Cylindrical socket contact

Claim 1

A cylindrical stamped and formed contact socket which is intended to receive a contact pin, the socket having an open pin-receiving end and an inner end, the inside diameter of the socket being substantially equal to, and greater than, the diameter of the pin, the socket being characterized in that: the socket has a first circumferentially continuous ring at the pin-receiving end, a second circumferentially continuous ring at the inner end, and an axially extending seam which extends from the pin-receiving end to the inner end, an intermediate portion of the socket which is between the first and second rings comprises an even number plurality of at least four substantially identical beams which have ends that are integral with the first and second rings, the beams being at equally spaced angular intervals around the axis of the socket so that a plurality of pairs of diametrically opposed beams are provided, each of the beams having a contact boss which projects inwardly towards the axis of the socket, the bosses on each pair of opposed beams being aligned with respect to the axis of the socket, the minimum distance between the surfaces of the bosses being substantially equal to, and less than, the diameter of the contact pin, the associated pairs of beams having their bosses spaced from the first ring at increasing distances, the pin-receiving end being outwardly flared and a cylindrical supporting sleeve is mounted on the socket in surrounding relationship thereto, the supporting sleeve being between the pin-receiving end and the inner end whereby, during insertion of the pin into the socket, the bosses on the associated pairs of beams are sequentially encountered by the pin and the beams are sequentially deflected, and after the pin is fully inserted it will be in contact with the socket at a plurality of equally spaced intervals along its axis and around its circumference.