Patents Examined by Christopher Goins
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Patent number: 5674079Abstract: A ground lug comprising a collar which defines a receptacle for receiving a ground wire. A machine screw is threadably positionable in an aperture in the collar upper surface to engage a clamping plate and clamp a ground wire positioned between the collar and the clamping plate lower surface. The clamping plate has first, second, and third segments. The first segment has an aperture for bolting the ground lug to a ground point. The second segment has an axially extending tang and defines a first transverse shoulder. The third segment has a first end portion having axially extending tabs defining a second transverse shoulder. The third segment is inserted in the collar receptacle wherein the first shoulder engages the collar first end and the collar first end is received between the third segment and the tang. Rotating the clamping plate causes the second shoulder to engage the collar second end. The clamping plate may be further secured in place by crimping the tab towards the collar.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1995Date of Patent: October 7, 1997Assignee: Electric Motion Company, Inc.Inventor: William T. Auclair
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Patent number: 5672064Abstract: A durable modular connector assembly, particularly for use as a daughter board connector. The connector is made up of connector modules organized on a stiffener. Each connector module includes an alignment block to frictionally engage contact tails. The stiffener is connected to both the base and the alignment block so that the resulting module is rigidly held together and to the stiffener. The connector is therefore less susceptible to damage.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1995Date of Patent: September 30, 1997Assignee: Teradyne, Inc.Inventors: Daniel B. Provencher, Philip T. Stokoe, David M. McNamara
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Patent number: 5669778Abstract: An IDC branch connector comprises an IDC connection section positioned on a central carrier strip. Strain relief sections extend from either side of the carrier strip such that a wire terminated to the IDC section is securely held on either side. The IDC section comprises first IDC slots positioned between second larger IDC slots such that a large range of wire sizes can be terminated thereto. The branch connector is overmoulded by an insulative housing, whereby the carrier strip can be maintained between a plurality of connector modules depending on the number of wires to be interconnected.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 1995Date of Patent: September 23, 1997Assignee: The Whitaker CorporationInventors: Rudolf Kramer, Harald Michael Lutsch
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Patent number: 5667402Abstract: A wire carrier (100,102) for a NID module (10) for enabling termination of premise wiring tip and ring wires (22,24) to terminals (38,40) of the module for interconnection with circuits of the telephone service provider. Circuits of a circuit element (30) interconnect terminals (38,40) to contacts (36) of a jack (32) exposed for connection to a plug during test and otherwise shunted for in-service use. Each wire carrier preferably terminates both tip and ring wires (22,24) of a cable and is pivotable from a wire-receiving position to a wire-terminating position by a pivot section (104) to urge the wires (22,24) into slots (132) of terminals (38,40).Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 1995Date of Patent: September 16, 1997Inventors: Sam Denovich, Harry Milton Capper
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Patent number: 5664960Abstract: A power feed connector includes an outer casing, a connector body which is slidably mounted within the outer casing, and receives a plurality of terminals, and a handle in the form of a pipe through which wires connected to the plurality of terminals are passed. The handle is pivotally connected to the outer casing at one side of a front end portion thereof (by bearing portions and pin shafts), and is connected in a loosely-fitted manner to a rear end portion of the connector body at the other side of the front end portion thereof (by connecting pins and slots).Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 1995Date of Patent: September 9, 1997Assignee: Yazaki CorporationInventor: Hirotaka Fukushima
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Patent number: 5658155Abstract: An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a plurality of terminals therein. Each terminal has a tail portion projecting from the housing. A tail aligning device is secured to the housing and an intersection between the housing and the tail aligning device captures some of said tail portions of the terminals.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 1996Date of Patent: August 19, 1997Assignee: Molex IncorporatedInventors: Walter Graham McFarlane, Frank A. Harwath
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Patent number: 5658152Abstract: A swivel plug is provided which has male and female plug portions which pivot 180.degree. with respect to one another about a common pivot axis between first and second positions. A plurality of male and female electrical contact pairs slidably engage one another and pivot about the common pivot axis. Male and female bodies, which receive the electrical contact pairs, also pivot with respect to one another about the common pivot axis. The male and female bodies and the male and female electrical contact pairs are arranged in a novel relationship to mutually retain one other for the pivotal movement. The swivel plug eliminates the need for an electrical cord between an adapter of a laptop computer and a wall receptacle which has a downwardly located ground receptacle or a wall receptacle which has an upwardly located ground receptacle. The swivel plug also enables plugging a computer adapter or a typical extension cord into a receptacle where there is a rigid space constraint.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: August 19, 1997Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Edwin Joseph Selker
