Direct Grounding Of Coupling Part Member Passing Into Aperture Patents (Class 439/101)
  • Patent number: 6120306
    Abstract: A connector for mounting to a circuit substrate comprising a housing and a connector pair supported by the housing. The connector pair includes a header connector having an electrically conductive connector housing, an opening in which an insulator element having a pin opening is disposed, a signal pin extending through the pin opening in the insulator element and through the connector housing and separated from the connector housing by the insulator element, and a raised cylindrical ground surface surrounding the insulator element the signal pin; and a socket connector, having a signal receptacle contact, a ground receptacle contact, and a dielectric separating element separating the signal contact and the ground contact from one another, so that, in mated condition, the signal contact mechanically connects and electrically contacts with the signal pin, and the ground contact mechanically connects and electrically contacts with the raised cylindrical ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Berg Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert F. Evans
  • Patent number: 6120305
    Abstract: A electric contact with elastic return comprising a contact head (2) that is fixed to the end (1') of an electric cable (1) or similar and is acted upon by the end of an elastic strip (3), the other end of which called the attachment end being fixed in the housing (6) of a device to be equipped. The contact according to the invention is remarkable particularly in that an area (1") of the cable (1) called the anchorage area, is fixed to the said device housing (6) close to the strip attachment end, and in that the cable (1) is in the shape of a hook (1'") between its anchorage area (1") and its end (1') fitted with the contact head (2), delimiting a free space in its concave curved part, whereas the contact head (2) has a contact surface (2c) placed perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the cable end (1') and is free to move elastically approximately coaxial with the said axis, the strip (3) being formed in the said free space also being acted upon by a spring (11) fixed to the device housing (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Societe d'Exploitation des Procedes Marechal (SEPM)
    Inventor: Joseph Crestin
  • Patent number: 6116925
    Abstract: An electrical card connector comprises top and bottom headers stacked together, four rows of contacts extending through the top and bottom headers, and top and bottom grounding plates respectively attached to the top and bottom headers. The top grounding plate includes a first body adapted for connecting with an electrical card, a first grounding portion, and a connecting portion formed between the first body and the first grounding portion. The bottom grounding plate is connected with the first grounding portion of the top grounding plate. The bottom grounding plate includes a second body adapted for connecting with an electrical card and a second grounding portion extending from the second body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shun-Chi Tung
  • Patent number: 6115257
    Abstract: A PCMCIA card structure includes a front connector, a frame, a substrate, and a sheet metal cover having a top cover panel. A ground plate having rearwardly extending ground contacts is carried on the upper surface of the connector. The frame includes an insulative cross beam disposed adjacent to the rear of the connector, the cross beam serving to support the top cover panel of the card, to prevent the top cover panel from contacting the connector ground plate or the contacts extending from the ground plate, and, along with portions of the ground plate, to close off the space between the connector and the front edge of the top cover panel. The ground plate has a transverse length shorter than that of the connector, thereby defining end shoulder surfaces along the upper surface of the connector. The top cover panel includes a pair of laterally spaced, forwardly extending tabs, each tab overlying an end shoulder surface on the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Xircom, Inc.
