Patents by Inventor Kent E. Regnier

Kent E. Regnier 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).

  • RESONANCE MODIFYING CONNECTOR
    Publication number: 20110300757
    Abstract: A connector assembly is provided that is suitable for modifying the resonant frequency of ground terminals used in conjunction with high data rate signal terminals. Ground terminals may be interconnected with a conductive bridge so as to provide ground terminals with a predetermined maximum effective electrical length. Reducing the effective electrical length of the ground terminal can move the resonance frequencies of the connector outside the operational range of frequencies at which signals will be transmitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Kent E. Regnier, Patrick R. Casher, Jerry A. Long
  • SHIELD WITH INTEGRATED MATING CONNECTOR GUIDES
    Publication number: 20110294347
    Abstract: A shield is provided for use with a connector assembly that includes for sides that form an enclosure, one of the sides being a baseplate. The shield can include a plurality of guides positioned on the baseplate and the plurality of guides can be arranged in a pattern. Each guide can be formed by making two slits in the bottom plate so as to define a body portion of the guide and the body portion can be extended in the enclosure. Each guide can be supported by the baseplate at opposite ends of the body portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: MOLEX INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Harold Keith Lang, Kent E. Regnier, Jerry A. Long
  • CONNECTOR GUIDE
    Publication number: 20110269338
    Abstract: A guide frame is provided that can be mounted to a circuit board and includes an opening that can receive a connector therein. The guide frame can include a pair of retention members disposed on opposing sides of the opening that are configured to couple to engagement members on the connector. The guide frame may include a flange that is configured to engage a plug connector that mates with the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: MOLEX INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Harold Keith Lang, Kent E. Regnier, Jerry A. Long
  • RESONANCE MODIFYING CONNECTOR
    Publication number: 20110269346
    Abstract: A connector assembly is provided that is suitable for controlling the resonance frequency of ground terminals used to shield high-speed differential pairs. Ground terminals may be commonized so as to provide ground terminals with a predetermined maximum electrical length. Reducing the electrical length of the ground terminal can move a resonance frequency of the ground terminals of the connector outside the range of frequencies at which signals will transmitted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventors: Patrick R. Casher, Kent E. Regnier
  • CONNECTOR SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20110244725
    Abstract: A connector includes a housing (130) with stacked elongated ports (110a, 110b). Each of port includes terminals (150a, 150b) aligned along a vertical side. The top port and the bottom port can be configured so that the terminals are aligned along opposite vertical sides. The terminals can be supported by wafers (170a, 170b) and the wafer for the top and bottom port can be substantially different heights. The ports can be configured to provide a higher density such as port to port pitch of less than 14 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Applicant: MOLEX INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kent E. Regnier, Philip J. Dambach
  • FLEXIBLE USE CONNECTOR
    Publication number: 20110230104
    Abstract: A connector subassembly is provided that may be utilized for both internal and external applications. The subassembly includes a housing that supports a plurality of wafers with terminals. The housing includes engagement members to secure the housing to either the shield or the guide frame. The engagement members can include an angled portion that allow the housing to form a dovetail joint with the guide frame and/or a multi-faceted portion to engage a fastener.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: MOLEX INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Harold Keith Lang, Kent E. Regnier, Jerry A. Long
  • HORIZONTALLY CONFIGURED CONNECTOR
    Publication number: 20110223809
    Abstract: A connector of horizontal construction includes at least a pair of first and second halves that are mated together along a common mating line. A plurality of mating blades are supported in a vertical arrangement within a mating portion of the connector. The connector includes two distinct fastenings means for holding the housing halves together. A first fastening means is provided as a horizontal attachment member that extends widthwise in the mating portion in a space between the circuit cards. A second fastening means is provided as an exterior retainer that engages at least part of the outer circumference, or perimeter of the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Bruce Reed, Harold Keith Lang, Kent E. Regnier, Jay Neer
  • CONNECTOR WITH IMPROVED MANUFACTURABILITY
    Publication number: 20110223810
    Abstract: An I/O connector has a housing that contains a plurality of individual terminal wafers containing terminal dedicated to either ground signals or differential signals. The terminals are arranged in widthwise order to define broadside coupled differential signal terminal pairs. The ground terminals are wider than the signal terminals to provide shielding to the differential signal pairs. The body portions of the ground terminals include pairs of opposed notches that provide for increased retention of the ground terminals in the wafer and provide increased flow for molding material during the formation of the wafers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: MOLEX INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kent E. Regnier, Patrick R. Casher
  • CONNECTOR SHIELD WITH INTEGRATED FASTENING ARRANGEMENT
    Publication number: 20110223805
    Abstract: A shield for a connector that can provide a card-receiving slot is disclosed. The shield includes sides that provide an enclosure. The shield includes a fastener that is held in place by a retaining notch in a bottom of the shield. The retaining notch is configured to support the fastener in place and restrain it from unintended translation or rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Kent E. Regnier, Harold Keith Lang, Patrick R. Casher
  • CONNECTOR WITH IMPEDANCE TUNED TERMINAL ARRANGEMENT
    Publication number: 20110212633
    Abstract: A connector housing includes a plurality of wafers containing terminal dedicated to either ground signals or differential signals. Terminals in adjacent wafers can be arranged to provide broadside coupled differential signal pairs. Terminals dedicated for use as ground terminals can be wider than the signal terminals to provide shielding between adjacent differential signal pairs. The signal terminals of each differential signal terminal pair can a constant width from their contact portions to a location proximate their tail portions and the terminals diverge from broadside alignment and increase in their width until they end at the terminal tail portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: MOLEX INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Kent E. Regnier, Harold Keith Lang
  • GROUND TERMINATION WITH DAMPENED RESONANCE
    Publication number: 20110100694
