High frequency compression mount receptacle with lineal contact members

An apparatus for electrically connecting first contacts to respective ones of second contacts, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of apertures, said apertures extending between respective ones of the first and second contacts;
• a plurality of coil spring contacts disposed in respective ones of said apertures of said housing, said coil spring contacts having loosely spaced coils which extend between respective ones of the first and second contacts, said loosely spaced coils being compliant for conforming to movement of respective ones of the first contacts relative to the second contacts;
• a plurality of contact tangs extending interiorly within respective ones of said coil spring contacts and through at least part of respective ones of said loosely spaced coils, said contact tangs defining substantially lineal circuit paths which extend interiorly through said loosely spaced coils to electrically connect between respective ones of the first and second electrical contacts;
• and
• wherein said coil spring contacts are defined by helically wound, conductive wires having first end portions and intermediate portions, said intermediate portions being wound to define said loosely spaced coils, and said first end portions being formed to define respective ones of said contact tangs which extend interiorly within said loosely spaced coils.

An apparatus for electrically connecting first contacts to respective ones of second contacts, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of apertures, said apertures registering with the first contacts and extending between respective ones of the first and second contacts;
• a plurality of coil spring contacts disposed in respective ones of said apertures of said housing, said coil spring contacts having contact ends and loosely spaced coils which extend between respective ones of the first and second contacts, said loosely coils extending between said contact ends and being compliant for conforming to movement of respective ones of the first contacts relative to the second contacts;
• and
• a plurality of contact tangs extending interiorly within respective ones of said coils spring contacts and through at least part of respective ones of active portions of said loosely spaced coils, wherein each of said contact tangs have at least one moveable end which is slidably moveable relative to at least one of said contact ends of a respective one of said coil spring contacts such that said contact tangs extend across said active portions of said loosely spaced coils which extend between the first and second contacts to define substantially lineal circuit paths which extend interiorly through said loosely spaced coils to electrically connect to respective ones of said contact ends and between respective ones of the first and second electrical contacts.

An apparatus for electrically connecting first contacts to respective ones of second contacts, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of apertures, said apertures registering with the first contacts and extending between respective ones of the first second contacts;
• a plurality of coil spring contacts disposed in respective ones of said apertures of said housing, said coil spring contacts having contact ends and loosely spaced coils which extend between respective ones of the first and second contacts, said loosely spaced coils extending between said contact ends and being compliant for conforming to movement of respective ones of the first contacts relative to the second contacts;
• a plurality of contact tangs extending interiorly within respective ones of said coil spring contacts and through at least part of respective ones of said loosely spaced coils to define substantially lineal circuit paths which extend interiorly through said loosely spaced coils to electrically connect to respective ones of said contact ends and between respective ones of the first and second electrical contacts;
• and
• wherein said contact ends comprising close wound coils, such that adjacent coils directly contact to provide a substantially straight circuit path through said close wound coils, and said contact tangs directly contact respective ones of said close wound coils to define said lineal circuit path between said first and second contacts.

A test socket for receiving electronic components and electrically connecting first contacts of the components to respective ones of second contacts of test circuitry, the test socket comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of apertures, said apertures registering with the first contacts and extending between respective ones of the first and second contacts;
• a plurality of coil spring contacts disposed in respective ones of said apertures of said housing, said coil spring contacts having contact ends and loosely spaced coils which extend between respective ones of the first and second contacts, said loosely spaced coils extending between said contact ends and being compliant for conforming to movement of respective ones of the first contacts relative to the second contacts;
• and
• a plurality of contact tangs extending interiorly within respective ones of said coil spring contacts and through at least part of respective ones of active portions of said loosely spaced coils, wherein each of said contact tangs have at least one moveable end which is slidably moveable relative to at least one of said contact ends of a respective one of said coil spring contacts such that said contact tangs extend across said active portions of said loosely spaced coils which extend between the first and second contacts to define substantially lineal circuit paths which extend interiorly through said loosely spaced coils to electrically connect to respective ones of said contact ends and between respective ones of the first and second electrical contacts.

