Patents by Inventor Eric David Briant

Eric David Briant 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: 20120264336
    Abstract: An electrical connector including a connector housing having opposite mating and loading faces and a mating axis extending therebetween. The connector housing has interior walls that oppose each other with a contact cavity therebetween. The electrical connector also includes a retention insert that is sized and shaped to be advanced through the loading face and positioned within the contact cavity. The retention insert has an outer engagement surface. The electrical connector also includes first and second rows of mating contacts that are separated by the retention insert. The contact cavity has a component-receiving region that exists between the first and second rows of mating contacts and is accessible through the mating face. The mating contacts of the first and second rows are oriented to extend lengthwise along the mating axis and are held between the engagement surface of the retention insert and respective interior walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: ERIC DAVID BRIANT, JAMES CHARLES SHIFFLER, MELISSA ANNE HARDEN, BRYON TODD EPPLEY, CRAIG WILLIAM CLEWELL
  • Patent number: 8210872
    Abstract: An electrical connector is provided including a housing. A mounting plate is provided having a mounting surface configured to be mechanically coupled to a circuit board. An opening extends through the mounting plate. The opening has an interior contour shaped to slidably receive a post of the housing as the mounting plate is loaded onto the post until the mounting plate rests on a plate surface of the housing. An engagement feature is provided on the mounting plate. The engagement feature secures the mounting plate to the housing. The engagement feature displaces a plate securing portion formed on the housing to secure the mounting plate to the housing with an interference fit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Eric David Briant, Jodi Rae Peterson, Charles Jameson Valentine, James Charles Schiffler, John Jacob O'Keefe, II
  • Publication number: 20120021641
    Abstract: An electrical connector is provided including a housing. A mounting plate is provided having a mounting surface configured to be mechanically coupled to a circuit board. An opening extends through the mounting plate. The opening has an interior contour shaped to slidably receive a post of the housing as the mounting plate is loaded onto the post until the mounting plate rests on a plate surface of the housing. An engagement feature is provided on the mounting plate. The engagement feature secures the mounting plate to the housing. The engagement feature displaces a plate securing portion formed on the housing to secure the mounting plate to the housing with an interference fit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Applicant: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: ERIC DAVID BRIANT, JODI RAE PETERSON, CHARLES JAMESON VALENTINE, JAMES CHARLES SHIFFLER, JOHN JACOB O'KEEFE, II
  • Patent number: 7794262
    Abstract: A connector assembly is configured to mate with a receptacle assembly. The receptacle assembly includes a mating connector within an interior chamber of the receptacle assembly. The interior chamber is defined by an inner surface of the receptacle assembly that is electrically connected to an electrical ground. The connector assembly includes a housing and a latch. The housing includes a mating end configured to be inserted into the interior chamber of the receptacle assembly to mate with the mating connector. The latch includes a securing protrusion and a spring finger. The securing protrusion is configured to mechanically engage the aperture of the inner surface to secure the housing with respect to the receptacle assembly. The spring finger is shaped to electrically engage the inner surface of the receptacle assembly when the connector assembly mates with the receptacle assembly such that the latch is electrically connected to the electrical ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Eric David Briant, Michael Warren Fogg
  • Publication number: 20100035459
    Abstract: A connector assembly is configured to mate with a receptacle assembly. The receptacle assembly includes a mating connector within an interior chamber of the receptacle assembly. The interior chamber is defined by an inner surface of the receptacle assembly that is electrically connected to an electrical ground. The connector assembly includes a housing and a latch. The housing includes a mating end configured to be inserted into the interior chamber of the receptacle assembly to mate with the mating connector. The latch includes a securing protrusion and a spring finger. The securing protrusion is configured to mechanically engage the aperture of the inner surface to secure the housing with respect to the receptacle assembly. The spring finger is shaped to electrically engage the inner surface of the receptacle assembly when the connector assembly mates with the receptacle assembly such that the latch is electrically connected to the electrical ground.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: ERIC DAVID BRIANT, MICHAEL WARREN FOGG
  • Patent number: 7581978
