Circuit board socket

Claim 2

A circuit board socket of the type having an elongate socket body closed at one end and open at the other end with a spring contact confined within the socket body for making an electrical connection with a male element inserted into the body, the improvement comprising a part of the spring contact extending from the interior of the socket body, around the edge of the opening at one end of the socket body and along the exterior of the socket body for forming an electrical connection between printed circuitry adjacent the body and the spring contact within the socket.

Claim 3

A circuit board socket as in claim 1 including a solder resist on said spring contact adjacent the said edge.

Claim 4

A circuit board socket as in claim 1 including a layer of chromium on the surface of the spring contact immediately adjacent the said edge for preventing solder wicking into the interior of the socket.

Claim 5

A circuit board socket as in claim 1 wherein said part of the spring contact adjacent the exterior of the socket includes spring means for confining the socket within a circuit board hole.

Claim 6

A circuit board socket as in claim 1 wherein the spring contact is provided with two like portions each of which extends from the interior of the socket body around said edge and along the exterior of the socket body, said portions being diametrically spaced on opposite sides of the socket and each including spring means on the outside of the socket for confining the socket within a circuit board hole prior to soldering.

Claim 7

A circuit board socket as in claim 5 including a solder resist applied to each of said portions adjacent said edge for preventing solder wicking into the socket.

Claim 8

A circuit board socket as in claim 6 wherein said solder resist comprises a metal layer on the surface of the parts to which solder does not adhere.

Claim 9

A circuit board socket as in claim 6 wherein said solder resist comprises a layer of chromium.

Claim 10

A circuit board socket as in claim 5 wherein said spring contact includes a bight connection joining said portions and wherein a dimple is formed in a side wall of the socket body between the bight connection and the open end of the socket body and extends into the interior of the socket body behind the bight connection to confine the spring contact within the socket body.

Claim 11

A circuit board socket as in claim 5 including means in the socket body for confining the spring contact within said body.

Claim 12

A circuit board socket comprising an elongate hollow body closed at one end and open at the other end, a generally M-shaped spring contact secured to the body with the center bight portion located within the body adjacent the closed end thereof, the inner legs extending along the interior side walls of the socket body toward the open end thereof, and outer bight portions extending around the lip at the open end of the socket body and the outer legs extending along the outside of the socket body away from the open end thereof, said center bight portion and inner legs comprising a contact for removably receiving a lead inserted into the socket and said outer legs comprising contacts for establishing an electrical connection with a circuit element.

Claim 13

A circuit board socket comprising an elongate hollow body closed at one end and open at the other end, a generally M-shaped spring contact secured to the body with the center bight portion located within the body adjacent the closed end thereof, the inner legs extending along the interior side walls of the socket body toward the open end thereof, and outer bight portions extending around the lip at the open end of the socket body and the outer legs extending along the outside of the socket body away from the open end thereof, said center bight portion and inner legs comprising a contact for removably receiving a lead inserted into the socket and said outer legs comprising contacts for establishing an electrical connection with a circuit element.

Claim 14

A circuit board socket as in claim 11 wherein each of said inner legs is bowed away from the adjacent interior socket body wall and each of said outer legs is bowed away from the adjacent exterior socket body wall.

Claim 15

A circuit board socket as in claim 12 wherein the connection between each of said outer bight portions and said outer legs is located immediately adjacent the socket body so that the deformation of said outer legs does not alter the spring characteristics of the contact.

Claim 16

A circuit board socket as in claim 11 wherein said outer bight portions include solder resist to prevent solder from wicking into the interior of the body.

Claim 17

A circuit board socket as in claim 11 wherein said outer legs are bowed away from the exterior of the socket Body and said outer bight portions comprise curls extending from the edge at the open end of the socket body away from the socket body and then back toward the socket body to a junction with said outer legs located immediately adjacent the socket body.

Claim 18

A circuit board socket as in claim 15 wherein the interior surfaces of said curls are covered by a solder resist.

Claim 19

A circuit board socket as in claim 16 wherein said solder resist comprises a layer of metallic material to which solder is non-adherent.

Claim 20

A circuit board socket as in claim 17 wherein said solder resist comprises a layer of chromium.

