Patents Examined by Paula Bradley
  • Patent number: 6520806
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector including a plurality of contact springs having contact regions aligned generally along a single line of contact. The contact springs include rearwardly and forwardly facing contact springs that are positioned next to one another. The rearwardly facing contact spring includes a distal portion positioned behind the contact line and a proximal portion positioned in front of the contact line. The forwardly facing contact spring includes a distal portion positioned in front of the line of contact and a proximal portion positioned behind the line of contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.
    Inventor: Chansy Phommachanh
  • Patent number: 6396012
    Abstract: An attitude sensing electrical switch uses an electrically conductive powder as the switching medium. The powder has a particle size and shape that enables it to flow smoothly into and out of contact with electrical terminals mounted in the switch. Silver, gold, and copper powders with a particle size between one-hundred-forty and three-hundred microns perform effectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Inventor: Rodger E. Bloomfield
  • Patent number: 6394846
    Abstract: An electrical connector system having a housing including a plurality of receiving spaces each adapted to receive a complementary electrical connector. The electrical connector system includes a plurality of contacts arranged in groups corresponding to a respective one of the receiving spaces and a common filter element connected to contacts in each of the groups. The connector also includes an outer shield that generally surrounds the housing and grounding contacts to create an electrical connection between the conductive outer shield and the plug element when inserted therein. The filter element a capacitive filter and defines transverse apertures to receive the contacts. The filter includes a first conductive layer surrounding at least one of the apertures to engage a contact and forming a first electrode, a second conductive layer surrounding at least another one of the apertures to engage a contact and forming a second electrode, and a dielectric layer separating the first and second electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: FCI Americas Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yakov Belopolsky, Robert E. MacMullin
  • Patent number: 6390851
    Abstract: An electrical connector has an insulating housing with an interior cavity for receiving a mating connector and a plurality of openings in communication with the interior cavity. A plurality of contacts, each of. which extends into the interior cavity of the housing from a respective one of the openings, electrically contacts conductors in the mating connector inserted into the interior cavity of the housing. An internal shield extends into the interior cavity from a respective one of the openings and is positioned between the plurality of contacts to create at least two groups of contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Berg Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yakov Belopolsky, William A. Northey
  • Patent number: 6379178
    Abstract: An adjustable power point for use in a vehicle, movable from at least one home position to other locations in the vehicle that are suited for connecting various electrical devices. In one form, the power point is connected to a retractable power cord, and is normally retained in a home socket, for example in the dashboard near the driver console. In another form, the power point is slide-mounted in a track structure formed in a portion of the vehicle, for example the instrument panel, capable of being longitudinally adjusted between various home positions along the length of the track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2002
    Assignee: EWD, L.L.C.
    Inventors: James L. Jones, III, Chidambarakrishnan L. Rajesh, Michael M. Jordan
  • Patent number: 6376785
    Abstract: A removable latch assembly is provided to connect a contact block to an electrical switch operator in an industrial controller. The latch assembly comprises a housing having a spring disposed therein, to which a rotatable collar is mounted. A contact block may also be connected to the rear side of the housing. The collar, including a tab, is initially disposed in a first locked position to allow the latch assembly to be mounted onto a shaft of the operator. The collar may then be rotated to a second self-retained unlocked position that allows the user to pull the latch assembly away from the electrical switch. When this occurs, the spring automatically rotates the collar back to the locked position to permit the latch assembly to once again connect the contact block to the operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2002
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank J. Graninger
  • Patent number: 6368164
    Abstract: A connector is provided to detect partial mounting of a retainer. A female housing 11 of the connector 10 is provided with an escaping portion 20, which is aligned with a lock arm 14 in its deforming direction only when a retainer 15 is mounted in a full locking position. By being aligned with the escaping portion 20, the lock arm 14 is enabled to undergo an elastic deformation to permit the connection of the female housing 11 with a male housing 12. On the other hand, if the retainer 15 is partly mounted without reaching the full locking position, the escaping portion 20 is not aligned with the lock arm 14, which refrains the lock arm 14 from being sufficiently elastically deformed. As a result, the female and males housings 11, 12 cannot be connected, which enables detection of partial mounting of the retainer 15. Thus, partial mounting of the retainer 15 can be securely detected by setting a degree of deformation of the lock arm 14 larger than a clearance between the housings 11 and 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideto Nakamura
