Patents Examined by Harshad Patel
  • Patent number: 8657621
    Abstract: A connector apparatus has an equipment-side connector (20) mounted in a case (10) and a harness-side connector (30) fit on the equipment-side connector (20) through an opening in the case (10). Fit-on detection mechanisms (27, 40) for detecting connection of the equipment-side connector (20) and the harness-side connector (30) are provided therebetween. The fit-on detection mechanism (27) of the equipment-side connector (20) has two male tabs (28). The fit-on detection mechanism (40) of the harness-side connector (30) has a shorting terminal (50) and two relay terminals (55). The shorting terminal (50) has a coupling plate (51) and two pins (52) projecting from the coupling plate (51). The relay terminals (55) have connection parts (57) at both ends for connecting to the pins (52) of the shorting terminal (50) and to the male tabs (28).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Michiyo Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 8658924
    Abstract: A seal structure for a switch mechanism includes a switch disposed in a housing, an operating member protruding forward from the housing through an opening formed in the housing and configured to turn on or off the switch, a rubber cover attached to the operating member from a front-side of the operating member and having a rear end engageable with the opening, and a fixing cover fixed to the operating member from outside the rubber cover so as to integrate the rubber cover with the operating member. In this seal structure, the rubber cover seals gap between the opening and the operating member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Makita Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8624139
    Abstract: A key button mechanism includes a retaining board, a sliding board, a key button and a stopping member. The sliding board is slidably mounted to the retaining board. The sliding board is capable of sliding between a first configuration and a second configuration. The key button is fixed to the sliding board so the key button can be slid relative to the retaining board. The stopping member is located between the retaining board and the sliding board. The stopping member, which can be overcome with fingernail pressure, holds the sliding board in either the first configuration or the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignees: Shenzhen Futaihong Precision Industry Co., Ltd., FIH (Hong Kong) Limited
    Inventor: Guo-Zhao Huang
  • Patent number: 8604373
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing and a power button assembly mounted on the housing. The housing defines an assembly hole and an assembly portion around the assembly hole, and the assembly portion includes a side wall. The power button assembly includes a pressing button received in the assembly hole, a printed circuit board, and a support plate connected to the printed circuit board. The support plate is fixed on the housing, such that the printed circuit board is positioned opposite the pressing button. The support plate includes a plurality of positioning portions bent towards the printed circuit board along an imaginary outline corresponding to the side wall, respectively, and the positioning portions are inserted in the assembly portion and abut the side wall correspondingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignees: Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Bin Dai
  • Patent number: 8598481
    Abstract: A switch includes an insulative housing, a pair of first and second contacts fixed in the insulative housing and a dome-shaped moveable contact. The insulative housing includes a receiving space and a first peripheral wall located outside of the receiving space. The first and the second contacts include first and second contacting sections, respectively. The first and the second contacting sections are separated a distance from each other and exposed in the receiving space. The dome-shaped moveable contact is mounted in the receiving space under condition that the moveable contact is constantly in contact with the second contacting section while the moveable contact is alternatively driven to engage with the first contacting section so as to establish electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact. The first peripheral wall defines a sinuated air-passageway communicating the receiving space to outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Jia Wang, Liang Sun, Shi-Jie Tan
  • Patent number: 8591265
    Abstract: A receptacle connector matched with a plug connector includes an insulating housing, a plurality of upper and lower terminals, a locating element and a shielding shell surrounding the insulating housing. The insulating housing defines an accommodating space, and a plurality of upper and lower terminal grooves communicating with the accommodating space. Each upper terminal disposed in the upper terminal groove has a first fastening portion, a first contact portion contacting with the plug connector, and a first soldering portion. Each lower terminal disposed in the lower terminal groove has a second fastening portion, a second contact portion contacting with the plug connector, and a second soldering portion. The locating element positioned in the accommodating space defines a plurality of through-holes aligned with the upper and lower terminal grooves respectively. The first and second soldering portions further pass through the through-holes to be soldered with a circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Guang-Li Huang, Ming-Han Lin, Li-Jun Xu
  • Patent number: 8592702
