Patent ID: 8398440

Claim:
A method to reduce arcing between mounting terminals of power contacts, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a first electrical contact that defines a mating end and an opposed plurality of mounting terminals that are arranged in first and second columns that are elongate in a longitudinal direction and are disposed laterally adjacent to each other, such that no mounting terminals are disposed laterally between the first and second adjacent columns of the first electrical contact; identifying a second electrical contact that defines a mating end and an opposed plurality of mounting terminals that are arranged in first and second columns that are elongate in a longitudinal direction and are disposed laterally adjacent to each other, such that no mounting terminals are disposed laterally between the first and second adjacent columns of the second electrical contact, wherein when the first and second electrical contacts are supported by an electrically insulative connector housing, a select mounting terminal of a select one of the first columns of the first and second electrical contacts is aligned in the lateral direction with at least one of the mounting terminals of the other of the first and second electrical contacts; and eliminating at least one of the mounting terminals of at least one of the second columns such that the select mounting terminal is longitudinally offset with respect to all mounting terminals of the at least one of the second columns when the first and second electrical contacts are supported by the connector housing.