Dip socket having preloading and antiwicking features

Claim 2

An electrical connector assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of unitary metallic contacts, each of said contacts comprising: (i) a pair of tail members at least one of which is outwardly bowed; (ii) an antiwicking stem formed above said tail members, said antiwicking stem comprising parallel facing portions of said tail members; (iii) a substantially U-shaped main body formed above said antiwicking stem; and (iv) a pair of inwardly bowed spring members formed above said U-shaped body; and (b) a unitary contact housing having a plurality of contact cavities, each of said cavities comprising: (i) guiding means formed in an upper portion of said cavity for guiding leads of an electrical device to be inserted into said cavity; (ii) camming means formed on said upper portion of said cavity to controllably bias said spring members apart in a preloaded position when said contact is inserted into said cavity; and (iii) one or more interior walls of each of said contact cavities tapering inwardly from a lower portion to said upper portion of said cavity to coact with said spring members so as to increase the normal pressure on a terminal pin inserted between said spring members.

Claim 3

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said parallel facing portions of said tail members are in substantial contacting engagement with each other.

Claim 4

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein one of said tail members is longer than the other.

Claim 5

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of said tail members is formed having a concave cross-section, said concavity facing the other tail member.

Claim 6

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said U-shaped body comprises a curved spine and a pair of contact retention arms.

Claim 7

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said bowed spring members are bowed in a substantially hourglass-type configuration.

Claim 8

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said guiding means comprises a pin aperture formed in said upper portion of said contact cavity and a guiding taper formed above said pin aperture for guiding lead of an electrical device to be inserted into said contact cavity.

Claim 9

The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 wherein said camming means comprises a pair of oppositely disposed angled rampways formed adjacent to said guiding means.

Claim 10

An electrical connector assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of unitary metallic contacts for insertion into a socket housing, each of said contacts comprising: (i) a pair of tail members at least one of which is outwardly bowed for insertion into via holes of a printed circuit board; (ii) an antiwicking stem formed above said tail members, said antiwicking stem comprising parallel facing portions of said tail members; (iii) a substantially U-shaped main body formed above said antiwicking stem, said U-shaped body having a curved spine and a pair of contact retention arms; and (iv) a pair of facing inwardly bowed spring members formed above said U-shaped body, each spring member being arcuately curved on its uppermost edge so as to form a spring biasing surface; and (b) a substantially rectangular shaped unitary housing having a plurality of contact cavities, each of said cavities comprising: (i) a pin aperture formed in an upper interior portion of said cavity and a guiding taper formed above said pin aperture for guiding leads of an electrical device to be inserted into said contact cavity; (ii) camming faces formed on said upper interior portion of said cavity to cooperate with said spring biasing surfaces of said spring members to controllably bias said spring members apart in a preloaded position when said contact is inserted into said cavity; and (iii) one or more interior walls of each of said contact cavities tapering inwardly from a lower portion to said upper portion of said cavity to coact with said spring members so as to increase the normal pressure on a terminal pin inserted between said spring members.

Claim 11

An electrical connector assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of unitary metallic contacts for insertion into a socket housing, each of said contacts comprising: (i) a pair of tail members at least one of which is outwardly bowed for insertion into via holes of a printed circuit board; (ii) an antiwicking stem formed above said tail members, said antiwicking stem comprising parallel facing portions of said tail members; (iii) a substantially U-shaped main body formed above said antiwicking stem, said U-shaped body having a curved spine and a pair of contact retention arms; and (iv) a pair of facing inwardly bowed spring members formed above said U-shaped body, each spring member being arcuately curved on its uppermost edge so as to form a spring biasing surface; and (b) a substantially rectangular shaped unitary housing having a plurality of contact cavities, each of said cavities comprising: (i) a pin aperture formed in an upper interior portion of said cavity and a guiding taper formed above said pin aperture for guiding leads of an electrical device to be inserted into said contact cavity; (ii) camming faces formed on said upper interior portion of said cavity to cooperate with said spring biasing surfaces of said spring members to controllably bias said spring members apart in a preloaded position when said contact is inserted into said cavity; and (iii) one or more interior walls of each of said contact cavities tapering inwardly from a lower portion to said upper portion of said cavity to coact with said spring members so as to increase the normal pressure on a terminal pin inserted between said spring members.

Claim 12

The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 wherein said curved spine of said U-shaped body comprises a flexural surface to aid contact retention within said socket housing.

Claim 13

The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 wherein said camming faces comprise a pair of oppositely disposed angled rampways formed circumferentially to said pin aperture.

Claim 14

The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 wherein each of said contact cavities further includes a guiding chamfer formed in a lower interior portion of said cavity for guiding said contact during insertion into said cavity.

