Patent 7938697 was granted and assigned to Molex on May, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A terminal (51) utilizes a torsional spring as its contact portion. The terminal is formed form a plate of sheet metal and first (52), second (53) and third (54) members are defined by two spaced apart slits formed in the plate. The members are formed in circular arcs and the first member has a free end that is extended out and away from of the arc and bent into a general U-shape to define the contact portion. The remainder of the plate serves as a base portion (57) for attaching the terminal to a connector or circuit board.