    Abstract: A connector assembly is configured to latch and unlatch with a mating connector. The mating connector includes a latch cavity. The connector assembly includes a housing and a latch. The housing includes front and rear towers. The latch is coupled to the housing and is supported by the front and rear towers. The latch includes a latch end and a floating portion. The latch end is configured to be inserted into the latch cavity to latch with the mating connector and be removed from the latch cavity to unlatch with the mating connector. The floating portion is disposed between the front and rear towers. The floating portion is configured to be biased towards the housing by a load applied to the floating portion to raise the latch end out from the latch cavity. The load is applied in a direction towards the housing and between the front and rear towers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Eric David Briant
  • Patent number: 7497737
    Abstract: A Micro-B USB electrical connector socket includes a metal shell, a plastic body and an array of formed and aligned discrete conductor leads encapsulated in the body. The leads include a power supply lead, a power return lead, and at least two data differential signal leads. Each lead has a connector pin portion at one end and a circuit connector portion at an opposite end. The plastic body encapsulates unexposed portions of the plurality of discrete conductor leads and includes an over-current circuit protection element such as a PPTC thermistor and an over-voltage circuit protection element such as a zener diode in thermal contact with the PPTC thermistor in order to accelerate heating thereof to a tripped state during a circuit protection event. The metal shell surrounds and mounts the plastic body to register the plastic body and connector pin portions in a predetermined alignment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Adrian Pawel Mikolajczak, Scott Anthony Shuey, Eric David Briant
  • Patent number: 7479036
    Abstract: A connector assembly configured for mounting on a panel member includes a connector having an axis. An EMI bracket surrounds the connector, the EMI bracket being relatively movable along the axis while maintaining electrical communication with the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2009
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Eric David Briant, Scott Anthony Shuey, Michael Warren Fogg
  • Patent number: 7473124
    Abstract: An electrical plug assembly includes a housing, a latch and an actuator. The housing extends along a longitudinal axis and is configured to mate with a receptacle assembly. The latch is movably coupled to the housing and has a latching end configured to latch and unlatch the receptacle assembly. The actuator is interconnected with the housing and the latch. The actuator is movable in both a push direction and a pull direction. The actuator raises the latching end when the actuator is pushed along the longitudinal axis in the push direction. The actuator also raises the latching end when the actuator is pulled along the pull direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Eric David Briant, Robert Harrison Wertz, Jr., Daniel Lee Gorenc
  • Publication number: 20080171468
    Abstract: A connector assembly configured for mounting on a panel member includes a connector having an axis. An EMI bracket surrounds the connector, the EMI bracket being relatively movable along the axis while maintaining electrical communication with the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Publication date: July 17, 2008
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Eric David Briant, Scott Anthony Shuey, Michael Warren Fogg
  • Publication number: 20080096429
    Abstract: A Micro-B USB electrical connector socket includes a metal shell, a plastic body and an array of formed and aligned discrete conductor leads encapsulated in the body. The leads include a power supply lead, a power return lead, and at least two data differential signal leads. Each lead has a connector pin portion at one end and a circuit connector portion at an opposite end. The plastic body encapsulates unexposed portions of the plurality of discrete conductor leads and includes an over-current circuit protection element such as a PPTC thermistor and an over-voltage circuit protection element such as a zener diode in thermal contact with the PPTC thermistor in order to accelerate heating thereof to a tripped state during a circuit protection event. The metal shell surrounds and mounts the plastic body to register the plastic body and connector pin portions in a predetermined alignment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2007
    Publication date: April 24, 2008
    Inventors: Adrian Pawel Mikolajczak, Scott Anthony Shuey, Eric David Briant
  • Patent number: 7114963
    Abstract: An electrical connector is provided that comprises a contact having a straight body portion defining, and extending along, a linear axis. The body portion has one end formed integral with a contact tail that is configured to be joined to a circuit board. The body portion has an opposed end formed integral with a curved engagement end configured to engage a mating connector. The connector further includes an outer shell and a contact retention module. The outer shell has a mating end configured to be joined with a mating connector and has a board-engaging end configured to be joined to a circuit board. The outer shell has an interior cavity opening onto the mating end and an open socket facing the board-engaging end. The contact retention module is over molded about the straight body portion of the contact. The contact retention module is held within the open socket of the outer shell with the curved engagement portion extending beyond the contact retention module into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Anthony Shuey, Eric David Briant, Douglas Wade Glover