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).

  • Patent number: 10680364
    Abstract: A communication system includes a host circuit board, a receptacle assembly mounted to the host circuit board having a cage member defining a module cavity, and a pluggable module having a pluggable body loaded into the module cavity. The pluggable body has a mating interface along a bottom of the pluggable body facing the host circuit board. The pluggable module has a cable assembly having a cable and a cable connector at an end of the cable including signal contacts held by a contact holder that are terminated to signal conductors of the cable. The signal contacts have deflectable spring beams and mating interfaces along the deflectable spring beams exposed at the mating interface of the pluggable body to engage and directly mate with corresponding signal pads of the host circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bruce Allen Champion, Christopher William Blackburn, Eric David Briant
  • Patent number: 10673189
    Abstract: A power connector assembly includes a power rail and a slide power connector. The power rail is mounted to a first wall of a first component via mechanical standoffs to define a clearance space between the power rail and the first wall. An electrode is disposed along a first side of the power rail facing the first wall. The slide power connector is mounted to a second wall of a discrete, second component. The slide power connector defines a track that receives the power rail therein. At least one power contact of the slide power connector is disposed within the clearance space and is electrically connected to the electrode of the power rail to establish an electrical connection. At least one of the first and second components is movable relative to the other along an extension cycle. The electrical connection is maintained throughout the extension cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert Neil Mulfinger, Jason M'Cheyne Reisinger, Matthew Grimm, Michael David Herring, Sean Patrick Kelly, Christopher William Blackburn, Patrick Di Paola
  • Patent number: 10651583
    Abstract: A socket assembly includes a socket connector including a socket substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface, upper socket contacts on the upper surface configured to be terminated to an electronic package and lower socket contacts configured to be terminated to a host circuit board. The socket connector includes first and second power contacts. The first power contact is configured to be terminated to the electronic package. The socket assembly includes a power connector terminated to the socket substrate having a power connector terminal electrically connected to the second power contact. The socket substrate is configured to electrically connect the power connector to the electronic package through the first power contact and the second power contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jeffery Walter Mason, Michael David Herring, Christopher William Blackburn
  • Publication number: 20200067225
    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: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Jared Evan Rossman, Christopher William Blackburn, Richard Elof Hamner
  • Publication number: 20200005966
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Julia Anne Lachman, Christopher David Ritter, Kyle Robert Sammon
  • Publication number: 20190379170
    Abstract: A power connector assembly includes a power rail and a slide power connector. The power rail is mounted to a first wall of a first component via mechanical standoffs to define a clearance space between the power rail and the first wall. An electrode is disposed along a first side of the power rail facing the first wall. The slide power connector is mounted to a second wall of a discrete, second component. The slide power connector defines a track that receives the power rail therein. At least one power contact of the slide power connector is disposed within the clearance space and is electrically connected to the electrode of the power rail to establish an electrical connection. At least one of the first and second components is movable relative to the other along an extension cycle. The electrical connection is maintained throughout the extension cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Robert Neil Mulfinger, Jason M'Cheyne Reisinger, Matthew Grimm, Michael David Herring, Sean Patrick Kelly, Christopher William Blackburn, Patrick Di Paola
  • Publication number: 20190304629
    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: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Kyle Robert Sammon, Jared Evan Rossman
  • Publication number: 20190288422
    Abstract: A communication system includes a host circuit board, a receptacle assembly mounted to the host circuit board having a cage member defining a module cavity, and a pluggable module having a pluggable body loaded into the module cavity. The pluggable body has a mating interface along a bottom of the pluggable body facing the host circuit board. The pluggable module has a cable assembly having a cable and a cable connector at an end of the cable including signal contacts held by a contact holder that are terminated to signal conductors of the cable. The signal contacts have deflectable spring beams and mating interfaces along the deflectable spring beams exposed at the mating interface of the pluggable body to engage and directly mate with corresponding signal pads of the host circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Bruce Allen Champion, Christopher William Blackburn, Eric David Briant
  • Publication number: 20190288457
    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: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Bruce Allen Champion, Christopher William Blackburn, Michael David Herring, Eric David Briant
  • Patent number: 10320134
    Abstract: A connector brick for a cable communication system includes a connector frame including brick plates defining a frame space and cable connectors received in the frame space. The connector brick includes cable connector mounts coupled to the brick plates and extending across the frame space. The cable connector mounts sub-divide the frame space into cable connector openings receiving corresponding cable connectors. Each cable connector mount includes a brick spacer coupled to the brick plates and engaging corresponding cable connectors to secure the cable connectors in the frame space. Each cable connector mount includes a retainer clip snapably coupled to the brick spacer to secure the brick spacer to the brick plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Christopher William Blackburn
  • Publication number: 20190097371
    Abstract: A connector brick for a cable communication system includes a connector frame including brick plates defining a frame space and cable connectors received in the frame space. The connector brick includes cable connector mounts coupled to the brick plates and extending across the frame space. The cable connector mounts sub-divide the frame space into cable connector openings receiving corresponding cable connectors. Each cable connector mount includes a brick spacer coupled to the brick plates and engaging corresponding cable connectors to secure the cable connectors in the frame space. Each cable connector mount includes a retainer clip snapably coupled to the brick spacer to secure the brick spacer to the brick plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventor: Christopher William Blackburn
  • Patent number: 10177467
    Abstract: A cable connector assembly includes an electrical connector and a backshell. The electrical connector includes a housing and electrical conductors held in the housing. The electrical conductors are terminated to a cable that extends from a cable end of the electrical connector. The backshell has an overmolded body and a latch assembly for removably coupling the cable connector assembly to one or more of a panel or a mating connector. The overmolded body is a unitary, one-piece body that surrounds the electrical connector around a full perimeter of the electrical connector. The latch assembly includes a latch frame and a latch member. The latch frame is embedded in the overmolded body. The latch member is held by the latch frame. The latch member includes a deflectable spring beam configured to engage the panel or the mating connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Christopher William Blackburn, Richard Elof Hamner