    Inventor: Ian A. Laity
  • Patent number: 6099328
    Abstract: An electrical edge connector and a terminal therefore for connecting a first electrical circuit board to a second electrical circuit board, the first electrical circuit board having an insertion edge and two sides, the connector comprising an elongated dielectric housing having therein a longitudinal slot for receiving the insertion edge of the first electrical circuit board and a plurality of transverse terminal receiving cavities adjoining the slot on each side of the slot, and a plurality of signal terminals disposed within some of the terminal retention cavities on each side of the slot and a plurality of ground terminals disposed within others of the terminal retention cavities on each side of the slot, the signal and ground terminals each having a base portion, a retention portion extending from the base portion and retaining the terminal in one of the retention cavities, a tail portion extending from the base portion for electrically connecting the terminal to the second electrical circuit, and a sprin
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2000
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard A. Nelson, David L. Brunker
  • Patent number: 6095830
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved card connector comprising a shell assembly and a pin connector assembly. The pin connector assembly includes an insulating housing mounting upper and lower rows of signal terminals and an upper and lower grounding terminal. The signal terminals include connection pins arranged in upper and lower rows and solder tails for connecting to an underlying printed circuit board. The upper grounding terminal includes a downwardly extending rear wall having window apertures formed therein. The upper rows of signal pins pass through the window apertures without contacting the grounding terminal and terminate at the solder tails. The upper and lower grounding terminals are electrically coupled, and a single row of DIP-type solder tails extending from the lower grounding terminals can be soldered to selected conductors on a printed circuit board to couple both of the grounding terminals to a ground circuit of the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hirata, Soichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6095863
    Abstract: An electrical card connector includes a header having a top surface forming a number of insertion slots and protrusions. A grounding shield is attached to the top surface of the header along a given direction, the grounding shield having an attaching portion defining a number of cutouts facing toward the given direction and a plurality of fixing slots therein, the cutout engaging with the protrusions of the header to restrict the shield from moving toward the given direction. A fastener has a pair of inserting portions, each inserting portion forming a flat edge at a side thereof facing the given direction and a tined edge opposite the flat edge for extending through the fixing slot of the shield into the insertion slot of the header to restrict the shield from moving toward a direction opposite to the given direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shun-Chi Tung
  • Patent number: 6074223
    Abstract: An electrical connector comprises a housing having front and rear faces. A plurality of terminal cells is defined between the front and rear faces and each assembled a terminal therein. Each terminal includes a base portion retained within the terminal passageway and a tail portion extends beyond the rear face. At least a recess is defined in an upper face of the housing in communication with one of the terminal cell. At least an EMI shield assembled to the housing includes a grounding tab extending into the corresponding terminal cell through the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Wayne Huang
  • Patent number: 6074225
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes an insulative housing having a shielding shell made of a conductive material fitted thereto. The housing has two groups of pins separated by a central slot defined therebetween with a conductive plate received therein. The conductive plate is in electrical connection with the shielding shell. The conductive plate has two resilient fingers formed on a front edge thereof and thus engageable with a counterpart conductive plate of a mating connector. The resiliency of the fingers provides a positive engagement between the two conductive plates thereby establishing a sound electrical connection therebetween. This allows electrostatic charges on the conductive plates to be effectively removed through the shielding shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kun-Tsan Wu, Jen-Jou Chang, Chin-Yi Lai
  • Patent number: 6048214
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved card connector comprising a shell assembly and a pin connector assembly. The pin connector assembly includes an insulating housing having a plurality of signal terminals and grounding terminals mounted therein. Connection pins of the signal terminals are arranged in upper and lower rows in the insulating housing. The grounding terminals are arranged parallel to the connection pins at upper and lower levels. The upper and lower grounding terminals are electrically coupled by way of coupling contacts, and a single row of DIP-type solder tails extending from the lower grounding terminals can be soldered to selected conductors on a printed circuit board to couple both grounding terminals to the ground circuit of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Hideyuki Hirata, Soichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6042397
