Appeal No. 2002-0620
Application No. 08/921,943
BACKGROUND
Appellants’ invention is directed to a connector pin to be
press-fitted into a plated through hole of a printed circuit
board for making solder-free electrical connection. The pin has
an elastically deformable area to be inserted into the through
hole as the outer corners of each pin engages the inner walls of
the through hole. The deformable area includes a deformable
bridge or web which is positioned between two opposite parallel
beams (specification, page 5).
Representative independent claim 22 is reproduced as
follows:
22. A press-fit pin having an elastically deformable area
to be press-fitted in a plated through hole in a printed circuit
board, the press-fit pin comprising:
two generally parallel, opposite beams;
a deformable region extending perpendicular to said beams,
said deformable region having an upper surface and a lower
surface and said deformable region further having opposite ends
between said beams;
said upper surface of said deformable region joined to said
beams by two oblique sections extending outward and upward from
said opposite ends of said upper surface of said deformable
region; and
said lower surface of said deformable region joined to said
beams by reentrant sections formed at said opposite ends of said
lower surface of said deformable region, and opposite sidewalls
extending from said reentrant sections generally downward to be
contiguous with said opposite beams and whereby said opposite
sidewalls are generally parallel to each other.
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