Patents by Inventor James J. Johnston

James J. Johnston 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: 7662002
    Abstract: Discrete portions of a carbon fiber tow, selected from a group of tows, ranging in number of fibers from about 1,000 to about 150,000, and terminated by discrete contact portions of a metal conductor within a non-metallic termination assembly formed by the joinder of a cradle and a cap defining opposing parallel clamping surfaces receiving the tow portions and the contact portions in crossing engagement therebetween. Opposing energy directors on the cradle and cap serve as temporary guide rails for positioning the carbon fiber portions before and during assembly. Meltdown of the energy directors during a pressure and ultrasonic welding cycle enable self-leveling of the carbon fiber portions whereby uniform distribution of carbon fiber over the entire cross section of each of the carbon fiber portions of the assembly may be attained. The clamping surfaces remain intact after welding and retain clamping integrity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Methode Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Publication number: 20090283510
    Abstract: A portable food warmer is provided with a powered heating element, includes an enclosure, formed from an outer shell and an inner layer, with the powered heating element positioned between the outer shell and the inner layer. A steel rack is provided to support food items contained therein. The powered heating element preferably is in the form of a carbon fiber ribbon, wrapped around the enclosure, between the outer shell and inner layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2008
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: Methode Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: James J. Johnston, Andrius Zemaitis, Carlos Jines
  • Publication number: 20080182461
    Abstract: One or more discrete portions of a carbon fiber tow, selected from a group of tows, ranging in number of fibers from about 1,000 to about 150,000, and terminated by plural contact portions of a metal conductor within a non-metallic termination assembly formed by the joinder of a cradle and a cap defining opposing parallel clamping surfaces receiving the tow portions and the contact portions in crossing engagement there between. Opposing energy directors carried by the cradle and cap serve as temporary guide rails for positioning the carbon fiber portions before and during assembly. Meltdown of the energy directors during a pressure and ultrasonic welding cycle enable self-leveling of the carbon fiber portions whereby uniform distribution of carbon fiber over the entire cross section of each of the carbon fiber portions of the assembly may be attained. The clamping surfaces remain intact after welding and retain clamping integrity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 31, 2008
    Applicant: Methode Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 7247822
    Abstract: An electrical resistance heating element has an axially elongated flat carbon fiber tow, which includes a multiplicity of continuous axially parallel carbon filaments. The tow is sandwiched between two layers of polyester sheet material and bonded to only one of the layers. The other of the layers overlies the tow in direct contacting engagement with and unconnected relation to the tow and is connected to longitudinally extending marginal portions of the one layer along transversely opposite sides of the tow. The heating element may be produced by a continuous forming process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Methode Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 6549427
    Abstract: Metallic circuit traces disposed on a substrate of a panel and terminated in a high-density in-line array. Each termination comprises a terminal portion of a circuit trace disposed on and extending along a beam defined by the panel, a portion of a resilient compressible electrical conductor disposed in overlying relation to at least an associated part of the terminal portion, and a cradle assembly including a cradle member and a cap ultrasonically welded together in assembly generally within a common plane of joinder spaced from the substrate. The cradle assembly surround portions of the beam, the terminal portion, and the conductor and maintains the conductor under compression and in electrical contacting engagement with the terminal portion to form an electrical termination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Methode Development Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 6547606
    Abstract: A clock spring wiring harness for an automotive steering apparatus has a resilient flexible flat cable containing flat conductors and terminated at its opposite ends by lead conductors. The flat cable is connected between a reel about which it is spirally wound and a fixed housing which supports the reel for rotation therein. The flat conductor/lead conductor terminations are formed by assembly of a stepped series of cradle assemblies integrally formed on and contained within terminal block ultrasonically welded together in assembly while subjected to a predetermined compressive force. Each lead conductor is normal to and continuously biased into direct electrical contacting engagement with an associated flat conductor in a region of termination defined by an associated one of the cradle assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: Methode Development Company
    Inventors: James J. Johnston, Gordon Udall
  • Publication number: 20030068912
