Patents Examined by Brian J. Biggi
  • Patent number: 6062918
    Abstract: An electrical terminal 10 includes a female receptacle 20 and a separate reversely bent leaf spring member 40. The separate spring member 40 is formed from a material, such as stainless steel having a lower stress relaxation rate than materials normally used for electrical terminals. The separate spring member 40 has a stationary section 43 that is affixed to one wall of the female receptacle 20 and a leaf spring section 46 that provides a secondary spring backing up a primary spring 26 that is part of the female receptacle 26. The separate spring member 40 is inserted into the female receptacle 20 through a mating face 29 and is snapped to sidewalls 24. The separate spring member 40 deflects the primary spring 26 during insertion and the primary spring 26 does not return to its unstressed condition unless deflected by insertion of a male pin contact when mated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2000
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: John Mark Myer, Keith Robert Denlinger, John Raymond Shuey
  • Patent number: 6017233
    Abstract: A floating panel mount system is disclosed for mounting an electrical connector to a panel. The system includes a panel having an aperture arrangement therethrough. A connector housing has a mating portion adapted to pass through the aperture arrangement from one side of the panel for mating with a complementary connecting device on the opposite side of the panel and adapted to provide substantial clearance in the aperture arrangement permitting floating motion relative to the panel. A locking portion of the connector housing is adapted to pass through the aperture arrangement from the one side of the panel and adapted to provide substantial clearance in the aperture arrangement. A flange portion of the connector housing is adapted to engage the one side of the panel laterally of the aperture arrangement. A retaining cap lockingly interengages with the locking portion and is engageable with the opposite side o the panel to prevent the mating portion from pulling back out of the aperture arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Rupert J. Fry, Gary E. Polgar
  • Patent number: 5980289
    Abstract: Connector for joining a fluid pressure communication conduit and an electrical communication line to a second fluid pressure communication conduit and at least a second electrical communication line. The connector has a connector body having an internal space contained within a pressure boundary, the internal space communicating with a fluid pressure connector for attachment to the first fluid pressure communication conduit, a portion of the pressure boundary including a floating member, the floating member having a fluid pressure communication port for mating with a second fluid pressure communication port on a second connector. The floating member also has one or more electrical contacts for mating with one or more electrical contacts on the second connector. The electrical contacts have electrical connection to the one or more electrical communication lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventor: Thomas H. Engle
  • Patent number: 5967810
    Abstract: Disclosed is a device for release of the restrained link arm in a memory card connector. In this device a longitudinally directed force which may result, for example, from the activation of an electrical current in a memory wire causes a rearward edge on a timing bar to separate the link arm from the eject plate to allow the link arm to move to a forward position to eject the card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Berg Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John M. Spickler, James J. David, Scott S. Duesterhoeft
  • Patent number: 5957713
    Abstract: Connector for joining a fluid conduit and an electrical line to another fluid conduit and electrical line. It has a body including a mating surface with a fluid pressure port and a seal surrounding the port. It has a nipple for a fluid pressure hose and a fluid passage joining the nipple to the port. It has means for joining two connectors having their mating surfaces in contact to compress the seals and prevent loss of fluid. There is at least one electrical contact having a contact surface on the mating surface outside of the seal, so that when two connectors are joined, the contact surface(s) on the first connector touch(es) the contact surface(s) on the second connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventors: Thomas H. Engle, Thomas Bogenschutz
  • Patent number: 5957738
    Abstract: An eyelet terminal is secured to the surface of a grounding member by a resilient plastic retainer passing through the eyelet and through a hole in the member. The eyelet has an annular sleeve which fits inside the hole in the member and a plurality of fingers extending radially outward from the sleeve to contact the surface of the member. After the eyelet is so positioned, the retainer is pushed through the sleeve to urge the fingers into planar contact with the surface. The retainer has a resiliently deformable flange at its lower end which is compressed inwardly as it passes through the sleeve and expands outwardly again on the opposite side of the sleeve and member, and a cap at its upper end which fits over the fingers of the eyelet to protect against contamination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Paul Douglas Schryer
  • Patent number: 5941718
