Patents by Inventor Keith Lynn Nicholas

Keith Lynn Nicholas 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: 10090627
    Abstract: A terminal crimping device includes crimp tooling comprising an anvil and a ram movable toward the anvil with a crimp zone being defined between the anvil and the ram configured to receive a wire and a terminal configured to be crimped to the wire by the crimp tooling. An ultrasonic transmitting transducer is coupled to at least one of the anvil and the ram that transmits acoustic signals through the wire and terminal. A filter is provided on at least one of the anvil and the ram in the path of the acoustic signals that affects the acoustic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: David Michael Stull, Christopher John Karrasch, Keith Lynn Nicholas, Charles David Fry
  • Patent number: 9548581
    Abstract: A terminal crimping machine includes an applicator having a movable ram and an anvil. The anvil is located in a crimping zone and configured to receive a terminal thereon. The ram has crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal on the anvil to a wire during a crimp stroke of the ram. An image acquisition device is positioned to acquire at least one image of the crimping zone. A display device is configured to display the at least one acquired image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keith Lynn Nicholas, Jay Alan Snyder
  • Patent number: 9362700
    Abstract: A terminal crimping device includes crimp tooling defining a crimp zone configured to receive a wire and a terminal. The terminal is configured to be crimped to the wire by the tooling during a crimp stroke of the crimp tooling to form a crimped terminal. The crimp tooling includes an ultrasound module ultrasonically coupled to the crimp tooling and the wire and the crimped terminal when present. The ultrasound module transmits acoustic signals through the crimped terminal and the wire. The ultrasound module also receives echo acoustic signals being reflected back to the ultrasound module. The ultrasound module generates echo signals based on the echo acoustic signals. The terminal crimping device also includes a crimp quality module that receives the echo signals from the ultrasound module and determines a crimp height of the crimped terminal based on the reflected echo acoustic signals received by the ultrasound module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Dunaway Charlton, Khalil John Maalouf, David Michael Stull, Charles David Fry, Keith Lynn Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20150082889
    Abstract: A post-crimp inspection device includes first and second arms with an inspection zone being defined between the first and second arms and configured to receive a crimped terminal. At least one of the first and second arms is movable toward the crimped terminal during a testing phase. An ultrasonic transducer is coupled to the first arm. The ultrasonic transducer transmits acoustic signals toward the crimped terminal. A compliant member is positioned between the ultrasonic transducer and the crimped terminal. The ultrasonic transducer is ultrasonically coupled to the crimped terminal via the compliant member. The compliant member may conform to a contour of the terminal. The compliant member may receive, and be ultrasonically coupled to, crimped terminals that are crimped using different crimp tooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Keith Lynn Nicholas, John Dunaway Charlton
  • Publication number: 20150052740
    Abstract: A terminal crimping device includes crimp tooling comprising an anvil and a ram movable toward the anvil with a crimp zone being defined between the anvil and the ram configured to receive a wire and a terminal configured to be crimped to the wire by the crimp tooling. An ultrasonic transmitting transducer is coupled to at least one of the anvil and the ram that transmits acoustic signals through the wire and terminal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: David Michael Stull, Christopher John Karrasch, Keith Lynn Nicholas, Charles David Fry
  • Publication number: 20140331495
    Abstract: A terminal crimping machine includes an applicator having a movable ram and an anvil. The anvil is located in a crimping zone and configured to receive a terminal thereon. The ram has crimp tooling that is configured to crimp the terminal on the anvil to a wire during a crimp stroke of the ram. An image acquisition device is positioned to acquire at least one image of the crimping zone. A display device is configured to display the at least one acquired image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Keith Lynn Nicholas, Jay Alan Snyder
  • Patent number: 7466788
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to applicator counters and assemblies for counting, recording and transmitting cycles of machines, tools and the like. An applicator counter assembly for operative association with an applicator or the like is provided. The applicator counter assembly includes an applicator counter for counting, recording and transmitting cycles of the applicator. The applicator counter includes a magnetically responsive switch capable of being actuated in response to a magnetic force, whereby the applicator counter registers a count for each actuation of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: George Edward Hoover, Keith Lynn Nicholas