    Abstract: A illuminant keyboard device includes a bottom frame having a plurality of latch parts, a plurality of keying units disposed on the bottom frame, a membrane switch interposed between the bottom frame and the keying units, a light guide plate interposed between the membrane switch and the bottom frame, a least a light source disposed on predetermined position of the light guide plate, a plate interposed between the membrane switch and the light guide plate and a light-shielding plate interposed between the membrane switch and the keying units. The light guide plate has a plurality of first holes and the plate has a plurality of second holes, the diameter of each of the first holes is larger than the diameter of each of the second holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ching-Cheng Tsai
  • Patent number: 8585415
    Abstract: The present invention relates to shielded electrical cables and shielded electrical connectors to be affixed thereto, and in particular to the termination of the shielding braid provided at the electrical cable. According to the present invention, a shielding termination structure for engaging a shielding (104) of a shielded cable (100) having an insulated conductor (102) that is encompassed by said shielding is provided, said shielding termination structure (110) comprising: an electrically conductive shield body (114) for establishing an electrical connection between said shielding (104) and an electrically conductive interface (118), fixing means (126) for securing said shield body (114) at the interface (118); an electrically conductive spring element (120) that is arranged between said shield body (114) and the interface (118) for establishing the electric contact in a compressed state of the spring element (120).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics UK Ltd
    Inventors: John Marsh, Robert Baker
  • Patent number: 8579639
    Abstract: An input/output (I/O) device for an automation control system includes a base portion configured to communicatively connect the I/O device with at least one other I/O device, an I/O module physically and communicatively connected to the base portion and comprising I/O communication circuitry, a terminal block physically and communicatively connected to the base portion, and an ejection device configured to eject the I/O module or the terminal block from the base portion by pushing the I/O module or the terminal block out of engagement with the base portion when activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas R. Bodmann, David S. Wehrle, Joseph G. Vazach, Robert J. Kretschmann, Nathan J. Molnar, Gregg M. Sichner
  • Patent number: 8579650
    Abstract: An electrical disconnect includes a male housing having an enclosed contact and a female housing similarly having an enclosed contact. The contact in at least one of the housings includes a busbar to electrically couple a plurality of wires. Upon joining the disconnect, the contacts in the two housing engage to form as releasable connection. By including a busbar, multiple conductors in one of the housings may be coupled to a single conductor in the second housing. Additionally, by disconnecting the housing, each load in the circuit may be simultaneously interrupted as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Ideal Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Sushil N. Keswani
  • Patent number: 8574005
    Abstract: An universal serial bus socket is disclosed, which comprises: a shell, disposed on a planar surface, being formed with a first surface and a second surface at positions corresponding to each other while having a slot to be formed thereon with a length extending in an extending direction forming a first included angle with respect to the planar surface; and an USB connector, being arranged inside the slot while allowing an USB jack of the USB connector to expose outside the first surface of the shell so as to be provided for an USB plug to plug in; wherein the first included angle is not equal to 90 degrees, and the USB plug is arranged to plug into the USB jack in a plug-in direction that forms a second included angle with respect to the planar surface while allowing the second included angle to be not equal to 90 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Arcadyan Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Chin-Yi Wu, Sheng-Chung Chen
  • Patent number: 8574001
    Abstract: An electronic connector comprises: an insulating body, a plurality of terminals contained in the insulating body, a metal shield housing the insulating body, and a light pipe covering the metal shield. The insulating body and the metal shield define a mating space having an inserting opening. The light pipe is made of transparent, compressible LSR and comprises a base body and a ring sealing gasket in front of the base body covering the periphery of the insertion opening. When the electronic connector is assembled in a panel, the sealing gasket is held between a hold of the panel and the metal shield to form a sealing structure, so that the electronic connector and assembly comprising the same are excellently waterproofed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: DawWei Lee
  • Patent number: 8556662
    Abstract: A card connector includes an insulating housing defining a card recess, first electrical terminals and second electrical terminals disposed in the insulating housing. Each first electrical terminal has a base strip, a first fixing arm, a first elastic arm extending forward and inclining upward from the first fixing arm, a second elastic arm slantwise extending forward and upward from a substantial middle of the base strip and apart located under the first elastic arm, and a contact portion protruding upward from a front end of the base strip and apart located under the second elastic arm. A distal end of the first elastic arm elastically stretches upward into the card recess, and can be pressed downward to resist against the second elastic arm so as to make the second elastic arm further contact with the contact portion when an electronic card is inserted into the card recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Proconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hung-Chi Wang, Te-Hung Yin
