Socket contact for mounting in a hole of a device

A socket contact for installation in a hole that has hole walls, of a device, to receive a pin of predetermined pin radius, wherein the contact is formed of sheet metal and has a retention portion with an axis, said retention portion having a plurality of retention tabs, characterized by:

• each of said retention tabs has an inner part extending with a radially inward directional component, an outer part extending with a radially outward directional component to engage said hole walls, and a middle lying between said inner portion and said outer portion and having a location lying closer to said axis than either said inner or outer tab parts to closely guide said pin during its insertion;
• said tab outer parts each extend at an incline to said axis and have a free end with a tip, each tip having a radially outer edge for pressing into said hole walls, said tab having opposite sides and said tip forming a corner at the intersection of each tip edge and the tab side, with each corner being rounded at a radius of curvature greater than 10% of the tab thickness to avoid scraping said hole walls.

A socket contact for installation in a hole that has hole walls, of a device, to receive a pin of predetermined pin radius, wherein the contact is formed of sheet metal and has a retention portion with an axis, said retention portion having a plurality of retention tabs, characterized by:

• each of said retention tabs has an inner part extending with a radially inward directional component, an outer part extending with a radially outward directional component to engage said hole walls, and a middle lying between said inner portion and said outer portion and having a location lying closer to said axis than either said inner or outer tab parts to closely guide said pin during its insertion;
• said tab outer parts each extend at an incline to said axis and have a free end with a tip, each free end and the tip thereof being inclined from said axis and positioned to press into said hole walls.

A socket contact for installation in a hole with hole walls, of a device, to receive a pin of predetermined pin radius, wherein the contact is formed of sheet metal and has a retention portion with an axis, said retention portion having a plurality of retention tabs, characterized by:

• each of said retention tabs has an inner part extending with a radially inward directional component, an outer part extending with a radially outward directional component to engage said hole walls, and a middle lying between said inner part and said outer part and having a location lying closer to said axis than either said inner or outer tab parts to closely guide said pin during its insertion, with substantially the entire length of said middle being curved to form a transition between said inner and outer parts with a convexly curved inner surface.

A combination of a device having a hole that has hole walls, a socket contact lying in said hole, and a pin of substantially circular cross-section and of a predetermined pin radius, received in said socket contact, wherein the contact has a vertical axis and is formed of sheet metal, and has an upper retention portion and a lower contacting portion, characterized by:

• said lower portion includes a plurality of downwardly and radially inwardly extending beams with lower ends spaced about said axis and contacting said pin;
• said retention portion includes an annular main part which tends to expand to engage said hole walls and includes a plurality of tabs each having a first end merging with said main part and extending at a radially inward incline from said axis, a second end extending at a radially outward incline from said axis and engaging said hole walls when said pin is received in said socket contact, and a bent middle connecting said ends;
• said annular main part at said first ends of said tabs, being of sufficient outside diameter that it presses against said hole walls before said pin is received in said socket contact, to thereby minimize the required deflection of said tabs.