    Abstract: An extension (40) of a ground plate (6) is bent in the area where it overlaps with sections (22a) of termination sections (22) of electrical contacts (20) bent in a crank-like configuration, thereby forming a space sufficient for the placement of an intermediary connector (80) between a mother board (50) and a board-mounted connector (1). Since openings (46) are located in the extension (40), it does not engage with the bent sections (22a) of the electrical contacts (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Toshitaka Kusuhara
  • Patent number: 6042398
    Abstract: An electrical connector including a pair of grounding plate on two opposite sides thereof and a pair of brackets on two opposite ends thereof. The grounding plates each have a number of hooks on one end thereof in contact with corresponding grounding contacts and have a number of engaging fingers on an opposite end thereof. The grounding plates are further in contact with the brackets which are grounded to a circuit board on which the electrical connector is mounted. A connector assembly is also disclosed in which the grounding plates on one connector positively contact the grounding plates on the other connector to ensure a proper contacting engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2000
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ming-Chuan Wu, Kevin Chou
  • Patent number: 6039583
    Abstract: An electrical connector 10 having a configurable ground plane 60 is provided. The connector 10 features an insulative housing 20 having an upright section 30 and a board receiving section 28. The board receiving section has open top and bottom outer surfaces 29, 27 for allowing insertion of contacts 50, 52 into contact receiving passages 34, 32. The ground plane 60 is disposed over the top set of contacts 50 and is profiled to engage selected ones of the contacts 50 in the upright section of the passages 34. The ground plane 60 is configurable in that it can be easily adapted to achieve various signal to ground contact ratios by locating contacts 92, 94 at selected positions on fingers 88 which extend into the upright section of the passages 34.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Iosif Korsunsky, Dimitry Grabbe, Alex Hasircoglu, Richard Schroepfer, Daniel Robert Ringler
  • Patent number: 6030231
    Abstract: A coaxial connector for mounting on a circuit board that includes an elongated bar-like center connector whose first end is formed to receive a center connector in a counterpart coaxial connector, and whose second end is provided with an attachment pin to connect the center connector to a conductor tab on the circuit board surface, whereby the attachment pin will be positioned substantially parallel to the conductor tab, and a pipe-like connector whose first end is formed to surround the center connector in order to receive a pipe-like connector in the counterpart coaxial connector, and whose second end is provided with a grounding pin for connecting the pipe-like connector to a grounding tab on the circuit board surface. In this context, a "bar-like center connector" refers to a straight, elongated connector which may be hollow or solid depending on whether the coaxial connector is male or female.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Nokia Telecommunications Oy
    Inventor: Mauno Sarkiniemi
  • Patent number: 6027349
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a metal casing, a plurality of axially extended grounding terminals and a plurality of axially extended signal terminals embedded in the metal casing, wherein a metal spring plate is fastened to the grounding terminals, enabling the grounding terminals to be connected to the ground by an electric lead wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Hung Yueh Chang
    Inventor: Bao Shu Chang
  • Patent number: 6024587
    Abstract: A high speed circuit interconnection apparatus involves an electrical connection assembly between a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) and a connector for receiving the PCB. The PCB has a plurality of logic signal lines and a plurality of power and ground lines, each of the logic signal lines terminating in a contact tab, the PCB having a contacting edge with power and ground conductors affixed thereto, electrically connected to the power and ground lines. The logic and power and ground lines are positioned to provide a desired transmission line impedance. The connector has a plurality of logic contactors, each firmly contacted by a corresponding contact tab when the PCB is inserted, closing a secondary contact. The secondary contact is made at a point on the logic contactor to minimize the length of each logic signal path made up of the corresponding contact tab and the corresponding contactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Inventor: Emory C. Garth
  • Patent number: 6012932
    Abstract: A cable connector with a grounding contact having a bipartite connector housing formed of two mutually closable parts having therein a strip member formed of plastic material and provided with plug-in contacts, and a grounding plate having at one side thereof a terminal element for cable shielding, and on another side thereof a plurality of contact lugs extending at an angle away from the grounding plate, includes insulation-piercing connecting devices formed on the plug-in contacts of the strip member in a line terminal region thereof, the insulation-piercing connecting devices being accessible from an outer side of the strip member, the contact lugs being formed and arranged in the vicinity of the insulation-piercing connecting devices so that they can make contact with the respective insulation-piercing connecting devices assigned thereto, when the two parts of the connector housing are closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Johan Vanbesien
  • Patent number: 6007364
