Patents by Inventor Michael John Phillips

Michael John Phillips 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).

  • Publication number: 20220190516
    Abstract: A plug connector includes a housing holding plug contacts at a mating end for mating with a mating connector. The plug connector includes a latch received in a latch pocket and movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch has a main body and a latch beam extending from the main body. The latch beam includes a latch hook configured to be received in a latch opening of the mating connector in the latched position to secure the plug connector to the mating connector. The plug connector includes a retention assist member engaging the latch having a main body and a ram extending therefrom with a latch retention support positioned rearward of the latch beam. A biasing member drives the retention assist member in a biasing direction into the latch to hold the latch hook in the latching position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Christopher David Ritter
  • Patent number: 11322869
    Abstract: A contact assembly includes a contact array having contacts including signal contacts and ground contacts. The signal contacts include signal intermediate portions extending between signal mating beams and signal contact tails. The ground contacts include ground intermediate portions extending between ground mating beams and ground contact tails. The contact assembly includes front and rear contact holders. The contact assembly includes a ground bus bridge extending between each of the ground contacts to electrically common each of the ground contacts. The ground bus bridge is integral with the ground contacts and extends across the signal intermediate portions in close proximity to the signal intermediate portions for resonance control of signals transmitted along the signal contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry
  • Publication number: 20220102888
    Abstract: A plug connector assembly includes first and second plug connectors each including a plug housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall forming a cavity. The side walls include a housing securing feature. The plug connector assembly includes a flex jumper assembly coupled between the plug connectors having a flex circuit extending between first and second paddle cards. The paddle cards each include a rigid substrate having a mating end and side edges extending to a flex circuit end. The rigid substrate includes a plug connector securing feature at the side edge engaging the housing securing feature to retain the paddle card in the corresponding plug housing. The flex circuit is flexible between the first and second paddle cards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Linda Ellen Shields, Michael John Phillips, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Patent number: 11264748
    Abstract: An electrical connector that includes a housing with an interior cavity configured to receive a card. Electrical contacts are secured across a wall of the housing within the interior cavity and are configured to matingly receive corresponding electrical contacts of the card. The plurality of electrical contacts secured across the wall of the housing are the only electrical contacts of the electrical connector. Each of the plurality of electrical contacts includes a mating interface and the mating interface of each of the plurality of electrical contacts is co-planer. Additionally, the housing includes a card slot opening and each of the plurality of electrical contacts are arranged on one side of the card slot opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Belgie Brian McClelland, II, Jason M'Cheyne Reisinger, Arash Behziz, Michael David Herring, Eric David Briant, Michael John Phillips, Michael Joseph Tryson
  • Patent number: 11259444
    Abstract: A connector, comprises: a cage having a chamber having a top wall; a radiator mounted on the top wall of the chamber; an elastic clip fixing the radiator on the top wall of the chamber and having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side in a lateral direction of the chamber; a first latch on the cage and having a slot; a second latch on the cage and having a slot; a first hook on the first side of the elastic clip engaged into the slot of the first latch from an outer side of the first latch; and a second hook on the second side of the elastic clip engaged into the slot of the second latch from an inner side of the second latch far away from the first latch and facing the first latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignees: Tyco Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., TE Connectivity Corporation
    Inventors: WenYu Liu, Hongqiang Han, Jiwang Jin, Xinbo Liu, Michael John Phillips
  • Patent number: 11239617
    Abstract: A contact assembly includes a signal leadframe including signal contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end and a ground leadframe separate and discrete from the signal leadframe including ground contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end. Each ground contact includes a central transition section between the mating end and the terminating end and a ground tie bar extending between each of the central transition sections and extending across the signal contacts. The contact assembly includes a front contact holder holding the signal contacts of the signal leadframe and holding the ground contacts of the ground leadframe. The front contact holder surrounds the central transition sections of the ground contacts and electrically isolates the ground tie bar from the signal contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignees: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH, TYCO ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Brandon Michael Matthews, Julia Anne Lachman, Xinjie Zhang
  • Patent number: 11217921