Claim 21

A disconnect socket for mounting in a circuit board hole and forming a solder connection with printed circuitry on the board comprising an elongate socket body closed at one end and open at the other end, a generally M-shaped spring contact secured to the socket body with the interior legs and connecting body portion thereof positioned within the socket body and the outer legs extending along the exterior walls of the socket body and the bight portions connecting said inner and outer legs extending around the socket lip at the open end thereof, each of said legs bowing away from adjacent walls of the socket body so that the inner legs form a spring contact for removably receiving a male element inserted into the socket and the outer legs forming a spring contact for confining the socket within a circuit board hole prior to soldering, locking dimples in opposite side walls of the socket body projecting into the connecting bight portion between said inner legs to confine the spring portion within the socket, and a solder resist on the bight portions joining said inner and outer legs to prevent solder from flowing into the interior of the socket during soldering of the socket to the circuit board.

Claim 22

A disconnect socket for mounting in a circuit board hole and forming a solder connection with printed circuitry on the board comprising an elongate socket body closed at one end and open at the other end, a generally M-shaped spring contact secured to the socket body with the interior legs and connecting body portion thereof positioned within the socket body and the outer legs extending along the exterior walls of the socket body and the bight portions connecting said inner and outer legs extending around the socket lip at the open end thereof, each of said legs bowing away from adjacent walls of the socket body so that the inner legs form a spring contact for removably receiving a male element inserted into the socket and the outer legs forming a spring contact for confining the socket within a circuit board hole prior to soldering, locking dimples in opposite side walls of the socket body projecting into the connecting bight portion between said inner legs to confine the spring portion within the socket, and a solder resist on the bight portions joining said inner and outer legs to prevent solder from flowing into the interior of the socket during soldering of the socket to the circuit board.

Claim 23

A disconnect socket as in claim 19 wherein the connections between said bight portion and said exterior legs are located immediately adjacent the socket body.

Claim 24

A circuit board socket comprising a hollow socket body closed at one end and open at the other end, a U-shaped spring contact positioned on one wall of the socket body with one leg of the contact within the socket body to form a contact for an element inserted into the socket, the bight portion of the contact extending around the lip at the open end of the socket body and the other leg of the contact extending along the exterior of the socket to form a solder contact.

Claim 25

A circuit board socket comprising a hollow socket body closed at one end and open at the other end, a U-shaped spring contact positioned on one wall of the socket body with one leg of the contact within the socket body to form a contact for an element inserted into the socket, the bight portion of the contact extending around the lip at the open end of the socket body and the other leg of the contact extending along the exterior of the socket to form a solder contact.

Claim 26

A circuit board socket as in claim 21 wherein each of said legs is bowed away from the socket body.

Claim 27

A circuit board socket as in claim 22 wherein the juncture between said bight portion and said other leg is immediately adjacent the exterior surface of the socket body.

Claim 28

A circuit board socket as in claim 22 wherein said bight portion is covered with a solder resist.

Claim 29

A circuit board socket as in claim 21 wherein the exterior surface of said socket body and said other leg define a solder flow path extending along the length of the socket body.

Claim 30

A circuit board socket comprising a hollow socket body closed at one end and open at the other end, a contact spring confined within the socket body for forming electrical connection with a lead inserted into the body, means on the outside of the socket body cooperating with the exterior surface of the body to define a solder flow path extending along the length of the body; and a connecting member extending around the lip at the open end of the body joining said contact spring and said means.

Claim 31

A circuit board socket comprising a hollow socket body closed at one end and open at the other end, a contact spring confined within the socket body for forming electrical connection with a lead inserted into the body, means on the outside of the socket body cooperating with the exterior surface of the body to define a solder flow path extending along the length of the body; and a connecting member extending around the lip at the open end of the body joining said contact spring and said means.

Claim 32

A circuit board socket as in claim 25 wherein said means includes a spring for confining the circuit board socket within a circuit board hole prior to soldering.

Claim 33

A circuit board socket as in claim 25 wherein said means comprises a leg extending along the length of the body, said leg including a spring portion for confining the socket within a circuit board hole prior to soldering.