Claim 15

The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 wherein each of said contact cavities further includes a retention ledge formed in a lower interior portion of said cavity for preventing over-insertion of said contact into said cavity.

Claim 16

The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 wherein said housing further includes a plurality of spacer means provided on a lower portion of said housing for spacing said housing above said printed circuit board when said housing is mounted on said printed circuit board.

Claim 17

The electrical connector assembly of claim 9 wherein said contact retention arms further include latching means disposed on outer portions of said arms for contacting engagement with interior walls of said contact cavity.

Claim 18

The electrical connector assembly of claim 15, wherein said latching means comprises outwardly projecting spurs formed integral with said arms for securably engagement with said interior walls of said contact cavity when said contact is inserted inot said cavity.

Claim 19

An electrical connector assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of unitary metallic contacts for insertion into a socket housing having a plurality of contact receiving cavities, each of said contacts comprising: (i) a pair of tails at least one of which is outwardly bowed for insertion into via holes of a printed circuit board; (ii) an antiwicking stem formed above said tails, said antiwicking stem comprising parallel facing portions of said tails; (iii) a substantially U-shaped main body formed above said antiwicking stem, said U-shaped body comprising a spine and a pair of arms, said spine of said U-shaped main body having a flexural surface and said pair of arms each having a retention latch formed on its outward portions, said flexural surface and said retention latches cooperating to securably retain said contacts within said contact receiving cavities; and (iv) a pair of contacting, oppositely disposed, inwardly bowed spring beam contacts formed above said U-shaped body, each spring beam contact being arcuately curved on its uppermost edge so as to form a spring biasing surface; (b) a substantially rectangular shaped unitary housing having a plurality of contact cavities, each of said cavities comprising: (i) a pin aperture formed in an upper interior portion of said cavity and a guiding taper formed above said pin aperture for guiding leads of an electrical device to be inserted into said socket cavity; (ii) a pair of camming faces disposed circumferentially with respect to said pin aperture in said upper interior portion of said cavity to cooperate with said spring biasing surfaces of said spring beam contacts to controllably bias said spring beam contacts apart in a preloaded position when said contact is inserted into said cavity; (iii) one or more interior walls of each of said contact cavities tapering inwardly from a lower interior portion to said upper interior portion of said cavity to coact with said spring beam contacts so as to increase the normal pressure on a terminal pin inserted between said spring beam contacts; (iv) a guiding chamfer formed in a lower interior portion of said cavity for guiding said contact during insertion into said cavity; and (v) a retention ledge formed in said lower interior portion of said cavity for preventing over-insertion of said contact into said cavity; and (c) a plurality of raised standoffs formed on a lower portion of said housing.

Claim 20

An electrical connector assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of unitary metallic contacts for insertion into a socket housing having a plurality of contact receiving cavities, each of said contacts comprising: (i) a pair of tails at least one of which is outwardly bowed for insertion into via holes of a printed circuit board; (ii) an antiwicking stem formed above said tails, said antiwicking stem comprising parallel facing portions of said tails; (iii) a substantially U-shaped main body formed above said antiwicking stem, said U-shaped body comprising a spine and a pair of arms, said spine of said U-shaped main body having a flexural surface and said pair of arms each having a retention latch formed on its outward portions, said flexural surface and said retention latches cooperating to securably retain said contacts within said contact receiving cavities; and (iv) a pair of contacting, oppositely disposed, inwardly bowed spring beam contacts formed above said U-shaped body, each spring beam contact being arcuately curved on its uppermost edge so as to form a spring biasing surface; (b) a substantially rectangular shaped unitary housing having a plurality of contact cavities, each of said cavities comprising: (i) a pin aperture formed in an upper interior portion of said cavity and a guiding taper formed above said pin aperture for guiding leads of an electrical device to be inserted into said socket cavity; (ii) a pair of camming faces disposed circumferentially with respect to said pin aperture in said upper interior portion of said cavity to cooperate with said spring biasing surfaces of said spring beam contacts to controllably bias said spring beam contacts apart in a preloaded position when said contact is inserted into said cavity; (iii) one or more interior walls of each of said contact cavities tapering inwardly from a lower interior portion to said upper interior portion of said cavity to coact with said spring beam contacts so as to increase the normal pressure on a terminal pin inserted between said spring beam contacts; (iv) a guiding chamfer formed in a lower interior portion of said cavity for guiding said contact during insertion into said cavity; and (v) a retention ledge formed in said lower interior portion of said cavity for preventing over-insertion of said contact into said cavity; and (c) a plurality of raised standoffs formed on a lower portion of said housing.