Contact of single pitch arrangement in strip stock

A socket connector (40) comprising:

• an insulative elongated housing (42) including a plurality of cavities (44) aligned in at least one row;
• a plurality of contacts (1) received within the corresponding cavities (44), respectively;
• each of said contacts (1) including:
• a main body (10) including an engagement section (14) on a front portion and a retention section (16) on a rear portion thereof;
• said engagement section (14) including a pair of generally U-shaped members (20, 22) respectively and oppositely positioned at a front end and at a rear end, and a pair of curved beams (23, 24) intermediating therebetween;
• and
• a tail (12) integrally extending rearward from the rear portion of the main body (10) and perpendicular to the main body (10);
• said retention section (16) of each of said contacts (1) is vertically positioned in the corresponding cavity (44) in the housing (40) wherein each of said cavities (44) is generally defined by four sidewalls surrounding said cavity (44) whereby said U-shaped member (20) positioned at the front end abuts against three sidewalls and is spaced apart from a fourth sidewall (49) which faces to an opening of said U-shaped member (20) so that the main body (10) of the contact (1) functions as a mechanical beam which generally has one fixed end at said retention section (16) and one simple support end at said U-shaped member (20).

A contact strip stock after stamping and shearing but prior to forming and bending comprising a base strip and a plurality of contacts extending therefrom and aligned in an array thereof, each contact comprising:

• a main body including an engagement section in a front portion and a retention section in a rear portion thereof;
• said engagement section including two members respectively and oppositely at a front end and a rear end, both of the members adapted to be formed in a U-shaped configuration in a later time;
• a pair of opposite and spaced first and second beams extending intermediate said two members;
• and
• a tail integrally extending rearward from the rear portion of the main body and integrally connected to the base strip of said strip stock, said main body being adapted to be bent at a right angle with regard to the tail in the later time;
• wherein
• said first and second beams have first and second engaging means respectively whereby an outermost edge of the first engaging means of the first beam of the contact shares a shear line with an outermost edge of the second engaging means of the second beam of another adjacent contact.