Field of invention

The present invention relates to PCB termination connectors, in particular to PCB termination connectors which are mountable on a PCB without the use of solder.

Background

Board-to-board and cable-to-board connections are achieved using termination connectors which rely on at least one half of a mating pair being electrically mounted to a surface of a PCB. A PCB termination connector, at a minimum, comprises an electrical contact which is electrically mounted to the PCB. The electrical contact mounted on the PCB may comprise a contact section which is a male contact pin for engaging with a corresponding female contact socket on the other half of the mating pair, or a female contact socket for receiving the male contact pin on the other half of the mating pair. Some termination connectors may comprise multiple electrical contacts which may be held together by a housing. Where there are multiple electrical contacts, a mixture of electrical contacts comprising male contact sections and female contact sections may be utilised within the same half of the mating pair.

A variety of mounting methods may be used to mount an electrical contact of a PCB termination connector to a surface of the PCB. Known methods include Through-hole Technology (THT) and wave soldering, Pin-In-Paste (PIP) or Through-Hole Reflow (THR), and Surface Mount Technology (SMT). These methods usually involve connecting the electrical contact with the use of solder, either by inserting a portion of the electrical contact through a through-hole of the PCB and applying solder to secure the electrical contact via the underside of the PCB, or by placing the electrical contact on a surface of the PCB soldering the contact to that surface of the PCB. One problem with these methods is that they are not suited for high temperature environments, for example at temperature of 200 degrees Celsius or higher. This is due to the solder not being able to withstand these temperatures which are past the melting point of the solder.

Other known methods include Press-Fit Terminations where there is no solder required. The contact comprises a compliant section, which is inserted into a through hole on the PCB. The compliant section will collapse slightly, but still retain enough spring-force to maintain a gas-tight joint against the through-hole. One problem with this type of mounting of the contact is that force is required to push the contact into the through-hole, which often requires specialist insertion tooling. Furthermore, forcing the contact through the through-hole may lead to damage of the through-hole such as the scraping of the through-hole. This could lead to debris and delamination of the PCB layup, which may then lead to short circuits.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a PCB termination connector configured to be mounted onto a PCB. The PCB termination connector comprises an electrical contact, wherein the electrical contact comprises a contact section and a tail section for insertion through a through-hole of the PCB. The tail section is configured to deform upon insertion of a deforming member into the tail section such that a dimension of the tail section is configured to increase.

To facilitate the insertion of the deforming member, the tail section may comprise an open end. The electrical contact may comprise a hollow cavity comprising a wall configured to receive the deforming member via the open end of the tail section. Optionally, the wall of the hollow cavity is in a threaded or smooth configuration.

Upon insertion of the deforming member, a ribbed portion located on the tail section, and a flared portion located on the tail section, may configured to deform radially outwards such that a cross sectional diameter of the ribbed portion and a cross sectional diameter of the flared portion are configured to increase. Optionally, the ribbed portion and the flared portion extend around the entire circumference of the tail section. The deformed ribbed portion may be configured to provide an electrically secure connection with the through hole of the PCB, and the deformed flared portion may be configured to provide a mechanically secure connection to prevent the electrical contact from being removed from the PCB.

The tail section may comprise one or more slots configured to divide the tail section into one or more contact fingers. The slots may be configured to allow the contact fingers to non-permanently deform radially outwards. In some cases, the electrical contact may further comprise a stabilising means configured to prevent the electrical contact from being pushed out of the PCB in the direction of insertion of the tail section into the PCB. The stabilising means is also configured to prevent the electrical contact from being moved in a lateral direction once mounted on the PCB.

In some cases, the electrical contact may further comprise a body section configured to prevent the electrical contact from being pushed out of the PCB in the direction of insertion of the tail section into the PCB. The body section may also configured to prevent the electrical contact from being moved in a lateral direction once mounted on the PCB.

In some cases, the electrical contact may further comprise a housing attached to at least a portion of the electrical contact. A face of the housing normal to the PCB surface on which the termination connector is mounted to is configured to connect flush to the surface of the housing to prevent the electrical contact from being moved in a lateral direction once mounted on the PCB. Furthermore, the housing may provide a wall of protection to the electrical contact within the housing. Optionally, the electrical contact may comprise a body section, and the housing may be attached to at least a portion of the body section. The body section can a greater surface area for the housing to be attached to in addition to preventing the electrical contact from being moved in a lateral direction once mounted on the PCB. Optionally, the electrical contact may comprise a stabilising means, and the housing may be attached to at least a portion of the electrical contact. The stabilising means can provide a greater surface area for the housing to be attached to in addition to preventing the electrical contact from being moved in a lateral direction once mounted on the PCB. Optionally, the electrical contact may comprise a stabilising means and a body section, and the housing may be attached to at least a portion of the body section and an upper face of the stabilising means. Both the body section and the stabilising means can provide a greater combined surface area for the housing to be attached to.

In some cases, a plurality of electrical contacts may be used.

The deforming member may comprise at least a head and a body, wherein the head is attached to a first end of the body. Optionally, the deforming is configured to be in a tapered shape, and wherein the body is further configured to be threaded or smooth to correspond with the threaded or smooth wall of the hollow cavity of the electrical contact.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a system comprising the PCB termination connector and a PCB comprising at least one through-hole.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a method of connecting the PCB termination connector to a PCB. The method comprises inserting the tail section of the electrical contact through a through hole of the PCB and inserting a deforming member into the tail section of the electrical contact to deform the tail section such that the deformation prevents the electrical contact from being removed from the through-hole of the PCB. The deforming member is inserted into an open end of the tail section through to a hollow cavity of the electrical contact to deform the tail section by expanding the tail section radially outwards such that a dimension of the tail section exceeds a diameter of the through hole of the PCB.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1a shows a perspective view of a PCB termination connector comprising an electrical contract 100 in accordance with a first embodiment;

Figure 1b shows a perspective view of a tail section 120 of the electrical contract 100 in accordance with the first embodiment;

Figure 2a shows a cross sectional view of an electrical contract 100 mounted on a PCB in accordance with the first embodiment; Figure 2b shows a cross sectional view of a deformation of the electrical contract 100 upon insertion of the deforming member 160 in accordance with a first embodiment;

Figure 3 shows a cross sectional view of a housing 310 attached to the electrical contract 100 in accordance with the first embodiment;

