(19)
(11) EP 0 840 400 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
30.06.1999 Bulletin 1999/26

(43) Date of publication A2:
06.05.1998 Bulletin 1998/19

(21) Application number: 97308867.7

(22) Date of filing: 05.11.1997
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: H01R 13/35
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 05.11.1996 US 744110

(71) Applicant: VLT CORPORATION
San Antonio, Texas 78230 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Nowak, Scott W.
    Londonderry, New Hampshire 03053 (US)
  • Skoolicas, Charles S.
    Nashua, New Hampshire 03063 (US)
  • Finnemore, Fred M.
    Jefferson, Maine 04348 (US)
  • Keay, Gary C.
    Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054 (US)

(74) Representative: Deans, Michael John Percy et al
Lloyd Wise, Tregear & Co., Commonwealth House, 1-19 New Oxford Street
London WC1A 1LW
London WC1A 1LW (GB)

   


(54) Socket contact


(57) A connector for a pin includes a support ring, and a contact ring of fingers that are (i) connected to and integrally formed with the support ring, (ii) held in a space within the support ring, (iii) define a channel within the contact ring for receiving the pin, (iv) are resilient with respect to the outer support to apply radially inward forces on the pin, and (v) have a curved inner profile to increase the surface area in contact with the pin. A resilient element may be placed in the space between the support ring and contact ring.
An adapter is described employing such connectors. Also disclosed is apparatus for use with a pin and a printed circuit board, the apparatus having a frame configured to mount on a surface of the printed circuit board and connectors mounted on the frame.






Search report