Patents Examined by P. Austin Bradley
  • Patent number: 7021961
    Abstract: A wiring system for distributing three-phase power from a three-phase power supply is provided. The wiring system includes a power distribution cable assembly and a load cable assembly. The power distribution assembly comprises a first power connector head and a second power connector head operatively connected to the respective ends of a length of power cable such that the connection of the power conductors of the respective power terminals disposed in fixed arrays in the respective connector heads is switched. The load cable assembly has a load connector head connected to an end of a load cable. The load connector head has a fixed array of terminals that includes three terminals selected from a group consisting of a first power terminal, a second power terminal, a third power terminal, a neutral terminal, and a ground terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2006
    Assignee: Acuity Brands, Inc.
    Inventor: Brian James Soderholm
  • Patent number: 7018247
    Abstract: A clamp-jaw contact assembly is for a meter socket including a socket block having plurality of meter socket receptacles. The clamp-jaw contact assembly includes a stationary contact structured to engage a corresponding one of the meter socket receptacles, a moveable contact pivotally coupled to the stationary contact by a pivot member, such as a rivet, and a clamping element which is coupled to the stationary contact and includes an integral jaw spring. The integral jaw spring biases the moveable contact toward the stationary contact in order to secure a meter bayonet therebetween. The moveable contact also has a closed position in which it resists insertion of the meter bayonet between the moveable contact and the stationary contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Ranta, Paul D. Seff
  • Patent number: 7018235
    Abstract: A connector for coaxial cable is disclosed herein which has a gripping ring positioned between a compression ring and a connector body. At least two opposed ends of the gripping ring are capable of being displaced radially inwardly for gripping the cable. A related method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Corning Gilbert Inc.
    Inventors: Donald A. Burris, William B. Lutz
  • Patent number: 7018224
    Abstract: A bifurcated conductive pad positioned on an electrical mating component, such as a circuit card, a contact portion of a cable assembly, or the like, having a main body and a mating edge. The bifurcated conductive pad receives a mating element having a built-up charge. The conductive pad comprises an initial contact portion and a final contact portion. The initial contact portion is configured to receive the mating element before the final contact portion receives the mating element, and wherein at least one of the initial and final contact portions is grounded so that the final contact portion receives a reduced amount of the built-up charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Jason M'Cheyne Reisinger, Robert Allen Kirker, Keith McQuilkin Murr, Dean Camiel William Vermeersch
  • Patent number: 7018246
    Abstract: An electrical contact that is particularly suitable for use in high speed, grid array connectors is disclosed. The contact includes a retention member extending along a length thereof. The retention member is adapted to retain the contact within a connector base and to deform upon insertion of the contact into the base to cause a generally straight edge to be formed along a portion of the contact that includes the length along which the retention member extends. Thus, a generally uniform impedance profile may be created between adjacent contacts along the respective portions that are inserted into the connector base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2006
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Raistrick, Joseph B. Shuey
  • Patent number: 7014487
    Abstract: A slider is incorporated in a connector. A guide is designed to guide movement of the slider along a predetermined plane. An elastic terminal or contact extends to the free tip end from the stationary end. An inclined surface is defined on the slider so as to receive the elastic terminal. The inclined surface extends along an imaginary plane intersecting an imaginary reference plane including the predetermined plane by a predetermined inclination angle. The movement of the slider enables displacement of the contact position between the inclined surface and the elastic terminal in the connector. The inclined surface generates a driving force directed to the elastic terminal in response to the movement of the slider. The elastic terminal is thus caused to deform. This deformation can be utilized to control the contact between the elastic terminal and a connective member to be connected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Koji Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 7014508
    Abstract: In a multi-card connector assembly with a movable multi-card connector, a mounting seat has a sliding region and a mounting portion. A multi-card connector is disposed in the sliding region. The multi-card connector can be moved only back and forth in the sliding region. The multi-card connector includes a common seat having a plurality of slots into which different electrical cards may be individually inserted, a plurality of terminals disposed on the common seat, and a flexible circuit connection interface electrically connected to the terminals. The flexible circuit connection interface may be connected to an external interface. An elastic member has one end fixed to the mounting seat and the other end fixed to the multi-card connector. A positioning device is disposed on the mounting seat and the multi-card connector and for positioning the multi-card connector, which slides in the sliding region, at at least one positioning point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Inventor: Chou Hsuan Tsai