Figure 4a shows a perspective view of a PCB termination connector comprising an electrical contract 200 in accordance with a second embodiment;

Figure 4b shows a perspective view of a tail section 220 of the electrical contract 200 in accordance with the second embodiment;

Figure 5a shows a cross sectional view of an electrical contract 200 mounted on a PCB in accordance with the second embodiment;

Figure 5b shows a cross sectional view of a deformation of the electrical contract 200 upon insertion of a deforming member 160 in accordance with the second embodiment;

Figure 6a shows a cross sectional view of a housing 610 attached to the electrical contract 200 in accordance with the second embodiment;

Figure 6b shows a perspective view of the housing 610 attached to the electrical contract 200 in accordance with the second embodiment;

Figure 7 shows a cross sectional view of a PCB termination connector comprising a housing 610 attached to an electrical contract 200 mounted to a PCB in accordance with a second embodiment in accordance with the second embodiment; Figure 8 shows a cross sectional view of a PCB termination connector comprising a plurality of electrical contacts 200 mounted to a PCB in accordance with a third embodiment;

Figure 9 shows a flow diagram of a method 900 of connecting a PCB termination connector to a PCB.

Detailed Description of Embodiments

A PCB termination connector comprising an electrical contact according to the first embodiment will now be described with reference to figures 1 a - 3, and with reference to the three dimensional Cartesian coordinate system as shown figures 1a and 2a. Electrical contact 100 will be described herein in terms of a contact section 110, a tail section 120, and hollow cavity 150. In some examples, the electrical contact 100 is a miniature contact. Miniature contacts are of a size that can be used with PCBs and other electrical connects or connectors. In this embodiment, the total longitudinal length in the positive z direction of the electrical contact may be about 11 mm. It will be appreciated that the dimensions disclosed herein are merely given as an example and the present disclosure is not limited to such dimensions or combination of dimensions.

Preferably electrical contact 100 is formed of electrically conductive material such as beryllium copper, but other suitable materials known to the skilled person may be used. In an embodiment electrical contact 100 may comprise multiple electrically conductive materials. For example, different sections of the electrical contact 100 may be formed of a different type of electrically conductive material, wherein each electrically conductive material may have other properties such as a higher level of elasticity. In another embodiment, electrical contact 100 may comprise a mixture of electrically conductive and non-electrically conductive materials. In this embodiment, a portion of the electrical contact 100 may be formed of a material such as brass which would provide increased wear resistance whilst another portion may be formed of a material such as copper, copper alloy or aluminium for increased elasticity.

Figure 1a shows a perspective view of a PCB termination connector comprising an electrical contact 100. Referring to figure 1a, electrical contact 100 comprises a contact section 110 that is configured to engage with a corresponding contact section of an external electrical contact (not shown). Referring to figure 2a, contact section 110 comprises an upper portion UP, a central portion CP, and a lower portion LP. Figure 2a depicts the upper portion UP, central portion CP, and lower portion LP as being equal in longitudinal length in the positive z direction, however this is merely for the purpose of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to these portions of the electrical contact 100 being equal in length.

In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a miniature-contact type electrical contact, the contact section 110 may have a longitudinal length in the positive z direction of about 7 mm.

In an embodiment, when the electrical contact 100 is a male electrical contact, the contact portion 110 may be pin shaped. In this embodiment, the upper portion UP of the contact section 110 may extend to a point to engage with, by being inserted into, a corresponding female contact socket of an external electrical contact (not shown).

In an alternative embodiment, when the electrical contact 100 is a female electrical contact, the contact portion 110 may be shaped in a socket shape configured to receive a corresponding male contact pin. In this alternative embodiment, the upper portion UP of the contact section 110 may be substantially barrel-shaped, with an open end at the uppermost part of the upper portion UP, providing access to a hollow section (not shown). The hollow section may be configured to begin at the open end at the uppermost part of the upper portion UP, through to at least the lowermost part of the upper portion UP in the negative z direction, to be able to receive a corresponding male contact pin of an external electrical contact. In an embodiment, the hollow section may be configured to extend into a portion of the central portion CP in the negative z direction.

For simplicity, the contact section 110 of the electrical contact 100 is shown in figure 1a - 3 as a male contact pin, however, as explained above, the contact section 110 is not limited to a male contact pin, and may be a female contact socket. Contact section 110 in figure 1a is depicted as comprising a substantially cylindrical configuration, however it is not limited to a cylindrical configuration and other suitable shapes may be used. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a miniature-contact type electrical contact, and the contact section 110 has a substantially cylindrical configuration, the contact section 110 may have a cross sectional diameter in the x-y plane of about 2.75 mm. In an alternative embodiment, as well the contact section being a male contact section, it may further be configured to have a cuboidal shape. In this embodiment, the corresponding female electrical contact may be configured to have a cuboidal hollow section to receive the cuboidal contact section.

Electrical contact 100 further comprises a tail section 120 configured to be inserted through a through-hole of a PCB 105. The tail section 120 can interact with a deforming member 160 and is configured such that it can be inserted into a PCB through hole in a first direction but prevented from being removed in a second direction opposite to the first direction, preferably when the deforming member is received and in a coupled position in the tail section 120. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a miniature electrical contact, the tail section 120 may have a longitudinal length in the positive z direction of about 3 mm.

Tail section 120 comprises a barrel-shaped configuration with a circular cross sectional area in the x-y plane, suitable for insertion into a corresponding circular through-hole of the PCB. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a micro-contact type electrical contact, and the tail section 120 comprises a barrel-shaped configuration with a circular cross sectional area in the x-y plane, the tail section 120 may have a cross sectional diameter in the x-y plane of about 3.75 mm. It is readily known that the through-hole of a PCB is not limited to a circular shape, and as such, the tail-section 120 is not limited to a barrel-shaped configuration with a circular cross sectional area in the x-y plane and other suitable shapes which correspond to the shape of the through-hole of a PCB may be used. In an embodiment, the configuration of the tail section 120 may not need to correspond with the shape of the through-hole of the PCB. For example, tail section 120 may comprise a triangular prism configuration with a triangular cross sectional area in the x-y plane which would still be suitable for insertion into a circular through-hole of the PCB.

