Electrical contact and connector and method of manufacture

Abstract

An electrical contact ( 2 ) and method of making the electrical contact ( 2 ), and a connector ( 11 ) and method making the connector ( 11 ), wherein the electrical contact ( 2 ) is an electrically conducting, nonwoven mesh ( 60 ), with edges of the mesh providing multiple contact points for edgewise electrical connection of the electrical contact ( 2 ), wherein the mesh ( 60 ) is annealed while restrained in the form of the electrical contact ( 2 ) wherein the mesh ( 60 ) is free of internal elastic strain, and wherein the connector ( 11 ) retains the electrical contact ( 2 ) for edgewise connection.

1 .- 13 . (canceled)  
   
   
       14 . A method of making an electrical contact comprising: 
 forming a conducting nonwoven mesh to the shape of at least one electrical contact for edgewise electrical connection; and    annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh in the form of said at least one electrical contact.    
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: compressing the electrical contact to restore a portion of a yield strength lost due to annealing.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh to form a plurality of pleats.  
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh to form of a plurality of pleats; compacting the mesh; and    annealing the mesh while compacting the mesh to form a compact electrical contact.    
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh to form a plurality of folded pleats.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh in a cage structure.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh in a square cage structure.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh in a tube structure.  
   
   
       22 .- 35 . (canceled)  
   
   
       36 . A method of making an electrical connector, comprising: 
 annealing while restraining an electrically conducting nonwoven mesh in the form of one or more electrical contacts for edgewise electrical connection, wherein edges of the mesh provide multiple electrical contact points; and    retaining each electrical contact in a carrier.    
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: annealing while restraining each of the one or more electrical contacts to form each of said contacts into an annealed compact electrical contact.  
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: applying highly conductive and noble metal on the edges of the mesh.  
   
   
       39 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: annealing the mesh while constraining the mesh in a cage structure of the one or more electrical contacts.  
   
   
       40 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein retaining each electrical contact in a carrier further comprises, retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding opening in the carrier.  
   
   
       41 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein retaining each electrical contact in a carrier further comprises, retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding blind opening of the carrier, wherein a first end of the electrical contact is positioned above a surface of the carrier and a second end of the electrical contact is in the corresponding blind opening.  
   
   
       42 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 forming a corresponding blind opening in the carrier for each electrical contact; and    retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding blind opening.    
   
   
       43 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 forming a corresponding blind hole in the carrier for each electrical contact;    forming a substantially planar bottom surface on the carrier; and    retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding blind opening.    
   
   
       44 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 forming a corresponding blind hole in the carrier for each electrical contact;    forming a substantially planar bottom surface on the carrier by CMP; and    retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding blind opening.    
   
   
       45 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 forming a corresponding blind hole in the carrier for each electrical contact;    machining a substantially planar bottom surface on the carrier; and    retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding blind opening.    
   
   
       46 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 forming a corresponding retention hole in the carrier for each electrical contact; and    retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding retention hole by an adhesive in the corresponding retention hole.    
   
   
       47 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 forming a corresponding retention hole in the carrier for each electrical contact; and    retaining each electrical contact in a corresponding retention hole by one or more protrusions in the corresponding retention hole.    
   
   
       48 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 forming a corresponding retention hole in the carrier for each electrical contact; and    retaining each electrical contact by elastic expansion of the electrical contact while under constriction in a corresponding retention hole.    
   
   
       49 . The method according to  claim 36 , annealing while constraining the mesh in the form of a plurality of pleats for each electrical contact.  
   
   
       50 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: annealing while restraining the mesh in the form of a plurality of folded pleats for each electrical contact.  
   
   
       51 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising: annealing while restraining the mesh in the form of a plurality of unfolded pleats for each electrical contact.