Low insertion force socket

Claim 1

A receptacle for a device package having a plurality of pins extending substantially parallel with each other in a first direction from said package comprising: (a) a plurality of substantially U-shaped pin connectors constructed of resilient electrically conductive material, each of said pin connectors having two opposed sides extending in a first general direction from the base of the U and a contact pin extending in substantially the opposite direction from the base of the U with the sides of the U converging toward each other near the ends thereof remote from the base of the U and at least the end of one side of each U-shaped pin connector diverging outwardly from the opposite side of the U-shaped pin connector to define a contact knee inward from the end of the pin connector remote from the base of the U; (b) a substantially electrically insulating base member with first and second oppositely disposed major faces and a plurality of cavities in said first major face adapted to receive the bases of said U-shaped pin connectors and with apertures for receiving the contact pins so that the contact pins extend from said second major face of said base member; and (c) a top plate member with first and second oppositely disposed major faces mounted with its second major face substantially parallel with and spaced from the first major face of said base member, said second major face of said top plate member having at least one cavity therein adapted to receive the ends of said sides of at least one pin connector, an aperture passing through said top plate member aligned and in register with said ends of said at least one pin connector, and wedge means disposed on at least one side of said cavity and arranged for insertion between the two opposed sides of said at least one pin connector to spread the sides of said at least one pin connector apart at the ends thereof remote from the base when said top plate member is moved toward said base member.