Patents by Inventor James Dickinson Roberts

James Dickinson Roberts 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: 7329158
    Abstract: A male terminal has spring elements bent back from a rounded end above a flat portion of the terminal and separated by a centrally located opening. An aperture extends through the flat portion under the opening. Elongated ridges protrude from an underside of the flat portion. A female terminal has arms overhanging a base to form receptacles for the spring elements. Down-turned alignment ribs on the arms are received in the opening in the male terminal to properly align the terminals during electrical connection. Dimples protrude from the arms to contact the spring elements of the male terminal as the spring elements are inserted. The elongated ridges on the underside of the flat portion of the male terminal contact the base of the female terminal. A lock tab in the base between the ribs snaps into the aperture to latch the terminals together when the spring elements are fully inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Yazaki North America, Inc.
    Inventors: James Dickinson Roberts, Joseph Paul Kalisz, James Leroy Jones, III, Kevin James Updike, Weizhen Brenda Wang
  • Patent number: 7160157
    Abstract: An electrical terminal connection system includes first and second terminals that are interlocked by placing the first terminal on top of the second terminal and rotating the first terminal. The first terminal has a planar ring section with an outer perimeter and a centrally located aperture. The perimeter has cut-out portions. Inclined spring elements extend from the ring section near the outer perimeter. The second terminal includes a semi-circular part with an outer periphery and a centrally located collar. Curved walls extend perpendicularly from the outer periphery. The walls have ledges projecting over the semi-circular part. Aligning the cut-out portions of the first terminal with the curved walls and ledges of the second terminal enables the planar ring section of the first terminal to be placed on the semi-circular part of the second terminal, with the aperture receiving the collar. Rotating or twisting the first terminal causes the spring elements to contact and slide under the ledges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Yazaki North America, Inc.
    Inventors: James Leroy Jones, III, James Dickinson Roberts, Joseph Paul Kalisz, Kevin James Updike
  • Patent number: 7134893
    Abstract: An electrical terminal connection system has a first terminal for attachment to a high-current cable. The first terminal is formed to include a wire-connect section for direct attachment to the wire and an intermediate stem section joining the wire-connect section to a contact section. The contact section has two opposite sides and deflectable arms extending along each side in parallel relation to each other. The arms are raised from the contact section and extend to free ends adjacent to an end of the contact section. A second terminal extends from a device-side of the connection, such as from a power distribution module (PDM). The second terminal has an initial seating section joined to a bus bar extending from within the PDM and a retaining section having two opposite edges. A short wall extends perpendicularly from each edge of the retaining section and a ledge extends from a top of each wall to overhang part of the retaining section. Each ledge has a portion slanted toward the seating section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Yazaki North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Paul Kalisz, James Leroy Jones, III, James Dickinson Roberts
  • Patent number: 7128618
    Abstract: A check fixture for electrical connectors, including a pin nest made of a rigid plastic such as Delrin, having parallel slots and bores contiguous with said slots formed therein to receive one piece contact pins in precise arrangements and orientations to fit a connector to be checked. The contact pins are spring biased into the bores with blade portions extending outwardly from the slots. Wires are soldered into the butt ends of the contact pins and run to a conventional indicator. The pin nest is held within an outer body having a keyed opening to accept the connector in the proper orientation to be checked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Yazaki North America, Inc.
    Inventor: James Dickinson Roberts