Press-fit contact pin
AssigneeInterplex Industries, Inc.
InventorRobert M. Bogursky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrically conductive contact and a method of forming the same from a length of wire are disclosed. The contact has a pin section connected to a fastening section. The fastening section is adapted for press-fitting into the hole of a substrate and includes a solid tip, a neck connected to the pin section, first and second arcuate side surfaces, and first and second major surfaces through which an enlarged slot extends. Each of the first and second major surfaces is at least partially flattened.
Claims24
An electrically conductive contact for mounting to a substrate having a hole formed therein, the contact having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
- an elongated electrically conductive pin section extending along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a fastening section connected to the pin section and having an enlarged slot extending therethrough in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis, the slot having an inner end disposed proximate the pin section and an outer end disposed distal to the pin section, the fastening section being adapted for press-fitting into the hole of the substrate and comprising:
- a solid tip;
- a neck connected to the pin section;
- first and second side surfaces;
- first and second major surfaces through which the enlarged slot extends, the first and second major surfaces extending between the tip and the neck, respectively, and extending between the first and second side surfaces, respectively, the first and second major surfaces being joined to the first and second side surfaces at rounded edges, respectively;
- wherein an outer portion of the first major surface, which is at least partially disposed between the tip and the outer end of the slot, is flat and in a first plane;
- and
- wherein an inner portion of the first major surface located toward the neck either is curved or is flat and in a first other plane that is not parallel to the first plane.
A method of forming an electrically conductive contact having a longitudinal axis, the method comprising:
- cutting a length of metal wire from a source of the metal wire;
- and
- configuring the length of metal wire to form a fastening section connected by a neck to a pin section, the configuring of the length of metal wire comprising:
- shaping the length of wire to comprise a first intermediate section, which is barrel-shaped,
- shaping the first intermediate section to form a second intermediate section having first and second side surfaces and first and second major surfaces, the first major surface having an outer portion that is flat and in a first plane and an inner portion that is either curved or is flat and in a first other plane that is not parallel to the first plane;
- punching a slot into the second intermediate section so as to extend through the first and second major surfaces;
- removing a portion of the length of metal wire connected to an outer end of the fastening section, thereby providing the fastening section with a solid tip;
- and
- wherein the first and second major surfaces extend between the tip and the neck, respectively, and wherein the outer portion of the first major surface is at least partially disposed between the tip and the outer end of the slot, and wherein the inner portion of the first major surface is located toward the neck.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.