Socket contact with conductive elastomer contacting surface

Claim 1

A socket contact for use in an electrical connector adapted to receive a metal pin, said pin having a peripheral surface and a transverse forward end surface for establishing an electrical connection between said pin and contact comprising: a metallic contact body having an elongated hole formed therein with an elongated axis, said hole extending from one end of said body and defined by an axially extending peripheral surface portion, a rear metal surface on said body at a position spaced in one direction from said one end of said body to define a rear axial end of said hole; an axially extending layer of conductive elastomer material positioned in said hole with said layer of elastomer material having a peripheral surface extending axially of said hole and engaging said peripheral surface portion of said hole throughout the axial extent of the peripheral surface of said layer of elastomer material; a rear surface on said layer of elastomer material engaged with the rear metal surface defining the rear axial end of said hole; and a forward surface on said layer of conductive elastomer material spaced from the one end of said body and transverse to the axis of said pin and hole with the forward surface of said layer of elastomer material terminating the peripheral surface of said layer and having an area corresponding to the area of said transverse forward end surface of said pin and placing said layer of elastomer material under the axial pressure of said pin between the rear axial end of said hole and said transverse forward end surface to establish said electrical connection as a low resistance electrical path through the transverse forward end surface of said pin and the forward surface of said layer of elastomer material transverse to the axis of said pin without deformation of either said pin or socket contact in response to the insertion of said pin in said hole to engage said layer of elastomer material under said axial pressure.