Tail section 120 comprises an open end 121 configured to facilitate insertion of a deforming member 160. In an embodiment, the deforming member 160 may comprise at least a head and a body, wherein the head is attached to a first end of the body. In one example, the deforming member 160 is a rigid structure such as a screw. The deforming member is capable of causing deformation of another device that it interacts with (through insertion, for example). The head may comprise a driving section configured to be engaged by a driving means to assist with insertion or removal of the deforming member 160 from the tail section of the electrical contact. By way of example, the driving means may be a screw driver, or an Allen key (also known as a hex key). The body may be threaded, such that rotation of the driving means upon engagement of the driving tool is configured to drive the body in a forward direction (and into a hollow cavity 150 of the electrical contact 100 as explained further below). In an embodiment, the body of the deforming member 160 may not be threaded, and may be configured to be driven by another form of driving means such as, by way of example, a hammer. In another embodiment, the body of the deforming member may be configured to incrementally taper radially outwards in the x-y plane in the negative z direction. In this embodiment, an angle of the body of the deforming member 160 may be chosen so that the turning force required to screw the deforming member into the tail section is minimised. For example, the angle may be a shallow angle, which is less than 45 degrees to the central longitudinal axis of the deforming member160. If the body of the deforming member 160 is threaded and tapered in this angle, the turning force required to screw in the deforming member 160 is reduced.

Referring to figures 1b - 2b, the open end 121 is configured to provide access to a hollow cavity 150 of the electrical contact 100 within which the deforming member 160 is configured to be received. The hollow cavity 150 is configured to extend internally through the length of the electrical contact 100 in the z direction and along a central longitudinal axis of the contact 100, starting from the open end 121 of the tail section 120 and ending on or near the central portion CP or lower portion LP of the contact section 110 of the electrical contact 100 in the positive z direction. The extent to which the hollow cavity 150 extends internally through the length of the electrical contact 100 depends on whether the electrical contact 100 is a male orfemale electrical contact. The extent of the hollow cavity 150 may also vary depending on the size of the electrical contact 100, and also on the size of the deforming member 160. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a male electrical contact, the hollow cavity may be configured to extend in the positive z direction through to at least a substantial portion of the central portion CP of the contact section 110. In another embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a female electrical contact, the hollow cavity 150 may be configured to extend up to the uppermost portion of the lower portion LP, or only extend up to a lower portion of the central portion CP (as shown in figure 2a). In a further embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a female electrical contact, the hollow cavity 150 may be configured to extend internally all the way through the electrical contact 100 to meet with the hollow section forming the female socket of the contact section 110. In this embodiment, the electrical contact 100 is configured to be entirely hollow such that the open end 121 of the tail section 120 and the open end of the upper portion UP are connected via an extended hollow cavity 150. The hollow cavity 150 may be configured to extend internally through the electrical contact 100 at various extents based on the use of the electrical contact, and is not limited to the above mentioned configurations.

Referring to figures 1a - 2a, the hollow cavity 150 comprises a wall 151. The wall 151 is configured to surround the hollow cavity and is formed of the internal surface of the tail section 120 and at least a portion of the internal surface of the contact section 110. In an embodiment, the wall 151 of the hollow cavity 150 may be configured to have a threaded surface to receive a corresponding deforming member 160 with a threaded body. In this embodiment, the rotation of the deforming member 160, once inserted into the open end 121 of the tail section 120, is configured to drive the deforming memberthrough the hollow cavity 150. In another embodiment, the wall 151 of the hollow cavity 150 may be configured to have a smooth surface to receive a corresponding deforming member 160 with a smooth body section. In this embodiment, the deforming member may be configured to be driven into the hollow cavity 150 using exclusively a forward driving force in the positive z direction.

Referring back to figures 1a and 1 b, the tail section 120 further comprises a ribbed portion 122 configured to create a contact point to contact a wall of the through-hole of the PCB. Ribbed portion 122 is formed of a convex ring that protrudes radially outwards from the external surface of the tail section 120 following the x-y plane, and is located on or near an upper area UA of the tail section 120. The upper area UA comprises the volume and surface area from a central point to the uppermost point of the tail section 120 in the z axis. Referring to figure 2b, the ribbed portion 122 is configured to form a cross sectional diameter r of the ribbed portion 122, in the x- z plane, within the tail section 120. The cross sectional diameter r of the ribbed portion 122 extends between the outermost points of the flared portion in the x-y plane. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a miniature electrical contact, and the tail section 120 comprises a barrel-shaped configuration with a circular cross sectional area in the x-y plane, the cross sectional diameter r of the ribbed portion 122 may be about 3.75 mm. In figure 1 b, the ribbed portion 122 is depicted as a convex ring which is configured to extend around the entire circumference of the tail section 120 on or near the upper area UA. However, the ribbed portion is not limited to this configuration, and the shape and extent to which the ribbed portion 122 is to extend around the tail section may vary based on the use of the electrical contact 100. In an alternative embodiment, the ribbed portion may be formed of a plurality of convex studs which are configured to be placed around the circumference of the tail section 120. In another embodiment, where the tail section 120 is another shape such as a triangular prism, the ribbed portion may be configured to extend along the perimeter of the tail section 120 within the upper area UA.

The tail section 120 comprises a flared portion 123 configured to prevent removal of the electrical contact 100 in the opposite direction to the direction of insertion of the tail section 120 through the through-hole of the PCB when a deforming member is in position in the tail section. Flared portion 123 is configured to incrementally taper radially outwards relative to the central longitudinal axis of the tail section 120 in the x-y plane in the negative z direction. Flared portion 123 is located on or near a lower area LA of the tail section 120. The lower area LA comprises the volume and surface area from the middle to the open end 121 of the tail section 120 in the z axis. Referring to figure 2b, the flared portion 123 has a cross sectional diameter f, in the x-z plane, within the tail section 120. The cross sectional diameter f of the flared portion 123 may extend between the outermost points of the flared portion in the x-y plane. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a miniature type electrical contact, and the tail section 120 comprises a barrel-shaped configuration with a circular cross sectional area in the x-y plane, the cross sectional diameter f of the flared portion 123 may be about 3.75 mm.

