Patents by Inventor Randall Roberts

Randall Roberts 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: 20230369806
    Abstract: A plug connector includes a plug housing including a mating end and a cable end oriented perpendicular to the mating end. The plug connector includes a contact assembly having right angle contacts. A latch is coupled to the plug housing having a main body and a latch member extending from the main body. The latch member includes a pivot point. The plug connector includes a pull tab coupled to the main body of the latch at a connection point. The connection point is located forward of a pivot point and above a pivot point. The pull tab pulls on the main body at the connection point to pivot the latch at the pivot point to rotate the main body and the latch member in a downward actuation direction. The pull tab is pulled to release the latching tab from the mating connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Xinjie Zhang
  • Patent number: 11804667
    Abstract: A board-to-board connector assembly includes first and second connector assemblies and a connector interconnect between the first and second connector assemblies. Each connector assembly includes an outer shell and a connector received in a cavity of the outer shell. The connector has a connector body holding contacts in a card slot, which receives a circuit card edge of an add-in card. The outer shell has an outer board guide configured to engage the add-in card and guide mating of the outer shell with the add-in card. The outer shell has a latch configured to latchably engage the add-in card to secure the connector to the add-in card. The connector interposer electrically interconnects the contacts of the connector assemblies to electrically connect the add-in cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GmbH
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Michael David Herring, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Publication number: 20230318210
    Abstract: A cable connector module includes a cable card assembly including a circuit card, cables terminated to the circuit card, and a cable holder coupled to the circuit card and holding the cables relative to the circuit card. The cables include cable conductors electrically connected to corresponding cable contacts of the circuit card. The cable holder holds each of the contacts and includes a connecting tab coupled to the circuit card. The circuit card includes front and rear retaining tabs. The cable connector module includes a connector shell having a cavity that receives the cable card assembly. The connector shell includes a front retainer at the front receiving the front retaining tab to hold the front of the circuit card relative to the connector shell. The connector shell includes a rear retainer at the rear receiving the rear retaining tab to hold the rear of the circuit card relative to the connector shell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Publication number: 20230246382
    Abstract: A plug connector includes a plug housing including a mating end and a cable end perpendicular to the mating end. The contact assembly includes an array of contacts each having a mating end and a terminating end. The contacts are right-angle contacts terminated to an end of a conductor of a cable. The plug connector includes a latch coupled to the plug housing. The latch includes a main body and a latch member extending from the main body. The main body has an actuator is configured to actuate the latch. The latch member includes a securing base coupled to the plug housing to secure the latch to the plug housing. The latch member includes a latching tab configured to be latchably coupled to the mating connector to secure the plug connector to the mating connector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Publication number: 20230238728
    Abstract: A plug connector includes a plug housing including a mating end and a cable end. The cable end is oriented perpendicular to the mating end. The plug housing includes a mating chamber at the mating end and a cable chamber at the cable end. The plug connector includes a contact assembly coupled to the plug housing. The contact assembly includes an array of contacts. Each contact includes a mating end and a terminating end. Each contact is a right angle contact having the terminating end being perpendicular to the mating end. The plug connector includes cables terminated to the terminating ends of the contacts. Ends of the cables extend into the cable end of the plug housing. The cables extend from the plug housing at the cable end. The cables extend along linear cable axes from the contacts to the exterior of the plug housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews, Xinjie Zhang
  • Patent number: 11682853
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a housing having a card slot at a mating end configured to pass through a panel opening of a panel forward of the panel for receiving a circuit card. A cable end of the housing is rearward of the panel. The electrical connector assembly includes contacts held in the housing. The electrical connector assembly includes cables terminated to the contacts and extending from the housing. The electrical connector assembly includes a connector mounting bracket having a collar surrounding a window receiving the housing. The connector mounting bracket has mounting latches extending from the collar with latch fingers configured to be coupled to the panel. The connector mounting bracket includes a biasing element configured to engage the panel to bias the panel against the mounting latches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS, GMBH
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Publication number: 20230025918
    Abstract: A board-to-board connector assembly includes first and second connector assemblies and a connector interconnect between the first and second connector assemblies. Each connector assembly includes an outer shell and a connector received in a cavity of the outer shell. The connector has a connector body holding contacts in a card slot, which receives a circuit card edge of an add-in card. The outer shell has an outer board guide configured to engage the add-in card and guide mating of the outer shell with the add-in card. The outer shell has a latch configured to latchably engage the add-in card to secure the connector to the add-in card. The connector interposer electrically interconnects the contacts of the connector assemblies to electrically connect the add-in cards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Michael John Phillips, Michael David Herring, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Patent number: 11515666
    Abstract: A communication system includes a plug connector mated with a receptacle connector. The receptacle connector includes a housing holding a contact assembly. The housing includes a front housing that receives an inner housing, which receives contact holders and receptacle contacts of the contact assembly. The receptacle connector housing includes a height profile defined between top and bottom walls with a housing latch and guide pockets contained within the height profile. The plug connector includes a housing holding a cable assembly with a circuit card received in a card slot of the receptacle housing. The plug connector housing includes alignment embossments received in the guide pockets and latches coupled to the alignment embossments are latchably coupled to the receptacle connector. The latches are contained within a height profile of the plug connector housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GmbH
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Publication number: 20220360001
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a housing having a card slot at a mating end configured to pass through a panel opening of a panel forward of the panel for receiving a circuit card. A cable end of the housing is rearward of the panel. The electrical connector assembly includes contacts held in the housing. The electrical connector assembly includes cables terminated to the contacts and extending from the housing. The electrical connector assembly includes a connector mounting bracket having a collar surrounding a window receiving the housing. The connector mounting bracket has mounting latches extending from the collar with latch fingers configured to be coupled to the panel. The connector mounting bracket includes a biasing element configured to engage the panel to bias the panel against the mounting latches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Publication number: 20220336976
    Abstract: A receptacle coupler includes a coupler contact assembly having upper and lower contacts each having a front mating beam configured to mate with a front module circuit board and a rear mating beam configured to mate with a rear module circuit board with an intermediate portion therebetween. The coupler contact assembly includes a contact holder holding the upper and lower contacts. The receptacle coupler includes a coupler housing having a contact chamber receiving the coupler contact assembly and front and rear receptacles configured to receive the module circuit boards. The coupler housing holds the coupler contact assembly with the front mating beams in the front receptacle for mating with the front module circuit board and the rear mating beams in the rear receptacle for mating with the rear module circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Patent number: 11450979
    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: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONSS GmbH
    Inventors: Michael John Phillips, Randall Robert Henry
  • Patent number: 11398694
    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: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GmbH
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Linda Ellen Shields, Michael John Phillips, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • Publication number: 20220190513
    Abstract: A communication system includes a plug connector mated with a receptacle connector. The receptacle connector includes a housing holding a contact assembly. The housing includes a front housing that receives an inner housing, which receives contact holders and receptacle contacts of the contact assembly. The receptacle connector housing includes a height profile defined between top and bottom walls with a housing latch and guide pockets contained within the height profile. The plug connector includes a housing holding a cable assembly with a circuit card received in a card slot of the receptacle housing. The plug connector housing includes alignment embossments received in the guide pockets and latches coupled to the alignment embossments are latchably coupled to the receptacle connector. The latches are contained within a height profile of the plug connector housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Randall Robert Henry, Brandon Michael Matthews
  • 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: 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