    Abstract: A guide post assembly comprises a body member and a retaining member attached to the body member. The body has a coupling portion for engaging with a first connector and a cylindrical guiding portion for engaging with a second connector. The retaining member is stamped and rolled from a thin sheet of metal material to form a spring ferrule and a resilient expanded portion extending from the ferrule. The expanded portion forms a bulge projecting outwardly from a middle position thereof which resiliently abuts against an inner wall of a housing of the second connector to retain the guiding portion of the body member in the second connector. Thus, the first and second connectors are securely connected by the guide post assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kun-Tsan Wu
  • Patent number: 5984698
    Abstract: An improved electrical connector assembly for mounting to a printed circuit board (6) and for receiving a PC card. The electrical connector assembly includes a housing (3) having signal terminals (1) and ground terminals (2), wherein the tail portions (11) of the signal terminals are of surface mount type and the tail portions (21) of the ground terminals are of through-hole type. The tail portions of the ground terminals extend in at least one row toward the circuit board between the tail portions of the signal terminals and the rear end of the housing. In this configuration, the signal terminal tail portions and the ground terminal tail portions can be simultaneously soldered and all of the solder joints can be inspected without obstruction, the surface mount solder joints inspected from an upper surface (7) of the circuit board and the through-hole solder joints can be inspected from a lower surface (8) of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: Hideyuki Hirata
  • Patent number: 5953217
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for securing a printed circuit board to a chassis and electrically coupling the printed circuit board to a reference voltage, such as ground. This is accomplished without using screws, and without requiring contacts to be soldered to the printed circuit board. This embodiment includes a chassis, including conductive material at the reference voltage. A mount extends from the chassis and includes a fastener for fastening to the printed circuit board. This embodiment also includes a contact surface on the printed circuit board, for electrically coupling the printed circuit board to the chassis. Additionally, this embodiment includes a contacting element, including an electrically conductive material, which exerts a restoring force when deformed. This contacting element can be located so that it is compressed between the contact surface and the chassis when the printed circuit board is fastened to the mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Micron Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Dean A. Klein, Michael V. Leman
  • Patent number: 5944540
    Abstract: An operation assuring structure of an electronic circuit board in a connector for the electronic circuit board including an insert plate portion disposed on an end portion of an electronic circuit board and adapted to be inserted into a receiving port of a connector, a plurality of signal electronic pads arranged on a surface of the insert plate portion, and a plurality of signal contacts disposed within the receiving port of the connector and adapted to be contacted to the signal electrode pads, wherein a cut-off grounding contact, which is not conductive to the electronic circuit board, is interposed between the signal contacts within the receiving port, and the cut-off grounding contact has a length dimension enough to extend in parallel to the signal contacts and to interpose a distal end thereof between the signal electrode pads on the insert plate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Yamaichi Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Asada, Hideo Taguchi, Isao Baba, Toshiyasu Ito
  • Patent number: 5924877
    Abstract: A grounding connector for use in a rack for receiving at least one module, the module rack having a power outlet associated therewith, the power outlet having a ground receptacle and power receptacles, a connector to allow a module insertable into the rack to be grounded via the power outlet and methods of operation and manufacture therefor. The connector includes: (1) a bracket coupled to a chassis of the module and (2) a ground pin coupled to the bracket and projecting from the chassis to engage and make an electrical connection within the ground receptacle, the connector remaining disengaged and electrically disconnected from the power receptacles thereby to prevent electrical power from being transmitted from within the power outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1999
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent M. Byrne, Roosevelt O. Carr, James C. Moran, Stephen P. Wurmlinger
  • Patent number: 5922059
    Abstract: A connector for a circuit board has a pins that are compatible with a standard ISA connector. The connector includes at least 38 pins connected to a ground potential, at least 23 pins connected to a VCC potential, and a plurality of bus select pins, through which the circuit board can select a particular bus. Over the selected bus, communications are transmitted to and from the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: CSS Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Zong Lin, Chao-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 5920456
    Abstract: A bonding screw is pre-assembled in a distribution panel in a non-bonding position that does not bond a neutral bar within the panel enclosure to the enclosure wall. This allows an installer of the panel to select between the option of maintaining the bonding screw in the pre-assembled non-bonding position and the option of positioning the bonding screw from non-bonding position to a bonding position. A basepan is disposed within the enclosure between the neutral bar and the enclosure's back wall. The non-bonding position is defined by the screw shank thread having a threaded engagement with a through-hole in a basepan, the head of the bonding screw being spaced from the neutral bar, and the shank of the bonding screw being spaced from the enclosure's back wall. The bonding position is defined by the head of the electrically conductive part being disposed against the neutral bar and the shank being threaded into an extruded hole in the enclosure's back wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Bozzone, William E. Rose