Tail section 120 is configured to be inserted through a through-hole of PCB as shown in figure 2a. The tail section 120 as shown in figure 2a has been inserted through the through-hole in the negative z direction, however, the tail section 120 is not limited to being inserted in this direction, and the direction of insertion of the tail section 120 may depend on the type PCB used. For example, the PCB may be configured to allow components to be mounted on either face of the PCB, in which case, the direction of insertion may be through either side of the PCB in the positive or negative z direction. The insertion of the tail section 120 into the through-hole of the PCB is configured to be a clearance fit insertion such that no specialist insertion tools would be required for mounting the electrical contact to the PCB. Furthermore, by having a clearance fit, the tail section 120 of the electrical contact 100 is configured to be inserted with minimal force, thus preventing damage to the through-hole of the PCT. In an embodiment, the cross sectional diameters r and f are configured to be less than or equal to the diameter d of the through hole of the PCB to provide a clearance fit. In an alternative embodiment, where the through-hole of the PCB and/or the configuration of the tail section 120 is a different shape to the circular and barrel shaped configurations of figures 1a - 3, the relevant dimensions are configured to be based on the specific configuration used. For example, if the through-hole of the PCB were to be a circular configuration, and the tail section 120 were to have a cuboidal configuration with a square cross sectional area in the x-y plane, then the relevant dimensions of r and f would be the distance between the opposite facing corners of the square cross sectional area which would be configured to be less than or equal to the diameter d of the through-hole of the PCB.

Once the tail section 120 is inserted through the through-hole of the PCB, the deforming member 160 is inserted into the open end 121 of the tail section 120 and is configured to be received by the hollow cavity 150 of the electrical contact 100. As the deforming member 160 is received by the hollow cavity 150 via the open end 121 of the tail section 120, a dimension of the tail section 120 is configured to deform and expand outwards in a radial direction such that there is a mechanical contact between at least a portion of the outer wall of the tail section 120 and an inner wall of the PCB through-hole without the use of solder or other joining material. This can also cause an electrical connection (where electrically conductive material is used) between the outerwall of the tail section 120 and the innerwall of the PCB through-hole PCB innerwall without the use of solder or other joining material. In an embodiment, the dimension of the tail section 120 which is configured to deform upon receipt of the deforming member is the cross sectional diameter r of the ribbed portion 122 and/or the cross section diameter f of the flared portion 123. In this embodiment, the deformation of the tail section 120 is the radially outward expansion of the ribbed portion 122 and/or the flared portion 123 in the x-y plane.

In an embodiment, the deformation of the tail section 120 is not a permanent deformation, and the tail section is configured to return to its original dimensions upon removal of the deforming member 160. The deforming member can be loosened and removed multiple times and the electrical contact can be removed thereby making it a non-permanent fixing robust enough to sustain harsh environments and vibration. In this embodiment, the electrical contact 100 may mounted on a PCB by inserting the tail section 120 through the through-hole of the PCB without damaging the through-hole due to the clearance fit insertion (as mentioned above), and upon removal of the deforming member 160, the electrical contact 100 may be removed from the PCB without damage to the PCB due to the clearance fit insertion. In an embodiment, at least the tail section 120 may be formed of an electrically conductive material with a higher elasticity such that insertion of the deforming member 160 temporarily deforms the material while the deforming member 160 resides within the hollow cavity 150. An example material which is electrical conductive whilst also having a higher elasticity may be copper, copper alloy or aluminium.

In another embodiment, the tail section 120 may comprise one or more of slots 124 configured to divide the tail section 120 into one or more contact fingers 125 as shown in figures 1a and 1b. The slots 124 are configured to extend from the uppermost part of the upper area UA of the tail section 120, through to the open end 121 . The extent to which the slots 124 extend through the tail section 120 is not limited to the entire length of the tail section 120. In an embodiment, the slots 124 may be configured to extend from an upper portion of the upper area UA through to the open end 121. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 100 is a miniature-type electrical contact, and the slots 124 are configured to extend from an upper portion of the upper area UA through to the open end 121 , the slots 124 may have a longitudinal length in the positive z direction of about 3 mm, and the corresponding contact fingers 125 may also have a longitudinal length in the positive z direction of about 3 mm. In another embodiment (not shown) the slots 124 may be configured to extend within a portion of the tail section, for example, from an upper portion of the upper area UA through to a portion of the lower area LA before the open end 121 such that the slots have closed ends.

The contact fingers 125 may deform radially outwards upon insertion of the deforming member, and due to the separation of the contact fingers 125 by the slots 124, each contact finger 125 is configured to have unrestricted radial mobility in the x-y plane. Upon removal of the deforming member 160, the contact fingers 125 may be configured to return to their original position unchanged by the deformation. Figures 1a and 1b depicts an embodiment where the tail section 120 is configured to have six slots 124 and six contact fingers 125. However, the number of slots

124 and contact fingers 125 of the tail section 120 are not limited to being six. The number of slots 124 and the number of fingers 125 may vary depending on the specific requirements of the PCB termination connector. For example, for larger termination connectors, the number of slots

125 and contact fingers 125 may be configured to be more than six to provide greater mechanical stability once the deforming member 150 is inserted. The number of slots 124 and the number of fingers 125 may also vary depending on the configuration of the tail section 120. For example, if the tail section 120 were to have a triangular prism configuration, the tail section may be configured to be divided into three contact fingers 125 by three slots 124.

In an alternative embodiment, the deformation of the tail section 120 is a permanent deformation. In this embodiment, the deforming member 160 is configured to be inserted into the tail section 120 initially to deform the tail section 120 in the manner described above, and upon removal of the deforming member 160, the tail section 120 is configured to remain in its deformed state. In such an embodiment, at least the tail section 120 is configured to be formed of an electrically conductive and permanently deformable material.