  • Patent number: 6368121
    Abstract: A connector assembly for balanced transmission includes a plug connector wherein a plurality of plug-type contact element arrays extend parallel to each other and a plug-type ground plate is disposed between neighboring plug-type contact element arrays, and a jack connector wherein a plurality of jack-type contact element arrays extend parallel to each other and a jack-type ground contact elements for the plug-type ground plate are disposed between neighboring jack-type contact element arrays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Fujitsu Takamisawa Component Limited
    Inventors: Moriyuki Ueno, Hirofumi Yanagisawa, Yasuyuki Miki, Akira Okada, Satoshi Katoh, Junichi Akama
  • Patent number: 6364692
    Abstract: A watertight connector is provided to create a reduced degree of connection resistance. The connector includes a female housing 20 to be connected with a male housing 10. A seal 30 is provided on the front surface of the female housing 20, and is held by a seal holder 40. The seal holder 40 presses the seal 30 against the front surface of an accommodating portion 11 to adhere the seal 30 to front opening ends of cavities 13 before the housings 10, 20 are connected with each other. Thereafter, tabs 23 penetrate the seal 30, and the seal 30 adheres to the outer surfaces of the tabs 23 to provide sealing between the cavities 13. Accordingly, during the connection of the housings 10, 20, resistance resulting from the sealing between the cavities 13 is only sliding-contact resistance created between the outer surfaces of the tabs 23 and the seal member 30.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Okayasu, Osamu Taniuchi, Hitoshi Okumura, Kazuhiko Fuse
  • Patent number: 6364677
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for terminating cables (1), particularly for underwater termination of high voltage power cable and for conducting high voltage conductors in an electrical underwater apparatus, with the purpose of providing a liquid and water tight termination, at the same time as it provides pressure relief for vital components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2002
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Arne Nysveen, Svend Roche, Felix Greuter, Elias Julke, Jakob Rhyner
  • Patent number: 6361375
    Abstract: A clamp-on multiple lug buss bar assembly that is attached to the electrical terminal stud that extends upwardly from the top surface of an electrical power transmission transformer that is used in an underground transformer vault. After its installation, a mold is placed thereover with its bottom edge contacting the top surface of the transformer. The height of the mold is such that it covers the top edge of the conductor plates that form part of the buss bar assembly. Additionally the mold has risers extending up from its top surface that surround the bottom end of the spade connector fingers extending upwardly from the conductor plates. The cavity of the mold is filled with an epoxy resin and when it has set forms a water tight casing for the electrical conductor plates, the electrical terminal stud extending upwardly from the transformer and the top wall of the transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Inventor: Kenneth E. Sinclair
  • Patent number: 6361347
    Abstract: In a half-fitting prevention connector (1), a lock arm (10), having an engagement projection (9) for retaining a mating connector (3), is elastically-deformably supported in a housing (4), and a receiving chamber (11), in which a spring member (5) is held, is formed within the lock arm (10). The spring member (5) includes a coil-shaped compression spring portion (6), and a rear end portion of this compression spring portion is twisted perpendicularly to an axis thereof to form a torsion spring portion (7), and a resiliently-bendable portion (8) extends obliquely forwardly from this torsion spring portion. The receiving chamber (11) has a movement-enabling space (13). The mating connector (3) has pressing portions (24) which abut against the spring member (5) to compress the same during a fitting operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Takao Murakami, Masaru Fukuda
  • Patent number: 6361360
    Abstract: A strain relief comprises a generally cylindrically shaped, spool-like member having at least one radial slot therein that extends along a portion of the length of the cylindrically shaped, spool-like member. The radial slot divides the cylindrically shaped, spool-like member into a first hemi-spool portion and a second hemi-spool portion. The radial slot also defines a bridge section that connects the first and second hemi-spool portions. The bridge section is severable to allow the second hemi-spool portion to be separated from the first hemi-spool portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: David Hwang, Edward Steketee
  • Patent number: 6354884
    Abstract: An RJ-45 modular jack connector includes a housing defining a cavity for receiving an RJ-45 plug connector therein, a terminal insert assembled to the housing, an anti-mismating device assembled in the housing and a shield covering the housing. The anti-mismating device comprises a block part and a spring part secured to the block part. The block part with the spring part is assembled in the housing with the block part partly projecting into the cavity of the housing. When the RJ-45 plug connector is inserted into the modular jack receptacle connector, the RJ-45 plug connector pushes the block part to the side, compressing the spring part and moving the block part out of the way of the RJ-45 plug connector. Thus the RJ-45 plug connector is fully inserted into the cavity of the housing. When an RJ-11 plug connector is mistakenly inserted into the modular jack connector, the smaller RJ-11 plug connector will not move the block part aside and be blocked by the block part from full insertion into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joel Jyh-Haur Yeh, Leonard K. Espenshade
