The Whitaker Corporation

Te Connectivity Services Gmbh

Amp General Patent Counsel

Karen Elizabeth Benjamin

John Joseph Consoli

Jeffrey Byron McClinton

Robert Neil Whiteman, Jr

David Allison Trout

Timothy Robert Minnick

Justin Dennis Pickel

Earl William McCleerey

James H Hyland

Brent David Yohn

John C Asick

Earl C Myers, Jr

Douglas Edward Shirk

John L Broschard, Iii

Dennis Leroy Kemmick

Robert Thomas Hirsbrunner

Scott Stuart Smith

Edward Lee Hengst

Wei Peng

A header assembly includes a header housing and contact modules coupled to the header housing each having a frame assembly with a signal leadframe and a dielectric frame. The dielectric frame includes mating portion extensions at a front of the dielectric frame. The signal leadframe includes mating portions extending forward from the mating portion extensions. Each contact module includes a ground shield having ground shrouds providing electrical shielding for the mating portions. Each ground shroud includes shroud walls forming a shroud cavity receiving the corresponding mating portion extension. Each ground shroud includes a shroud transition to vary a depth of the shroud cavity along a length of the ground shroud.

Contact module for a header assembly

A card reader,includes a base,and a cover,securable together to define a card-receiving cavity,and a plurality of right angle terminals,therein disposed in a terminal housing,. The base,defines a terminal-receiving section,of the terminal housing,and the cover,defines a terminal-securing section,of the terminal housing,, the two sections together defining terminal-receiving passageways,within which the bodies of the terminals,extend. Upon assembling the base,and cover,together, the terminals,are secured in position in the terminal-receiving passageways and the terminal contact surfaces,extend into the cavity,proximate the cover,, and a card 170 can be inserted into the cavity,with the contact pads,facing the cover

Card reader assembly

Connector 10 mountable to a mother board for mating with a daughter card (80,90) at a card-receiving slot (14). Connector (10) includes at least two key-receiving sites (30a,30b) along the length of the card-receiving slot (14), and a pair of switching contacts (40) at each site that are normally in engagement with each other, completing an indicator circuit of the mother board. A key member (50) is affixable to the connector at a selected one of the key-receiving sites (30a,30b) and includes an actuator arm (58) that disengages the switching contacts (40), breaking the circuit. The key member (50) prevents insertion of a daughter card (90) that is not programmed by having a notch (82) at the corresponding location.

Card edge connector with movable key

A switch 120 for a card reader assembly includes first and second terminals 122, 140 disposed in a card-receiving cavity 90. The first terminal 122 includes a board mounting section 124, a body portion 126 and a contact section 132 spaced from the board mounting section. The second terminal includes a board mounting section 142 at one end, a body section 144 and a switch portion 150 at an opposed end. Switch portion 150 has a card engaging end 152 and a contact engaging end 156 spaced therefrom and a fulcrum engaging portion 154 therebetween. The housing defines a fulcrum adapted to support the fulcrum engaging portion. Upon inserting a card 170 into the card receiving cavity 90, the card engages the card engaging end 152 of the second terminal causing the switch portion of the second terminal to pivot from one position to another providing an electrical signal indicating that the card 170 is fully inserted into the cavity 90.

Switch for a card reader assembly

A landing type smart card reader 10 is provided having a base 14, a cover 12, and a contact carrier 50. Spring arms 22 formed in the cover 12 cooperate with the contact carrier 50 to bias the contacts 18 away from an inserted smart card 102. Upon insertion of a smart card 102, the spring arms 22 will disengage the contact carrier 50 and the contacts 18 will land on and make electrical connection with pads of the smart card 102.

Contact configuration for smart card reader

An electrical connector assembly (10) for flexible film circuitry (70) includes an insulative housing (14) having a film-receiving cavity (40) extending into a circuitry-receiving face (16) thereof, and further including flanges (30) at opposed ends of the cavity (40); and a locking bar (50) extending between the flanges (30) and affixed to the housing (14) to one side (41) of cavity (40) in a manner permitting movement toward and away from an opposed side (42) of the cavity (40). The locking bar (50) includes at least one projection (54) to be received through a corresponding hole (78) of the flexible film circuitry (70) upon full insertion of the circuitry into the cavity and actuation of the locking bar (50) to a locking position. The locking bar (50) includes ears (56) adjacent the flanges (30) that cooperate with the flanges (30) to define unactuated and actuated positions of the locking bar (50).

Connector assembly for flat circuitry

An infrared communications adapter (10) is provided having a two part housing (22, 24) that snaps together to form a housing assembly (12) having an interior cavity (30). The interior cavity contains a circuit board (32) having communications circuitry and components thereon, including light emitting diodes (42, 44, 46) for indicating operating status of the unit and a photodiode array (34) for receiving and transmitting infrared signals. The adapter (10) includes a light pipe (50) having three light conducting channels (204, 206, 208) that conduct light from the three light emitting diodes (42, 44, 46) to viewing facets (190, 192, 194) on the light pipe that extend through openings in the housing (12). A lens (20) is arranged in a front end of the housing directly in front of the photodiode array (34). An articulated coupling 60 removably couples a stand (14) to the housing assembly (12) and permits aiming of the unit for receiving and transmitting the infrared signals. A cable (16) is terminated at one end to the circuitry on the circuit board (32) and at the other end to a connector (18) that is connected to an input/output data port of a computer or other equipment.

Package for an infrared communications adapter

An electrical connector (10) for surface mounting to a printed circuit card (12) includes an insulating housing (20,116), contacts (24) secured in the housing, a metal shell (30,120) for inductively shielding the contacts and an improved grounding element (32,34,100) which extends into a cavity (66,118) provided therefor in the housing. The grounding element, the housing and the metal shell are arranged so that when the grounding element is inserted into the cavity, a contact region (42,106) of the grounding element engages the metal shell. The grounding element also includes a solder flange portion (36,102) which extends laterally outwardly from the housing for soldering to a ground pad (18) on the printed circuit card.

Surface mount electrical connector with improved grounding element

An electrical contact (3) comprises, a body portion (7) for mounting in an insulating housing (2), a solder tail (4), and tool impinging surfaces (9, 10) on the solder tail (4) facing in opposite directions to engage respective tools (11, 12) to bend the solder tail (4) relative to the body portion (7).

Electrical connector with surface mount contacts

A back shell assembly (2) for a multi-contact electrical connector (8) comprises back shell members (4) and (6) which can be latched together about the connector (8). One back shell member (2) has a first cable strain relief member (14) projecting therefrom and having side walls (28) and a base wall (26) which is formed with a pocket (32). The other back shell member (6) has projecting therefrom a second cable strain relief member (42) having a base wall (54) and side walls (56) from which project crimping flanges (62). When a shielded electrical cable (C) has been terminated to the connector (8) a portion of the cable (C) having the braid shield (S) thereof folded back therealong, is laid in second strain relief member (42) and the two strain relief members (14) and (42) and their back shell members (4) and (6) are mated after which flanges (62) are crimped down into the pocket (32) so that the cable is tightly gripped by the strain relief members (14) and (42) which make firm and permanent electrical connection with the braid shields (S).

Growing community of inventors

Harrisburg, PA, United States of America

Karen Elizabeth Benjamin