Patents by Inventor Christopher William Blackburn

Christopher William Blackburn 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).

  • Publication number: 20210399450
    Abstract: A communication system includes a circuit board assembly including a mating circuit board having a mating edge and a plurality of mating pads at the mating edge, the circuit board assembly having an electrical component electrically coupled to the mating circuit board. The communication system includes a cable receptacle connector removably coupled to the mating edge of the mating circuit board. The cable receptacle connector includes a connector housing having a connector cavity and a card slot. A cable extends from the connector housing. The cable receptacle connector includes signal contacts each having a mating end mated with the corresponding mating pads and a terminating end electrically connected to a cable conductor of the cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Michael David Herring, Christopher William Blackburn, Matthew Ryan Schmitt
  • Publication number: 20210345506
    Abstract: A socket connector assembly for a communication system includes a socket connector having a socket housing holding socket contacts having deflectable spring beams. The socket connector assembly includes a cable assembly coupled to the socket connector having an outer housing holding a paddle card with paddle card contacts interfacing with the separable mating interfaces of the socket contacts. The cable assembly includes cables terminated to the paddle card coupled to corresponding paddle card contacts. The socket connector assembly includes a spring plate coupled to the outer housing secured to the host circuit board to press the cable assembly downward toward the host circuit board to compress the deflectable spring beams of the socket contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Junya Tsuji, Katsuhiko Kobayashi, Christopher WIlliam Blackburn
  • Patent number: 11125958
    Abstract: A communication system includes a host circuit board and an interposer assembly coupled to the host circuit board having an interposer substrate including an host circuit board contacts at a lower surface and module contacts at an upper surface. The communication system includes an optical pluggable module having a mating interface along a bottom of the optical pluggable module facing the interposer assembly. The optical pluggable module includes a module substrate and optical engines coupled to the module substrate with optical fiber cables extending from the optical engines to the cable end. The module substrate has module substrate contacts at a lower surface of the module substrate being electrically connected to corresponding module contacts of the interposer assembly at the upper surface of the interposer substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Bruce Allen Champion, Christopher William Blackburn, Michael David Herring, Eric David Briant
  • Publication number: 20210274673
    Abstract: An electronic assembly includes an electronic package connected to a host circuit board. The electronic assembly includes interposer assemblies electrically connected to the electronic package. The electronic assembly includes cable modules coupled to upper separable interface of the interposer assemblies. The electronic assembly includes carrier assemblies configured to be coupled to an upper surface of the electronic package. Each carrier assembly includes a carrier base block and a carrier lid configured to hold at least one interposer assembly and at least one cable module. The carrier assemblies hold the cable modules with the module contacts in electrical connection with upper mating interfaces of the interposer contacts. The carrier assemblies hold lower mating interfaces of the interposer contacts in electrical connection with upper package contacts of the electronic package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Jeffery Walter Mason, Nathan Lincoln Tracy, Clarence Leon Yu, Michael David Herring
  • Publication number: 20210265792
    Abstract: A pluggable module is provided and includes a pluggable body including a cavity. The pluggable body extends between a mating end and a cable end opposite the mating end. The mating end is configured to be plugged into a receptacle connector assembly. The pluggable body has a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall at a first side, and a second side wall at a second side. The pluggable module includes a cable assembly coupled to the pluggable body. The cable assembly includes an upper module circuit card, a lower module circuit card, upper cables terminated to the upper module circuit card and lower cables terminated to the lower module circuit card. The upper module circuit card includes upper contact pads proximate to an upper mating edge. The lower module circuit card includes lower contact pads proximate to a lower mating edge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Michael David Herring, Zachary Galbraith, Kaitlin M. Vaughn, Mohini C. Goel, John Eugene Westman, Christopher David Ritter, Nathan Lincoln Tracy
  • Publication number: 20210265754
    Abstract: A card edge connector includes a housing having upper and lower card slots receiving upper and lower module circuit cards of a pluggable module. The card edge connector includes a contact assembly having a contact positioner holding upper and lower contacts. A guide feature guides mating of the contact assembly in the housing. A latching feature latchably secures the contact assembly to the housing. The upper contacts are arranged in first and second upper contact arrays. The lower contacts are arranged in first and second lower contact arrays. Contact tails of the upper and lower contacts are positioned at the bottom of the housing for surface mounting to the host circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, John Eugene Westman, Michael Eugene Shirk, Michael David Herring, Zachary Galbraith
  • Patent number: 11081821
