Patent ID: 7527502

Claim:
An electrical contact assembly comprising a plurality of torsion springs supported in parallel upon a mandrel, the mandrel formed from a structurally rigid conductor having spring washers positioned at a first end and a second end of the mandrel and comprising alternating annular ridges and annular troughs that are sized and shaped to receive a wound section of the torsion springs each of said plurality of torsion springs comprising: the wound section supported upon said mandrel; and the first free end and the second free end emerge from said wound section in a substantially inclined disposition relative to said mandrel; wherein the wound section comprises at least one and a half turns and the free ends of each of said plurality of torsion springs lies at an angle of about 30° to 75° relative to a horizontal plane of said electrical contact assembly, the free ends of each of said plurality of torsion springs are emergent in substantially adjacent planes off-set from one another along a longitudinal axis of said mandrel and the free ends of each of said plurality of torsion springs include an electrical interface portion comprising a crook in each free end so as to form a compound spring.