  • Patent number: 8550840
    Abstract: An electrical connector monitoring system for a plug and receptacle assembly, that includes a plug connected to the plug assembly, a recess located within the plug, an electrically insulative layer disposed in the recess, a wear member disposed on the plug that at least partially traverses the insulated recess and in electrical contact with the plug, a contact member movably connected with a receptacle of the receptacle, and a signal device in electrical connection through a circuit with the plug, wear member, and contact member when the plug is fully seated within the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip V. Mann, Mark D. Plucinski, Sandra J. Shirk/Heath, Arvind K. Sinha
  • Patent number: 8545263
    Abstract: A coaxial connector with a connector body is provided with a connector body bore. An annular coupling groove is provided in the connector body bore open to a cable end of the connector body. A clamp sidewall of the coupling grove is angled inward from a bottom of the coupling groove. A slip ring seated within the coupling body bore is provided with a grip surface. An annular compression body is positioned between the slip ring and the clamp sidewall. The connector body and the coupling body are coupled together via threads. The slip ring is dimensioned for axial advance of the coupling body along the threads to exert a compression force against the compression body to clamp a leading edge of the outer conductor between the compression body and the clamp sidewall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Andrew LLC
    Inventor: Nahid Islam
  • Patent number: 8545241
    Abstract: A USB flash drive includes a USB connector, a latch, and a socket. The USB connector is rotatably connected to the socket and includes a first spring to drive the USB connector to rotate from a folded state in which the USB connector is received in the socket, to an unfolded state in which the USB connector is out of the socket. The latch is positioned in the socket and includes a sliding cap and a second spring. The second spring is configured for driving the sliding cap to slide towards the USB connector when in the folded state, to latch the USB connector. The latch also includes a restraining rod and a third spring. The restraining rod is configured for restraining the sliding cap in the unfolded state under the control of the third spring but when in the folded state releases the sliding cap when pressed by the USB connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: Premier Image Technology (China) Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Rong-Hao Wang, Ru-Jian Lin
  • Patent number: 8536472
    Abstract: A rotary switch mechanism includes a first rotatable member, a second rotatable member, a push button and a triggered switch. By rotating the first rotatable member, a first rotation command is executed. By rotating the second rotatable member, a second rotation command is executed. By moving a user's finger on the push button, a motion command is executed. By pressing down the push button to trigger the push switch, a pushing command is executed. In such way, the rotary switch mechanism may be used to input plural commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Primax Electronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Chun-Che Wu, Chun-Nan Su
  • Patent number: 8529278
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a waterproof electrical connector that can prevent detachment of connector parts and enhance waterproofness. The connector includes a main housing, a cover housing, a contact, and a body. The main housing includes a mating protrusion, a fitting section, and a head portion. The contact includes a contacting portion that is received in the fitting section and an electric wire connection portion that connects to one end of an electric wire. The body covers at least a boundary portion between the main housing and the cover housing. The main housing further includes an outer circumferential wall positioned on an outer circumferential side of the boundary portion between the main housing and the cover housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Japan G.K.
    Inventor: Katsumi Shiga
  • Patent number: 8523604
    Abstract: A terminal block has conductors extending from devices placed one over another placed on nuts (10) and fastened by a bolt. A heat sink (40) is arranged below the nuts and an insulating plate (20) is sandwiched in close contact with the nuts (10) and the heat sink (40). A molded resin part (60) covers these three members (10, 20 and 40). The insulating plate (20) includes nut accommodating portions (21) capable of accommodating the nuts (10) and bolt escaping recesses (26) projecting downward from a bottom plate (22) of the insulating plate (20). The heat sink (40) includes accommodation recesses (43) into which the bolt escaping recesses (26) fit. The molded resin part (60) is molded with the nuts (10) accommodated in the nut accommodating portions (21) and the accommodation recesses (43) and the bolt escaping recesses (26) fit to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Daisuke Akuta
  • Patent number: 8517772
    Abstract: The cable contains a cable member, a first connector electrically connected to an end of the cable member, a split member electrically connected to the other end of the cable member and having at least a second connector, at least an adaptors capable of electrically connecting to the second connector; and a joint member having a ring element for joining to the cable member and at least an extension element for joining to the adaptor. The cable, with the first connector and the other connectors on the adaptors, can be used to interface various appliances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Inventor: Sung-Chiang Wu