Patents Examined by Anton Harris
  • Patent number: 6747206
    Abstract: A junction box and ballast circuitry assembly including a ballast housing for attachment to the junction box. The junction box is provided with two opposed open ends, one of the ends being in alignment with a side of the ballast housing and the opposed open end being adaptable for electrical communication with a lighting fixture. The junction box is provided with brackets on opposed sides for alignment with outwardly extending tabs on opposite sides of the ballast assembly to receive a fastening bolt through the tab and an opening in the aligned bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC
    Inventor: Bruce A. Law
  • Patent number: 6743039
    Abstract: A ball grid array connector having an insulative housing with a plurality of contacts in electrical connection with corresponding solder balls that protrude from a surface of the housing. The solder balls form a soldering region for attachment to a circuit board. The housing has a center of gravity biased from a center of the soldering region, and a positional compensation member is attached to the housing and the circuit board. The positional compensation member prevents the housing from becoming inclined with respect to the circuit board when the solder balls are attached to the circuit board and prevents the housing from becoming inclined with respect to an electronic part when the electronic part is mounted to the housing on a side opposite from the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics EC K.K.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shirai, Akira Kubo
  • Patent number: 6741447
    Abstract: A wafer space supporting apparatus is installed on a support chuck to relieve physical stress caused by thermal expansion or contraction of an object to be fabricated and adjusts itself to support the object to compensate for thermal expansion and contraction as well as minimize hard defects generated. The wafer space supporting apparatus includes a plurality of sliding pockets sunken into the supporting surface of the chuck, and sliding pads respectively floating-coupled in the sliding pockets such that they are spaced apart from the supporting surface so that they may adapt to expansions and contractions of an object to be fabricated, thereby preventing or minimizing any hard defects or physical stress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sun-Young Lee
  • Patent number: 6740813
    Abstract: A cover and bracket are provided for covering ceiling junction box openings in which there are no visible connecting devices on the face or outer surface of the cover. The cover has an inner surface and an outer surface. A peg is connected to the inner surface of the cover and includes raised ribs at an angle to the outer periphery of the cover. The bracket is adapted for connection to a junction box with connectors such as bolts or screws, and has one or more central engagement openings which are sized and shaped to selectively receive and engage the peg such that the cover holds fast to the junction box and covers the junction box opening and some portion of the surrounding ceiling surface. In a preferred embodiment, there are two central engagement openings. A first engagement opening contains spring engagement tabs that provide frictional holding of the peg. A second engagement opening is of a diameter less than the peg and ribs allowing the cover to be rotated clockwise therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2004
    Assignee: Arlington Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Gretz
  • Patent number: 6736545
    Abstract: An underwater connector has a plug unit and a receptacle unit each containing a bladder member having an internal, oil-filled chamber in which a respective contact module is located. Each contact module has an end face having both electrical and optical contacts for contact engagement with corresponding contacts on the other module when the units are releasably mated together in an underwater environment. The bladder members each have a resilient forward end portion with an opening communicating with the respective chamber, and opposing, pivoted jaws in each unit are closed to compress the forward end portion to close and seal the opening when the units are unmated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Ocean Design, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Cairns, Stewart M. Barlow, Peter R. Baxter
  • Patent number: 6727432
    Abstract: A grommet includes a first cylindrical portion for passing a member threthrough and a second cylindrical portion connected to the first cylindrical portion through an annular connection portion formed at an outer peripheral face of the first cylindrical portion. The second cylindrical portion has a fitting groove which formed in an outer peripheral face thereof for fitting on an inner peripheral edge of a through hole in a mounting plate. A first junction portion is formed between the annular connection portion and the first cylindrical portion. A second junction portion is formed between the annular connection portion and the second cylindrical portion. A form of the grommet changes between a first state in which an angle formed the annular connection portion with the first cylindrical portion in cross section is an acute angle and a second state in which an angle formed the annular connection portion with the first cylindrical portion in cross section is obtuse angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Sato
  • Patent number: 6722908
