Patents by Inventor Timothy B. Billman

Timothy B. Billman 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: 5082459
    Abstract: A dual readout SIMM socket (10) has been disclosed. The socket (10) includes a housing (12) having panel receiving slots (14), terminal slots (16) transverse and open to panel slots (16) and terminals (13) positioned in the terminal slots (16). The terminals (13) include an S-shaped spring section extending outwardly from one edge (50) of a base section (44) with a depending arm (68) extending into the panel slot (16) for electrical engagement with traces on a circuit panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Roger L. Thrush
  • Patent number: 4990097
    Abstract: A socket suitable for use with single in-line memory modules comprises a plurality of terminals positioned within a insulative housing for engaging a module circuit panel inserted into the housing. Extraction members are provided for pivoting the individual circuit panels out of engagement with the socket terminals and out of the slot into which the circuit panel can be inserted. The extraction members are insertable into upright support members on the ends of the housing and are shiftable in a straight line motion between the first and second position. A projection at the lower edge of the extraction member extends below the circuit panel and a handle at the upper end of the extraction member is accessible on the end of the socket housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: February 5, 1991
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Roger L. Thrush
  • Patent number: 4978307
    Abstract: An electrical socket for substrates and particularly ceramic substrates. More particularly, the socket includes a U-shaped receptacle and a mounting section for attaching the receptacle to the substrate. The mounting section is attached to one leg of the receptacle and includes a solder foot for being soldered to a circuit pad on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Attalee S. Taylor
  • Patent number: 4978822
    Abstract: A printed circuit board mountable switch includes a insulative body having a plurality of leads extending out of the body, the leads being formed into two parallel and opposed rows with fixed ends of the leads being spaced apart and facing each other on the floor of the body. A slide switch element includes a bow shaped element having first and second contact elements adjacent to respective first and second fixed ends of the leads. The switch element is moveable between a first position where the switch element bridges between the associated first and second lead fixed ends, to a position where the second contact portion only, is in contact with the second fixed end of the lead. A cover is inserted over the housing which encloses the assembly. The cover includes a lip which extends downwardly into a peripheral channel of the housing. The cover and housing are ultrasonically welded together and the tip of the cover melts and flows within the channel but is prevented from flowing into the switch housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Roger L. Thrush
  • Patent number: 4973270
    Abstract: A single in-line memory module socket employing edge stamped contacts positioned within an insulative housing is disclosed. Each terminal has opposed beams with a loop section intermediate the ends of upwardly extending portions of those beams. Inwardly inclined arms extend downwardly from the top of the opposed beams and the contacts are configured so that majority of the deflection of the beams occurs in these inwardly inclined arms. A central post extends upwardly from the base of the terminals and engages housing ribs located within a central spine located along the bottom of a panel receiving slot in the insulative housing. Cavities intersect the slots receiving the circuit panels and the terminals can be inserted into the respective cavities from the bottom, with the posts extending upwardly from the base securing the terminals by engagement with the central spine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 27, 1990
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Roger L. Thrush
  • Patent number: 4950847
    Abstract: A printed circuit board slide switch in which switch actuation occurs by movement of a slide actuator perpendicular to the printed circuit board on which the switch is mounted is disclosed. Terminals having leads in a zig-zag configuration are inserted molded into an insulative body which has a plurality of individual compartments in which side-by-side contact portions of adjacent terminals comprising switched terminal pairs are located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 21, 1990
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Roger L. Thrush
  • Patent number: 4946403
    Abstract: A socket suitable for electrically connecting circuit panels such as single inline memory modules (SIMM) employs a plurality of contacts positioned within cavities in an insulative housing. This socket permits zero force or low force insertion of circuit panels into the socket and is of the type in which the circuit panel is rotated from a first position to a second position where deflection is imparted to the two contact springs. The contact terminals used with this socket are insertable into an insulative housing through the rear of the housing. A cantilever spring extending from the rear of the contact terminal is located on one side of a panel receiving slot and a curved spring is located on the other side of the panel receiving slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 7, 1990
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Robert G. McHugh, Roger L. Thrush
  • Patent number: 4919623
    Abstract: A burn-in socket adapted for use with plastic quad flat pack packages having gullwing leads is disclosed. The socket comprises an insulative housing base and a reciprocal cap frame located on top of the insulative housing. A plurality of resilient contact terminals are positioned along the sides of the insulative housing around the periphery of a cavity for receiving the PQFP package. Each contact terminal is inwardly deflectable upon movement of the cap so that gullwing leads of the PQFP package will be received between the contact terminal and an inwardly facing ledge. The socket is suitable for use with automatic loading equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 24, 1990
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Joseph R. Goodman
  • Patent number: 4886470
    Abstract: An integrated circuit package socket includes an insulating housing having a plurality of side by side terminals profiled for receipt of a square package with leads extending therefrom. The socket also includes a camming member disposed above the housing which has a camming surface which contacts a portion of each of the terminals to move the terminals into and out of electrical engagement with the leads of the package. The camming member multiplies the force applied directly to the camming member to cause the desired rotation. Relaxation of the camming member causes a reverse rotation of the contacts into electrical engagement with the package leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1988
    Date of Patent: December 12, 1989
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Joseph R. Goodman
  • Patent number: 4824392
