Electrical contact

Abstract

An electrical contact formed from a plurality of interlaced and annealed wires by weaving or braiding the wires together to form a mesh, annealing the mesh, and cutting the annealed mesh so as to form a plurality of individual electrical contacts. A method for forming a precursor material for use in manufacturing an electrical contact is also provided that includes manipulating a plurality of wires so as to interlace the wires into a unitary structure. The unitary structure is then annealed. An electrical contact may then be formed from the precursor material by elastically rolling a portion of the unitary structure so as to form a tube, annealing the tube, and then cutting the unitary structure so as to release the tube thereby to form an electrical contact. An electrical contact may also be formed by folding a portion of the unitary structure so as to form one or more pleats, annealing the pleated unitary structure, and then cutting the pleated unitary structure so as to release one or more electrical contacts. The precursor material may also be formed by photo-etching a sheet of conductive material so as to form a mesh, and then annealing the mesh. A connector system may be formed including a housing defining a plurality of openings that are each filled with an electrical contact comprising a plurality of interlaced and annealed wires that have been previously either rolled or pleated.

1 .- 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A method for forming a precursor material for use in manufacturing an electrical contact comprising: 
 manipulating a plurality of wires so as to interlace said wires into a unitary structure; and    annealing said unitary structure.    
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein said unitary structure is rolled and cut so as to form at least one electrical contact.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein said unitary structure is pleated and cut so as to form a plurality of pleated electrical contacts.  
     
     
         24 . A method of forming an electrical contact comprising: 
 elastically manipulating a plurality of wires so as to interlace said wires into a unitary structure;    rolling a portion of said unitary structure so as to form a tube;    annealing said rolled unitary structure; and    cutting said unitary structure so as to release said tube thereby to form a first electrical contact.    
     
     
         25 . A method of forming an electrical contact according to  claim 22  wherein said rolling of a portion of said unitary structure so as to form a tube and said cutting of said unitary structure so as to release said tube is repeated so as to form a plurality of electrical contacts.  
     
     
         26 . A method for forming a precursor material for use in manufacturing an electrical contact comprising: 
 photo-etching a sheet of conductive material so as to form a mesh    rolling a portion of said mesh so as to form a tube; and    annealing said rolled mesh.    
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 26  wherein said mesh is rolled and cut so as to form at least one electrical contact.  
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 26  wherein said mesh is pleated and cut so as to form a plurality of pleated electrical contacts.  
     
     
         29 . An electrical contact formed by the method of  claim 26 .  
     
     
         30 . An electrical contact according to  claim 29  having an array of different size openings defined between intersecting beams.  
     
     
         31 . An electrical contact formed by the method of  claim 24 .  
     
     
         32 . An electrical contact formed by the method of  claim 26  comprising a plurality of overlapping layers of wires.  
     
     
         33 .- 35 . (canceled)  
     
     
         36 . A method of forming an open-ended substantially cylindrical electrical contact comprising: (i) interlacing a plurality of conductors so as to form a continuous cylinder wherein said interlaced conductors only elastically engage one another so as to be substantially only elastically deformed, (ii) annealing said continuous cylinder so as to substantially eliminate said elastic engagement of said conductors; and (iii) cutting said annealed continuous cylindrical tube to form at least one open-ended cylinder.  
     
     
         37 . A method of forming an open-ended substantially cylindrical electrical contact comprising: (i) weaving a plurality of conductors so as to form a continuous cylinder having a longitudinal axis, wherein said woven conductors elastically engage one another so as to be substantially only elastically deformed, (ii) annealing said continuous cylinder so as to substantially eliminate said elastic engagement of said conductors, and iii) periodically transversely cutting said annealed continuous cylinder to form a plurality of open-ended cylinders, each having a longitudinal axis, such that longitudinal deflection of said electrical contact results in substantially only elastic deformation of said plurality of conductors.