Returning to figure 2b, upon insertion of the deforming member 160, the tail section 120 is configured to deform by expanding radially outwards such that the cross sectional diameters r and f of the ribbed portion 122 and flared portion 123 respectively, are configured to increase to the deformed cross sectional diameters r’ and f’, where r’ and f’ are greater in magnitude in the x-y plane compared to the r and f respectively. Upon insertion of the deforming member 160, the ribbed portion 122 is configured to expand radially outwards. If the tail section 120 is inserted into the through-hole of the PCB, the expansion of the ribbed portion 122 is configured to exert a force onto the inner wall (also known as the through-barrel) of the through-hole of the PCB. In an embodiment, the through-hole of the PCB is a plated through-hole where the lining and the through-barrel of the through-hole are coated with conductive material thus providing an electrical access point to the circuitry of the PCB. In this embodiment, the force exerted by the ribbed portion 122 onto the plated through-barrel of the PCB allows for a more secure electrical connection between the plated through-barrel and the electrical contact 100 via the ribbed portion 122 of the tail section 120 in addition to providing a more secure hold to prevent the electrical contact from being displaced. In another embodiment, the through-hole of the PCB is a nonplated through-hole where the through-barrel of the through-hole is not coated with conductive material. In this embodiment, the force exerted by the ribbed portion 122 onto the non-plated through-barrel of the PCB still allows for a more secure hold to prevent the electrical contact from being displaced even if there is no electrical connection. In such an embodiment, the electrical contact 100 may be configured to be electrically connected to the components of the PCB via other means (such as a stabilising means as further discussed below) in electrical contact with an electrical access point in other areas of the PCB on or near the through-hole. Upon insertion of the deforming member 160, the flared portion 123 is also configured to expand radially outwards. If the tail section 120 is inserted into the through-hole of the PCB, the expansion of the flared portion 123 is configured to increase the cross sectional diameter f of the flared portion 123 to the deformed cross sectional diameter f’ the flared portion 123, such that the cross sectional diameter f is greater than the diameter d of the through-hole of the PCB. This provides a mechanically secure connection, and prevents the electrical contact 100 being removed in the opposite direction to the direction of insertion of the tail section 120 once the deforming member 160 has been inserted.

In an embodiment, the cross sectional diameter f of the flared portion 123 is configured to be greater than the cross sectional diameter r of the ribbed portion 122 before the insertion of the deforming member 160. In this embodiment, when the deforming member 160 is inserted, the deformed cross sectional diameter f’ of the flared portion 123 is configured to be greater than the diameter d of the through-hole and the deformed cross sectional diameter r’ of the ribbed portion 122, whilst the deformed cross sectional diameter r’ of the ribbed portion 122 is configured to be equal to or slightly greater than the diameter d of the through-hole. In an embodiment, where the through-hole of the PCB is a plated through-hole, the deformed cross sectional diameter r’ of the ribbed portion 122 is at least the same as the diameter d of the through-hole to ensure that an electrical connection has been made. In an embodiment, the cross sectional diameter r’ of the ribbed portion 122 may be configured to extend slightly greater than the diameter d of the through-hole such that the force exerted by the ribbed portion 122 on the through-barrel of the through hole mildly deforms the through barrel, but not so much that the through-barrel is damaged in the process. In this embodiment, the ribbed portion 122 is configured to provide an additional level of mechanical stability as the electrical contact 100 is held tighter in place once mounted on the PCB.

In another embodiment, the cross sectional diameter f of the flared portion 123 is configured to be the same as the cross sectional diameter r of the ribbed portion 122 before the insertion of the deforming member 160. In this embodiment, a portion of the wall 151 of the hollow cavity 150 which exists in the lower area LA of the tail section 120 may comprise an internal ribbed portion (not shown) formed of a ring protruding in the opposite direction of the x-y plane to the ribbed portion 122. Upon receipt of the deforming member 160 into the hollow cavity 150, the flared portion is configured to extend further radially outwards in the x-y plane due the additional length of material added between the internal ribbed portion and the deforming member 160, thus ensuring that the deformed cross sectional diameter f’ of the flared portion 123 would be greater than the diameter d of the through-hole and the deformed cross sectional diameter r’ of the ribbed portion 122. In this embodiment, the deformed cross sectional diameter r’ of the ribbed portion 122 is configured to be at least equal to or slightly greater than the diameter d of the through- hole.

Figure 3 shows a cross section view in the z-x plane of a housing 310 attached to the electrical contact 100. The housing 310 is configured to be attached to the electrical contact 100 via at least a portion of the housing which encases the electrical contact 100 at the contact section 110. The extent to which the contact section 110 is encased by the portion of the housing 310 may vary depending on the use of the PCB termination connector and whether the electrical contact 100 comprises a male or female contact area.

The housing 310 may be formed of an electrically insulating material and is configured to protect the contact section 210 of the electrical contact 200 from external forces which would otherwise damage the electrical contact 200. In an embodiment, the housing 310 may be configured to be attached to the contact section 110 by means of permanent adhesive.

Where the electrical contact 100 is a male electrical contact, the contact section 110 is configured to be partially encased by the housing 310. In this configuration, the housing 310 is configured to be substantially hollow, and a lower portion of the housing 310 is configured to be attached to at least the lower portion LP of the contact section 110. The walls of the housing 310 are configured to form a protective enclosure 311 for the portion of the contact section 110 that is exposed and not encased by at least the lower portion of the housing 310. In an embodiment where the electrical contact 100 is a male electrical contact, the lower portion LP of the contact section 110 is configured to be encased by the lower portion of the housing 310, such that the upper portion UP and the central portion CP are exposed and extend upwards from the lower portion of the housing to engage with a corresponding female electrical contact (not shown). In another embodiment where the electrical contact 100 is a male electrical contact, the lower portion LP and at least a portion of the central portion CP of the contact section 110 are configured to be entirely encased by the lower portion of the housing such that the upper portion UP and the remaining portion of the central portion CP are exposed and extend upwards from the lower portion of the housing to engage with a corresponding female electrical contact. The extent to which at least a portion of the housing 310 is configured to be attached to the contact section may vary depending on the use of the electrical contact 100, therefore the present disclosure is not limited to the above configurations.

Where the electrical contact 100 is a female electrical contact, it is only the open end of the contact socket (not shown) that needs to be exposed to receive a corresponding male contact pin. In this configuration, the contact section 110 may be configured to be partially encased by the housing 310 in a similar way to when the electrical contact 100 is a male electrical contact, or the contact section may configured to be entirely encased (lower portion LP, central portion CP, and upper portion UP). Where the entire contact section 110 is encased, the housing may be configured to be a solid block, with no protective enclosure (not shown). In an embodiment where the electrical contact 100 is a female electrical contact, the contact section 110 (lower portion LP, central portion CP, and upper portion UP) is configured to be encased by the housing 310 such that only the open end of the female contact socket (not shown) is exposed and extend upwards from the housing to be able to receive a corresponding male electrical contact.