  • Patent number: 5896275
    Abstract: A grounding member for installation between a surface acoustic wave filter package and a circuit board to which the filter package is mounted. The grounding member is formed from electrically conductive sheet stock material as a leaf spring which is deformed to maintain effective contact between the outer case of the filter package and a ground plane on the circuit board. In addition to providing an effective ground connection between the filter package and the ground plane, the grounding member also functions as an electromagnetic shield for radiating signals between the input signal post and the output signal post of the filter package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Gaeta, Walter J. Picot
  • Patent number: 5895278
    Abstract: The electrical connector assembly includes a female connector portion which is mountable to a first printed circuit board, such as a motherboard, and a male connector portion which is mechanically and electrically connected to a second printed circuit board, such as a daughterboard. The female connector portion includes a plurality of signal contacts arranged in two rows having a ground terminal, or conductive elastomer, positioned between the rows of signal contacts. The male connector portion preferably includes a flexible circuit having a solid groundplane separated by an dielectric insulator from an electrical trace thereon. The distance separating the groundplane from the trace and the width of the trace controls a characteristic impedance of the flexible circuit for matching to specific circuit requirements of the daughterboard and motherboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Assignee: Thomas & Betts Corporation
    Inventor: David T. Humphrey
  • Patent number: 5890917
    Abstract: A metal panel (4) is provided to cover the entire PC card (P). The ground plate (10) has an attaching portion and outer and inner terminals (11) and (12) extending rearwardly from the attaching portion. The attaching portion is attached to the attaching means of the housing (6). The outer and inner terminals (11) and (12) contact the inner face of the panel (4) and the ground circuit (3B) of an inner board (3), respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1999
    Assignee: Hirose Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Ishida, Shoichi Tomioka
  • Patent number: 5885093
    Abstract: A connector assembly comprises a first connector (1) and a second connector (2) adapted to be mated with the first connector. The first connector (1) comprises a first housing (3) having a bottom (4) and two longitudinal walls (5, 6) determining a receiving space (8), a row of male signal contacts (9) projecting from the bottom upwardly into the receiving space and a row of male ground contacts (10), wherein as seen in row direction a male ground contact is located at both sides of a corresponding male signal contact. The second connector (2) comprises a second housing (11) which can be substantially completely received within the receiving space, and a row of female signal contacts (12) adapted to be connected with the male signal contacts when the connectors are mated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Framatome Connectors International
    Inventors: Patrick Champion, Danny Morlion, Werner Panis, Jacky Thenaisie, Jan Peter Karel Van Koetsem, Luc Jonckheere
  • Patent number: 5829992
    Abstract: A device and method for grounding/bonding a cable television connector. A planar block of conductive material having various configurations connects the connector parallel to a ground/bond wire. The block has a set of two to four throughbores in it. The first throughbore receives the cable television connector, the second throughbore receives a ground/bond wire or a ground/bond bolt, the third throughbore receives a set screw for the ground/bond wire, and the fourth throughbore if required receives a set screw for the cable television connector. The block can have a plurality of the three throughbore sets for grounding/bonding a plurality of cable television connectors. The cable television connectors generally have threads that mate with the threads of the first throughbore. One embodiment integrates the block and the cable television connector resulting in only two throughbores for a set screw to secure a ground/bond wire which is perpendicular to the axis of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 3, 1998
    Inventors: Joseph J. Merker, Doug E. Eck
  • Patent number: 5797757
    Abstract: A PCB multi-pole connector including a connector body, a plurality of terminals mounted in the connector body, the terminals having first end portions for mating with terminals of a mating connector and second end portions for connecting with circuit patterns formed on printed circuit boards, and a bus bar card accommodating a bus bar, the bus bar card including upper and lower cases having cut portions, the bus bar including a terminal portion and a connecting portion having a cut portion, in which the bus bar card is detachably mounted in the connector body to juxtapose the terminal portion with the first end portions of the terminals, the connecting portion of the bus bar is electrically connected to at least one of the circuit patterns of the printed circuit boards with an auxiliary member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihito Aoki
  • Patent number: 5788521