    Abstract: A clock spring wiring harness for an automotive steering apparatus has a resilient flexible flat cable containing flat conductors and terminated at its opposite ends by lead conductors. The flat cable is connected between a reel about which it is spirally wound and a fixed housing which supports the reel for rotation therein. The flat conductor/lead conductor terminations are formed by assembly of a stepped series of cradle assemblies integrally formed on and contained within terminal block ultrasonically welded together in assembly while subjected to a predetermined compressive force. Each lead conductor is normal to and continuously biased into direct electrical contacting engagement with an associated flat conductor in a region of termination defined by an associated one of the cradle assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Inventors: James J. Johnston, Gordon Udall
  • Patent number: 6217373
    Abstract: A portion of a membrane having electrically conductive ink traces printed on a surface thereof is clamped between two members ultrasonically welded together in assembly by welds which pass through apertures in the membrane at opposite sides of the traces thereon. The assembled members maintain the traces in resilient bearing engagement with exposed electrically conductive portions of electrical conductors contained within slots defined by one of the members. Energy directors integrally formed on the two members are welded together through the apertures while compressive force is applied to the members to clamp the membrane therebetween whereby the traces are electrically terminated by direct resilient bearing engagement with the exposed electrically conductive portions of the conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 6135829
    Abstract: A high density electrical termination assembly made by forming a terminal assembly including separate thermoplastic sections having confronting surfaces. An in-line array of conductor receiving slots open through the confronting surface of one of the sections and a plurality of elongate spaced apart energy directors project from and extending along the confronting surface of the other of the sections. Stacking within the grooves portions of the conductors to be connected are stacked within slots in the terminal section. The thermoplastic sections positioned in juxtaposed stacked relationship to each other along the confronting surfaces with the energy directors extending across the slots in axially transverse relationship to the conductors stacked within the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 6123588
    Abstract: Metallic circuit traces disposed on a substrate of a panel and terminated in a high-density in-line array. Each termination comprises a terminal portion of a circuit trace disposed on and extending along a beam defined by the panel, a portion of a resilient compressible electrical conductor disposed in overlying relation to at least an associated part of the terminal portion, and a cradle assembly including a cradle member and a cap ultrasonically welded together in assembly generally within a common plane of joinder spaced from the substrate. The cradle assembly surround portions of the beam, the terminal portion, and the conductor and maintains the conductor under compression and in electrical contacting engagement with the terminal portion to form an electrical termination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 6017238
    Abstract: A patch cord assembly for plugging connection with an in-line array of insulation displacement connectors (IDC's) on a 110 cross-connect panel includes a plugging connector defining a plurality of plug receptacles separated from each other by contact supporting walls. Each supporting wall supports an associated elongated contact which defines a portion of the wall and has elongated contact surfaces exposed at opposite sides of the wall. The contacts extend in to the hollow housing and are terminated therein by individually insulated electrical conductors. An ultrasonic welding process strips insulation from end portions of the electrical conductors and simultaneously terminates the stripped end portions at the contacts and within the housing while the housing sections are being joined together in assembly by the ultrasonic welding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5897383
    Abstract: A cross-connect bus for plugging engagement with a cross-connect panel having a plurality of rows of projecting insulation displacement connectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5857259
    Abstract: A high density electrical termination assembly made by forming a terminal assembly including separate thermoplastic sections having confronting surfaces. An in-line array of conductor receiving slots open through the confronting surface of one of the sections and a plurality of elongate spaced apart energy directors project from and extending along the confronting surface of the other of the sections. Stacking within the grooves portions of the conductors to be connected are stacked within slots in the terminal section. The thermoplastic sections positioned in juxtaposed stacked relationship to each other along the confronting surfaces with the energy directors extending across the slots in axially transverse relationship to the conductors stacked within the slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1999
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5787582
    Abstract: A cross-connect bus for plugging engagement with a cross-connect panel having a plurality of rows of projecting insulation displacement connectors includes first and second rectilinear axially extending resilient spring wire contact elements having outer end portions supported in fixed positions and in coaxial alignment with each other by spaced apart receptacles defined by a common support base. The inner end portions of the contact elements are supported in cantilever position by the outer end portions and have overlapping free ends biased into electrical contacting engagement with each other. Plugging elements cooperate with the support base to disable, monitor or test circuits completed by the cross-connect bus without removing the bus from plugging engagement with an associated cross-connect panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5624267
