Patent ID: 7156705

Claim:
An electrical connector for use between two devices having conductive regions between which an electrical connection is to be formed, said electrical connection comprising a housing including a passage therethrough a one-piece conductive element of an elongate conductive material disposed within said passage, said conductive element formed to define: an upper contact region and a lower contact region for engagement to an upper said device and a lower said device respectively, a location region connecting between the upper and the lower contact regions which secures said conductive element to said housing, a beam region including a first end and a second end, wherein the beam region extends from the first end proximate the location region towards the second end proximate the upper contact region, wherein said beam region is resiliently deflected on engagement of said upper device to displace said upper contact region from a first position wherein said beam region is in an undeflected state, to a second position wherein said upper device is positioned for use having said upper contact region pressed thereto and wherein said upper contact region is biased towards said first position by said beam region after the beam region is deflected, a fulcrum providing region positioned between the first end and the location region to be engaged with said beam region at a region of the beam region between said first end and said upper contact region during engagement of said upper device prior to said upper contact region reaching said second position, and wherein during engagement of said upper device to said upper contact region the upper contact region is at least partially deflected in a general direction towards said free end after said beam region contacts said fulcrum providing region, wherein said conductive element further defines a spring region between said location region and said beam region, and wherein said conductive element further provides an increase in the rate of change of biasing force when said beam region becomes engaged with said fulcrum providing region.