is moved to an unlatched position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry
  • Patent number: 10218077
    Abstract: Wireless communication device includes a conductive wall having an antenna slot. The wireless communication device also includes an antenna sub-assembly positioned relative to the antenna slot to form a multi-band slot antenna. The multi-band slot antenna includes a dielectric body and a feed trace coupled to the dielectric body. The feed trace is operably aligned with the antenna slot. The multi-band slot antenna also includes a parasitic trace coupled to the dielectric body. The parasitic trace is operably aligned with the antenna slot and spaced apart from the feed trace. The feed trace is configured to communicate at a first frequency band and the parasitic trace enables the multi-band slot antenna to communicate at a second frequency band. The first frequency band is based on a size and shape of the parasitic trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: TE Connectivity Corporation
    Inventors: Hilario Lepe, Bruce Foster Bishop
  • Patent number: 10218122
    Abstract: A circular connector assembly having a plug shell, a coupling ring and a housing and a method of retaining the housing. The plug shell has a flexible insert-receiving retention portion and a flange provided proximate the flexible insert-receiving retention portion. The flexible insert-receiving retention portion has an insert-receiving opening. The coupling ring has an internal threaded portion and an engagement portion. The internal threaded portion is configured to cooperate with the flange. The engagement portion is dimensioned to resiliently deform the flexible insert-receiving retention portion when the engagement portion is provided in contact with the flexible insert-receiving retention portion. The insert is inserted into and maintained in the plug shell by the flexible insert-receiving retention portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Alex Robert Rengifo
  • Patent number: 10211558
    Abstract: A receptacle terminal for receipt of a mating terminal therein. The receptacle terminal has a contact portion including a bottom wall and resilient contact arms which extend from the bottom wall. The resilient contact arms have resilient contact sections and mating terminal engagement members. The mating terminal engagement members have a projection receiving opening. A spring arm extends from the bottom wall toward the mating terminal engagement members. The spring arm has a projection which extends from the spring arm to create a raised area on an inner surface of the spring arm to engage the mating terminal. Prior to the receipt of the mating terminal, the projection of the spring arm is positioned in the projection receiving opening of the mating terminal engagement members, allowing the portions of the spring arm to be positioned proximate the mating terminal engagement members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael Edward Didonato, Richard B. Emenheiser
  • Patent number: 10211582
    Abstract: An electrical power distribution system includes a first bus bar and a clamp mounted to the first bus bar. The clamp includes a fixed base and a movable plate that define a track therebetween along a broad face of the first bus bar. The track receives a second bus bar therein such that the broad face of the first bus bar engages a corresponding broad face of the second bus bar. The clamp includes a lever connected to both the movable plate and the first bus bar. Pivoting movement of the lever in a locking direction forces linear movement of the movable plate relative to the first bus bar towards the fixed base such that respective inner sides of the movable plate and the fixed base sandwich the second bus bar therebetween to secure the second bus bar in engagement with the first bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Patrick Orris, John Joseph Consoli, Brian Patrick Costello
  • Patent number: 10201194
    Abstract: Processes of applying conductive composites on flexible materials, transfer assemblies, and garments including conductive composites are disclosed. The processes include positioning the conductive composite relative to the flexible material, the conductive composite having a resin matrix and conductive filler, and heating the conductive composite with an iron thereby applying the conductive composite directly onto the flexible material. Additionally or alternatively, the processes include positioning the conductive composite relative to the clothing, and heating the conductive composite thereby applying the conductive composite on the clothing. The garments include the flexible material and the conductive composite positioned directly on the flexible material. The transfer assembly has the conductive composite on a transfer substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ting Gao, James Toth, Jialing Wang, Megan L. Hoarfrost, Vishrut Vipul Mehta