    Abstract: A cross-connect bus for plugging engagement with a cross-connect panel having a plurality of rows of projecting insulation displacement connectors includes first and second rectilinear axially extending resilient spring wire contact elements having outer end portions supported in fixed positions and in coaxial alignment with each other by spaced apart receptacles defined by a common support base. The inner end portions of the contact elements are supported in cantilever position by the outer end portions and have overlapping free ends biased into electrical contacting engagement with each other. Plugging elements cooperate with the support base to disable, monitor or test circuits completed by the cross-connect bus without removing the bus from plugging engagement with an associated cross-connect panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 29, 1997
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5556307
    Abstract: A field terminable modular telecommunications jack assembly includes a modular jack containing a plurality of spring wire contact members mounted in cantilever position and configured to cooperate with an industry standard modular plug to minimize the length of circuit paths through the jack. Double ended insulation displacement connectors connected to fixed end portions of the spring wire contact members and projecting from the jack cooperate in plugging engagement with insulated solid wire conductors terminated by a field terminable coupling and compensating member which facilitates field termination of the jack. The solid wire conductors terminated by the coupling and compensating member are arranged within the compensating and coupling member to cancel signal coupling within the jack assembly. The double ended insulation displacement connectors are axially aligned with both the solid wire conductors and spring wire contact members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5496191
    Abstract: A cord assembly including an insulated electric cord containing a plurality of twisted pairs of insulated solid wire conductors and terminated by a plug having an inner part and an outer part. Terminal end portions of the conductors wrapped about an inner part and trapped between the inner and outer parts extend across an opening in the plug for direct releasable plugging connection with an inline array of insulation displacement contacts (IDCs) carried by a mating connector block mounted on a cross-connect panel. An assembly jig is used to position the conductor terminal end portions and supports the inner part while the terminal end portions are wrapped about the inner part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5475921
    Abstract: A contact assembly formed from an array of insulated resilient solid wires arranged in spaced apart side-by-side relation to each other and retained in assembly by an ultrasonically assembled two-part carrier strip which extends transversely of the wire array. Notches formed in the wires by grinding define exposed conductive surfaces at selected locations. The conductive surfaces are plated with precious metal to define contact surfaces on the wires which are formed to contact configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1995
    Assignee: The Wiremold Company
    Inventor: James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5425172
    Abstract: A modular telecommunication jack adapter has a front part formed by at least one standard modular telephone jack and a rear part defined by a standard modular telephone plug. The front and rear parts are connected by a coupling member which defines a rearward extension of the modular jack. A plurality of resilient unitary spring wire conductors disposed within the adapter extend between the front part and the rear part and have forward end portions which define an in-line array of moveable contacts supported in cantilever position and parallel relation within the jack. The rear end portions of the resilient wire conductors are softened by annealing to receive an in-line array of spade contacts which terminate the conductors at the rear end of the plug. One or more of the conductors may be formed with a crossover formed within the connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1995
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Carswell, James J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5328390
    Abstract: A modular telecommunication jack adapter has a front part formed by at least one standard modular telephone jack and a rear part defined by a standard modular telephone plug. The front and rear parts are connected by a coupling member which defines a rearward extension of the modular jack. A plurality of resilient unitary spring wire conductors disposed within the adapter extend between the front part and the rear part and have forward end portions which define an in-line array of moveable contacts supported in cantilever position and parallel relation within the jack. The rear end portions of the resilient wire conductors are softened by annealing to receive an in-line array of spade contacts which terminate the conductors at the rear end of the plug. One or more of the conductors may be formed with a crossover formed within the connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1994
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: James J. Johnston, Joseph Carswell