Patent ID: 7059919

Claim:
An electrical connector for power applications comprising: an insulative housing that defines a mating interface, a bottom surface, a contact reception cavity, and a heat dissipation orifice fluidly connected to the contact reception cavity; an electrical power contact positioned in the contact reception cavity of the insulative housing, the electrical power contact comprising a pair of opposed contact side walls and a medial space between the pair of opposed side walls; a pair of flexible beams that each extend from a respective one of said pair of opposed contact side walls and each define a beam width, wherein the beam width of the pair of flexible beams is perpendicular to the bottom surface of the insulative housing, each of the pair of flexible beams is widthwise tapered in a direction from which the pair of flexible beams extend, and the pair of flexible beams extend outwardly away from each other and inwardly toward each other; and a heat flow path defined between the pair of flexible beams when the beams are pressed together due to contact with a mating connector, wherein the heat flow path is perpendicular to the bottom surface and the heat flow path is unobstructed by either beam width of the pair of flexible beams.