    Abstract: A retention mechanism for an electronic assembly which has a substrate and a heat sink. The retention mechanism includes a substrate slot that receives the substrate and a heat sink slot that receives the heat sink. There may be two retention mechanisms that are attached to a printed circuit board adjacent to an electrical connector. There may be two heat sink slots symmetrically located about the substrate slot so that the mechanism can be mounted to a left side or a right side of the connector. The symmetric slots eliminate the need for a left side mechanism and a right side mechanism. The retainer mechanism may also have a nut retainer that captures a nut that is used to attach the mechanism to the printed circuit board. The nut retainer allows the nut to be transported with the retainer mechanism during an assembly process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2004
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Llapitan, Michael Crocker, Peter Davison
  • Patent number: 6717046
    Abstract: To provide a computer device wherein liquid penetration into a ventilation hole from its periphery can be prevented or reduced without sacrificing design and without limitation of the size and operation. Coating films 7a and 7b in frame form are applied on a periphery of a ventilation hole 6. A wet-characteristic of the coating film 7a and 7b is different from a wet-characteristic of material composing a housing 3. For example, when an angle of contact of coating films 7a and 7b for water is larger than an angle of contact of material composing the housing 3, if water is spilled on the outside of the coating film 7b the coating film 7b prevents the water flow into the ventilation hole 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 6716054
    Abstract: A connector plug is provided including a plug body formed along a longitudinal axis and holding multiple contacts arranged in differential pairs. The channels extend along a vertical axis of the plug body and are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The channels are grouped in first differential pairs located on a common side of the longitudinal axis adjacent second differential pairs of channels being located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis. The connector plug also includes a wire guide having a first end configured to join an end of the plug body. The wire guide has a second end configured to receive a cable containing twisted differential pairs of wires. The wire guide has guide slots that carry corresponding twisted differential pairs of wires. The second end has wire dress grooves extending from the guide slots to the channels. Each of the wire dress grooves receives a wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2004
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Sam Denovich, Michael Patrick Green, Sheldon Easton Muir
  • Patent number: 6695630
    Abstract: A connector assembly for a memory module includes a body having two standing pivot seats and two fasteners pivotally connected to the two pivot seats respectively. Each standing pivot seat has two recessed guides and two through pivot holes communicating with two recessed guides. Each fastener has a front and rear wall. Each front and rear wall has a protruding detent and a pivot pin. The protruding detents and the pivot pins correspond to the two recessed guides respectively. The pivot pins are inserted into the two through pivot holes when the fastener is mounted in the standing pivot seat so the fastener can pivot in the standing pivot seat to easily mount the memory module. In addition, the protruding detents press against the two recessed guides to hold the position of the fastener in the standing pivot seat, so the fastener can securely hold the memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Egbon Electronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Yueh-Chu Ku
  • Patent number: 6693238
    Abstract: An accessory for trunking includes a body provided at one end at least with attachment arrangements by which it can be attached locally to a longitudinal wall of the base section of the trunking. The attachment arrangements include a lug which can be clipped into a housing in the wall and includes an actuator tongue connected to a free end of the lug. The actuator tongue is accessible from the outside of the base section of the trunking and can be pulled in its longitudinal orientation direction to disengage from the housing the free end of the lug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2004
    Assignees: Legrand, Legrand SNC
    Inventors: Alain Jadaud, Bruno Gautier
  • Patent number: 6683251
    Abstract: A pressure plate for an electrical device includes at least one internal standoff, at least one outboard standoff, and an anti-rotation leg. The internal and outboard standoffs prevent overtightening of the terminal screw. The anti-rotation leg preserves the orientation of the pressure plate and prevents a speed wire arm from being deformed when removing a speed wired wire from the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2004
    Assignee: Pass & Seymour, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward Brant, John F. Myers, Gerald R. Savicki, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6679728
