Connectors

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A CONNECTOR BODY PART HAVING A PASSAGE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BODY PART FROM TOP TO BOTTOM SAID PASSAGE HAVING VARYING WIDTH AND BEING LARGER NEAR THE TOP THEREOF AND HAVING A RECESSED PORTION TO RECEIVE THE MALE CONTACT ELEMENT OF THE MATING CONNECTOR AT ONE SIDE OF THE VARIABLE WIDTH SECTION OF THE PASSAGE, A CONTACT MEMBER MOUNTED IN THE PASSAGE IN SAID CONNECTOR BODY AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE BOTTOM THEREOF TO PROVIDE A TERMINAL PORTION, SAID CONTACT MEMBER BEING FORMED BY FOLDING A STRIP OF METAL BACK UPON ITSELF TO DEFINE AN UPPER OPENLOOP PORTION WHERE IT IS ENGAGED BY THE CONTACT OF THE MATING CONNECTOR IN THE RECESSED PORTION OF SAID BODY PART AND A LOWER TERMINAL PORTION WHERE THE ENDS OF THE SAID STRIP TOUCH WHEN THE STRIP IS FOLDED, THE WIDTH OF THE OPEN-LOOP PORTION OF THE CONTACT MEMBER BEING LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID PASSAGE AT THE POINT WHERE THE CONTACT MEMBER IS MOUNTED IN SAID PASSAGE TO PERMIT DEFLECTION OF THE CONTACT MEMBER WHEN IT IS ENGAGED BY THE CONTACT TO THE MATING CONNECTOR, ONE SIDE OF THE OPEN-LOOP PORTION OF THE CONTACT MEMBER OPPOSITE THE RECESSED PORTION OF THE BODY PART BEING BENT TO PROVIDE A PROTUBERANCE ENGAGING THE WALL OF SAID PASSAGE OVER A SMALL AREA TO ACT AS A FULCRUM FOR THE UPPER PART OF THE CONTACT MEMBER WHICH IS DEFLECTED UPON INSERTION OF THE MATING CONNECTOR CONTACT, THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID OPENLOOP PORTION OF THE CONTACT MEMBER HAVING A CONVEX PORTION ENGAGING THE SIDE OF SAID PASSAGE AT THE NARROW END THEREOF TO PREVENT DOWNWARD DISPLACEMENT OF THE CONTACT MEMBER IN SAID CONNECTOR BODY PART.