    Abstract: A contact assembly for an electrical connector includes a contact positioner having contact support walls holding a contact array. The contact array includes signal contacts and ground contacts interspersed with the signal contacts. The signal contacts include mating ends configured to be mated with a mating electrical connector and mounting ends configured to be terminated to a host circuit board. The signal contacts include transition portions between the mating ends and the mounting ends. The ground contacts include mating ends, mounting ends, and transition portions between the mating ends and the mounting ends. The contract assembly includes a ground bus wire extending transversely across the contact array. The ground bus wire is electrically connected to each of the ground contacts. The ground bus wire is electrically isolated from each of the signal contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry, Bruce Allen Champion
  • Patent number: 11211743
    Abstract: A communication system includes a plug module having a plug housing and a plug latch and a receptacle module having a receptacle housing and a receptacle latch. The receptacle module includes a receptacle connector with a card slot receiving a plug module circuit board. The receptacle connector includes cables terminated to contacts and extending from the receptacle connector. A receptacle cage includes a front cage interface receiving the plug module and a rear cage interface receiving the receptacle module. The front cage interface matches the rear cage interface including a front latching feature and a rear latching feature interfacing with the plug and receptacle latches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Eric David Briant, Dean Marlin Harmon, III, Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Christopher David Ritter, Lucas Arthur Benson
  • Publication number: 20210367364
    Abstract: A contact assembly for an electrical connector includes a contact positioner having contact support walls holding a contact array. The contact array includes signal contacts and ground contacts interspersed with the signal contacts. The signal contacts include mating ends configured to be mated with a mating electrical connector and mounting ends configured to be terminated to a host circuit board. The signal contacts include transition portions between the mating ends and the mounting ends. The ground contacts include mating ends, mounting ends, and transition portions between the mating ends and the mounting ends. The contract assembly includes a ground bus wire extending transversely across the contact array. The ground bus wire is electrically connected to each of the ground contacts. The ground bus wire is electrically isolated from each of the signal contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry, Bruce Allen Champion
  • Publication number: 20210367361
    Abstract: A contact assembly includes a contact array having contacts including signal contacts and ground contacts. The signal contacts include signal intermediate portions extending between signal mating beams and signal contact tails. The ground contacts include ground intermediate portions extending between ground mating beams and ground contact tails. The contact assembly includes front and rear contact holders. The contact assembly includes a ground bus bridge extending between each of the ground contacts to electrically common each of the ground contacts. The ground bus bridge is integral with the ground contacts and extends across the signal intermediate portions in close proximity to the signal intermediate portions for resonance control of signals transmitted along the signal contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry
  • Publication number: 20210313748
    Abstract: A contact assembly includes a signal leadframe including signal contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end and a ground leadframe separate and discrete from the signal leadframe including ground contacts each extending between a mating end and a terminating end. Each ground contact includes a central transition section between the mating end and the terminating end and a ground tie bar extending between each of the central transition sections and extending across the signal contacts. The contact assembly includes a front contact holder holding the signal contacts of the signal leadframe and holding the ground contacts of the ground leadframe. The front contact holder surrounds the central transition sections of the ground contacts and electrically isolates the ground tie bar from the signal contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2020
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Brandon Michael Matthews, Julia Anne Lachman, Xinjie Zhang
  • Publication number: 20210296818
    Abstract: A communication system includes a plug module having a plug housing and a plug latch and a receptacle module having a receptacle housing and a receptacle latch. The receptacle module includes a receptacle connector with a card slot receiving a plug module circuit board. The receptacle connector includes cables terminated to contacts and extending from the receptacle connector. A receptacle cage includes a front cage interface receiving the plug module and a rear cage interface receiving the receptacle module. The front cage interface matches the rear cage interface including a front latching feature and a rear latching feature interfacing with the plug and receptacle latches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Eric David Briant, Dean Marlin Harmon, III, Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Christopher David Ritter, Lucas Arthur Benson
  • Publication number: 20210066859
    Abstract: A pluggable module includes a pluggable body having an upper shell at the top and a lower shell at the bottom that define an interior chamber. The upper shell includes side walls extending to the top and an upper wall extending between the side walls. The upper shell includes an airflow channel and EMI prevention fins having EMI channels therebetween in flow communication with the airflow channel. The upper wall along the airflow channel is at a first depth from the top and the upper wall along the EMI channels is at a second depth deeper than the first depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Jacob Rita, Eric David Briant, Michael John Phillips, Alex Michael Sharf, Richard James Long
  • Patent number: 10923843