    Abstract: A system of dampening resonance is provided. In an embodiment, ground traces may be coupled to a common or ground plane via dampening elements such as resistors a predetermined distance from a non-dampened coupling. Ground terminals in a connector have with a separated electrical length that allows for a potential to exist between the ground terminal and a common ground. When the ground terminals are coupled to the ground traces, the dampening element, which may be a resistor, helps convert energy traveling over ground terminal into heat, thus reducing or preventing resonance conditions in the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Kent E. Regnier, patrick R. Casher
  • IMPEDANCE CONTROLLED ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR
    Publication number: 20110097933
    Abstract: A board-mountable connector is provided. The connector includes a shield and an insulative housing with a tongue. Terminals are supported by the housing in two rows and the rows extend from a mating interface to a board mounting interface. The terminals may be mounted to the board via surface mount technology in two rows that are at about 0.4 mm pitch. The two rows of terminals are configured in a signal, signal, ground triangular configuration so as to provide a triangular terminal arrangement that extends from the mating interface to the mounting interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott D. Sommers, Kent E. Regnier, Michael R. Kamarauskas, Emanuel G. Banakis, Galen F. Fromm
  • Connector with short length compliant pin
    Patent number: 7914303
    Abstract: An electrical connector having a plurality of connector units each having a pair of columns of edge coupled differential signal pairs separated by a ground shield terminal. The ground shield terminals each face a different signal pair of terminals in an adjacent column. Notwithstanding the different size and configurations of the ground and signal terminals, the terminals have mounting tail portions that are disposed in a uniform array different from the arrangement of the body portions of the terminals of the connector unit. The mounting tail portions are of a reduced length which benefit the electrical performance of the connector where it meets its supporting circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Peerouz Amleshi, John Laurx, David Brunker, Kent E. Regnier
  • Modular connector with EMI protection
    Patent number: 7883341
    Abstract: A connector includes a first and second housing that are configured to be coupled together. The connector may include two circuit cards supported by card supports. Mating edges of the first and second housing are configured to be coupled together and may include one or more crushed ribs positioned in an elongated channel/elongated shoulder interface. The one or more crushed ribs may be configured so as to be spaced apart a distance that acts to improve the electrical shielding provided by the connector. The connector may be configured to be coupled to a cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Harold Keith Lang, Kent E. Regnier
  • Communication system with short length compliant pin
    Patent number: 7862347
    Abstract: An electrical connector having a plurality of connector units each having a pair of columns of edge coupled differential signal pairs separated by a ground shield terminal. The ground shield terminals each face a different signal pair of terminals in an adjacent column. Notwithstanding the different size and configurations of the ground and signal terminals, the terminals have mounting tail portions that are disposed in a uniform array different from the arrangement of the body portions of the terminals of the connector unit. The mounting tail portions are of a reduced length which benefit the electrical performance of the connector where it meets its supporting circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Peerouz Amleshi, John Laurx, David Brunker, Kent E. Regnier
  • Edge card connector assembly with high-speed terminals
    Patent number: 7806698
    Abstract: A surface mount connector for high speed data transfer application has an insulative housing with a vertically-oriented circuit card-receiving slot disposed along a front face thereof. A plurality of conductive terminals are supported by the housing so that contact portions of the terminals extend into the card slot. The terminals are formed with a thin configuration to reduce the overall capacitance of the terminals as a group as a means of regulating the impedance thereof. The terminals are supported on opposing sidewalls of the connector housing and each of the terminals includes a tail portion, a contact portion and a retention portion that engages the connector housing so that the contact portions are cantilevered in their extent within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Kent E. Regnier
  • MODULAR CONNECTOR WITH EMI PROTECTION
    Publication number: 20100130063
    Abstract: A connector includes a first and second housing that are configured to be coupled together. The connector may include two circuit cards supported by card supports. Mating edges of the first and second housing are configured to be coupled together and may include one or more crushed ribs positioned in an elongated channel/elongated shoulder interface. The one or more crushed ribs may be configured so as to be spaced apart a distance that acts to improve the electrical shielding provided by the connector. The connector may be configured to be coupled to a cable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: MOLEX INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Harold Keith Lang, Kent E. Regnier
  • Circuit board via arrangement for differential signal connector
    Patent number: 7649146
    Abstract: Stacked receptacles in a connector that each provide side-by-side differential signal contacts, are attached to a circuit board without additional width to accommodate multiple layers of differential signals by using connector wafer inserts that rotate the side-by-side positioned differential signal contacts to front-to-back contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Hazelton P. Avery, Patrick R. Casher, Richard A. Nelson, Kent E. Regnier
  • Printed circuit board for high-speed electrical connectors
    Patent number: 7645944
    Abstract: A printed circuit board exit arrangement is disclosed for use in high speed connector mounting applications. A ground plane has one or more open areas formed in it that surround pairs of signal vias formed in the board that are used to convey differential signals. The ground plane has a thin interconnecting strip, or web, that passes between the two vias of each pair and which divides the open areas into sub-areas, each sib-area containing a single via.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick R. Casher, Kent E. Regnier
  • Preferential via exit structures with triad configuration for printed circuit boards
    Patent number: 7633766
    Abstract: A circuit board design is disclosed that is useful in high-speed differential signal applications uses either a via arrangement or a circuit trace exit structure. A pair of differential signal vias in a circuit board are surrounded by an opening that is formed within a ground plane disposed on another layer of the circuit board. The vias are connected to traces on the circuit board by way of an exit structure that includes two flag portions and associated angled portions that connect the flag portions to circuit board traces. In an alternate embodiment, the circuit board traces that leave the differential signal vias are disposed in one layer of the circuit board above a wide ground strip disposed on another layer of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Kent E. Regnier, David L. Brunker, Martin U. Ogbuokiri