A test socket for receiving electronic components and electrically connecting first contacts of the components to respective ones of second contacts of test circuitry, the test socket comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of apertures, said apertures registering with the first contacts and extending between respective ones of the first and second contacts;
• a plurality of coil spring contacts disposed in respective ones of said apertures of said housing, said coil spring contacts having contact ends and loosely spaced coils which extend between respective ones of the first and second contacts, said loosely spaced coils extending between said contact ends and being compliant for conforming to movement of respective ones of the first contacts relative to the second contacts;
• and
• a plurality of contact tangs extending interiorly within respective ones of said coil spring contacts and through at least part of respective ones of said loosely spaced coils to define substantially lineal circuit paths which extend interiorly through said loosley spaced coils to electrically connect to respective ones of said contact ends and between respective ones of the first and second electrical contacts;
• and
• wherein said contact ends comprising close wound coils, such that adjacent coils directly contact to provide a substantially straight circuit path, and said contact tangs directly contacting respective ones of said close wound coils to define said lineal circuit paths between said first and second contacts.

A method for receiving electronic components in a test socket and electrically connecting first contacts of the components to respective ones of second contacts of test circuitry, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a housing having a plurality of apertures, the apertures registering with the first contacts and extending between respective ones of the first and second contacts;
• providing a plurality of coil spring contacts having contact ends and loosely spaced coils extending between the contact ends, the loosely spaced coils being compliant for conforming to movement of respective ones of the first contacts relative to the second contacts;
• and
• disposing the coil spring contacts in respective ones of the apertures of the housing, such that the loosely spaced coils extend between the contact ends;
• disposing a plurality of contact tangs to extend interiorly within respective ones of the coil spring contacts, through at least part of respective ones of the loosely spaced coils, such that the contact tangs each have at least one terminal end which is slidably moveable to at least one of the contact ends of a respective one of the coil springs to connect across an active portion of the loosely spaced coils of the respective one of the coils springs and define substantially lineal circuit paths which extend interiorly through the loosely spaced coils to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact;
• and
• placing the electronic component in the test socket with the first contacts of the component registering with respective ones of the apertures of the housing and electrically connecting to respective ones of the coil spring contacts, such that respective ones of the contact tangs connect the first contacts of the electronic component along substantially lineal circuit paths extending through the loose coils of respective ones of the coil spring contacts and to the second contacts.

A method for receiving electronic components in a test socket and electrically connecting first contacts of the components to respective ones of second contacts of test circuitry, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a housing having a plurality of apertures, the apertures registering with the first contacts and extending between respective ones of the first and second contacts;
• providing a plurality of coil spring contacts having contact ends and loosely spaced coils extending between the contact ends, the loosely spaced coils being compliant for conforming to movement of respective ones of the first contacts relative to the second contacts;
• disposing the coil spring contacts in respective ones of the apertures of the housing, such that the loosely spaced coils extend between the contact ends;
• disposing a plurality of contact tangs to extend interiorly within respective ones of the coil spring contacts, through at least part of respective ones of the loosely spaced coils, such that the contact tangs define substantially lineal circuit paths which extend interiorly through the loosely spaced coils to electrically connect the first contact to the second contact;
• placing the electronic component in the test socket with the first contacts of the component registering with respective ones of the apertures of the housing and electrically connecting to respective ones of the coil spring contacts, such that respective ones of the contact tangs connect the first contacts of the electronic component along substantially lineal circuit paths extending through the loose coils of respective ones of the coil spring contacts and to the second contacts;
• and
• providing the contact ends of the coil spring contact with close wound coils, such that adjacent coils directly contact to provide a substantially straight circuit path through the close wound coils, and wherein the contact tangs directly contact respective ones of the close wound coils to define the lineal circuit paths between the first and second contacts.

An apparatus for electrically connecting a first contact to a second contact, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having an aperture, said aperture extending between the first and second contacts;
• a coil spring contact disposed in said aperture, said coil spring contact having a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion, wherein at least said intermediate portion is defined by loosely spaced coils which extend between the first and second contacts, said loosely spaced coils having an active portion which is compliant for conforming to movement of the first contact relative to the second contact;
• and
• a contact tang extending interiorly within said coil spring contact and through at least part of said loosely spaced coils from said first end portion to said second end portion, wherein said contact tang has at least one moveable end which is slidably moveable relative a terminal end of said coil spring contact such that said contact tang extends across said active portion of said loosely spaced coils which extend between the first and second contacts to define a substantially lineal circuit path which extends interiorly through said active portion of said loosely spaced coils to electrically connect between the first and second contacts.