Electrical contact

A compliant pin adapted to be pressed into a through-hole of a printed circuit board and have electrical contact with opposing surfaces of a side wall of the through-hole, said compliant pin comprising:

• a portion insertable in the through-hole, said portion comprising spaced deflectable beam portions, each beam portion including an interface portion having a cylindrical outer surface, said outer surfaces of said interface portions being spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing of the opposing surfaces of the side wall, said outer surfaces engaging the side wall and said beam portions deflecting toward each other when said portion is inserted in the through-hole, said interface portions frictionally engaging the side wall and providing a retention force for retaining said portion in the through-hole;
• said portion comprising an opening extending through said portion and defining inner surfaces of said beam portions, said inner surfaces consisting essentially of a plurality of blended cylindrical surfaces free from flat surfaces;
• said interface portions each including a cylindrical inner surface comprising a portion of said inner surface of its respective beam portion, said inner surface and outer surface of each interface portion being convex and facing away from each other and being free from flat surfaces, said interface portions having a cross-sectional area that is greater than a cross-sectional area of a reminder of said beam portions;
• and
• wherein said compliant pin extends completely through said through hole.

A compliant pin adapted to be pressed into a through-hole of a printed circuit board and have electrical contact with opposing surfaces of a side wall of the through-hole, said compliant pin comprising:

• a portion insertable in the through-hole;
• an opening extending through said portion, said opening defining a surface consisting essentially of a plurality of blended cylindrical surfaces free from flat surfaces;
• and
• spaced deflectable beam portions at least partially defined by said opening, each beam portion comprising an interface portion with an outer surface that extends the length of said interface portion and an opposite inner surface that extends the length of said interface portion, said outer and inner surfaces of said interface portions each being cylindrical, free from flat surfaces and convex, said outer surfaces facing away from each other, said outer surface and said inner surface of each interface portion facing away from each other;
• said outer surfaces being spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing of the opposing surfaces of the side wall and engaging the side wall causing said beam portions to deflect toward each other when said portion is inserted in the through-hole, said outer surfaces frictionally engaging the side wall and providing a retention force for retaining said portion in the through-hole.