    Abstract: A modular surge protection system is provided having interchangeable power supply and surge protection modules connectable to a power distribution module the power distribution module provides surge protection for the power supply modules while independent surge protection is provided in the surge protection modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Inventor: Henry Milan
  • Patent number: 5772465
    Abstract: A connector includes a body having an interior space for receiving de-twisted wires of a cable therein. The body has a plurality of channels for the insertion of the wires. The channels have openings formed on a front end face of the body so as to allow a portion of the wires to expose outside the front end face of the body to be pulled by an operator's hand to the desired position. The body also has a plurality of slots each receiving a metal contact therein. The metal contacts have piercing ends to penetrate into the wires for holding them in position. The exposed portions of wires are then cut off after being held by the metal contacts and a retainer for retaining the connector to a counterpart connector is removably attached to the body. The body has an open bottom defined by two opposite side walls, each having a reduced height defined by an arc connecting segment so as to allow the operator's finger to insert therein for temporarily holding the wires in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Inventors: Wayne Hwang, Richard Hai-Tau Hwang
  • Patent number: 5741144
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrical connector in which the conductive and dielectric elements are arranged in a composite I-beam shaped geometry in which the conductive element is perpendicularly interposed between two parallel dielectric and ground plane elements. Low cross talk and controlled impedance are found to result from the use of this geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Berg Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Elco, David F. Fusselman
  • Patent number: 5664952
    Abstract: A multichannel transmission line connector assembly consists of a plug detachably connected to a receptacle. The plug has multiple sockets and the receptacle has multiple pins for electrical connection to associated sockets. The pin and socket coupling units are used to carry power, control, and data signals. The connector assembly also includes a conductive ground signal plate which is dedicated to carrying the ground signal. The plate extends along, and preferably encompasses, the pin and socket units. In this manner, the conductive ground signal plate serves a dual function of carrying the ground signal and operating as a protective sheath to prevent undesired signal interference. The connector assembly is well suited for transmission lines carrying high frequency signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Assignee: University of Washington
    Inventors: Paul M. Mockett, David Forbush
  • Patent number: 5662483
    Abstract: An electrical coupling configured to prevent voltage surges during coupling and uncoupling. A plurality of ground terminals and a plurality of signal terminals are arrayed to open onto an exterior mating surface of an electrical coupling such as a D-sub type electrical connector, with the distal ends of the ground terminals protruding outwardly farther from their corresponding pinholes towards the exterior mating surface than the distal ends of the signal terminals. These configurations prevent the input and output controlling circuit stages from being disabled by the occurrence of noise superimposed upon the power lines or momentary surges of voltage generated while the system is temporarily ungrounded during coupling, with an assurrance that during coupling, the ground terminals establish electrically conducting paths before the signal terminals. These configurations are suitable for printer cables, repeater cables and connector cables of other devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 2, 1997
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-un Park, Noh-byung Park, Ju-seo Park
  • Patent number: 5632634
    Abstract: An electrical connector is shown which is useable with coaxial or twinaxial shielded cables where an inner housing module has a pair of electrical terminals positioned therein for electrical connection with a signal conductor of the coaxial or twinaxial cable. The housing is insertable within a shield member to form a shielded subassembly. A grounding spring clip is positioned intermediate the two shielded sub assemblies, thereby commoning the adjacent shields, and at the same time provides contact portions for receiving pins of a mating pin field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Lucas Soes
  • Patent number: 5613860
    Abstract: A universal grounding clip is provided for a card-receiving connector which is mounted on a printed circuit board. The connector includes a generally U-shaped housing having guide arms adapted to guide the outside edges of a PC card into mating engagement with the connector. The PC card includes grounding contacts along the outside edges of the card. The universal grounding clip is mounted on each guide arm and includes a contact portion on an inside surface of the respective guide arm for engaging the corresponding grounding contact at the edge of the PC card during insertion of the card and discharging static electricity from the card prior to complete mating of the card and connector. A grounding pad on the grounding clip is provided along a bottom surface of the respective arm and is adapted to be electrically coupled to a ground circuit on the printed circuit board. A grounding pad is also provided along a top surface of the arm for engaging a bottom ground portion of a top stacked connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Emanuel G. Banakis, Frank A. Harwath, Richard A. Hays, Kenneth F. Janota, Harold K. Lang
  • Patent number: 5611700
