Patents by Inventor Ritch Allen Selfridge

Ritch Allen Selfridge 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: 8864509
    Abstract: A rocket launcher connector assembly that comprises a first connector component coupled to a launch tube and a second connector component is coupled to a rocket. The second connector component includes an interface side configured to engage the mating interface of the first connector component. Spring members of the second component have rounded portions for engaging contact pads of the first component. A housing of the assembly has a connector holding portion for holding the first and second components. The connector holding portion defines an alignment channel that supports the first component and the alignment member is slidably received in the alignment channel in an insert direction. A tolerance member is engaged with both the alignment member and the connector holding portion of the housing, wherein as the alignment member slides in the alignment channel, the tolerance member biases the alignment member in a direction opposite the insert direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Erik Strahl, Ritch Allen Selfridge
  • Publication number: 20140242831
    Abstract: A rocket launcher connector assembly that comprises a first connector component coupled to a launch tube and a second connector component is coupled to a rocket. The second connector component includes an interface side configured to engage the mating interface of the first connector component. Spring members of the second component have rounded portions for engaging contact pads of the first component. A housing of the assembly has a connector holding portion for holding the first and second components. The connector holding portion defines an alignment channel that supports the first component and the alignment member is slidably received in the alignment channel in an insert direction. A tolerance member is engaged with both the alignment member and the connector holding portion of the housing, wherein as the alignment member slides in the alignment channel, the tolerance member biases the alignment member in a direction opposite the insert direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: AMPHENOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Erik STRAHL, Ritch Allen SELFRIDGE
  • Patent number: 6352374
    Abstract: A fiber optic connector transmits light and includes a body member and at least one strand of optical transmitting material. The body member is formed in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a first linear segment, a second linear segment and a looped segment that interconnects the first and second linear segments. The first and second linear segments extend generally parallel with one another and are disposed apart from one another at a spaced distance. The at least one strand of optical transmitting material is carried by the body member to conform to the generally U-shaped configuration and has a minimum bend radius for transmitting light. The looped segment has an inner radius curvature greater than one half of the spaced distance and is at least equal to or greater than the minimum bend radius for transmitting light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Ritch Allen Selfridge, Robert Kenneth Chapman
  • Patent number: 6264374
    Abstract: A fiber optic connector system is made up of a socket contact and a pin contact arranged to be installed in a cylindrical multiple contact connector, each contact including a fiber optic connector that has been terminated to a ribbon cable and captured between two halves of a cylindrical contact body, the socket contact being spring loaded to provide an engagement force between the two contacts when assembled into a housing. The pin and socket contacts may be installed in a wide variety of connector housings configured to receive cylindrical contacts, including the MIL-C-38999 family of connector shells, utilizing existing coupling and mounting arrangements, with the optional addition in the plug connector of a torsion spring biased shutter arranged to shield the ends of the fibers before coupling, and which is moved by a cam surface in the receptacle connector of the fiber optic connector system to uncover the ends of the fibers during coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Ritch Allen Selfridge, Robert Kenneth Chapman
  • Patent number: 6261006
    Abstract: A fiber optic cable is terminated to a ferrule in a conventional fashion, polished and completed as would ordinarily be done, but the entire assembly or at least the termination/connector portion is coated with a conformal coating such as MIL-I-46058 XY conformal coating, also known as Parylene. The conformal coating provides an effective moisture barrier without restricting the flexibility of the cable. In addition, the conformal coating protects the polished connector/terminus interface, in case of a butt joint connection, protecting it from damage prior to installation, at which time the conformal coating on the mating face can easily be peeled off because of the polished condition of the mating face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2001
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventor: Ritch Allen Selfridge
  • Patent number: 6206579
    Abstract: A fiber optic connector system is made up of a receptacle and a plug connector assembly in which a cylindrical MT fiber optic contact assembly of the type including a pair of contact halves arranged to capture the MT connector and form a cylindrical contact, is inserted from the rear into a connector body and held in place with a retention insert and retention clip that engages an undercut in the retention insert. The connector body of one of the plug and receptacle connectors is arranged to provide a passage for aligning mating MT connectors extending from the respective contacts of a mating pair of connectors, while environmental sealing is provided by sealing members such as o-rings extending between the insert and the connector body, with coupling of mating connectors being provided by a coupling nut that may optionally may include anti-vibration features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Ritch Allen Selfridge, Robert Kenneth Chapman
  • Patent number: 5980312
    Abstract: A backplane assembly for a line replaceable module enclosure or rack includes an electrical backplane and a fiber optic backplane separately attachable to a single frame. The frame serves as a common datum for the electrical and fiber optic backplanes, and includes integral mating interface features for enabling line replaceable module connectors having a common shell to mate with the separate electrical and fiber optic connector structures on the backplane. The optical backplane is a one-piece structure to which pairs of individual fiber optic connectors, including input/output connectors, may be directly secured via a simple retention plate arrangement, the fiber optic connectors all having the same orientation to enable direct routing of fiber ribbons between rows of connectors serving different line replaceable modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Kenneth Chapman, Ritch Allen Selfridge, Richard William Normann
  • Patent number: 5947753
    Abstract: A circuit board module includes a plurality of high density edge connectors in which the contacts are arranged in rows, with contact tails extending from the connectors for electrical connection to a circuit board carrying electrical components. Instead of terminating the contacts directly to pads or terminals on the principal surface of the circuit board on which the electrical components are situated, however, the contact tails are terminated to pads or terminals on pairs of intermediate circuit boards connected to the main boards, the intermediate circuit boards each providing two termination surfaces rather than one, thereby effectively doubling the space available for termination. The intermediate circuit boards are connected to the main circuit board by a rigid-flex interconnection, thus facilitating assembly of the connectors to a heatsink or frame of the circuit board following termination of the contact tails to the intermediate circuit boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1999
    Assignee: Amphenol Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Kenneth Chapman, Ritch Allen Selfridge