    Abstract: A ground power connector has a removable contact insulation cover and replaceable individual contact components. The connector body is integrally molded at one end to a ground power cable. The other end of the connector body is provided with integral fixed contacts to which a removable contact insulation cover section may be threadably secured. Replaceable contact components are threadably secured to the fixed contacts and covered by the insulation cover. A replaceable sealed switch assembly may also be incorporated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Inventor: Robert G. Didier
  • Patent number: 5938485
    Abstract: An electrical terminal having a contact-making region for making contact with a complementary contact pin and having a connecting region for connection to an electrical conductor is described, the contact-making region including an inner contact-making spring and an outer, external spring, the contact-making spring merging into a connecting region and having at least two mutually opposite contact spring arms which are supported by the external spring, the terminal further including a web which runs transversely with respect to the insertion direction is cut out on two longitudinal sides at least on a side of the external spring opposite the contact spring arms, this web being bent inwards in such a manner that it presses from the outside onto the contact spring arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Gheorghe Hotea, Marianne Eva Modler
  • Patent number: 5938468
    Abstract: An elastic clamp structure of an interface socket is provided, which consists of an interface socket with two clamps. The clamp has a pressed flat block at each free end, in which the flat block extends out from one side of the cylindrical surface of the wire, while the other side of the flat block maintains the cylindrical surface contour of the wire. The height of the flat block is larger than the inside height of the projecting lug, and smaller than the width of the projecting lug of the interface socket, allowing the clamp to swivel smoothly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Inventor: Fu-Hsiung Lin
  • Patent number: 5928026
    Abstract: A floor lamp plug device has a cone-shaped body an annular body disposed on the cone-shaped body, a hollow disk, and a hollow cover. The hollow cover has an inner thread, an annular center flange, and a center hole. The hollow disk has a round hole two opposite protruded flanges, and each protruded flange having a channel and a slot. The annular body has a hollow interior receiving the hollow disk, an outer thread engaging with the inner thread two opposite notches matching the protruded flanges, and a recess. A branch wire set has a first wire and a second wire. The branch wire s et passes through the round hole. Each of the first wire and the second wire are inserted through the respective channel. A main wire set is inserted through the recess. Two conductive plates are inserted in the slots Each conductive plate has a tip end penetrating the branch wire set and a tooth end penetrating the main wire set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Bright Yin Huey Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Keen Hsu
  • Patent number: 5928028
    Abstract: An insulation displacement connector that includes a plurality of apertures disposed through a mating face and a ribbon-contacting face of the insulation displacement connector. The mating face is configured to mate with a complementary connector complementary in gender to the insulation displacement connector. The ribbon-contacting face is disposed opposite the mating face and configured for coupling with an interspersed ground conductor ribbon cable having a plurality of parallel insulated conductors. The insulation displacement connector includes a plurality of first conductor coupling structures. Each of the first conductor coupling structures is disposed in one of the plurality of apertures and is configured to couple to one of first designated conductors of the plurality of parallel insulated conductors and a contact on the complementary connector when the complementary connector is coupled to the insulation displacement connector at the mating face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Quantum Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Orsley, Clifford M. Gold
  • Patent number: 5924889
    Abstract: A coaxial cable connector including a base and at least one jack, each jack including a tubular shell, a signal terminal mounted within the tubular shell, and an insulative sleeve mounted inside the tubular shell to separate the signal terminal from the tubular shell, the base having at least one coupling chamber adapted for receiving the at least one jack respectively, at least one lamp hole, and at least one indicator light respectively mounted in the at least one lamp hole for indicating the status of the coaxial cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Inventor: Tsan-Chi Wang
  • Patent number: 5924888
    Abstract: An electrical plug for connecting an electrical cable such as an electrical heating cable to an electrical power outlet. Contained within the housing of the plug are first and second contact members which comprise a first prong and a second prong, respectively, each prong being suitable for insertion into a socket of an electrical power outlet. A cutting module and a cutting element which fits within the cutting module are used to remove polymer, e.g. insulation or a conductive polymer composition, from the first and second electrodes of the cable at the end of the cable in order to make electrical connection from the electrodes to the first and second contact members. Present within the cutting module are first and second electrode-contact sections positioned on the concave arcuate inner surface of the wall of a cavity in the cutting module. The electrode-contact sections can be electrically connected to the first and second contact members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Raychem Corporation