    Abstract: A communication system includes a circuit board having circuit board signal and ground contacts on the upper surface. The communication system includes a cable assembly having a housing holding a cable module with cables. A ground shield and signal contacts are electrically connected to the cables. The ground shield includes ground beams with ground mating interfaces coupled to corresponding circuit board ground contacts. Each signal contact has a terminating pad terminated to the cable conductor and a signal beam with a signal mating interface coupled to the circuit board signal contact. The housing includes contact channels receiving the signal and ground beams with the mating interfaces exposed for interfacing with the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Jeffery Walter Mason, Bruce Allen Champion, Nathan Lincoln Tracy
  • Patent number: 10938139
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing, electrical signal contacts, and biasing elements. The signal contacts are terminated to one or more electrical cables. The signal contacts are held by one or more contact units within the housing. The signal contacts are movable relative to the housing between an extended position and a retracted position. The retracted position is disposed closer to a back end of the housing than the extended position. The biasing elements are configured to bias the signal contacts toward the extended position. The signal contacts are pins with an end face at a distal end of each respective pin. The end faces of the signal contacts are configured to abut against end faces of corresponding mating signal contacts of a mating connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jared Evan Rossman, Christopher William Blackburn, Richard Elof Hamner
  • Publication number: 20200388548
    Abstract: An electronic assembly includes an electronic package including a package substrate and an integrated circuit component mounted to an upper surface. The electronic package includes upper package contacts electrically connected to the integrated circuit component. The electronic assembly includes an interposer assembly including an array of compressible interposer contacts each having upper and lower mating interfaces. The interposer assembly defining a separable interface. The electronic assembly includes optical modules coupled to the separable interface of the interposer assembly and having an optical module substrate having module contacts and an optical engine mounted to the optical module substrate electrically connected to the module contacts. The optical module is mounted to the interposer assembly such that the module contacts are electrically connected to the upper mating interfaces of the interposer contacts. Each optical module includes at least one optical fiber terminated to the optical engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Jeffery Walter Mason, Nathan Lincoln Tracy, Clarence Leon Yu, Michael David Herring
  • Patent number: 10856432
    Abstract: A socket connector assembly includes a socket connector and a cable assembly coupled to the socket connector. The socket connector includes a socket frame having a socket opening and a socket substrate received in the socket opening. The socket substrate includes lower socket conductors electrically connected to a host circuit board and upper socket contacts having deflectable spring beams. The cable assembly includes an outer housing and a paddle card received in a pocket having paddle card contacts at a mating end on a lower surface interfacing with the upper socket contacts. The cable assembly includes cables terminated to the paddle card communicatively coupled to corresponding paddle card contacts. The side walls of the outer housing engage an outer surface of the socket frame to locate the paddle card relative to the socket substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Matthew Ryan Schmitt, Lucas A. Benson
  • Patent number: 10855038
    Abstract: A hybrid electrical connector includes a housing, a first power module, a negative power module, and a signal module. The housing has a guide module having guide surfaces for guiding mating with a mating electrical connector. The guide module is approximately centered between first and second sides and remote from the first and second sides. The first power module includes first power contacts and the negative power module includes negative power contacts. The signal module includes signal contacts and ground shields providing electrical shielding for the signal contacts. The signal module is located between the first power module and the negative power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Michael James Horning, Christopher William Blackburn, Robert Neil Mulfinger, Jason M'Cheyne Reisinger
  • Publication number: 20200366017
    Abstract: A communication system includes a circuit board having circuit board signal and ground contacts on the upper surface. The communication system includes a cable assembly having a housing holding a cable module with cables. A ground shield and signal contacts are electrically connected to the cables. The ground shield includes ground beams with ground mating interfaces coupled to corresponding circuit board ground contacts. Each signal contact has a terminating pad terminated to the cable conductor and a signal beam with a signal mating interface coupled to the circuit board signal contact. The housing includes contact channels receiving the signal and ground beams with the mating interfaces exposed for interfacing with the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Jeffery Walter Mason, Bruce Allen Champion, Nathan Lincoln Tracy
  • Patent number: 10811800
    Abstract: A cable connector assembly includes a housing having a first end mounted to an integrated circuit substrate over an integrated circuit component and a second end supporting a heat sink used to dissipate heat from the integrated circuit component. The housing includes a pocket receiving a cable module having a connector housing holding conductors and cables connected to the conductors. The connector housing has a mating end facing the integrated circuit substrate with the conductors arranged at the mating end for interfacing with integrated circuit conductors. A thermal shield is received in the pocket having an opening receiving the cables. The thermal shield has a thermal shielding wall positioned between the cables and the heat sink to provide a thermal barrier between the cables and the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Jeffery Walter Mason, Michael David Herring
  • Publication number: 20200301084