  • Patent number: 7014479
    Abstract: An electrical contact (2) and method of making the electrical contact (2), and a connector (11) and method making the connector (11), wherein the electrical contact (2) is an electrically conducting, nonwoven mesh (60), with edges of the mesh providing multiple contact points for edgewise electrical connection of the electrical contact (2), wherein the mesh (60) is annealed while restrained in the form of the electrical contact (2) wherein the mesh (60) is free of internal elastic strain, and wherein the connector (11) retains the electrical contact (2) for edgewise connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2006
    Inventor: Che-Yu Li
  • Patent number: 7011543
    Abstract: An electric connector having a housing in which there are disposed, side by side, a plurality of wire holding portions for holding the insulations of insulated wires. Each wire holding portion has: a pair of wire holding pieces disposed as facing each other to form a wire holding groove; and wire hold-down pieces not only for guiding, in the vertical direction, the insertion of the insulated wire into the wire holding groove, but also for preventing the insulated wire from coming off from the wire holding groove. The plurality of wire holding portions has: a first wire holding portion having wire hold-down pieces at a first wire hold-down position; and a second wire holding portion disposed adjacent to the first wire holding portion, and having wire hold-down pieces at a second wire hold-down position different from the first wire hold-down position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2006
    Assignee: J.S.T. Mfg, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masayuki Hiramoto, Takashi Suyama, Terumi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 7008235
    Abstract: A coaxial connector has improved grounding capacity for high frequency waves and improved resistance against the peeling off of grounding terminals from ground pads and ground pads that mount the coaxial connectors and that have improved resistance against the peeling off of the ground pads from the circuit board. In the coaxial connector, corners 21a of ground terminals 21 that ground on ground pads 30 installed on circuit board 3 are characterized in that they are obtusely beveled or rounded, and the ground pad 30 that mounts the coaxial connector 1 is characterized in that it has a substantially square or U shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Honda Tsushin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinji Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7008246
    Abstract: An electric plug includes a receptacle having an engaging seat and at least two resilient conductors spacedly provided on the engaging seat of the plug housing, and a detachable head unit including a supporting platform slidably fitted into the engaging seat in a detachably attaching manner, and at least two plugging heads which are spacedly extended from the supporting platform and are sized and shaped adapted for fitting into an electric socket. Each plugging head has an affixing end penetrated through the supporting platform as an electric contacting link, wherein when the supporting platform is slid in the engaging seat to detachably mount the detachable head unit to the receptacle, the two resilient conductors are conductively contacted with the affixing ends of the plugging heads respectively so as to electrically connect the plugging heads with the AC circuitry of the receptacle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Inventor: Rui Zhuge
  • Patent number: 7010508
    Abstract: A system for filing applications with an institution from a plurality of remote sites, and for automatically processing said applications in response to each applicant's credit rating obtained from a credit reporting service comprising a series of self-service terminals remotely linked via a telephone line to a first computer at the institution and to a second computer at the credit reporting service headquarters. Each remote terminal comprises a video screen and a video memory which holds image-and-sound-generating information arranged to simulate the aspect and speech of an application loan officer on the video screen. The simulated loan officer is used to acquire loan request data from the applicant by guiding him through an interactive sequence of inquiries and answers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Inventor: Lawrence B. Lockwood
  • Patent number: 7004771
    Abstract: An electronic card connector capable of driving both sides of an electronic card to extract the electronic card. The electronic card connector includes a main body formed with an insertion socket. A terminal seat being disposed at front end of the insertion socket. A first and a second slide members respectively slidably disposed on a first and a second sides of the insertion socket. The first and second slide members serving to respectively abut against a first and a second side of an electronic card inserted in the insertion socket, a spring being hooked between each of the first and second slide members and the main body. A locating unit disposed between each of the first and second slide members and the main body. In the card-retreating operation, the first and second slide members are synchronously driven and retreated by the springs to push two sides of the electronic card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Super Link Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ipson Lee
  • Patent number: 7004768
