Electrical connector with pin retention feature

An electrical connector with retention means for maintaining the connector in place during soldering of said connector to a printed circuit board comprising:

• a header having a plurality of terminal pins mounted therein, said pins being relatively thick and stiff and extending from the header for insertion through respective holes of the printed circuit board;
• at least one pair of said pins having at the insertion end of each pin an offset in the form of a crimp, the crimp of one pin extending in a direction opposite to the crimp of the other pin of said pair, each said crimp being shaped so that each pin of said pair contacts the printed circuit board only within its respective hole and only on one side of the hole and only at its crimp, each said crimp thereby exerting a relatively high normal force against said board only at said one side of the hole, the rest of said plurality of pins remaining uncrimped;
• whereby when the pins of the header are inserted through the holes of the printed circuit board and positioned for soldering, the header is retained in position for soldering solely by the normal forces exerted by each said crimp at its contact with the printed circuit board within its respective hole, said normal forces being opposite and complementary in that the crimp on one of said pair of pins exerts a normal force against said board which is opposite to the normal force exerted by the crimp of the other pin of said pair, said opposite and complementary normal forces and the resulting frictional contact between each said crimp and the board thereby providing the only means for retaining the header in position for soldering, the rest of said plurality of pins being free from contact with the board in said holes until soldered thereto.