Patents Examined by Brian J. Biggi
  • Patent number: 5735706
    Abstract: A cramping device for connecting two wires includes a housing having generally cylindrical slots which are parallel to and spaced apart from each other. A branch wire, terminates in one slot, and a main wire, which extends through the housing, is in the other slot. A retaining hole is provided into which the end portion of the branch wire is placed. Since the hole is at an angle to the slot, the branch wire is bent when the adjacent portion is placed in the slot. The bend assists in retaining the branch wire in its slot when it is forced against a contact which fits transversely across the slots, penetrates the insulation on the wires, and makes electrical contact therebetween. The slots may have narrowed portions near their outer edges to aid in retaining the wires in position. Preferably, a cover is provided which can enclose the housing. The cover and housing can be locked in a partially mounted position and a fully mounted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Ito
  • Patent number: 5733155
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a female contact in which plastic deformation of a spring contact member is prevented. A front wall 30 which faces in the direction of engagement is formed by being bent from a front end of an upper wall 16 of a female contact 10. An insertion opening 32 into which the male contact 40 is inserted is formed in front wall 30. Furthermore, a guide plate 34 is provided to guide the male contact 40 into engagement with spring contact member 28 and to protect member 28 from being deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuya Sagawa
  • Patent number: 5730629
    Abstract: The disclosed terminal part can protect the elastic contact portion securely, without increasing the manufacturing cost thereof. The terminal part (43) is formed with a wire connecting portion (3); an elastic contact portion (5); and a top plate portion (49) formed between the wire connecting portion (3) and the elastic contact portion (5). The top plate portion (49) has a lower top plate portion (45) and an upper top plate portion (47). In particular, a lower engage projection (55) formed at the end of the lower top plate portion (45) is engaged with an upper engage hole (57) formed in the upper top plate portion (47), and further an upper engage hook (41) formed at the end of the upper top plate portion (47) is engaged with a lower engage hole (39) formed in the lower top plate portion (45). Therefore, it is possible to securely protect the two side plate portions (13, 15) from being deformed inward even if an external force (F3) is applied to the terminal part inadvertently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Masakuni Samejima, Isao Kameyama, Hideto Kumakura
  • Patent number: 5730611
    Abstract: A card edge connector (10) includes an insulative elongated housing (12) having a central slot (14) for receiving the corresponding card (100) and having at least one ejector (20) at its longitudinal end. The ejector (20) comprises a kicker (32) at the bottom for engagement with the bottom edge of the card (100) received within the connector (10). The ejector (20) further includes a locking projection (30) horizontally and inwardly projecting toward the central slot (14) for engagement within a notch (104) of the inserted card (100). A pair of retention bars (22) or restraint devices for limiting lateral movement of the inserted card with regard to housing (12), vertically extend by two sides of the central slot (14) adjacent the ejector (20). The pair of retention bars (22) extend over the locking projection (30) of the ejector (20) in the vertical direction for substantially protectively covering the locking projection (30) in the vertical and/or horizontal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Lee-Ming Cheng, Edmond Choy
  • Patent number: 5730623
    Abstract: A triax cable contact provides improved high frequency performance by terminating the outer screen of the cable to an outer contact arranged to engage a ground clip in the connector and thereby ground the outer screen to the shell of the connector rather than directly to a corresponding outer contact of a mating triax contact. This permits the distance between the inner and intermediate contacts to be increased without increasing the outer diameter of the contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Leonard A. Krantz, Lloyd G. Ratchford
  • Patent number: 5730622
    Abstract: A coax connector includes an electrically conductive housing and electrically conductive center conductor. The center conductor is axially positioned within the housing in a dielectric support. The support includes two identical halves which are joined together to securely capture the center conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventor: Cynthia G. Olson
  • Patent number: 5725397
    Abstract: A plastic frame 13 for electrical connectors has an open end 14. A closing plate 18 of plastic is connected to one side of the open end by means of a living hinge. A cover 24 for covering electrical wires is integrally formed on the upper side of the frame 13. During assembly, the closing plate 18 is opened and each connector 1 is inserted into the frame 13 by sliding protruding members 11 along guiding grooves 15. Then the closing plate 18 is closed and latched. The electrical wires coming out of the connector 1 are simultaneously collected together under the cover 24. For disassembly, the closing plate 18 can be unlatched and each connector pulled out one by one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Fukamachi, Satoru Nishide
  • Patent number: 5718600
    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: January 17, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Raychem Corporation
    Inventors: Ercole D'Amario, Jr., Alfonso Castagna, Jerry N. Moscovitch, Chepur P. Rao, Brian S. Larkin, Arthur E. Ferdinand
  • Patent number: 5718594