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical connector assembly comprising a plug connector and a socket connector mating therewith, which plug connector is provided with at least two rows of terminal connections and which socket connector is provided with at least two rows of terminal connections. The plug connector is provided with at least one electrically conducting first type of shielding member arranged between the rows of terminal connections, and the socket connector is provided with at least one conducting second type of shielding member arranged between the rows of terminal connections. The first shielding member and the second shielding member make electrically conducting contact with one another when the plug connector and the socket connector have been pushed into one another, wherein the first type of shielding member in the plug connector and the second type of shielding member in the socket connector slide along each other in one plane to make electrical contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1997
    Assignee: Berg Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Niranjan K. Mitra
  • Patent number: 5608611
    Abstract: An electronic module includes a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) which contains a plurality of circuit elements. The electronic module is electrically connected to other electrical components in a vehicle by a connector. The PCB is contained within an electrically conductive housing which includes a box and a cover. A ground trace printed on the PCB extends to a mounting hole in the PCB and provides a ground path for the circuit elements. An electrically conductive metal ferrule which elevates the PCB above the box and the cover above the PCB, extends through the mounting hole in the PCB and contacts the cover and box when the cover is fitted onto the box. A mounting bolt extends through the cover inside the ferrule through the box and into a nut mounted into a metal portion of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 4, 1997
    Assignee: United Technologies Automotive, Inc./Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Robert G. Szudarek, Yew T. Yeow, Arnold D. Nielsen, Roger Cook
  • Patent number: 5582519
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (2) comprises blade connector (4) and a receptacle connector (6) mating with the blade connector. The blade connector (4) comprises an insulating housing (8) containing power or signal blade contacts having contact blades (70) and a ground blade contact having a contact blade (42). A tab (64) projects in the mating direction from the forward edge (66) of the ground contact blade (42). The receptacle connector (6) has an insulating housing (72) with receptacle contacts (96) disposed in respective cavities (82, 84) in the housing (72). Each receptacle contact (96) has contact springs (108, 114) having contact surfaces (110, 120). The receptacle contact (96) in the center cavity (82) is a ground receptacle contact, whilst the receptacle contacts (96) in the remaining cavities are power or signal contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Randolph L. Buchter
  • Patent number: 5564933
    Abstract: A system for removing electrical charges from a memory card when the card is electrically coupled to a header connector of an electronic apparatus. The header connector has a plurality of pin terminals mounted therein, including a plurality of pin signal terminals. The memory card includes a circuit substrate, and an elongate receptacle mounted at an edge of the substrate. A plurality of receptacle terminals are mounted within the receptacle, and include receptacle signal terminals which are adapted for electrical connection to corresponding pin signal terminals. A pair of cover plates sandwich the circuit substrate therebetween. At least a portion of one of the cover plates is conductive. The receptacle terminals includes at least one receptacle ground terminal substantially the same length as the other of the receptacle terminals and coupled to the conductive portion of the one cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Christophe Bouchan, Frank G. Bordron, Gilbert S. Saksik, Stephen W. Updegraff
  • Patent number: 5558525
    Abstract: Automation equipment includes at least one removable interface module containing processor electronics on at least one printed circuit electrically connected to an interconnect printed circuit carried by a support via respective connectors. The printed circuit is accommodated in a casing of the module fixed to the support and electrically connected to a conductive part of the latter by a frame ground connection device which has connecting members fastened to the support and to the module, whereby mutual electrical contact is established between the module and the support. The connection members include a male member and a female member adapted to cooperate plug-and-socket fashion, and the interconnect printed circuit includes an opening through which at least one of the connecting members passes when the module is mounted on the support. This connecting member is insulated from the interconnect printed circuit where it passes through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: AEG Schneider Automation
    Inventor: Pascal Malgouires
  • Patent number: 5556301
    Abstract: A connector housing includes a terminal accommodating chamber communicated through a cutout portion with a space or central chamber in which a joint terminal is accommodated. A terminal is provided with a tongue member resiliently contacting with a short circuit terminal through the cutout portion. When the terminal is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber, the tongue member contacts and electrically communicates with the short circuit terminal through the cutout portion. The lock piece for holding the terminal is provided on a peripheral wall of the terminal accommodating chamber 11 on a side opposite to the side on which the cutout portion is formed. Therefore, a gap is formed in the periphery of the lock piece. When a current of high intensity flows, the outside of the housing is covered with the cap so as to cover the gap, and the thickness is increased for enhancing the insulating property.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1996
