Patents by Inventor Charles Copper
Charles Copper has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20250350070Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 27, 2025Publication date: November 13, 2025Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventors: Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Edward Tanis, III, Steven E. Minich
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Publication number: 20250226603Abstract: A component for improving the performance of computers using high speed memories while retaining the flexibility to install only a subset of the memories the computer can support. The component may have a blade portion configured for insertion into the mating interface of connectors forming memory sockets in the computer. The blade portion may include absorptive material selectively placed adjacent conductive elements within the connector so as to damp or prevent undesirable electromagnetic characteristics, such as stub resonances, within memory sockets that are not populated with memories. The component may have absorptive material coupled to signal and ground conductive elements of unpopulated card edge connectors and may have insulative regions that provide isolation between the absorptive material and power conductive elements. The component may be shaped for easy insertion and retention and later removal from the connector to allow a memory card to be later added to the computer.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2023Publication date: July 10, 2025Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventors: Charles Copper, Jeffrey Toran, Jose Ricardo Paniagua
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Patent number: 12341302Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2024Date of Patent: June 24, 2025Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich
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Patent number: 12218450Abstract: To support a large current, a circuit board may be a hybrid card, with a signal portion formed using a conventional PCB manufacturing techniques and a power portion formed with one or more blades mechanically coupled to the signal portion. The blade (s) may be metal plates. The hybrid card may be usable with a hybrid edge connector that includes an insulative housing with a slot lined with signal terminals, in a signal portion, and power terminals in a power portion. The power terminals may be made with multiple layers, with each layer formed into one or more fingers. Each finger may be configured to make contact with an edge of a blade inserted in the slot such that each terminal has multiple contact points to the blade and can carry a large current. The slot in the connector housing may have different widths in the signal and power portions and the center lines of those portions may be offset with respect to each other.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2019Date of Patent: February 4, 2025Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Charles Copper, Rupert Fry, Jr., Rongzhe Guo, Clarence Randall Fry, Chao Zou
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Publication number: 20240372302Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 11, 2024Publication date: November 7, 2024Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventors: Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich
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Patent number: 12074398Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.Type: GrantFiled: September 12, 2023Date of Patent: August 27, 2024Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich
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Patent number: 12003063Abstract: An electrical connector including a housing and electrical conductor plating. The housing includes a first member and a second member. The first member is made of plastic and forms at least one first contact receiving channel therein. The second member is attached around the first member, and the first and second members form at least one second contact receiving channel therebetween. The electrical conductor plating is on the first member. The electrical conductor plating includes at least one first section along the at least one first contact receiving channel and at least one second section along an exterior side of the first member at the at least one second contact receiving channel. The first and second sections of the electrical conductor plating are electrically separate from one another.Type: GrantFiled: March 6, 2023Date of Patent: June 4, 2024Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventor: Charles Copper
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Publication number: 20230402768Abstract: High current, light, and low-cost electrical power terminals that can withstand many mating cycles. A socket or a pin may be formed from a monolithic metal sheet, which may be stamped and formed into a terminal with a hollow portion, such as a cylindrical barrel. Features defining the radius of the barrel may be stamped in the sheet with high precision. The socket and the pin are shaped such that the positions of the mating contact surfaces of each terminal, and therefore the interference between them, are positioned based on these features. The terminals may have a low and precise interference, enabling the terminals to be designed with a low contact force that enables a long lifespan, such as 10,000 mating cycles. The terminals may have a high current capacity, such as 50 A or higher, and may be used in high current applications, such as a charging station or an electric vehicle, or in an application that calls for charging or discharging a battery.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2022Publication date: December 14, 2023Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventors: Charles Copper, Nebu Pulinikunnathil Mathew
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Patent number: 11817657Abstract: A direct mate orthogonal connector for a high density of high speed signals. The connector may include right angle leadframe assemblies with signal conductive elements and ground shields held by a leadframe housing. High frequency performance may be achieved with members on the leadframe that transfer force between a connector housing, holding the leadframe assemblies, and a portion of the leadframe housing holding the signal conductive elements and the shields near their mounting ends. Core members may be inserted into the housing and mating ends of the conductive elements of ground shields may be adjacent the core members, enabling electrical and mechanical performance of the mating interface to be defined by the core members. The core members may incorporate insulative and lossy features that may be complex to form as part of the connector housing but may be readily formed as part of a separate core member.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2022Date of Patent: November 14, 2023Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Jason John Ellison, Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jan De Geest, Scott Carbaugh, Steven E. Minich, Mark R. Gray, Charles Copper, William Tanis
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Patent number: 11799246Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2022Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich
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Patent number: 11791585Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at frequencies at or above 112 GHz, with high density. Such connectors may be formed with fine features molded into portions of the connector housing to support closely spaced signal conductors. The signal conducts may nonetheless be accurately positioned, which leads to uniform impedance and other electrical characteristics that enable high frequency operation through the use of skeletal members that restrain bowing and twisting of housing components that position, directly or indirectly, the signal conductors. The skeletal members may be simply incorporated into the housing components by stamping a metal skeleton from a metal sheet in conjunction with one or more carrier strips. The housing component may be overmolded around the skeleton and then severed from the carrier strips.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2021Date of Patent: October 17, 2023Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: James J. Muha, Scott Martin, Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich