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Patent number: 5658172Abstract: An electrical power distribution arrangement includes a first terminal block (2) including a main bus bar (5) having a plurality of pole portions (3, 4), a power supply plug connector (8) connected with the first terminal block and including a power supply bus bar (12) electrically connected between a single power supply lead (17) and a first pole-portion (4) of the main bus bar, and at least one tapped output connector (9) having an output bus bar (12') connected with the main bus bar, characterized by the provision of plug-in coupling connectors (15, 15') connected with the power supply and tapped power outlet plug connectors for supplying power from the power supply lead via the first terminal block to a second terminal block of the distribution arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 1996Date of Patent: August 19, 1997Inventors: Friedrich Schmidt, Robert Kuells, Hans-Juergen Kern, Gerhard Huiskamp, Rainer Schulze
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Patent number: 5647775Abstract: An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having an elongated terminal-receiving cavity. A window is provided in an outer wall of the housing communicating with the cavity. A terminal is insertable into the cavity to a final position and has a transverse wall alignable with the window when the terminal is in its final position. A terminal locking member has a bifurcated portion adapted for insertion through the window in the housing for embracing opposite sides of the transverse wall of the terminal.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 1995Date of Patent: July 15, 1997Assignee: Molex IncorporatedInventors: Gary E. Polgar, Randy Joe Kempf, Rupert J. Fry
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Patent number: 5647772Abstract: A terminal position assurance (TPA) system for an electrical connector which includes a dielectric housing having terminal-receiving passageways with latch shoulders formed therein. A terminal is insertable into a rear end of the passageway and includes an outwardly extending primary locking portion adapted to latch behind latch shoulders of the passageway. A TPA device is engageable with a forward mating end of the housing and includes a secondary locking portion insertable into a front end of the passageway to prevent unlatching of the primary locking portion from the latch shoulders. If the terminal is incompletely inserted into the passageway, the secondary locking portion of the TPA device comes in contact with the primary locking portion of the terminal to move the terminal rearwardly and therefore detects incomplete insertion of the terminals.Type: GrantFiled: April 16, 1996Date of Patent: July 15, 1997Assignee: Molex IncorporatedInventors: Roberto Martucci, Gianni Zuin
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Patent number: 5641294Abstract: A backplane assembly of electronic equipment includes a plurality of coaxial connectors which are engaged by complementary coaxial connectors on a removable circuit card as it is inserted into the equipment. Precise alignment of the coaxial connectors is facilitated by mounting each coaxial connector on the backplane in a resilient bushing which permits limited movement of the connector. The coaxial connectors are arranged in pairs, the connectors of each pair also passing through shaped holes in a grounding and retaining component having spring fingers around its periphery biassed against a ground conductor on the backplane. This component provides for electrical grounding of and shielding around the coaxial connectors, and prevents rotation of each coaxial connector about its own axis.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1995Date of Patent: June 24, 1997Assignee: Northern Telecom LimitedInventor: James Lamar Beard
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Patent number: 5641305Abstract: An electrical device in the form of an electrical connector includes a main body having an axial passage for receiving an electrical cord and a fixed jaw extending from the upper face of the main body. A movable jaw is connected to the fixed jaw by a plurality of screws for applying clamping forces to an electrical cord between the jaws. A movable clamping device is carried by either the fixed or movable jaw and is axially and rotationally movable from a first retracted position to an extended position into the passage between the jaw. Movement of the movable clamping device enables the connector to clamp different size electrical cords.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: June 24, 1997Assignee: Hubbell IncorporatedInventors: David L. Lutz, John L. Sandor
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Patent number: 5639246Abstract: A connection device for a trailer light system, having a socket simulating a vehicle lamp socket and a plug joined to said socket simulating the base of a lamp, with wires joined directly or indirectly to said simulated socket or simulated plug for energizing the trailer light circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 1995Date of Patent: June 17, 1997Assignee: General Automotive Specialty Co., Inc.Inventor: William T. Holmes
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Patent number: 5634818Abstract: A plug includes a compartment defined therein, an end face through which first and second blades extend and having an opening defined therein in communication with the compartment, a fuse casing mounted in the compartment for receiving a fuse therein and having an access through which the fuse is passable, a first wire, a second wire in electrical connection with the second blade, a first conductive piece mounted to the fuse casing and in electrical connection with the fuse and the first blade, a second conductive piece mounted to the fuse casing and in electrical connection with the fuse and the first wire, and a lid removably mounted to the end face to cover the opening.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 1996Date of Patent: June 3, 1997Inventor: C. C. Deng