In an embodiment, when mounting a PCB termination connector comprising a housing 310 attached to the electrical contact 100 onto a PCB, a face of the housing 310 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction is configured to sit flush on the surface of the PCB. This prevents the electrical contact 200 from being pushed out of the PCB in the direction of insertion of the tail section 220 and provides additional mechanical stability by preventing the electrical contact from being moved laterally in the z-x or z-y planes.

In either of the above embodiments, regardless of whether the electrical contact 100 is a male or female electrical contact, the tail section 120 is configured to be exposed and to extend downwards from below of the housing 310 in the negative z direction to allow the tail section 120 to be inserted through the through-hole of the PCB unobstructed. A PCB termination connector comprising an electrical contact according to the second embodiment will now be described with reference to figures 4a - 7, and with reference to the three dimensional Cartesian coordinate system as shown figures 4a and 5a. Electrical contact 200 will be described herein in terms of a contact section 210, a tail section 220, a stabilising means 230, a body section 240, and hollow cavity 250. The contact section 210, tail section 220, and hollow cavity 250 correspond to the contact section 110, tail section 120, and hollow cavity 150 as depicted in figures 1a - 3 and provide the same technical effects and the description in relation to the contact section 110, tail section 120, and hollow cavity 150 are not repeated here.

Referring to figures 4a and 5a, contact section 210 comprises an upper portion UP, a central portion CP, and a lower portion LP similar to contact section 110 of electrical contact 100. The contact section 210 may be configured to further comprise a stabilising means 230 located within the contact section 210. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilising means 230 is located on the contact section 210 at the lowermost portion of the lower portion LP of the contact section, and is further located above the tail section 220. The stabilising means 230 comprises an upper face UF normal to the x-y plane in the positive z direction, and a lower face LF normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction. In an embodiment, when mounting the electrical contact 200 on the PCB 105 by inserting the tail section 220 into the through-hole of the PCB, the lower face LF of the stabilising means 230 is configured to sit flush on the surface of the PCB. The stabilising means can be a plate member extending outwards from the contact portion and can therefore prevent the electrical contact 200 from being pushed out of the PCB in the direction of insertion of the tail section 220 and provides additional mechanical stability by preventing the electrical contact from being moved laterally in the z-x or z-y planes. In an embodiment where the through hole of the PCB is not a plated through hole (as mentioned above), the electrical contact 100 may be configured to be electrically connected to the components of the PCB via the stabilising means 230. In this embodiment, the stabilising means is configured to be in electrical contact with an electrical access point on the surface of the PCB on or near the through-hole. Also, the stabilising means is formed of electrically conducive material that is the same as other sections of the electrical contact. In the figures, the stabilising means 230 is depicted as being a cuboidal shape with a rectangular/square cross section in the x-y plane, however the stabilising means is not limited to this shape, and any suitable shape may be used. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 200 is a miniature-type electrical contact comprising a stabilising means 230, and stabilising means 230 has a cuboidal shape with a rectangular/square cross section in the x-y plane, the stabilising means 230 may have an length, width, and height in the x, y, and z directions respectively, of about 8.5 mm, 5.25 mm, and 1 mm respectively.

Still referring to figures 4a and 5a, the electrical contact 200 may be configured to further comprise, in addition to or instead of the stabilising means 230, a body section 240. In an embodiment where the electrical contact 200 comprises the body section in addition to the stabilising means 230, the body section 240 is located on at least the lower portion LP of the contact section 210, and is above the tail section 220 of the electrical contact 200. In an embodiment where the electrical contact 200 comprises the body section instead of the stabilising means 230, the body section 240 is located on the contact section 210 on at least the lowermost portion of the lower portion LP of the contact section, and is further located above the tail section 220.

In the embodiment where the body section 240 may be used instead of the stabilising means 230, the body section 240 prevents the electrical contact 200 from being pushed out of the PCB in the direction of insertion of the tail section 220 and provides additional mechanical stability by preventing the electrical contact from being moved laterally in the z-x or z-y planes, similar to the stabilising means 230. Furthermore, the added layer of material provided by the body section 240 provides a greater structural integrity to the contact section 210 of the electrical contact 200, thus reducing the likelihood of the contact section 210 from being damaged by external forces.

The body section 240 is depicted in figure 4a as being a substantially cylindrical shape, however the body section is not limited to this shape, and may be any suitable shape for the purposes of the present invention. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 200 is a miniature-type electrical contact comprising a body section 240, and body section 240 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a circular cross section in the x-y plane, the body section 240 may have a longitudinal length in the positive z direction of about 3 mm, and a cross sectional diameter in the x-y plane of about 4 mm. Furthermore, the body section is not limited to being located on at least the lower portion LP of the contact section 210. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 200 comprises the body section 240 instead of the stabilising means 230, the body section may be configured to begin at the lowermost portion of the lower portion LP of the contact section 210 and extend through the contact section 210 normal to the x-y plane in the z direction to cover the entire lower portion LP and at least a portion of the central portion CP of the contact section 210. In another embodiment, where the electrical contact 200 comprises the body section 240 and the stabilising means 230, the body section may be configured to begin at the upper face UF of the stabilising means 230 and extend through the contact section 210 normal to the x-y plane in the z direction to cover the remainder of the lower portion LP and at least a portion of the central portion CP of the contact section 210. In either embodiment, the body section 240 may be configured to cover the entire central portion CP of the contact section 210.

In an embodiment where the electrical contact 200 is a male electrical contact, at least the upper portion UP of the contact section 210 would not be covered by the body section 240 to provide a male pin section for engagement with a corresponding female contact (not shown). In an embodiment where the electrical contact 200 is a female electrical contact, the body section is not limited to just the lower portion LP and the central portion CP, and may be configured to further cover the entirety the contact section 210 including the upper portion UP.

The tail section 220 performs the same technical effects as the tail section 120 and the description in relation to tail section 120 is not repeated here. Figure 5b, with reference to figure 4b, shows how the receipt of the deforming member 160 by the hollow cavity 250 (which is the same, and provides the same technical effects as the hollow cavity 150) via the open end 221 (which is the same, and provides the same technical effects as the open end 121) deforms the tail section 220. The tail section 220, in the same way as tail section 120, is to deform by expanding radially outwards such that the cross sectional diameters r and f of the ribbed portion 222 and flared portion 223 respectively, increase to the deformed cross sectional diameters r’ and f’, where r’ and f’ are greater in magnitude in the x-y plane compared to the r and f respectively.