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Publication number: 20230318237Abstract: An electrical connector including a housing and electrical conductor plating. The housing includes a first member and a second member. The first member is made of plastic and forms at least one first contact receiving channel therein. The second member is attached around the first member, and the first and second members form at least one second contact receiving channel therebetween. The electrical conductor plating is on the first member. The electrical conductor plating includes at least one first section along the at least one first contact receiving channel and at least one second section along an exterior side of the first member at the at least one second contact receiving channel. The first and second sections of the electrical conductor plating are electrically separate from one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 6, 2023Publication date: October 5, 2023Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventor: Charles Copper
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Publication number: 20230107361Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at frequencies at or above 112 GHz, with high density. Such connectors may be formed with fine features molded into portions of the connector housing to support closely spaced signal conductors. The signal conducts may nonetheless be accurately positioned, which leads to uniform impedance and other electrical characteristics that enable high frequency operation through the use of skeletal members that restrain bowing and twisting of housing components that position, directly or indirectly, the signal conductors. The skeletal members may be simply incorporated into the housing components by stamping a metal skeleton from a metal sheet in conjunction with one or more carrier strips. The housing component may be overmolded around the skeleton and then severed from the carrier strips.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2021Publication date: April 6, 2023Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventors: James J. Muha, Scott Martin, Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich
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Patent number: 11621511Abstract: An electrical power interconnection system is described. The electrical interconnection system may comprise an electrical power connector and a substrate, such as a printed circuit board. The electrical power connector may comprise a housing and a plurality of electrical power contacts supported by the housing. The electrical power contacts may comprise a mounting end, a mating end, and a contact body disposed between the mounting end and the mating end. The electrical power contacts may have planar portions. The mating ends may comprise opposing first second beams defining a slot. The slot may be configured to receive the substrate therein, such that the first beam contacts the first side of the substrate and the second beam contacts the second side of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2021Date of Patent: April 4, 2023Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Charles Copper, Christopher J. Kolivoski, Hung Viet Ngo, Thomas A. Brungard
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Patent number: 11616329Abstract: A circular power connector that can accommodate plugs of varying diameters includes a plurality of electrical terminals that include a contact beam extending from and monolithic with base, where the contact beam includes a contact portion, and a mounting portion that extends from and monolithic with a base for mounting the terminal to a substrate. The terminals are cylindrically arranged to receive a plug. Alternatively, each electrical terminal includes a frame portion, a first contact beam extending from the frame in a first direction, and a second contact beam extending from the frame in a second direction. Multiple electrical terminals are oriented so that the first and second contact beams for one terminal extend at an angle, preferably perpendicular, to the first and second contact beams of another electrical terminal, in a still further embodiment, an electrical terminal having two halves is provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2020Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Charles Copper, Thomas Brungard
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Patent number: 11600957Abstract: An electrical connector including a housing and electrical conductor plating. The housing includes a first member and a second member. The first member is made of plastic and forms at least one first contact receiving channel therein. The second member is attached around the first member, and the first and second members form at least one second contact receiving channel therebetween. The electrical conductor plating is on the first member. The electrical conductor plating includes at least one first section along the at least one first contact receiving channel and at least one second section along an exterior side of the first member at the at least one second contact receiving channel. The first and second sections of the electrical conductor plating are electrically separate from one another.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2021Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventor: Charles Copper
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Publication number: 20230062661Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 2, 2022Publication date: March 2, 2023Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventors: Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich
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Publication number: 20220407269Abstract: A direct mate orthogonal connector for a high density of high speed signals. The connector may include right angle leadframe assemblies with signal conductive elements and ground shields held by a leadframe housing. High frequency performance may be achieved with members on the leadframe that transfer force between a connector housing, holding the leadframe assemblies, and a portion of the leadframe housing holding the signal conductive elements and the shields near their mounting ends. Core members may be inserted into the housing and mating ends of the conductive elements of ground shields may be adjacent the core members, enabling electrical and mechanical performance of the mating interface to be defined by the core members. The core members may incorporate insulative and lossy features that may be complex to form as part of the connector housing but may be readily formed as part of a separate core member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2022Publication date: December 22, 2022Applicant: FCI USA LLCInventors: Jason John Ellison, Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jan De Geest, Scott Carbaugh, Steven E. Minich, Mark R. Gray, Charles Copper, William Tanis
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Patent number: 11469554Abstract: A direct mate orthogonal connector for a high density of high speed signals. The connector may include right angle leadframe assemblies with signal conductive elements and ground shields held by a leadframe housing. High frequency performance may be achieved with members on the leadframe that transfer force between a connector housing, holding the leadframe assemblies, and a portion of the leadframe housing holding the signal conductive elements and the shields near their mounting ends. Core members may be inserted into the housing and mating ends of the conductive elements of ground shields may be adjacent the core members, enabling electrical and mechanical performance of the mating interface to be defined by the core members. The core members may incorporate insulative and lossy features that may be complex to form as part of the connector housing but may be readily formed as part of a separate core member.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2021Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Jason John Ellison, Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jan De Geest, Scott Carbaugh, Steven E. Minich, Mark R. Gray, Charles Copper, William Tanis
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Patent number: 11469553Abstract: Electrical connectors for very high speed signals, including signals at or above 112 Gbps. Effectiveness of shielding along the signal paths through the mating electrical connectors may be enhanced through the use of one or more techniques, including enabling two-sided shielding, connections between shield members and between shield members and grounded structures of printed circuit boards to which the connectors are mounted, and selective positioning of lossy material. Such techniques may be simply and reliably implemented in high density connector using one or more techniques. An electrical connector may include core members held by a housing together with leadframe assemblies attached to the core members. The core members may include features that would be difficult to mold in a housing and may include both shields and lossy materials in locations that would be difficult to incorporate in a leadframe assembly.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2021Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: FCI USA LLCInventors: Douglas M. Johnescu, Gregory A. Hull, Mark E. Lauermann, Scott Martin, Jason John Ellison, Jan De Geest, Charles Copper, Mark R. Gray, William Tanis, Steven E. Minich