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Patent number: 5632627Abstract: Connection electrodes provided on the surface of a base film of a flexible substrate are pressed into contact with opposing electrodes provided on the surface of a facing rigid substrate. Backup members press the base film from the rear of each connection electrode. Each of the backup members has a cylindrical base portion and a conical tip portion which contacts a concave surface of the base film at the rear of each connection electrode. The conical tip portions are formed of an inelastic resin which does not deform elastically even if subjected to pressure and the cylindrical base portions are formed of an elastic resin which has a springiness. The cylindrical base portions apply a spring force to the base film when compressed so that the connection electrodes and the opposing electrodes form good electrical connections.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 1995Date of Patent: May 27, 1997Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Nobuo Aoki
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Patent number: 5632636Abstract: A transmission device for an ignition system of an internal combustion engine, which is equipped with a cylindrical terminal member made of an elastic material and having an inner circumference engagable with either one of an ignition coil or a spark plug. The cylindrical terminal member includes an engagement portion into which a terminal portion of an insulating member is fitted at its outer circumference, and the engagement portion has a thick-walled portion provided with an escape space to permit radial elastic deformation. This structure allows the elastic deformation of the thick-walled portion when the engagement of the terminal member is engaged with the spark plug or the ignition coil, thus facilitating engagement without excessive effort.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 1996Date of Patent: May 27, 1997Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Toshio Maekawa
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Patent number: 5628654Abstract: An accessory connector is provided for insertion into a vehicle fusebox which includes a receptacle for communication with conventional fuses. The connector can be quickly installed by a technician or vehicle owner without modifying the fusebox or fuses. The accessory connector utilizes the safety features of the fuse as will be connected thereto, while conveniently allowing the vehicle owner to add a stereo, radio or other accessory to the electrical system of the vehicle immediately without rewiring the circuits.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 1995Date of Patent: May 13, 1997Inventor: Dewey R. Lineberry, Jr.
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Patent number: 5628651Abstract: In an fixing mechanism of a connector for a structural object which causes a pair of connectors engaged each other to connect to a bulkhead board of a structural object such as a panel of a vehicle, causing the engagement securing member to mount on the female connector housing, when the connector housings are not in engagement with each other, since the engagement stopping projection of the engagement securing member stops displacement of the panel combining arm to the downward, combination of the structural object with the female connector housing is interrupted, when the connector housings are in engagement with each other, it causes said elastic locking arm to displace upward by the resilient locking piece of the male connector housing so that said engagement securing member is capable of being retreated, whereby the structural object is capable of combining with the panel combining arm under the displacement-inhibition for the panel combining arm released.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 1996Date of Patent: May 13, 1997Assignee: Yazaki CorporationInventor: Makoto Yamanashi
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Patent number: 5624275Abstract: A connector assembly including a pair of first and second connector housings with a connection detecting device. In the connector assembly, a short-circuiting contactor is set in the first connector housing, and a pair of connection detecting terminals are provided in the second connector housing. The short-circuiting contactor has two pairs of elastic pieces. In each pair, the elastic pieces are formed to be confronted with each other. When the first and second connector housings are engaged with each other, the connection detecting terminals, each being held between each pair of the elastic pieces, are electrically connected to the short-circuiting contactor.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1996Date of Patent: April 29, 1997Assignee: Yazaki CorporationInventor: Masaru Fukuda
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Patent number: 5618191Abstract: An electrical connector comprises a first connector half having two rows of first contacts in an insulative housing and a second connector half having two rows of second contacts in an insulative housing. When the second connector half is fitted with the first connector half, the second contacts mate with the first contacts. In addition to these contacts, a plurality of third contacts are provided with a predetermined pitch extending between the first contacts in the first connector half, and a plurality of fourth contacts are provided with the same pitch extending between the second contacts in the second connector half. The fourth contacts are positioned in such a way that when the first connector half and the second connector half are fitted together, the fourth contacts will be offset in the direction of their alignment with respect to the third contacts by a distance of half the pitch.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 1995Date of Patent: April 8, 1997Assignee: Kel CorporationInventors: Koji Chikano, Youichiro Azuma