    Abstract: A connector apparatus is provided for electrically coupling a module having an end edge including a plurality of conductive pads to a plurality of conductive traces on a printed circuit board. The apparatus includes an insulative housing formed to include an elongated slot for receiving the end edge of the module, a plurality of contacts located in the slot for engaging the conductive pads on the module, and a side arm having an integrally formed split peg for engaging the module to secure the module to the housing. The apparatus also includes a separate clip coupled to the side arm of the housing. The clip includes an actuator section located adjacent the split peg. The actuator section is configured to engage the split peg and to release the split peg from the module to permit removal of the module from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignee: Robinson Nugent, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert J. Tondreault, Samuel C. Ramey
  • Patent number: 5713761
    Abstract: An electrical connector is formed with a plurality of cavities in an ordered way in a housing. A retainer is fitted to the housing to cover the front faces of the cavities. The retainer doubly stops the female terminals by means of deformation regulating members provided therein, each of which enters a recessed portion of a respective lance, thereby regulating its deformation. The lances are associated with the cavities. The front face plate of the retainer has apertures formed thereon that align with the terminal insertion apertures located on the front face of the cavities. Ribs are formed between the apertures and project outwards, partitioning the apertures. Grooves that fit with the ribs are formed on the insertion face of a complementary connector. The creeping distance between the adjacent cavities is increased due to the provision of the ribs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Yasushi Okayasu
  • Patent number: 5713750
    Abstract: A memory card connector (10) includes an insulative housing (20) having a plurality of cavities (26) extending therethrough in a front-to-end direction for reception of a corresponding number of contacts therein. Ejection mechanism includes a pivotal lever (70) adapted to be rotatable with regard to the housing (20), and an actuation bar (80) adapted to be lengthwise moved wherein such lever (70) and actuation bar (80) are linked with each other. A pushing block (90) positioned on the actuation bar (80), has a pushing or operation surface (95) which laterally projects out of the lengthwise axis (Z) of such actuation bar (80) so that the actuation bar (80) can be rearwardly moved by easily manually approaching such operation surface (95) from an exterior, thus actuating such pivotal lever (70) to rotationally move for ejection of the memory card inserted within the connector (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1998
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yu-Ming Ho
  • Patent number: 5709557
    Abstract: An input/output electrical connector header 102 includes at least two rows of terminal pins 140 which can be connected to two separate printed circuit boards 106 and 108. The same header 102 provides input and output for both printed circuit boards 106, 108. The terminal pins 140 in each of the rows extend through openings 130 in the same header housing wall 126. A separable interconnection is made between pins in a second terminal row and a second printed circuit board 108 at the rear of the header 102. This separate connection can be established by a separate multiposition connector 114, 214, 314 or 414 containing receptacle contacts 116, 216, 316, 416 respectively. In other embodiments, this separate connector 514, 614, 714 and 1214, includes the terminal pins in the second terminal row in the separate connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Galen M. Martin, Larry G. Novotny, Donald K. Hughes
  • Patent number: 5709560
    Abstract: A lever 40 is pivotally mounted on a female connector housing 21 through support shafts 27. A split groove 28 is formed in a distal end of the support shaft so as to elastically deform this distal end to reduce a diameter thereof. A retaining larger-diameter portion 29 is formed on this distal end, and a slanting guide surface is formed on a distal end of this larger-diameter portion 29. The lever 40 has support shaft insertion holes 43 for receiving the support shafts 27, respectively. An inner surface of the support shaft insertion hole 43 is enlarged in a stepped manner to provide a reception recess 44 for receiving the retaining larger-diameter portion 29 of the support shaft 27, and the retaining larger-diameter portion 29 is embedded in the lever 40. It is provided a wire cover 60 which is slidable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of pivotal movement of the lever 40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masahide Hio
  • Patent number: 5709566
    Abstract: A press-contact connector assembly for a socket joint of a lighting fixture includes a press-contact electrode including a box-shaped body, a press-contact blade on one end of the box-shaped body, the press-contact blade having two opposed press-contact portions which extend away from the box-shaped body and form an axial slot therebetween for receiving a cable, and a power supply terminal on the other end of the box-shaped body. The assembly further includes a casing having a hood for receiving a lighting fixture electrode, a cylindrical portion for holding the press-contact electrode so that the power supply terminal contacts with the lighting fixture electrode in the hood, and a guide portion for defining a guide path to introduce the cable into the axial slot of the press-contact blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitsugu Tsuji, Takuya Inoue, Nori Inoue
  • Patent number: 5707259