Figure 6a shows a cross section view in the z-x plane of a housing 610 attached to the electrical contact 200. In an embodiment where the electrical contact 200 comprises the stabilising means 230 instead of the body section 240, the housing 610 is configured to be attached to at least a portion of the contact section 210 in a similar way to the housing 310 being attached to the contact section 110 of the electrical contact 100 in figure 3. In this embodiment, the housing 610 in figure 6a is configured to be attached to the electrical contact 200 via a portion of the housing which encases at least a lower portion of the contact section 210 of the electrical contact 200. The extent to which the contact section 210 is configured to be encased by the portion of the housing 610 may vary depending on the use of the PCB termination connector and whether the electrical contact 200 comprises a male or female contact area as explained above with reference to figure 3. In addition to the housing 610 being attached to the electrical contact 200 via a portion of the housing which encases at least a lower portion of the contact section 210 of the electrical contact 200, a face of the housing 610 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction is configured to sit flush and is attached to the upper face UF of the stabilising means 230. In an embodiment, the housing 610 is attached to the electrical contact 200 via a permanent adhesive means.

Figure 6b shows a perspective view of the electrical contact 200 attached to the housing 610 viewed in a bottom-up angle along the positive z direction. The housing 610 further comprises movement resisting means 620 configured to interact with the stabilising means 230 to prevent lateral rotation of the electrical contact 200 in the x-y plane. In an embodiment, where the wall 251 (figure 5a) of the hollow cavity 250 is configured to have a threaded surface, and where the deforming member 160 is configured to have a threaded body such that rotation of the deforming member 160 is configured to drive the deforming member 160 into the hollow cavity 250, the interaction between the resisting means 620 and the stabilising means 230 is configured to prevent the electrical contact from lateral rotation in the x-y plane.

Figure 6b depicts the resisting means 620 as castellations extending downwards from the face of the housing 610 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction which is configured to prevent rotation of the electrical contact 200 by holding the stabilising means 230 (which is depicted as being a cuboidal shape with a rectangular/square cross section in the x-y plane) locked in place on either side of the stabilising means 230. As mentioned above, the stabilising means is not limited to this particular shape or configuration, and other shapes or configurations may be used to perform the same intended effect. For example, the stabilising means may be a circular shape with a plurality of teeth extending radially outwards in the x-y plane, similar to teeth on a gear. In this example, the movement resisting means 620 may be an indentation on the face of the housing 610 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction in a corresponding gear shape, configured to receive the stabilising means 230, thus is configured to prevent the electrical contact 200 from lateral rotation in the x-y plane. The housing 610 corresponds to the housing 310 and is configured to perform the same technical effect (in addition to the technical effect of preventing lateral rotation of the electrical contact 200 in the x-y plane due to the interaction between the resisting means 620 and the stabilising means 230) of protecting the contact section 210 of the electrical contact 200 from external forces which would otherwise damage the electrical contact 200.

In an embodiment where the electrical contact 200 comprises the body section 240 instead of the stabilising means 230, the housing 610 is configured to be attached to at least a portion of the body section 240 in a similar way to the housing 310 being attached to at least a lower portion of the contact section 210 of the electrical contact 200. The additional benefit of attaching the housing 610 to the body section 240 is that the body section 240 provides a greater surface area for the housing 610 to be attached to, thus allowing for a more secure hold of the housing onto the electrical contact. In an embodiment, where the housing 610 is configured to be attached to the body section 240 via a permanent adhesive means, the additional area provided by the body section allows for more adhesive to be applied, thus allowing for a stronger hold. In another embodiment, the body section 240 may comprise a ribbed portion (not shown) extending radially outwards in the x-y plane. In this embodiment, the ribbed portion may be similar in shape and configuration to the ribbed portion 222 of the tail section 220. The ribbed portion of the body section 240 may provide a greater hold on the housing 610 when the housing 610 also has a corresponding recessed section (not shown) to receive the ribbed portion of the body section 240. In an embodiment, where the electrical contact 200 is a miniature electrical contact comprising a body section 240, and body section 240 has a substantially cylindrical shape with a circular cross section in the x-y plane, and the body section 240 further comprises a ribbed portion as described in the above embodiment, the ribbed portion of the body section 240 may have a cross sectional diameter in the x-y plane of about 4.04 mm.

In yet another embodiment, where the electrical contact 200 comprises the body section 240 in addition to the stabilising means 230 as depicted in figure 6a, the housing 610 is configured to be attached to at least a portion of the body section 240 in a similar way as mentioned above, and the a face of the housing 610 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction is configured to sit flush as is attached to the upper face UF of the stabilising means 230. This configuration provides the combined benefits of using either the stabilising means 230 or the body section 240 on their own. Figure 7 shows a cross section view in the z-x plane of an embodiment of a system comprising a PCB termination connector and a PCB 105 comprising at least one through-hole. The PCB termination connector comprises the housing 610 attached to the electrical contact 200. The electrical contact 200 comprises a contact section 210, tail section 220, stabilising means 230, body section 240, and hollow cavity 250. At least a portion of the housing 610 is attached to the electrical contact 200 via the body section 240, and a face of the housing 610 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction is attached flush to the upper face UF of the stabilising means 230. The electrical contact 200 is mounted on the surface of the PCB such that a lower face LF of the stabilising means 230 is connected flush to the surface of the PCB over a through-hole of the PCB. The tail section 220 has been inserted through the through-hole of the PCB, and a deforming member 160 has been inserted into the open end 221 of the tail section 220 and received by the hollow cavity 250 of the electrical contact 200. Receipt of the deforming member 160 by the hollow cavity 250 has deformed the tail section 220 to expand radially outwards in the x-y plane such that the ribbed portion 222 with cross sectional diameter r and the flared portion 223 with cross section diameter f have expanded radially outwards such that the cross sectional diameters r and f of the ribbed portion 222 and flared portion 223 respectively, have increased to the deformed cross sectional diameters r’ and f’, where r’ and f’ are greater in magnitude in the x-y plane compared to the r and f respectively. The ribbed portion 222 is in secure contact with the walls of the through-hole (the through-barrel) and the flared portion has expanded radially outwards such that deformed cross sectional diameter f’ is greater that the diameter d of the through-hole of the PCB.

