Patents by Inventor Douglas John Hardy

Douglas John Hardy 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: 10439333
    Abstract: An electrical connector which includes a housing having a first side wall, a second side wall and end walls. A mating connector receiving cavity is provided between the first side wall and the second side wall. Terminals are positioned in the mating connector receiving cavity. A shield receiving area is provided on the first side wall and has shield receiving slots which extend through the first side and open into the mating connector receiving cavity. An outer shield member is positioned in the shield receiving area. The outer shield has end sections which extend essentially perpendicular to a planar section. The end sections extend into the mating connector receiving cavity through the shield receiving slots. Inner shield members are positioned in the mating connector receiving cavity. The inner shield members extend between the terminals to facilitate signal integrity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: TE Connectivity
    Inventors: Guadalupe Chalas, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, Galen M. Martin, Neil Franklin Schroll
  • Publication number: 20190237910
    Abstract: An electrical connector which includes a housing having a first side wall, a second side wall and end walls. A mating connector receiving cavity is provided between the first side wall and the second side wall. Terminals are positioned in the mating connector receiving cavity. A shield receiving area is provided on the first side wall and has shield receiving slots which extend through the first side and open into the mating connector receiving cavity. An outer shield member is positioned in the shield receiving area. The outer shield has end sections which extend essentially perpendicular to a planar section. The end sections extend into the mating connector receiving cavity through the shield receiving slots. Inner shield members are positioned in the mating connector receiving cavity. The inner shield members extend between the terminals to facilitate signal integrity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Guadalupe CHALAS, Douglas John HARDY, John Wesley HALL, Galen M. MARTIN, Neil Franklin SCHROLL
  • Patent number: 10128607
    Abstract: A receptacle connector includes an outer housing, an inner housing, and an interface seal. The outer housing defines a cavity configured to receive a plug connector through a mating opening of the outer housing. The inner housing is disposed within the cavity of the outer housing. The inner housing holds a contact subassembly that is connected to a cable. The inner housing includes a sleeve that surrounds a mating section of the contact subassembly. The sleeve is spaced apart from an interior surface of the outer housing by an annular gap. The interface seal is on an outer surface of the sleeve. The interface seal engages an inner surface of a nose of the plug connector within the annular gap to seal an interface between the sleeve of the inner housing and the nose of the plug connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, Neil Franklin Schroll, James Michael Raudenbush, Paul Steven Sremcich
  • Publication number: 20180241151
    Abstract: A receptacle connector includes an outer housing, an inner housing, and an interface seal. The outer housing defines a cavity configured to receive a plug connector through a mating opening of the outer housing. The inner housing is disposed within the cavity of the outer housing. The inner housing holds a contact subassembly that is connected to a cable. The inner housing includes a sleeve that surrounds a mating section of the contact subassembly. The sleeve is spaced apart from an interior surface of the outer housing by an annular gap. The interface seal is on an outer surface of the sleeve. The interface seal engages an inner surface of a nose of the plug connector within the annular gap to seal an interface between the sleeve of the inner housing and the nose of the plug connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, Neil Franklin Schroll, James Michael Raudenbush, Paul Steven Sremcich
  • Patent number: 10038278
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having an upper wall and a first protrusion and a CPA element slidably coupled to the housing along the upper wall between an extended position and an inserted position. The CPA element includes a base and a first beam extending from the base having a first arm and a first finger including an abutment wall configured to abut against the first protrusion and a tip configured to be engaged by a mating connector when received in the housing. The tip is deflected from a blocked position to a released position with the distal end engaging the protrusion in the blocked position and the tip being deflected outside of the protrusion to the released position where the tip is able to clear past the protrusion to allow the CPA element to be moved from the extended position to the inserted position. The CPA may be configured so that in the extended position it is to block release of a pivotal latch used to retain the connector to a mating connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignees: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION, TYCO ELECTRONICS BRASIL LTDA
    Inventors: David James Lane, James Michael Raudenbush, Douglas John Hardy, Christian Perry Brandt, Neil Franklin Schroll, Dominic Anthony Farole, Fabio Fortunato Christiano, Ednei Lopes, Nicholas Lee Evans
  • Patent number: 9929519
    Abstract: An electrical cable connector includes a contact subassembly having a center contact, a dielectric holder, and an outer contact. The dielectric holder defines a channel that is open at a top side of the dielectric holder. The center contact has a termination region that is held in the channel. The termination region includes a first cable insulation displacement (CID) feature. The outer contact includes a second CID feature extending from a base wall of the outer contact outside of the dielectric holder. The second CID feature extends into the channel through an aperture in the dielectric holder. The first CID feature engages a core conductor of a cable and the second CID feature engages a shield layer of the cable as the cable is loaded into the channel from above the top side of the dielectric holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Wesley Hall, Douglas John Hardy, Sean Patrick McCarthy, John Mark Myer
  • Publication number: 20180083397
    Abstract: An electrical cable connector includes a contact subassembly having a center contact, a dielectric holder, and an outer contact. The dielectric holder defines a channel that is open at a top side of the dielectric holder. The center contact has a termination region that is held in the channel. The termination region includes a first cable insulation displacement (CID) feature. The outer contact includes a second CID feature extending from a base wall of the outer contact outside of the dielectric holder. The second CID feature extends into the channel through an aperture in the dielectric holder. The first CID feature engages a core conductor of a cable and the second CID feature engages a shield layer of the cable as the cable is loaded into the channel from above the top side of the dielectric holder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: John Wesley Hall, Douglas John Hardy, Sean Patrick McCarthy, John Mark Myer
  • Patent number: 9837761
    Abstract: An electrical cable connector includes a contact subassembly and a housing. The contact subassembly is terminated to an electrical cable. The contact subassembly includes a center contact, a dielectric holder, and an outer contact. The contact subassembly has a protrusion extending outward from an outer surface of the contact subassembly. The housing defines a cavity that receives the contact subassembly therein. The electrical cable extends from the housing through an opening at a rear end of the housing. The housing includes a retention mechanism that engages the protrusion of the contact subassembly to secure an axial position of the contact subassembly in the cavity relative to the housing. The retention mechanism allows the housing to rotate relative to the contact subassembly and the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, John Mark Myer
  • Patent number: 9799983
    Abstract: A connector assembly includes an electrical contact subassembly and an outer housing. The contact subassembly is terminated to an electrical cable. The outer housing defines a cavity and holds the contact subassembly in the cavity. A mating segment of the outer housing defines a socket of the cavity that is configured to receive a plug end of a mating connector assembly. The outer housing further includes an interface seal within the cavity. The interface seal is configured to engage the plug end of the mating connector assembly during a mating operation to seal an interface between the connector assembly and the mating connector assembly. The seal may be formed by in-situ molding in the outer housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Lane, Galen M. Martin, Douglas John Hardy
  • Patent number: 9787017
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes an outer contact and a cavity insert. The outer contact has a mating segment, a terminating segment, and a middle segment therebetween. The cavity insert surrounds the middle segment of the outer contact. The cavity insert is defined by an upper shell and a lower shell that couple together at an interface. The upper shell extends along a portion of a perimeter of the outer contact, and the lower shell extends along a remaining portion of the perimeter of the outer contact. The upper shell includes a first strap that extends across the interface. The first strap includes a latching surface that engages a corresponding first catch of the lower shell to couple the upper shell to the lower shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy
  • Publication number: 20170271807
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes an outer contact and a cavity insert. The outer contact has a mating segment, a terminating segment, and a middle segment therebetween. The cavity insert surrounds the middle segment of the outer contact. The cavity insert is defined by an upper shell and a lower shell that couple together at an interface. The upper shell extends along a portion of a perimeter of the outer contact, and the lower shell extends along a remaining portion of the perimeter of the outer contact. The upper shell includes a first strap that extends across the interface. The first strap includes a latching surface that engages a corresponding first catch of the lower shell to couple the upper shell to the lower shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy
  • Publication number: 20170271815
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having an upper wall and a first protrusion and a CPA element slidably coupled to the housing along the upper wall between an extended position and an inserted position. The CPA element includes a base and a first beam extending from the base having a first arm and a first finger including an abutment wall configured to abut against the first protrusion and a tip configured to be engaged by a mating connector when received in the housing. The tip is deflected from a blocked position to a released position with the distal end engaging the protrusion in the blocked position and the tip being deflected outside of the protrusion to the released position where the tip is able to clear past the protrusion to allow the CPA element to be moved from the extended position to the inserted position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: David James Lane, James Michael Raudenbush, Douglas John Hardy, Christian Perry Brandt, Neil Franklin Schroll, Dominic Anthony Farole, Fabio Fortunato Christiano, Ednei Lopes, Nicholas Lee Evans
  • Publication number: 20170207568
    Abstract: A connector assembly includes an electrical contact subassembly and an outer housing. The contact subassembly is terminated to an electrical cable. The outer housing defines a cavity and holds the contact subassembly in the cavity. A mating segment of the outer housing defines a socket of the cavity that is configured to receive a plug end of a mating connector assembly. The outer housing further includes an interface seal within the cavity. The interface seal is configured to engage the plug end of the mating connector assembly during a mating operation to seal an interface between the connector assembly and the mating connector assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2016
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: David James Lane, Galen M. Martin, Douglas John Hardy
  • Patent number: 9680256
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing and a connector position assurance (CPA) element. The CPA element includes a beam that is deflected from a blocked position to a clearance position by a mating connector that is loaded into a cavity of the housing. When the beam is in the blocked position, movement of the CPA element from an extended position to an inserted position is mechanically blocked by a protrusion of the housing that abuts the beam. The beam of the CPA element, when moved to the clearance position, clears the protrusion to allow the CPA element to move from the extended position to the inserted position. The housing may include a pair of such deflectable beams, each with a slot having an opening at its distal end. The opening of one of the beams aligns with the protrusion when the beam is deflected to its clearance position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Lane, James Michael Raudenbush, Douglas John Hardy
  • Patent number: 9525246
    Abstract: A connector assembly configured to electrically and mechanically mate to a printed circuit board (PCB) may include a housing including a first ganging feature on a first side, and a second ganging feature on a second side that is opposite from the first side. The second ganging feature may be reciprocal to the first ganging feature. The first and second ganging features may be parallel to and oriented and aligned with a longitudinal axis of the housing. The assembly may include a contact shield retained by the housing. The contact shield may include a main body and at least one securing member configured to secure the connector assembly to the PCB. The securing member(s) may be integrally formed together with the main body from a single piece of material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
  • Patent number: 9214743
    Abstract: A connector assembly includes a dielectric having a right angle body including a first segment and a second segment and defining a right angle chamber extending through the first and second segments. At least one door at a right angle corner of the body provides access to the right angle chamber through a rear opening in an open state, and restricts access to the rear opening in a closed state. A female center contact in the right angle chamber in the first segment has a terminating end configured to electrically connect to a cable conductor of a cable received in the right angle chamber in the second segment. A front shield receives the dielectric and forces the door to move from the open state to the closed state upon loading the dielectric into the front shield. A rear shield couples to the front shield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Scott Stephen Duesterhoeft, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
  • Publication number: 20150318643
    Abstract: A connector assembly configured to electrically and mechanically mate to a printed circuit board (PCB) may include a housing including a first ganging feature on a first side, and a second ganging feature on a second side that is opposite from the first side. The second ganging feature may be reciprocal to the first ganging feature. The first and second ganging features may be parallel to and oriented and aligned with a longitudinal axis of the housing. The assembly may include a contact shield retained by the housing. The contact shield may include a main body and at least one securing member configured to secure the connector assembly to the PCB. The securing member(s) may be integrally formed together with the main body from a single piece of material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
  • Publication number: 20150311602
    Abstract: A connector assembly includes a dielectric having a right angle body including a first segment and a second segment and defining a right angle chamber extending through the first and second segments. At least one door at a right angle corner of the body provides access to the right angle chamber through a rear opening in an open state, and restricts access to the rear opening in a closed state. A female center contact in the right angle chamber in the first segment has a terminating end configured to electrically connect to a cable conductor of a cable received in the right angle chamber in the second segment. A front shield receives the dielectric and forces the door to move from the open state to the closed state upon loading the dielectric into the front shield. A rear shield couples to the front shield.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Stephen DUESTERHOEFT, Douglas John HARDY, John Wesley HALL
  • Patent number: 9142895
    Abstract: A coaxial connector assembly includes an outer housing holding an outer contact, a dielectric holder received in the outer contact, and a center contact received in the dielectric holder. The dielectric holder has a front and a cavity extending axially along the dielectric holder bounded by a cavity wall. The dielectric holder has an expansion slot formed in the cavity wall offset from, and proximate to, the front. The center contact has a socket at a mating end configured to receive a pin contact of a mating connector assembly. The center contact has deflectable beams at the mating end configured to deflect outward when mated with the pin contact. The center contact has flared tip ends at the distal ends of the beams. The flared tip ends are received in the expansion slot when the deflectable beams are deflected outward during mating with the pin contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
  • Publication number: 20150236435
    Abstract: A coaxial connector assembly includes an outer housing holding an outer contact, a dielectric holder received in the outer contact, and a center contact received in the dielectric holder. The dielectric holder has a front and a cavity extending axially along the dielectric holder bounded by a cavity wall. The dielectric holder has an expansion slot formed in the cavity wall offset from, and proximate to, the front. The center contact has a socket at a mating end configured to receive a pin contact of a mating connector assembly. The center contact has deflectable beams at the mating end configured to deflect outward when mated with the pin contact. The center contact has flared tip ends at the distal ends of the beams. The flared tip ends are received in the expansion slot when the deflectable beams are deflected outward during mating with the pin contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Publication date: August 20, 2015
    Inventors: Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall