Electrical socket and socket contact adapted for use therewith

Claim 2

A socket contact for establishing four areas of physical support and electrical engagement with a metal pin contact having an axially elongate axis and movable in a direction coincident with said axis, the improvement comprising: a metal base having two pair of free standing support portions, each support portion having a spring arm integrally formed thereon with each arm of said pair of arms having a cantilevered portion extending toward the cantilevered portion of the other arm; and a free and integrally formed on the extending end of each cantilevered portion with each free end extending in a direction away from the free end of the other arm of the respective pair of arms with the free ends and cantilevered portions of each pair of arms forming axially spaced aligned guideways for said pin contact to guide the receipt of said pin contact from either of two directions coincident with said axis and each pair of arms engaging said pin contact at a respective pair of positions spaced axially of said pin contact and providing two areas of physical support and electrical engagement with said pin contact for each pair of arms.

Claim 3

A socket contact combination comprising: a socket contact for establishing four areas of physical support and electrical engagement with a metal pin contact having an axial elongated axis and movable in a direction coincident with said axis, the improvement comprising: a sheet metal base having spaced elongated edges with opposite ends and lying in one general plane perpendicular to a second plane located intermediate said opposite ends; a first pair of free standing support portions with each support portion formed integrally with said base at one end of a respective edge of said base with each support projecting transversely to said one general plane in a common direction and having a spring arm with a respective free cantilever portion transverse to said one general plane, each cantilever portion extending from the respective support portion at an angle to said second plane and toward the free cantilever portion of the other arm of said first pair of arms; each cantilever portion having a free end extending from the respective cantilever portion in a direction away from the free end of the cantilever portion of the other arm of the first pair of arms and at an angle to said second plane with the free ends of said first pair of arms spaced adjacent said second plane, the cantilever portions and the free ends of said pair of arms spaced to form first yieldable guideways for receiving said pin contact in a respective direction coincident with the axis of said pin contact; and a second pair of free standing support portions with each support portion formed integrally with said base adjacent the other end of a respective edge of said base with each support portion of said second pair projecting transversely to said one general plane in said common direction and having a spring arm with a respective free cantilever portion transverse to said one general plane, each cantilever portion extending from a respective support portion at an angle to said second plane and toward the free cantilever portion of the other arm; each cantilever portion of said second support portions having a free end extending from the respective cantilever portion of said second pair of arms in a direction away from the free end of the cantilever portion of the other arm of said second pair and at an angle to said second plane with the free ends being spaced adjacent said second plane, the cantilever portions and the free ends of said second pair of support portions spaced to form second yieldable guideways for receiving said pin contact in a respective direction coincident with the axis of said pin contact.

Claim 4

A socket contact combination comprising: a socket contact for establishing four areas of physical support and electrical engagement with a metal pin contact having an axial elongated axis and movable in a direction coincident with said axis, the improvement comprising: a sheet metal base having spaced elongated edges with opposite ends and lying in one general plane perpendicular to a second plane located intermediate said opposite ends; a first pair of free standing support portions with each support portion formed integrally with said base at one end of a respective edge of said base with each support projecting transversely to said one general plane in a common direction and having a spring arm with a respective free cantilever portion transverse to said one general plane, each cantilever portion extending from the respective support portion at an angle to said second plane and toward the free cantilever portion of the other arm of said first pair of arms; each cantilever portion having a free end extending from the respective cantilever portion in a direction away from the free end of the cantilever portion of the other arm of the first pair of arms and at an angle to said second plane with the free ends of said first pair of arms spaced adjacent said second plane, the cantilever portions and the free ends of said pair of arms spaced to form first yieldable guideways for receiving said pin contact in a respective direction coincident with the axis of said pin contact; and a second pair of free standing support portions with each support portion formed integrally with said base adjacent the other end of a respective edge of said base with each support portion of said second pair projecting transversely to said one general plane in said common direction and having a spring arm with a respective free cantilever portion transverse to said one general plane, each cantilever portion extending from a respective support portion at an angle to said second plane and toward the free cantilever portion of the other arm; each cantilever portion of said second support portions having a free end extending from the respective cantilever portion of said second pair of arms in a direction away from the free end of the cantilever portion of the other arm of said second pair and at an angle to said second plane with the free ends being spaced adjacent said second plane, the cantilever portions and the free ends of said second pair of support portions spaced to form second yieldable guideways for receiving said pin contact in a respective direction coincident with the axis of said pin contact.

Claim 5

In the combination claimed in claim 2; a housing having one passageway extending through said housing with said passageway having an elongate passageway axis for receiving said base and a second passageway transverse to said one passageway and communicating with said one passageway; a wall formed on said housing and extending into said one passageway intermediate opposite ends of said one passageway with said wall having a pair of spaced surfaces transverse to said elongate passageway axis; a pair of resilient generally planar cantilever tines integrally formed on said base with each tine projecting toward the other tine and having spaced ends to form a retention passageway with one of said tines yielding in one direction in response to engagement with said wall for enabling the alignment of said wall with said retention passageway and the engagement of the spaced ends of said tines with a respective said transverse surfaces for thereafter resisting retraction of said base from said passageway; and a tail formed on said base and received in said second passageway.