    Abstract: Four embodiments of a burn-in socket for gull wing configured semiconductor packages are disclosed where each of the embodiments includes latching means which a mechanical advantage assisting in the installation of the carrier and package. Two of the embodiments include four centered posts which include helical ramparts which contact directly on the upper surface of the carrier. A third embodiment is disclosed which includes a lid which rotates over the upper face of the carrier, where the cover includes a post having a helical rampart where the helical rampart contacts a shoulder of the socket which lowers the cover. The fourth embodiment discloses two overlapping doors where the outer door contacts the inner door thereby closing the inner door moving the carrier downward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Joseph R. Goodman
  • Patent number: 4790779
    Abstract: A burn-in socket for a zig-zag inline package includes an insulative housing carrying a plurality of electrical terminals which include convexly formed sections defining contact portions. The apices of the convexly formed sections are laterally offset to increase the amount of deflection obtainable from any given thickness of package lead. The convexly formed sections are axially offset to stagger the insertion force and the terminals are designed to plastically deform under certain conditions to limit the normal force between the contacts and the package leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Joseph R. Goodman
  • Patent number: 4756694
    Abstract: A connector housing included multiple rows of contacts with the housing molded to provide an orientation to receive printed circuit board modules inserted therein at an angle of substantially less than 90 degrees relative to a common printed circuit board module mounting board. The rows of the housings have at each end board guide and support slots containing latches integrally therewith and a central structural web connecting said rows and guide ends, the such web providing structural support of said rows and at the same time, serving as a path of flow during the connector molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Roger L. Thrush, Donald J. Zutaut
  • Patent number: 4726777
    Abstract: A connector for interconnecting a zig-zag inline package to a printed circuit board has a plurality of contacts in two parallel and offset rows. The contacts and housing are dimensionally controlled to be preloaded only when installed in the housing cavity, providing predictable preload and resultant insertion force. The connector also includes a decoupling capacitor, integral with the contacts which contact the power and ground lead of the integrated circuit packages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Joseph R. Goodman, Gary R. Marpoe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4726776
    Abstract: A connector for interconnecting a zig-zag inline package to a printed circuit board has a plurality of contacts in two parallel and offset rows. The contacts are dimensionally controlled to be preloaded only when installed in the housing cavity, providing predictable preload and resultant insertion force. The connector also includes a decoupling capacitor, integral with the contacts which contact the power and ground lead of the integrated circuit package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Joseph R. Goodman, Gary R. Marpoe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4718855
    Abstract: Sockets specifically adapted for burn-in testing of small outline integrated circuit components are disclosed. The multicontact sockets have terminals located in cavities oriented to receive the small outline integrated circuit leads. The terminals are located between adjacent leads and are positioned to resiliently engage the interstitial edges of the package leads, thus imparting minimal stress normal to the plane of the leads. Both surface mount and through-hole sockets are disclosed and the terminals as depicted can have a bowed leaf spring configuration or a preloaded flat terminal, arcuately deformed for retention within the housing cavities. Thus the small outline integrated circuit components can be routinely inserted into the sockets for test purposes. The sockets can also be used in a conventional manner to socket integrated circuit components such as SOICs on a printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, James R. Coller, Gary R. Marpoe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4560218
    Abstract: Socket for a surface mount DIP comprises a housing having two rows of elongate contacts in respective apertures extending between package receiving face and opposed mounting face. Apertures intersect channels in sidewalls of nest in package receiving face forming channels which receive feet extending laterally of package. Contacts are formed with leaf springs which engage feet in channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1985
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, James R. Coller, Gary R. Marpoe, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4552425
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrical connector capable of transmitting power in high current applications. The connector includes a pivotally mounted spring member which exerts a high spring force against a mating tab terminal or the tab portion of a like connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1985
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventor: Timothy B. Billman
  • Patent number: 4477138
    Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates to a biasing means provided in one end of a card-receiving slot of a card edge connector. The biasing means includes a spring loaded wedge slidably positioned in a sloping passage at one end of the slot. The wedge includes a vertical surface which engages a side of the card as the card is inserted in the slot. The wedge moving down the sloping passage increases the slot length to accommodate the card width without exerting significant longitudinal force against the end walls of the connector. Further, the wedge cannot be moved up the passage by an uneven force being exerted on the card; accordingly, the card can only be removed from the slot in a straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 16, 1984
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Howard W. Andrews, Jr., Timothy B. Billman, Robert F. Cobaugh
  • Patent number: 4392300
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an applicator tool capable of picking up loose miniature spring sockets and inserting them into holes in a printed circuit board. More particularly, the tool has dual air lines, one being connected to a compressed air supply and the other being connected to a vacuum. With the sockets laying on the work surface, vacuum pulls a socket into the tool nozzle. The tool is then placed into alignment with a hole and the trigger squeezed to activate the air supply to drive a ram which drives the socket out of the tool and into the hole in the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1983
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Timothy B. Billman, Jon F. Kautz
  • Patent number: 4392705
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a connector system for electrically connecting a circuit card to a circuit board. More particularly the connector system includes an upper card-carrying member mated into a lower board mounted member without requiring insertion forces. Cam means on the lower member move the upper member laterally to electrically engage the contact elements positioned in both members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1981
    Date of Patent: July 12, 1983
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Howard W. Andrews, Jr., Timothy B. Billman, Robert F. Cobaugh