Patents Examined by John McQuade
  • Patent number: 4647119
    Abstract: Disclosed is a support plate for the coupling means and the electrical connections of an insulated semitrailer cistern which is fixed by its periphery on the edge of a window made in the bottom wall of the metallic jacket of the cistern. An annular joint seals the space between said plate and the edge of the window. The electrical conductors and the pneumatic channels of the cistern are protected in a flexible metallic element embedded in a layer of insulating material and are connected respectively through the window to the coupling means and the electrical connections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: Magyar
    Inventor: Georges Magyar
  • Patent number: 4647131
    Abstract: A connector for contacting one or a plurality of parallel connectors and retaining the conductors at the contact position. The connector includes two parallel extending contacts between which the conductor is inserted and electrically contacted. The connector further includes rotatable retaining means which enables the conductor to be inserted between the contacts and which also secures the conductor in place after it is contacted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: Johannes Maria B. Van Woensel
  • Patent number: 4647122
    Abstract: A filter connector is provided which securely holds each of its contacts and electrically connects a capacitor between each contact and an electrical ground, which is rugged and can be constructed at low cost. The connector includes a metal shell with a rear shell wall having holes through which the contacts pass. A group of tubular capacitors with terminals at its outside and inside are installed in the holes, and each contact passes through a central hole of a tubular capacitor. The outside terminal of each capacitor is soldered to the rear shell wall, and the inner terminal of each capacitor is soldered to a contact. The capacitor has a flange on its front end that abuts the front face of the rear shell wall, and the contact has an enlarged middle portion whose rear abuts the front of the capacitor and whose front abuts a front insulator of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: ITT Corporation
    Inventor: Joseph F. Kelly
  • Patent number: 4647130
    Abstract: A high durability drawer connector is capable of blind mating and has a receptacle connector half having a plurality of spring arm contact terminals extending forwardly of a mating face, and a plug connector half having a like plurality of contact terminals having planar contact portions to engage the spring arm contacts upon mating. Guide pins forwardly of the plug housing enter alignment recesses of the receptacle housing and align the plug connector which is floatingly mounted to a drawer end panel. At a first unmated position the spring arms enter plug housing passageways and just engage the plug's contacts under low insertion force. A camming bearing surface on one of the plug's guide pins bears against a cooperating surface of the receptacle housing and cams the plug connector in a selected axially normal direction. The plug's contacts then firmly engage the spring arms from laterally thereof biasing them to achieve contact force, and the connectors are fully mated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Bryce W. Blair, Lawrence A. Hall
  • Patent number: 4647134
    Abstract: A specialized contact structure is provided for IC sockets to permit increases contact pressure and to permit contact with an IC lead at its base instead of at its tip. The socket includes a substrate with the subject contacts embedded therein in rows, an overlying lever-actuated plate having corresponding rows of apertures, with the apertures corresponding to IC lead positions. In operation, the IC leads are inserted into the apertures in the lever-actuated plate and the plate with the inserted leads is moved laterally, such that the leads are moved laterally into contact with the mating contact arms of the contacts mounted in the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: Augat Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshimasa Nonaka
  • Patent number: 4647132
    Abstract: A retaining mechanism, within a lamp socket, includes a single wire spring element mounted external to the lamp socket and protrudes into the lamp socket opening so as to provide insertion interference to ramped projections extending from either end of a lamp wedge base element and frictional retention against the ramped projections when the wedge base element is fully inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: James A. Mikola
  • Patent number: 4647128
    Abstract: An electrical connector system with releasable latching. The system includes a plug having an insulative body carrying at least one first terminal element connected to a conductor extending from the plug. The system also includes a receptacle having a body of insulative material defining a cavity with an open end for receiving the plug and having at least one second terminal element aligned for mating engagement with the first terminal element when the plug is received in the receptacle. The plug includes a locking ear extending laterally relative to the axial direction of the plug with the receptacle having a cantilever latch extending alongside the plug and with the free end of the latch positioned past the locking ear. The latch has a window for receiving the ear to lock the plug to the receptacle. The latch is resilient and deflectable outwardly from a locking position wherein the latch holds the ear to a release position wherein the latch is disposed out of the path of the ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1986
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1987
    Assignee: Cooper Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald R. Maros
  • Patent number: 4645282
    Abstract: A manually operable releasable retention arrangement in one connector housing includes a receptacle comprised of a pair of split semi-cylindrical segments each pivotally mounted to a drive shaft and adapted to threadably engage a threaded member on a second connector housing. Rotation of the drive shaft causes the segments to interengage with the threaded member whereby to hold the housings together but rearward axial movement of a forwardly biased operating sleeve circumposed about the receptacle brings an annular groove thereon into register with outward annular ribs on the segments allowing the ribs to be received in the groove and the segments to pivot relative to their mounting whereby to release the threaded member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1987
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventor: David L. Frear
  • Patent number: 4643501
    Abstract: A fixture to support an electronic board and to be connected to a tester for testing the electronic board. The fixture has a fixed support, a vertically movable first carrier on the fixed support mounting an electronic board, a vacuum chamber for moving the first carrier, spring means for vertically moving the first carrier away from the fixed support, a second carrier mounted on the first carrier for vertical motion, a vacuum chamber for moving the second carrier relative to the first carrier downwardly toward the fixed support, and spring means connected between said first and second carriers for moving the second carrier relative to the first carrier upwardly away from the fixed support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Inventor: Harry S. Coffin
  • Patent number: 4641902
    Abstract: A shielded connector for electrical circuits comprising a non-conducting housing containing electrically conductive terminals and an electrically conductive housing, said electrically conductive housing comprising at least two elements, each of said elements being capable of mating with the other of said elements, at least one of said elements having at least one recessed pocket having an aperture open to the exterior of said element, each of said pockets being adapted to hold a projection on a latch, the interior walls of said pocket being continuous with the exterior walls of said electrically conductive housing and either a portion of said pocket also being located in a second element or at least one wall of said pocket being contributed by a second element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1987
    Assignee: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventor: David F. Fusselman
  • Patent number: 4640566
    Abstract: An electrical connector housing locking feature is taught. Briefly stated, the present invention provides an improved latching arm in which the electrical connector housing utilizes a latching arm which lies in a groove formed from the outer wall of the male housing and pivots at one end thereof so as to resiliently flex toward the bottom surface of the groove. The female housing has a locking member which is engageable with a portion of the latching arm thereby allowing the male and female housings to be detachably locked together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 3, 1987
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Yoshihide Matsusaka
  • Patent number: 4639059
    Abstract: The device incorporates two pre-formed bodies made of insulating material that contain a member of electrical connectors and related electrical contact points, mounted coplanar with the electrical contact points of an electromechanical component, the said contact points being connected to one another via one or more flexible printed circuits in such a way that after soldering they finish up connected to each other and rigidly attached to the said component to form a contactor that has the required connections layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Crouzet S.p.A.
