Patent ID: 7008272

Claim:
A compliant pin adapted to be pressed into a through-hole of a printed circuit board and have electrical contact with opposing surfaces of a side wall of the through-hole, said compliant pin comprising: a portion insertable in the through-hole, said portion comprising spaced deflectable beam portions, each beam portion including an interface portion having a cylindrical outer surface, said outer surfaces of said interface portions being spaced apart a distance greater than the spacing of the opposing surfaces of the side wall, said outer surfaces of said interface portions engaging the side wall and said beam portions deflecting toward each other when said portion is inserted in the through-hole, said interface portions frictionally engaging the side wall and providing a retention force for retaining said portion in the through-hole; said portion comprising an opening extending through said portion and defining inner surfaces of said beam portions, said inner surfaces consisting essentially of a plurality of blended cylindrical surfaces free from flat surfaces; said interface portions each including a cylindrical inner surface comprising a portion of said inner surface of its respective beam portion, said inner surface and outer surface of each interface portion being convex and facing away from each other and free from flat surfaces, said interface portions having a cross-sectional area that is greater than a cross-sectional area of a reminder of said beam portions.