Contact with split portion for engagement with substrate

The combination of a substrate having an aperture therein and a terminal inserted therein;

• said terminal comprising a pair of legs extending along a longitudinal axis coextending at least in part with the axis of said aperture and being offset with respect to each other in a first direction substantially normal to said longitudinal axis;
• said legs being joined at their ends for compliant movement throughout their offset lengths relative to each other in said first direction;
• said legs being compressed by the peripheral side of said aperture in a mutually touching relationship along longitudinally extending friction surface means in a plane constructed between said legs and so constructed that the compliant movement of said legs during insertion into said aperture does not cause any increase in the combined cross-sectional dimension of said legs in a direction perpendicular to said plane;
• said friction surface means generating upon completion of insertion of said legs to their final position of stable support within said aperture a friction force which is a dominant force resisting compliant movement of said legs relative to each other in said first direction.

A contact for insertion at least part way into an aperture in a substrate comprising:

• a substrate engaging position which is sheared along a longitudinal axis to form at least two adjacent legs connected together at least at first ends thereof and constructed to engage the walls of said aperture when inserted into said aperture;
• each of said legs having a shear surface which, upon completion of insertion of said legs to their final position of stable support within said aperture, is slidably engaged for a majority of the distance said legs extend into said aperture with the shear surface of an adjacent leg, with said shear surfaces in a plane constructed between said legs;
• said legs being bowed in opposite directions in the direction of said shear surfaces therebetween so as to be offset with respect to each other;
• and
• said legs further constructed to respond to the insertion of said legs into said aperture to slide in an overlapping relationship along said shear surfaces and to become pressed against each other by a component of force normal to said shear surfaces so as to generate a frictional force between said legs;
• said plane being so constructed that said legs slide along said shear surfaces during insertion into said aperture without causing any increase in their combined cross-sectional dimension in a direction perpendicular to said plane.

A contact means for insertion at least part way into an aperture in a substrate and comprising:

• a substrate engaging portion which is sheared along a longitudinal axis to form a pair of legs connected together at least at one end thereof constructed to engage the walls of said aperture when inserted into said aperture;
• each of said legs having a shear surface which faces and abuts the shear surface on the adjacent leg and substantially lies in a common plane therewith;
• said legs being bowed in opposite directions in the direction of said common plane so as to be offset with respect to each other and constructed to respond to insertion into said aperture to slide in an overlapping relation and to become pressed against each other in a direction normal to said common plane to generate a frictional force between said shear surfaces which is a dominant force resisting the sliding of said legs upon completion of insertion of said legs to their final position of stable support within said aperture;
• said common plane being so constructed that said legs slide in an overlapping relation during insertion into said aperture without causing any increase in their combined cross-sectional dimension in a direction perpendicular to said plane.

A contact for insertion through an aperture in a substrate comprising:

• a section having a longitudinal axis with first and second end portions and consisting of a pair of legs defined by a shear split extending along said longitudinal axis;
• each of said legs having a shear surface which faces and abuts the shear surface of the adjacent leg and lies substantially in a common plane therewith;
• said legs further having their longitudinal axes offset with respect to each other in a direction parallel with said common plane and with the greatest distance across the cross sectional area near the center portion of said section being greater than the corresponding distance across the aperture in which said legs are to be inserted;
• said legs further constructed to make contact with the walls of said aperture along the line of said greatest distance of said cross sectional area to press said legs against each other in a direction normal to said common plane so as to generate, upon completion of insertion of said legs to their final position of stable support in said aperture, a frictional force between said legs which is a dominant force resisting movement of said legs along said common plane;
• said common plane being so constructed that said legs slide in an overlapping relation during insertion into said aperture without causing any increase in their combined cross sectional dimension in a direction perpendicular to said plane, and
• means for controlling the rotation of said legs as they are inserted in a substrate aperture.

A contact for insertion through and extension within an aperture in a substrate and comprising:

• a pair of adjacent legs connected together at least at one end thereof formed by splitting an elongate blank along an axis substantially normal to a mid-crosssection of the blank;
• said legs each having a split surface which faces and abuts and lies substantially in a common plane with the split surface on the adjacent leg;
• said legs being offset with respect to each other in a direction parallel to said common plane, and constructed to have the distance between the outside edges of said legs, which edges contact given areas of the aperture wall, greater initially than the distance between said given areas of contact on said aperture wall to cause said legs to be pressed against each other in a direction normal to said common plane and to slide in an overlapping relationship along said common plane toward said mid-cross-section when inserted in said substrate aperture, so as to generate a friction force between said legs which, upon completion of insertion of said legs to their final position of stable support in said aperture, is a dominant force resisting the sliding of said legs;
• said common plane being so constructed that said legs slide in an overlapping relationship during insertion into said aperture without causing any increase in their combined cross-sectional dimension in a direction perpendicular too said plane.

A contact for insertion through an aperture defined by walls extending through a substrate and comprising:

• a pair of legs having first and second ends connected together at least at said first ends thereof;
• said legs each comprising a first surface lying in a common plane with the first surface of the adjacent leg with said first surfaces being physically separate from each other but facing and abutting each other for at least a majority of the distance said contact extends into said aperture;
• each leg being offset throughout its length in a bowed manner with respect to the other leg in said common plane and with the distance of said offset being less than the greatest thickness of said legs measured in said direction of offset when said legs are inserted in said aperture;
• said legs further constructed to have their greatest overall cross-sectional dimension, measured along a first line normal to the longitudinal direction of said legs when said legs are not inserted in said aperture, larger than the distance across said aperture along a second line substantially coincident with a first line when said legs are inserted into said aperture into their final position of stable support within said aperture;
• said common plane being so constructed that the maximum overall cross-sectional dimension of said legs is reduced during insertion into said aperture without causing any increase in the overall cross-sectional dimension of said legs in a direction perpendicular to said common plane.