    Inventor: Claude Thepault
  • Patent number: 4639063
    Abstract: An electrical connector for receiving and retaining a flexible film strip and electrically connecting conductors thereon to circuit traces on a circuit board on which the connector is mounted. More particularly, the connector includes contact units of contact elements mounted in insulative members which are received in the connector housing and a cover which is cammed down to wipingly press the conductors on the flexible film strip against cantilever spring arms on the contact elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Arthur L. Mueller
  • Patent number: 4639064
    Abstract: A spring member comprises a set of flat arcuate ring segments each having a flange portion extending perpendicularly from its opposite ends. The segments are assembled about a plug shoulder to resist rotation of a coupling nut thereabout only when each of a pair of connector shells are nearly mated, the segments being driven rearwardly by the receptacle and providing a substantially continuous 360.degree. metal-to-metal EMI shield between the forward end face of the receptacle and the plug shoulder when the shells are fully mated. The flange portions are driven into detents disposed in the coupling nut flange and resist rotation only near full mate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Allied Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony W. Knapp, Dee A. Werth
  • Patent number: 4639230
    Abstract: Apparatus and method are disclosed for use in the manufacture of a color cathode ray picture tube, the apparatus providing for inserting a shadow mask into the face panel of the tube. Means are disclosed for seeking the apertures of the leaf-type springs extending from the frame and locating the axes of the apertures and locking the apertures at predetermined points in a first substantially horizontal plane. The stud-locating means include V-groove tip means for locating, positioning and cradling the studs in the second plane with the axes of the studs in approximate vertical alignment with the predetermined points. Elevator means provide for raising the mask to an upper assembly position to translate the planes into approximate coplanarity, and bring the axes of the apertures into approximate coincidence with the axes of the studs before release of the springs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Zenith Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: William H. Meyle, Paul H. Wendt
  • Patent number: 4639055
    Abstract: A current-carrying vacuum cleaner air hose having an electrical conductor extending lengthwise thereof, with a cuff at one end. Male electrical terminals are embedded in the cuff and project outwardly into a tubular adapter enclosure portion. A catch is formed integrally with the adapter for cooperation with a coupling element to releasably secure the hose end in connected association with the coupling element, which illustratively is provided as a portion of a vacuum cleaner canister.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: James W. Keane
  • Patent number: 4639060
    Abstract: Connection is made to an insulated conductor (26) by the connector (2) of the invention without the need to pre-strip the conductor. The connector (2) comprises two contact members (12,14) that overlap to provide an aperture (21) for receipt of the insulated conductor (26). The connector (2) is recoverable, preferably by means of a memory metal strip (6), to cause the contact members (12,14) to slide relative to each other to reduce the aperture size, pierce the conductor insulation, and exert a permanent gripping force on the conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 27, 1987
    Assignee: Raychem Corporation
    Inventor: Richard Lionnet
  • Patent number: 4637673
    Abstract: An easily disassemblable separate ceiling fan switch box structure which makes the upper cover and the lower housing body of the switch box locked and joined. Its upper cover can join to a wire distribution receptacle which connects to the wires of the elements of the switch device. The said wire distribution receptacle can couple with the wire distribution receptacle connected to the wires of the ceiling fan motor and then a fixing sleeve ring fixes and joins them. Further an annular or frame-shaped PC board can also be installed in the inner part of the lower housing body to allow the said elements and their wire distribution receptacle to be directly installed thereon, hereby making the ceiling fan switch box structure simplified and compact for convenient disassembly or assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 4637676
    Abstract: An electrical wire terminal block including a hinged marking strip overlaying a transversely disposed apertured ledge and arranged to either include an integrally molded "living" hinge area of reduced cross-section or, in the alternative, including the hinge portion intermediate its ends and with a retainer portion detachably retained in a dual purpose orintation aperture in the ledge. The remaining apertures in the ledge provide access means for adjusting clamping screws, in addition to providing a retention means for detachably receiving a detent element on the marking strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: Allen-Bradley Company
    Inventors: Glenn H. Simonsen, Clayton J. Klotz
  • Patent number: 4637670
    Abstract: DIP carrier assembly comprises carrier having support surface with apertures therethrough to channels in side and bottom of carrier into which DIP leads are formed. Terminals aligned in channels in opposed sidewalls of socket apply releasing force on carrier when DIP leads deflect contact portions of terminals. Release of resilient latch on socket causes ejection of carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1987
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: James R. Coller, Paul A. Coon, Joseph R. Goodman