  • Patent number: 6354846
    Abstract: An electrical connection box has upper and lower casings capable of being combined with each other, a wiring board located between the casings and having a plurality of independent electric circuits, and an insulating plate located between the upper casing and the wiring board. The upper casing is formed with a connector housing to be fitted with an external connector, and external connecting terminals coupled to the electric circuits and electrically connecting the electric circuits and the external connector or an L-shaped rib formed on the wiring board and capable of preventing the external connector from being fitted in the connector housing projects into the connector housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masakazu Murakami
  • Patent number: 6350155
    Abstract: A plug connector with a hollow, cylindrical, metallic housing (1), within which is centrically disposed an inside contact pin (8, 9, 10) extending at least approximately over the entire axial length of the housing (1). In order to make contact with the reciprocal plug connector, the inside contact pin (8, 9, 10) is accessible at a first front side of the housing (1). The first front side is open toward the plug side of the plug connector, such that a latch interlock (6, 7) and a contact basket (5), which extends out of the open front side of the housing (1) and which is rotatably mounted about the longitudinal axis of the housing (1), are disposed co-axially with the inside contact pin (8, 9, 10). The contact basket (5) makes permanent electrical contact with the metallic housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: IMS Connector Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Christopf Müllinger-Bausch, Frank Röse, Roland Baumgaertner
  • Patent number: 6350142
    Abstract: A compact ZIF type socket is provided having the durability to withstand numerous movements of the slider. The ZIF type IC socket 1 consists of a base housing assembly 10 that accommodates numerous contacts, and a cover housing assembly 40 that can slide over the base housing assembly 10. The cover housing assembly 40 is caused to move in relative terms by inserting a plate-form tool 99 into tool insertion holes 65 and 85 respectively formed in a metal supporting plate 60 on the side of the base housing assembly 10 and a metal supporting plate 80 on the side of the cover housing assembly 40, and rotating this tool 99. The action points of the tool insertion holes 65 and 85 contacted by the tool 99 are formed as circular-arc-form projections 75, 76, 95 and 96. Accordingly, the force of the tool 99 can be transmitted to the base housing assembly 10 and cover housing assembly 40 without causing indentation or damage, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Shirai, Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Tomoo Yamada, Shintaro Abe
  • Patent number: 6347967
    Abstract: An electrical connector for a threaded shaft includes first and second connector elements, each defining a respective partial-cylindrical threaded surface, a respective hinge element, and a respective tail. The hinge elements are coupled together at a hinge axis such that the connector elements rotate about the hinge axis to move the threaded surfaces toward and away from one another. The threaded surfaces are oriented to contact and intermesh with opposed sides of a threaded shaft, and a fastener holds the tails together to clamp the threaded shaft between the threaded surfaces. A third connector element cooperates with the first connector element to clamp against and establish electrical contact with a cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Assignee: Pan Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Carl R. Tamm
  • Patent number: 6345995
    Abstract: An electric connector (2) having an insulating casing (5) with a number of cavities for respective electric terminals (4); a slide (15) movable with respect to the casing (5) in a direction perpendicular to the connection direction (A) of the terminals (4), and in turn having cam means (20) interacting with a complementary connector (3) to generate a force for mating the connectors (2, 3) in response to translation of the slide (15); and an activating lever (24) connected in articulated manner to the slide (15) and to the casing (5) by means of pins (27, 36) which engage respective slots (29, 35) in sliding manner to impart a translatory component of motion to the lever (24), and to vary the resisting arm of the lever (24) during rotation of the lever (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors International
    Inventors: Pier Carlo Bigotto, Renzo Rampone
  • Patent number: 6341979
    Abstract: An electrical connector apparatus and method utilizing an elongate electrically conducting ferrule (20) having a contact (24) on one end and a hollow conical threaded portion (22) for receiving a wire on the other end, and a color coded insulating boot (10) threaded over the ferrule to cover all but the contact. The electrical wire is wrapped around threaded portion (22) which is then tightened into boot (10), thereby securing the wire to the ferrule (20). Ferrule (20) can then be electrically connected by use of contact (24) to a device for receiving power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignee: Monster Cable Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Yamamoto