Patents by Inventor Michael S. Finona

Michael S. Finona 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: 9004953
    Abstract: Electrical connectors are disclosed. One electrical connector comprises a receptacle component and a plug component. The receptacle component includes a receptacle body portion having a pair of opposed walls defining a gap therebetween. The pair of opposed walls each having one or more openings in their respective ends. The receptacle component also includes a plurality of first metal contacts partially surrounded by the pair of opposed walls. The plug component includes a plug body portion having a projection. The projection is sized to fit within the gap between the pair of opposed walls of the receptacle component. The plug component also includes a plurality of second metal contacts extending from the plug body portion. Ends of the second metal contacts are positioned to extend into the openings in the pair of opposed walls when the projection is positioned within the gap between the pair of opposed walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Finona, Marc R. Gaddis
  • Patent number: 8974241
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a bracket mating surface and an opening that extends through the bracket mating surface; an electrical conductor that is positioned through the opening in the housing; a grommet that is positioned in a space defined between the electrical conductor and the opening in which the conductor is positioned to substantially prevent contaminants from entering the housing through the opening; and a bracket removably positioned on the bracket mating surface of the housing of the connector and positioned to bear on the grommet to substantially prevent displacement of the grommet with respect to the housing of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Finona, Le Huu Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8961241
    Abstract: Electrical connectors are disclosed. A component for an electrical connector includes a body portion, a pair of first metal contacts, and a second metal contact. The pair of first metal contacts are coupled to the body portion. The first metal contacts each have first ends extending in a first direction and second ends extending from the body portion in a direction opposite the first direction. The second metal contact is coupled to the body portion. The second metal contact has a first end extending in the first direction and a pair of second ends extending from the body portion in the direction opposite the first direction. Each second end of the second metal contact is aligned with a respective second end of the first metal contacts in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. The component may be configured as a plug component or as a receptacle component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Finona, Marc R. Gaddis
  • Publication number: 20140213086
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a bracket mating surface and an opening that extends through the bracket mating surface; an electrical conductor that is positioned through the opening in the housing; a grommet that is positioned in a space defined between the electrical conductor and the opening in which the conductor is positioned to substantially prevent contaminants from entering the housing through the opening; and a bracket removably positioned on the bracket mating surface of the housing of the connector and positioned to bear on the grommet to substantially prevent displacement of the grommet with respect to the housing of the connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Finona, Le Huu Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20140087595
    Abstract: Electrical connectors are disclosed. A component for an electrical connector includes a body portion, a pair of first metal contacts, and a second metal contact. The pair of first metal contacts are coupled to the body portion. The first metal contacts each have first ends extending in a first direction and second ends extending from the body portion in a direction opposite the first direction. The second metal contact is coupled to the body portion. The second metal contact has a first end extending in the first direction and a pair of second ends extending from the body portion in the direction opposite the first direction. Each second end of the second metal contact is aligned with a respective second end of the first metal contacts in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. The component may be configured as a plug component or as a receptacle component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Finona, Marc R. Gaddis
  • Publication number: 20140087593
    Abstract: Electrical connectors are disclosed. One electrical connector comprises a receptacle component and a plug component. The receptacle component includes a receptacle body portion having a pair of opposed walls defining a gap therebetween. The pair of opposed walls each having one or more openings in their respective ends. The receptacle component also includes a plurality of first metal contacts partially surrounded by the pair of opposed walls. The plug component includes a plug body portion having a projection. The projection is sized to fit within the gap between the pair of opposed walls of the receptacle component. The plug component also includes a plurality of second metal contacts extending from the plug body portion. Ends of the second metal contacts are positioned to extend into the openings in the pair of opposed walls when the projection is positioned within the gap between the pair of opposed walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, LLC
    Inventors: Michael S. Finona, Marc R. Gaddis
  • Patent number: 5575681
    Abstract: Sheet metal contacts (20, FIG. 7) of a connector are terminated to conductors (16) of a flat ribbon cable in a highly secure joint for critical applications. The flat conductors of the cable lie facewise against flat rear ends of the contacts, within a connector housing rear portion. The housing rear portion has slots (46, 50) in its upper and lower walls for receiving welding electrodes to form weld joints (96) between the contacts and cable conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 19, 1996
    Assignee: ITT Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Z. Muzslay, Michael S. Finona
  • Patent number: 5368504
    Abstract: An electrical connector is provided, whose housing is securely connected to the shields of shielded cables while conductors of the cables are connected to contacts of the connector, in a low cost arrangement. A ring (52, FIG. 3) is installed under the braided shield of the cable to provide a bulged shield portion 54 which is pressed against a conductive cable-supporting surface (76, FIG. 4) of the housing. The ring is preferably of elastomeric material, and a simple tie (100, FIG. 6) can surround the cables and a housing retainer (66) to securely hold them together, the tie lying in slots (81-83) of the retainer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: ITT Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Z. Muzslay, Michael S. Finona