    Abstract: A communication system includes a host circuit board and an interposer assembly coupled to the host circuit board having an interposer substrate including an host circuit board contacts at a lower surface and module contacts at an upper surface. The communication system includes an optical pluggable module having a mating interface along a bottom of the optical pluggable module facing the interposer assembly. The optical pluggable module includes a module substrate and optical engines coupled to the module substrate with optical fiber cables extending from the optical engines to the cable end. The module substrate has module substrate contacts at a lower surface of the module substrate being electrically connected to corresponding module contacts of the interposer assembly at the upper surface of the interposer substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Bruce Allen Champion, Christopher William Blackburn, Michael David Herring, Eric David Briant
  • Publication number: 20200235501
    Abstract: A cable connector includes a twin-axial cable having a first conductor and a second conductor within a core of the cable. The cable connector includes first and second signal contacts including cable terminals terminated to the conductors and substrate terminals generally perpendicular to the cable terminals and terminated to a substrate. The cable connector includes a contact holder having a body encasing portions of the first and second signal contacts. The contact holder has a front and a rear, and a top and a bottom. The cable terminals are arranged proximate to the rear for termination to the cable. The cable extends from the rear of the contact holder. The substrate terminals are exposed at the bottom for termination to the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Publication date: July 23, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Richard Elof Hamner, Arash Behziz, Brian Patrick Costello
  • Patent number: 10720266
    Abstract: A cable assembly includes a cable including a wire and an insulator surrounding the wire extending a length between a first end and a second end and being conductive, where the wire having a first stiffness. The cable assembly includes a sleeve surrounding the cable between the first end and the second end having an interior surface facing the cable and an exterior surface facing an exterior environment of the cable assembly. The cable assembly includes a cable stiffener coupled to the sleeve extending along at least a portion of the length of the cable. The cable stiffener is formable into shape retaining shape and has a second stiffness greater than the first stiffness to hold the cable in the shape retaining shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Kyle Robert Sammon, Jared Evan Rossman
  • Patent number: 10714237
    Abstract: A differential pair cable assembly includes a cable having a twin axial cable core including first and second conductors conveying differential signals and a cable shield. The cable assembly includes first and second contacts and a housing holding the first and second contacts. The cable assembly includes a shield having a shield cavity that receives the housing and the end of the cable and is electrically connected to the cable shield. The shield provides electrical shielding for the first and second contacts. The shield, the housing, and the contacts define a mating interface of the cable assembly configured to be mated to a mating component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATIOn
    Inventors: Richard Elof Hamner, Christopher William Blackburn, Christopher David Ritter
  • Patent number: 10699823
    Abstract: A cable assembly includes a cable having a cable core including a first signal conductor and a first insulator around the first signal conductor. The first signal conductor includes an exposed segment at an end of the cable extending forward of the first insulators. The cable includes a cable shield surrounding the cable core providing electrical shielding along a length of the cable and having an exposed segment proximate to the end of the cable. A conductive film is wrapped around the exposed segment of the cable shield being electrically connected to the cable shield. A cable ferrule is coupled to the end of the cable being wrapped around the conductive film and being electrically connected to the conductive film. The cable ferrule is electrically connected to the cable shield through the conductive film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Julia Anne Lachman, Christopher David Ritter, Kyle Robert Sammon
  • Patent number: 10700454
    Abstract: A cable connector includes a twin-axial cable having a first conductor and a second conductor within a core of the cable. The cable connector includes first and second signal contacts including cable terminals terminated to the conductors and substrate terminals generally perpendicular to the cable terminals and terminated to a substrate. The cable connector includes a contact holder having a body encasing portions of the first and second signal contacts. The contact holder has a front and a rear, and a top and a bottom. The cable terminals are arranged proximate to the rear for termination to the cable. The cable extends from the rear of the contact holder. The substrate terminals are exposed at the bottom for termination to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Richard Elof Hamner, Arash Behziz, Brian Patrick Costello
  • Patent number: 10680388
    Abstract: A communication system includes a host circuit board and an interposer assembly coupled to the host circuit board having an interposer substrate including an upper surface and a lower surface. The interposer assembly has host circuit board contacts electrically connected to contact pads of the host circuit board and cable assembly contacts coupled to a pluggable module. The pluggable module includes a mating interface along a bottom of the pluggable module facing the interposer assembly. The pluggable module includes a cable assembly having a cable at the cable end. The cable has a signal conductor and a ground conductor being electrically connected to corresponding cable assembly contacts of the interposer assembly at the upper surface of the interposer substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce Allen Champion, Christopher William Blackburn, Michael David Herring, Eric David Briant