    Abstract: A pick up cap for an LGA connector assembly, the LGA connector has an insulative housing for receiving an electronic package such as CPU therein, a plurality of electrical contacts received in the housing. A clip disposed on the housing to press the CPU upon the contacts, and a pick up cap mounted on the clip, the pick up has extending portion, and the extending portion has an uplift which defines a concave, the concave can supply a sufficiently big operating space for operator's fingertip to detach the pick up cap away from the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hao-Yun Ma, Ming-Lun Szu
  • Patent number: 7004782
    Abstract: The connecting device (1) for electrical connection of a socket (2) of an electrical apparatus (3) with a socket plug (4) of a power cord (5) includes a cord receptacle (19) provided with curved first and second receptacle sections (7, 8) on opposite sides of the socket (2). The curved first and second receptacle sections (7, 8) are dimensioned so that a power cord loop (9) wrapped around the socket plug (4) can be held fixed in a first seat (10) in the first receptacle section and in a second seat (11) in the second receptacle section of the cord receptacle (19). Because of that unintended interruption of electrical power supplied to the electrical apparatus by unintentionally pulling the socket plug of the power cord out of the socket of the electrical apparatus is avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Wella AG
    Inventor: Karl Kroenung
  • Patent number: 7001184
    Abstract: A slip ring assembly for allowing electrical or electronic signal transfer between a stationary device and a rotating device includes a ring assembly and a brush assembly. The ring assembly comprises a plurality of assembled rings and spacers of selected widths positioned on a longitudinal tube having a slot and a hollow center. The tube may be provided with one or more bearings to allow the tube to be smoothly rotatable in a housing. A plurality of brushes unitarily formed with a plurality of connector pins are held by a brush holder which is removably received in the housing. The connector pins are configured to receive a standard male or female connector. The housing is typically incorporated into a body of a stationary device, and the tube may be attached to or incorporated into a rotating component of an electronic or electrical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Unit Industries
    Inventor: John W. Abouchar
  • Patent number: 6997744
    Abstract: A bulkhead connector for connecting to a transmission line comprising a rear portion mounted within an opening in a bulkhead with a first end including first and second threads on a first side of the bulkhead and a second end extending through the opening to a second opposing side of the bulkhead. A front connector body and a front shell assembly are threadably attached to the rear portion with an insulator sleeve positioned between them. The front shell assembly includes a front shell with threads for attaching to the rear portion and a center conductor mounted within an insulator. The insulator is mounted within a central opening of the front shell and electrically isolates the center conductor from the front shell. The second end of the rear portion including threads received within the opening in the bulkhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventor: M'Hamed Anis Khemakhem
  • Patent number: 6997721
    Abstract: An electrical junction box that improves the reliability of the electrical connections formed therein by avoiding of damage to the fork shaped terminals in the connector block by preventing the invasion of foreign objects. A shutter cover is located along the front and rear walls of the connector block to expose and cover slits which are formed at specific intervals on front and rear walls of the connector block. The shutter cover is constructed from two comb shaped side members having alternating open portions and solid portions, and a connecting portion that joins one edge of each side member. The shutter cover is attached at a position where solid portions cover the slits of the connector block before the connector block is inserted into the connector receptacle of the upper case. The complete insertion of the connector block into the connector receptacle results in the shutter cover moving to a position that aligns open portions to the slits, thus allowing the insertion of busbars into the slits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiya Shirota
  • Patent number: 6994466
    Abstract: In order to position a clutch plate 20 in a first angular position, in which teeth 2a of a second gear 2 mesh with a pinion 3b of a third gear 3, an abutment 21 and a projection 12 are provided on the clutch plate 20 and a main plate 10, respectively. An abutment surface 21A that is substantially perpendicular to a straight line ? connecting between centers of rotation of the gears 2, 3 is provided on abutment 21. The abutment surface 21A restricts displacement in a direction, in which a distance between the centers of rotation of the gears 2, 3 is decreased, to prevent deformation of the clutch plate 20, which leads to deep meshing of the gears 2, 3, and rotating drive resistance of the gears 2, 3 is maintained small to prevent an increase in loss of mechanical energy and prevents unwanted stoppage of the timepiece 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 6991491
    Abstract: An angled mounting plate is provided for mounting a connector at a bulkhead in an angled manner, such as for a coaxial or triaxial connector system. The angled mounting plate mounts to a yoke mounted around the connector. The yoke includes identical mounting halves held in place by fasteners. The yoke is held to the mounting plate by further fasteners. Vertical mounting plates can also be provided for mounting to the connectors. The bulkhead can be provided with mounting structure for mounting directly to the yokes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric John Cabalka, Richard Thomas Demulling, Jeffery Louis Peters, Michael Jay Follingstad