Patents by Inventor Karen Elizabeth Benjamin

Karen Elizabeth Benjamin 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: 11283222
    Abstract: A header assembly includes a header housing and contact modules coupled to the header housing each having a frame assembly with a signal leadframe and a dielectric frame. The dielectric frame includes mating portion extensions at a front of the dielectric frame. The signal leadframe includes mating portions extending forward from the mating portion extensions. Each contact module includes a ground shield having ground shrouds providing electrical shielding for the mating portions. Each ground shroud includes shroud walls forming a shroud cavity receiving the corresponding mating portion extension. Each ground shroud includes a shroud transition to vary a depth of the shroud cavity along a length of the ground shroud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: David Allison Trout, Douglas Edward Shirk, Jeffrey Byron McClinton, Wei Peng, Justin Dennis Pickel, Timothy Robert Minnick, Edward Lee Hengst, Karen Elizabeth Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20220059974
    Abstract: A header assembly includes a header housing and contact modules coupled to the header housing each having a frame assembly with a signal leadframe and a dielectric frame. The dielectric frame includes mating portion extensions at a front of the dielectric frame. The signal leadframe includes mating portions extending forward from the mating portion extensions. Each contact module includes a ground shield having ground shrouds providing electrical shielding for the mating portions. Each ground shroud includes shroud walls forming a shroud cavity receiving the corresponding mating portion extension. Each ground shroud includes a shroud transition to vary a depth of the shroud cavity along a length of the ground shroud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: David Allison Trout, Douglas Edward Shirk, Jeffrey Byron McClinton, Wei Peng, Justin Dennis Pickel, Timothy Robert Minnick, Edward Lee Hengst, Karen Elizabeth Benjamin
  • Patent number: 6168082
    Abstract: A card reader 10 includes a base 14 and a cover 60 securable together to define a card-receiving cavity 90 and a plurality of right angle terminals 102 therein disposed in a terminal housing 12. The base 14 defines a terminal-receiving section 32 of the terminal housing 12 and the cover 60 defines a terminal-securing section 74 of the terminal housing 12, the two sections together defining terminal-receiving passageways 79 within which the bodies of the terminals 102 extend. Upon assembling the base 14 and cover 60 together, the terminals 102 are secured in position in the terminal-receiving passageways and the terminal contact surfaces 106 extend into the cavity 90 proximate the cover 60, and a card 170 can be inserted into the cavity 90 with the contact pads 172 facing the cover 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2001
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Karen Elizabeth Benjamin, Dennis Leroy Kemmick
  • Patent number: 6152777
    Abstract: Connector 10 mountable to a mother board for mating with a daughter card (80,90) at a card-receiving slot (14). Connector (10) includes at least two key-receiving sites (30a,30b) along the length of the card-receiving slot (14), and a pair of switching contacts (40) at each site that are normally in engagement with each other, completing an indicator circuit of the mother board. A key member (50) is affixable to the connector at a selected one of the key-receiving sites (30a,30b) and includes an actuator arm (58) that disengages the switching contacts (40), breaking the circuit. The key member (50) prevents insertion of a daughter card (90) that is not programmed by having a notch (82) at the corresponding location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Scott Stuart Smith, Robert Thomas Hirsbrunner, Karen Elizabeth Benjamin
  • Patent number: 6039599
    Abstract: A switch 120 for a card reader assembly includes first and second terminals 122, 140 disposed in a card-receiving cavity 90. The first terminal 122 includes a board mounting section 124, a body portion 126 and a contact section 132 spaced from the board mounting section. The second terminal includes a board mounting section 142 at one end, a body section 144 and a switch portion 150 at an opposed end. Switch portion 150 has a card engaging end 152 and a contact engaging end 156 spaced therefrom and a fulcrum engaging portion 154 therebetween. The housing defines a fulcrum adapted to support the fulcrum engaging portion. Upon inserting a card 170 into the card receiving cavity 90, the card engages the card engaging end 152 of the second terminal causing the switch portion of the second terminal to pivot from one position to another providing an electrical signal indicating that the card 170 is fully inserted into the cavity 90.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Karen Elizabeth Benjamin, James Henry Hyland
  • Patent number: 6015311
    Abstract: A landing type smart card reader 10 is provided having a base 14, a cover 12, and a contact carrier 50. Spring arms 22 formed in the cover 12 cooperate with the contact carrier 50 to bias the contacts 18 away from an inserted smart card 102. Upon insertion of a smart card 102, the spring arms 22 will disengage the contact carrier 50 and the contacts 18 will land on and make electrical connection with pads of the smart card 102.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Karen Elizabeth Benjamin, John Joseph Consoli
  • Patent number: 5924891
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (10) for flexible film circuitry (70) includes an insulative housing (14) having a film-receiving cavity (40) extending into a circuitry-receiving face (16) thereof, and further including flanges (30) at opposed ends of the cavity (40); and a locking bar (50) extending between the flanges (30) and affixed to the housing (14) to one side (41) of cavity (40) in a manner permitting movement toward and away from an opposed side (42) of the cavity (40). The locking bar (50) includes at least one projection (54) to be received through a corresponding hole (78) of the flexible film circuitry (70) upon full insertion of the circuitry into the cavity and actuation of the locking bar (50) to a locking position. The locking bar (50) includes ears (56) adjacent the flanges (30) that cooperate with the flanges (30) to define unactuated and actuated positions of the locking bar (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Karen Elizabeth Benjamin, John Lawrence Broschard, III, Brent David Yohn
  • Patent number: 5668654
    Abstract: An infrared communications adapter (10) is provided having a two part housing (22, 24) that snaps together to form a housing assembly (12) having an interior cavity (30). The interior cavity contains a circuit board (32) having communications circuitry and components thereon, including light emitting diodes (42, 44, 46) for indicating operating status of the unit and a photodiode array (34) for receiving and transmitting infrared signals. The adapter (10) includes a light pipe (50) having three light conducting channels (204, 206, 208) that conduct light from the three light emitting diodes (42, 44, 46) to viewing facets (190, 192, 194) on the light pipe that extend through openings in the housing (12). A lens (20) is arranged in a front end of the housing directly in front of the photodiode array (34). An articulated coupling 60 removably couples a stand (14) to the housing assembly (12) and permits aiming of the unit for receiving and transmitting the infrared signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Karen Elizabeth Benjamin, Jeffrey Byron McClinton, Robert Neil Whiteman, Jr., Earl Chester Myers, Jr., John Joseph Consoli