    Assignee: Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masamitsu Chishima, Yutaka Noro
  • Patent number: 5554072
    Abstract: A connector (10) to connect electrical leads to an inner tube (12) and a spaced apart outer tube (14). A body (16) having a center bore (20) is disposed in an opening (26) in the outer tube (14) and is secured to the outer tube (14) with the body (16) extending outwardly. An adapter (48) is disposed in the bore (20) in the body (16). A coaxially mounted conductor (52) is retractably disposed in the adapter (48). The conductor (52) is electrically insulated from the adapter (48). The conductor (52) has an end (54) which makes electrical contact with the inner tube (12). Electrical leads are attached to the body (16) and to the conductor (52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 10, 1996
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Eric T. Green
  • Patent number: 5547385
    Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (1) comprises, a first electrical connector (2), electrical contacts (7) in the first electrical connector extending to a mating face (6) of the connector (2), alignment posts (12) and first ground contacts (10) along the alignment posts (12), and a mating electrical connector (3) provided with post receiving cavities (11) with second ground contacts (10) in the cavities (11) engaging the first ground contacts (10) along the posts (12), and terminal portions (27) on the ground contacts (10) for backwards compatibility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1996
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventor: Todd M. Spangler
  • Patent number: 5490789
    Abstract: A molded electrical connector having a grounding and compression ground washer exposed and interposed in the outer surface of the molded body of the connector and having an internal integral tab welded to a ground wire both being surrounded by the molded body of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 13, 1996
    Assignee: Methode Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond B. Simons
  • Patent number: 5470259
    Abstract: A conductive ground shroud (50) for use with an electrical connector (22) having a plurality of electrical terminals (36) with surface mountable contact sections (42) for electrically engaging circuitry (84) on a circuit board (80). The shroud (50) provides ground reference for the terminals (36). Shroud 50 includes an electrically conductive plate-like body 52 having first and second portions, (54, 62) the first portion (54) adapted to be disposed on a board remote surface (26) of the connector housing. The second portion is configured to extend over the surface mountable contact sections (42) when the shroud (50) is disposed on housing (24). The second portion (62) includes at least one second contact section (70) extending outwardly therefrom for engagement to ground circuitry of circuit board (80). The second portion further includes at least one elongated aperture (64) extending therethrough proximate the surface mountable contact sections (40).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 28, 1995
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: John W. Kaufman, John A. Root, James L. Schroeder, III
  • Patent number: 5460533
    Abstract: A backplane assembly includes a backplane board having a plurality of connector assemblies connected thereto for electrical connection with a header mounted on a backplane. The header includes a plurality of pins defining a pin field on the opposite side of the backplane. The pins extend through a mounting rail providing support for a plurality of cable connectors. The mounting rail is stamped and formed to include alignment slots whereas the cable connector is molded to define alignment ribs. The cable connector housing includes latching arms on opposite sides thereof having locking lugs which lock in place within apertures in the mounting rail. A release mechanism is positioned between the latching arms such that outward movement of the mechanism moves the latching arms together disconnecting the cable connectors from the mounting rail. A twinaxial cable connector inner housing can also be positioned in the cable connector housing, where the inner housing is comprised of outer housings and an inner insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1995
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes Broeksteeg, Lucas Soes
  • Patent number: RE35508
    Abstract: A terminator for multiple electrical conductors has a forwardly projecting ground contact provided on the ground structure thereof. A corresponding receptacle has a die cast frame to which nosepieces are attached. Cantilevered contact elements extend from contact blocks and are received in windows provided in the nosepieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Berg Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy A. Lemke, Richard A. Elco, Timothy W. Houtz
  • Patent number: RE35896
    Abstract: A grounding electrical connector system includes first and second mateable connector modules each having dielectric blocks mounting a plurality of terminals and a ground plate. The ground plates of the connector modules interengage with one another in a cross-shaped grounding configuration therebetween. The terminals of the connector modules are located in spaced dispositions such that a pair of mating terminals from each connector module is located in each of four quadrants defined by the cross-shaped grounding structure of the interengaging ground plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: David L. Brunker, Gary S. Manchester, Richard A. Nelson, Michael O'Sullivan