    Abstract: A female terminal includes a hollow contact portion of a substantially quadrangular cross-section for receiving a male terminal through an opening formed in a front end thereof, so as to establish an electrical connection between the male terminal and the female terminal, and a resilient contact piece, formed in the hollow contact portion by folding a tip portion of the bottom plate portion of the hollow contact portion, for biasing the male terminal toward the roof plate portion of the hollow. The resilient contact piece has a first piece portion which extends from the front end of the hollow contact portion so as to be inclined upwards toward the roof plate portion. The female terminal also includes a plurality of protruding portions extending from the bottom plate portion toward the roof plate portion, for supporting thereon the first piece portion while maintaining the elastic deformation of the first piece portion when an excessive force is applied to the first piece portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeo Ishizuka, Isao Kameyama
  • Patent number: 5702268
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a Christmas lamp socket. The socket mainly includes a housing member and an affixing part. The affixing part has a pair of opposing erection parts to be fitted into, and secured by, a pair of corresponding elongate trenches on the inner circumference of the housing member. The housing member has two holes on a mediate portion. The holes communicate with cords held between the mediate portion and a bottom of the housing member. The affixing part is fitted with two conductors which pass through the holes of the housing to connect with wires of the cords.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Chen Yn Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tzung-Min Lien, Tzung-Shih Lien
  • Patent number: 5697808
    Abstract: A battery adapter for adapting a large capacity battery to a hand phone so as to supply power thereto in the case that the power of the hand phone battery is insufficient and it is impossible to charge the battery. The battery adapter includes an adapter and an imitative battery. The adapter has a mating face for mating with a large capacity battery. The mating face is disposed with more than one set of positive and negative electrodes connected to a lead wire. The lead wire extends from one side of the adapter to the imitative battery. The imitative battery has a shape similar to that of the battery for the hand phone and a mating face for mating with the hand phone. The mating face is disposed with several power terminals connected to the lead wire. When used, the large capacity battery is engaged on the mating face of the adapter and the imitative battery is engaged on the mating face of the hand phone so that the large capacity battery can supply power to the hand phone for long term of use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: E Lead Electronic Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tonny Chen
  • Patent number: 5697817
    Abstract: A modular jack type connector includes a dielectric housing having a plug-receiving cavity open at one end of the housing. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing, with spring beam contact portions extending in cantilever fashion in a single row within the plug-receiving cavity. The contact portions extend from curved base portions located in the housing. Tail portions of the terminals project from the housing in two rows generally parallel to the single row of contact portions, such that each pair of adjacent terminals includes a tail portion in each row thereof. The terminals include straight intermediate sections extending between the curved base portions and the tail portions, with the intermediate sections of each pair of adjacent terminals being substantially separated from each other in a direction transversely of the rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Christophe Bouchan, Franck Bordron
  • Patent number: 5690281
    Abstract: A socket having a structure which is suitable for electrical connection with ball-shaped lead terminals of an IC package is shown. When a cover (12) is pushed down, a latch (70) moves away, a slide plate (40) slides toward the positive side in an X direction through levers (52) and (50) and movable shaft (58) and both arms of each contact maker (30) open. Each lead terminal (solder ball) (32a) of the BGA package (32) is freely inserted between both arms of a respective contact maker (30) when in the open state. When cover (12) rises to its highest position, slide plate (40) slides in the reverse direction by the spring force of a compression coil spring, thereby returning to the its original position and both arms of each contact (32) engage each lead terminal (32a) in such a way as to hold it from opposite sides with a result that an electrical connection based on compressive engagement is obtained between each contact element (30) and each respective terminal (32a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1997
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Kiyokazu Ikeya, Kiyoshi Adachi, Masao Tohyama, Tomohiro Nakano
  • Patent number: 5688143
    Abstract: An electrical connector for use with flexible printed circuit (FPC) includes a casing having an interior chamber defined by two side walls and a bottom and having a top opening. The chamber has a plurality of slots formed therein for receiving conductive terminal members having a base from which two opposite arms extend. Each slot has a bottom section for receiving the base of the respective conductive terminal member and a side section defined by a recess formed on each of the side walls to receive therein one of the arms. Each of the arms has an inclined outer edge defining a gap with the side wall of the casing to allow the arms to be bent toward the side walls, forming an increased spacing between the arms for receiving therein the FPC. A shortened central arm, having sideward projected paws, is also provided on the base of the terminal members to be received within a central channel formed on the bottom of the chamber to retain the terminal member within the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1997
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert G. McHugh, Yu-Ming Hon