    Inventor: Brian S. Larkin
  • Patent number: 5921823
    Abstract: A female power contact which is energized only upon insertion of a male plug. The contact includes a plunger which is biased toward a position which blocks accidental finger insertion into the contact. The plunger also contains sharp points on its outer edge to further prevent accidental finger insertion into the contact. However, insertion of the male plug into the female power contact, against the spring bias, causes the plunger to depress the spring in order to produce an electrical connection between the male plug and female contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Allen J. Bernardini
  • Patent number: 5921789
    Abstract: An electrical connector C for a circuit board P has elongate terminals 11 extending therefrom. An alignment plate 12 supports the ends of the terminals 11 against bending and ensures alignment of the terminals 11 with corresponding apertures of the circuit board. A guide portion 13 of the alignment plate 12 is movable relative to an attachment portion so as to accommodate relative thermal expansion and thereby reduces stress on the electrical connection between the terminals 11 and the circuit board P.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirotaka Makino, Hajime Okada
  • Patent number: 5921783
    Abstract: The invention concerns an electromechanical connection device comprising a switching device which can be connected to a current source via power supply contacts and comprises switching magnets. A tripping device, provided with tripping magnets, can be connected to the switching device. Switching magnets are thus moved from a rest position, against a restraining force, into an operating position, the contact between pairs of contacts and hence the electrical connection between the switching device and the tripping device being established. The switching magnets and the tripping magnets are provided with a special code. The pairs of contacts are disposed at least approximately in a region of the housing between the center thereof and the switching magnets. An electrically conductive bridge is provided on the operating slide for the contact between the pairs of contacts and the power supply contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignees: Klaus-Dieter Fritsch, Achim Bullinger
    Inventors: Klaus-Dieter Fritsch, Achim Bullinger, Hermann Neidlein
  • Patent number: 5921785
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improvement in an electric connector for a flat, flexible cable having conductors on one side comprising: an insulating housing having a cavity to receive the connecting end of a flat, flexible cable and a plurality of terminal pairs parallel arranged at regular intervals and fixed in the cavity; and an actuator slidably nested in the insulating housing. The actuator has a blade to press the connecting end of the flat, flexible cable against the contacts of the terminals of each pair when the blade of the actuator is inserted in the cavity of the insulating housing. The contacts of the terminals of each pair face one side of the blade, and are aligned and spaced from each other in the direction in which the flat, flexible cable is inserted in the cavity of the insulating housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Hidehiro Ii
  • Patent number: 5921809
    Abstract: An improved battery and jumper cables therefor are shown and described. The battery includes positive and negative terminals respectively defining male members or female sockets having "+" and "-" shapes, and the jumper cables similarly include cable terminals defining complementary female sockets or male members sized to engage the battery terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Battery Boy LLC
    Inventor: David Marshall Fink
  • Patent number: 5919066
    Abstract: For a connector for high currents, in order to reduce the volume resistance it is proposed to provide the front end of the contact pin with spring tongues and to form the rear end of the contact socket as a rigid, essentially inflexible socket. Front spring tongues of the contact socket act on the solid part of the contact pin, and the spring tongues of the contact pin act against the wall of the rear end of the contact socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Harting KGaA
    Inventors: Dietmar Harting, Klaus Olejarz
  • Patent number: 5906517
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a base, a contact housing plate and a cover. The contact housing plate is coupled to the base and includes an electrical receptacle which is adapted to engage an electrical plug. The cover is also coupled to the base and overlies the contact housing plate. The cover has an inclined surface which extends toward the base and an opening therein forming a recess for receiving the electrical plug that is engageable with the electrical receptacle. The electrical connector may further include a plurality of electrical receptacles and openings for receiving multiple electrical plugs. The electrical connector may also include a circuit board which may contain an on/off switch and a circuit breaker with surge suppression. In addition, the plug of the power cord for the electrical connector may contain a built-in GFCI circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1999
    Assignee: Fiskars Inc.
    Inventors: John J. Crane, Walter Millard Bailey