    Abstract: A mini BNC connector, which provides a better signal transmission quality and can be fabricated conveniently, includes a metal outer casing with two locating cylinders and a joining chamber communicating with the two cylinders, two insulators fitted in the locating cylinders respectively with each of the two insulators having a piercing hole, two terminals joined to the piercing holes respectively with a tail section respectively extending to the joining chamber, two conductors connected to the tail sections respectively and a further insulator having two through holes joined to the conductors respectively and fitting with the inner side of the joining chamber so as to fix the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: Insert Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tung-Liang Huang, Sung-Wen Chen
  • Patent number: 6679707
    Abstract: The present invention provides a land grid array (LGA) connector that is formed from a plurality of sections. Specifically, each LGA section includes at least one set of fingers. Each set of fingers interconnects with a set of fingers of another section to form the LGA connector. By forming the LGA connector in this manner a maximum quantity of input/output (I/O) contacts can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William L. Brodsky, William E. Buchler, Jr., Benson Chan
  • Patent number: 6677520
    Abstract: A telecommunications cable management system includes fanning trays and management panels, including slidable drawers, mounted to a rack for management of cables. The fanning tray includes fingers for managing vertical cables. The cables extend horizontally through the fanning tray. The fanning tray includes hinges to access the space or the rack behind the fanning tray. A lock holds the fanning tray in the pivoted up position. One drawer includes slack management devices including a radius limiter that selectively releases to release slack at desired times. A slidable termination panel can be mounted in another drawer to allow greater access to the panel. The fanning trays and drawers are mounted to a rack for managing and connecting the cables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Kim, Michael J. Wentworth, Trevor D. Smith
  • Patent number: 6666689
    Abstract: An electrical connector comprising, in combination a body defining first and second electrical terminal entry ports, the first entry ports including four ports, there being an LED unit having pin terminals respectively received in three of said four ports, three of said pin terminals adapted for delivering controllable electrical current for controlling color emitted by the LED unit, another of said pin terminals received in a fourth one of said four ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Inventor: John M. Savage, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6667438
    Abstract: A pad-mounted transformer enclosure may have a wiring compartment utilizing multiple hinge points on each side panel with an additional set of hinges located at the back of the compartment area to allow the doors to be opened as normal or to allow the sides to be also opened, allowing the wiring compartment to be totally exposed on all three sides. The tank of the transformer enclosure may have a cover secured in a manner that allows the cover to be removed with simple hand tools while preventing unauthorized removal thereof, that increases tank top structural rigidity, and that does not trap water on the tank cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Ermco
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Schneider, Rad J. Hunsley, Greg V. Campbell
  • Patent number: 6657125
    Abstract: An electrical box for supporting sheathed electrical cables therein holds and supports electrical cables in a preferred arrangement. A cable clamp structure is used for clamping electrical cables to a surface of an electrical box. The cable clamp structure has an arched configuration and serrations on a cable contacting surface in order to more efficiently store electrical cables in an electrical box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Thomas & Betts International, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles B. Thompson, Ioan L. Lupsa, Tomasz Bedkowski
  • Patent number: 6657123
    Abstract: A power distribution cabinet for containing electrical components and associated circuitry includes a panel adapted to provide an interface for the distribution of power from a high voltage source to low voltage applications. The panel includes several outlet receptacle housings, wherein the housings are each L-shaped and disposed contiguously in a vertical series on the front of the cabinet each at a 45-degree angle. Collateral damage to the power distribution center can be minimized wherein a damaged single housing can be replaced without disturbing the remaining housings or outlet receptacles, thereby maintaining the operability of the power distribution center. The housings each comprise several weep slots disposed at the hydraulically lowest point of each of the housings so that condensation that forms on an inner surface of the housing is collected and drained through the weep slots thereby preventing any moisture damage to the interior circuitry and electrical components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Tampa Armature Works, Inc.
    Inventor: Marshall R. Moore
  • Patent number: 6653558
    Abstract: A bracket assembly for connecting a ceiling fan to a support installed within a ceiling, the bracket assembly comprising in combination a male subbracket, a hanger bracket, means for mounting said hanger bracket to the ceiling fan, means for connecting the male subbracket to the hanger bracket, a female subbracket, means for connecting the female subbracket to the support and the subbrackets including means for intercoupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2003
    Assignee: King of Fans, Inc.
    Inventors: John C. Bucher, Charles E. Bucher