    Abstract: A cabled receptacle connector includes a receptacle housing and a cable assembly received in the receptacle housing. The cable assembly includes a support frame supporting first and second mating contacts have mating ends for electrical connection with a pluggable module. The cable assembly includes cables with conductors electrically connected to the first mating contacts. The cable assembly includes jumper contacts coupled to the support frame electrically connected to the second mating contacts. The jumper contacts include mounting ends mounted to a host circuit board. First electrical paths are defined between the pluggable module and a remote electrical component by the first mating contacts and the cable conductors. Second electrical paths are defined between the pluggable module and the host circuit board by the second mating contacts and the jumper contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews, Michael John Phillips
  • Publication number: 20210036452
    Abstract: A receptacle connector includes a housing having a mating end for mating with a plug connector and a mounting end for mounting to a circuit board. The housing has side walls and end walls with contacts in contacts arrays along both side walls. The contacts have mating ends and terminating ends. The housing has a card slot open at the mating end for receiving plug connector defined by interior surfaces of the side walls. The mating ends of the contacts are exposed in the card slot for mating electrical connection with the plug connector. The housing has alignment tabs extending inward into the card slot from the interior surface for aligning the plug connector within the card slot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry
  • Patent number: 10873160
    Abstract: A cabled receptacle connector includes a receptacle housing having a cavity extending between a front and a rear and having a mating slot receiving a pluggable module. A cable assembly is received in the cavity having wafers provided at an end of a cable bundle. Each wafer has a dielectric frame holding a wafer lead frame having signal contacts and ground contacts. The signal and ground contacts have terminating ends terminated to corresponding cables and mating ends received in the mating slot for mating with the pluggable module. Each wafer has a ground bus frame electrically coupled to each of the ground contacts to electrically common each of the ground contacts. The ground bus includes ground beams having mounting arms coupled to the dielectric frame and mating pads coupled to corresponding ground contacts. The mating ends of the signal contacts and the ground contacts are arranged in multiple rows for interfacing with the pluggable module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Patent number: 10855028
    Abstract: A plug connector includes a plug housing having a mating end at a front of the plug housing for mating with a mating connector. The plug housing has an upper wall, an end wall extending from the upper wall, and side walls extending from the upper wall. The plug housing has a mating chamber defined by the upper wall, the end wall and the side walls. The mating chamber is open at the front. The end wall is opposite the front at a rear of the mating chamber. The plug connector includes a circuit card held by the plug housing. The circuit card extends into the mating chamber for mating with the mating connector. The circuit card has plug contacts. The plug connector includes a mating spring coupled to the end wall. The mating spring has a spring arm extending into the mating chamber. The spring arm has a mating interface configured to engage a mating end of the mating connector to bias the end wall away from the mating end of the mating connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Tracy Lee Smith
  • Patent number: 10855020
    Abstract: A card edge connector includes a housing including a card slot open to a cavity and a contact assembly received in the cavity. The contact assembly has a contact positioner holding upper contacts in an upper contact array and lower contacts in a lower contact array. The contact positioner has a positioner card slot. The contacts include intermediate portions extending between mating beams and contact tails. The contact arrays include separate and discrete front and rear contact holders. The front contact holder is positioned between the mating beams and the intermediate portions. The rear contact holder is positioned between the intermediate portions and the contact tails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry
  • Publication number: 20200358227
    Abstract: A cabled receptacle connector includes a receptacle housing having a cavity extending between a front and a rear and having a mating slot receiving a pluggable module. A cable assembly is received in the cavity having wafers provided at an end of a cable bundle. Each wafer has a dielectric frame holding a wafer lead frame having signal contacts and ground contacts. The signal and ground contacts have terminating ends terminated to corresponding cables and mating ends received in the mating slot for mating with the pluggable module. Each wafer has a ground bus frame electrically coupled to each of the ground contacts to electrically common each of the ground contacts. The ground bus includes ground beams having mounting arms coupled to the dielectric frame and mating pads coupled to corresponding ground contacts. The mating ends of the signal contacts and the ground contacts are arranged in multiple rows for interfacing with the pluggable module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Patent number: 10826214
    Abstract: A receptacle connector includes a housing having a mating end for mating with a plug connector and a mounting end for mounting to a circuit board. The housing has side walls and end walls with contacts in contacts arrays along both side walls. The contacts have mating ends and terminating ends. The housing has a card slot open at the mating end for receiving plug connector defined by interior surfaces of the side walls. The mating ends of the contacts are exposed in the card slot for mating electrical connection with the plug connector. The housing has alignment tabs extending inward into the card slot from the interior surface for aligning the plug connector within the card slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry