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).
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Patent number: 10439333Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 30, 2018Date of Patent: October 8, 2019Assignee: TE ConnectivityInventors: Guadalupe Chalas, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, Galen M. Martin, Neil Franklin Schroll
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Publication number: 20190237910Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2018Publication date: August 1, 2019Inventors: Guadalupe CHALAS, Douglas John HARDY, John Wesley HALL, Galen M. MARTIN, Neil Franklin SCHROLL
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Patent number: 10128607Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 23, 2017Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATIONInventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, Neil Franklin Schroll, James Michael Raudenbush, Paul Steven Sremcich
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Publication number: 20180241151Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 23, 2017Publication date: August 23, 2018Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, Neil Franklin Schroll, James Michael Raudenbush, Paul Steven Sremcich
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Patent number: 10038278Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 15, 2017Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignees: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION, TYCO ELECTRONICS BRASIL LTDAInventors: 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
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Patent number: 9929519Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 22, 2016Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATIONInventors: John Wesley Hall, Douglas John Hardy, Sean Patrick McCarthy, John Mark Myer
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Publication number: 20180083397Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2016Publication date: March 22, 2018Inventors: John Wesley Hall, Douglas John Hardy, Sean Patrick McCarthy, John Mark Myer
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Patent number: 9837761Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 22, 2016Date of Patent: December 5, 2017Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATIONInventors: Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall, John Mark Myer
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Patent number: 9799983Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 20, 2016Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATIONInventors: David James Lane, Galen M. Martin, Douglas John Hardy
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Patent number: 9787017Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 17, 2016Date of Patent: October 10, 2017Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATIONInventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy
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Publication number: 20170271807Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 17, 2016Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy
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Publication number: 20170271815Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 15, 2017Publication date: September 21, 2017Inventors: 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
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Publication number: 20170207568Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2016Publication date: July 20, 2017Inventors: David James Lane, Galen M. Martin, Douglas John Hardy
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Patent number: 9680256Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 17, 2016Date of Patent: June 13, 2017Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATIONInventors: David James Lane, James Michael Raudenbush, Douglas John Hardy
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Patent number: 9525246Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 5, 2014Date of Patent: December 20, 2016Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
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Patent number: 9214743Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 25, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventors: Scott Stephen Duesterhoeft, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
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Publication number: 20150318643Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 5, 2014Publication date: November 5, 2015Applicant: Tyco Electronics CorporationInventors: David James Lane, Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
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Publication number: 20150311602Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2014Publication date: October 29, 2015Applicant: Tyco Electronics CorporationInventors: Scott Stephen DUESTERHOEFT, Douglas John HARDY, John Wesley HALL
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Patent number: 9142895Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: February 17, 2014Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATIONInventors: Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall
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Publication number: 20150236435Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2014Publication date: August 20, 2015Inventors: Douglas John Hardy, John Wesley Hall