FEMALE ELECTRICAL CONTACT PIN

1 . A female contact pin configured for use with a compliant pin system, the female contact pin comprising:

opposed contact beams separated by an opening, wherein said opposed contact beams are configured to be positioned within a plated thru hole, and wherein said opening closes when said opposed contact beams are positioned within the plated thru hole; and

spring-biased mating contacts surrounded by a protective box, wherein said spring-biased mating contacts are configured to receive and contact a mating post of a male contact pin.

2 . The female contact pin of claim 1 , wherein said opposed contact beams, said spring-biased mating contacts, and said protective box are integrally formed together from a single piece of material.

3 . The female contact pin of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of said single piece of material is 0.0125″.

4 . The female contact pin of claim 1 , wherein said opposed contact beams are formed through overlapping legs.

5 . The female contact pin of claim 4 , wherein a thickness of said opposed contact beams is 0.025″.

6 . The female contact pin of claim 1 , wherein said protective box is formed from a planar wall being folded around said spring-biased mating contacts.

7 . The female contact pin of claim 6 , wherein said planar wall comprises at least one tab and at least one reciprocal notch configured to receive said at least one tab.

8 . A method of forming a female contact pin configured for use with a compliant pin system, the method comprising:

integrally forming first and second legs and a planar wall from a single piece of material, wherein each of said first and second legs comprises opposed contact beam members having an opening formed therebetween;

bending first and second mating contact members over the planar wall;

folding the first and second legs onto one another to form opposed contact beams, wherein the openings of each of the first and second legs are aligned with one another; and

shaping the planar wall to form a protective box around the mating contacts.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the single piece of material has a thickness of 0.0125″.

10 . The method of claim 8 , where a thickness of the opposed contact beams is 0.025″ after said folding.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said shaping the planar wall comprises mating at least one tab of the planar wall with at least one notch of the planar wall.

12 . A female contact pin configured for use with a compliant pin system, the female contact pin comprising:

overlapping legs that define opposed contact beams separated by an eye of the needle opening, wherein said opposed contact beams are configured to be received and retained within a plated thru hole; and

spring-biased mating contacts surrounded by a protective box, wherein said spring-biased mating contacts are configured to electrically connect to a mating post of a male contact pin.

13 . The female contact pin of claim 12 , wherein said opening closes when said opposed contact beams are positioned within the plated thru hole.

14 . The female contact pin of claim 12 , wherein said opposed contact beams, said spring-biased mating contacts, and said protective box are integrally formed together from a single piece of material.

15 . The female contact pin of claim 14 , wherein a thickness of said single piece of material is 0.0125″.

16 . The female contact pin of claim 14 , wherein a thickness of said overlapping legs is 0.025″.

17 . The female contact pin of claim 14 , wherein said protective box is formed from a planar wall being folded around said spring-biased mating contacts.

18 . The female contact pin of claim 17 , wherein said planar wall comprises at least one tab and at least one reciprocal notch configured to receive said at least one tab.