International Business Machines Corporation

Steven R Herard

James D Herard

A socket for use within a circuit board's conductive opening, e.g., plated-thru-hole, to frictionally engage the opening's internal surface(s) and thereby retain the socket within the opening without the need for solder or the like material. The socket includes a first plurality, e.g., three, of resilient members to achieve said frictional engagement with the opening's surface(s) and a second plurality of resilient members to frictionally engage a conductive pin which is inserted within the socket to thereby become electrically connected thereto. The force exerted by the resilient members against the opening's internal surface(s) exceeds that exerted by the other resilient members against the conductive pin to thereby assure retention of the socket during pin insertion and withdrawal. A connector assembly using such a socket is also defined herein. The socket is preferably of tubular metallic material, e.g., beryllium-copper.

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Owego, NY, United States of America

Steven R Herard