Figure 7 depicts an embodiment of the PCB termination connector mounted on the PCB as comprising the electrical contact 200 as shown in figures 4a - 6, however in another embodiment, electrical contact 100 as shown in figures 1a - 3 may also be mounted in a similar way to the electrical contact 200 being mounted on the PCB as shown in figure 7. In this embodiment, a PCB termination connector mounted on the PCB could comprise the housing 310 attached to the electrical contact 100. The electrical contact 100 would comprise a contact section 110, tail section 120, and hollow cavity 150. At least a portion of the housing 310 would be attached to the electrical contact 100 via at least the lower portion LP of the contact section 110. A face of the housing 310 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction would be connected flush on the surface of the PCB. The tail section 120 would be inserted through the through-hole of the PCB, and a deforming member 160 would have been inserted into the open end 121 of the tail section 120 and would have been received by the hollow cavity 150 of the electrical contact 100. Receipt of the deforming member 160 by the hollow cavity 150 would have deformed the tail section 120 to expand radially outwards in the x-y plane such that the ribbed portion 122 with cross sectional diameter r and the flared portion 123 with cross section diameter f would have expand radially outwards such that the cross sectional diameters r and f of the ribbed portion 122 and flared portion 123 respectively, would have increased to the deformed cross sectional diameters r’ and f’, where r’ and f’ would be greater in magnitude in the x-y plane compared to the r and f respectively. The ribbed portion 122 would be in secure contact with the walls of the through-hole (the through-barrel) and the flared portion would have expanded radially outwards such that deformed cross sectional diameter f’ would be greater that the diameter d of the through-hole of the PCB.

A PCB termination connector comprising a plurality of electrical contacts according to the third embodiment will now be described with reference to figure 8.

Figure 8 shows a cross section view in the z-x plane of an embodiment of a system comprising a PCB termination connector and a PCB 105 comprising at least one through-hole. The PCB termination connector comprises a housing similar to the housings 310/610 as depicted in figures 3 and 6a attached to a plurality of electrical contacts. Figure 8 depicts an embodiment of the PCB termination connector mounted on the PCB as comprising a plurality of electrical contacts 200 as shown in figures 4a - 6, however the present disclosure is not limited to just the electrical contacts 200. The following section of the description referring to figure 8 mentions how the PCB termination connector comprises electrical contact 100 as shown in figures 1a - 3 and/or electrical contact 200 as shown in figures 4a - 6b.

The plurality of electrical contacts comprise a plurality of the electrical contact 100 as depicted in the first embodiment of the present invention, or a plurality of the electrical contact 200 as depicted in the second embodiment of the present invention, or a combination of both. The plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 comprise contact sections 110/210, tail sections 120/220, and hollow cavities 150/250. If the plurality of electrical contacts comprise a plurality the electrical contacts 200 as depicted in the second embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of electrical contacts 200 further comprise stabilising means 230 and body sections 240. If the plurality of electrical contacts comprise a plurality of the electrical contacts 100 as depicted in the first embodiment of the present invention (figures 1a to 2b), at least a portion of the housing 310 would be attached to the plurality of electrical contacts 100 via at least the lower portion LP of the contact sections 110, and a face of the housing 310/610 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction would be connected flush to the surface of the PCB. If the plurality of electrical contacts comprise the electrical contact 200 as depicted in the second embodiment of the present invention (figures 4a to 5b), at least portion of the housing 610 would attached to the plurality of electrical contacts 200 via the body section 240, and a face of the housing 310/610 normal to the x-y plane in the negative z direction would be attached flush to the upper face UF of the stabilising means 230. Furthermore, if the electrical contacts comprise a plurality of the electrical contact 200 as depicted in the second embodiment of the present invention, a lower face LF of the stabilising means 230 would be connected flush to the surface of the PCB over a through-hole of the PCB.

The tail sections 120/220 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 are inserted through a corresponding plurality of through-holes of the PCB. A plurality of deforming members 160 have been inserted into the open ends 121/221 of the tail sections 120/220 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 and have been received by the hollow cavities 150/250 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200. Receipt of the deforming members 160 by the hollow cavities 150/250 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 have deformed the tail sections 120/220 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 to expand radially outwards in the x-y plane such that the ribbed portions 122/222 with cross sectional diameter r and the flared portions 123/223 with cross section diameter f of the tail sections 120/220 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 have expand radially outwards such that the cross sectional diameters r and f of the ribbed portions 122/222 and flared portions 123/223 of the tail sections 120/220 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 respectively, have increased to the deformed cross sectional diameters r’ and f’, where r’ and f’ are greater in magnitude in the x-y plane compared to the r and f respectively. The ribbed portions 122/222 of the tail sections 120/220 of the plurality of electrical contacts 100/200 are in secure contact with the walls of the plurality of through-holes (the through-barrels) and the flared portions have expanded radially outwards such that deformed cross sectional diameter f’ is greater that the diameters d of the plurality through-holes of the PCB. Figure 9 shows a method 900 of connecting a PCB termination connector of any of the above embodiments to a PCB. The method 900 starts with step 910 - inserting the tail section 120/220 of the electrical contact 100/200 through a through-hole of a PCB. The tail section 120/220 is inserted through the through-hole in the negative z direction (as shown in figures 2a and 5a), however the tail section 120 is not limited to being inserted in this direction, and the direction of insertion of the tail section 120 may depend on the type PCB used as mentioned above.

The next step of method 900 is step 920 - inserting a deforming member 160 into the tail section of the electrical contact 100/200 to deform the tail section 120/220. The deformation prevents the electrical contact from being removed from the through-hole of the PCB. The deforming member 160 is inserted into an open end 121/221 of the tail section 120/220 through to a hollow cavity 150/250 of the electrical contact 100/200 to deform the tail section 120/220 by expanding the tail section 120/220 radially outwards such that a dimension of the tail section exceeds a diameter of the through hole of the PCB.

The method 900 can also be applied to a PCB termination connector as described in the third embodiment of the present disclosure where the PCB termination connector may comprise a plurality of electrical contacts. In this embodiment, the PCB may have a corresponding plurality of through-holes for insertion of the plurality of tail sections.

In addition to the embodiments described previously and claimed in the appended claims, the following is a list of additional embodiments, which may serve as the basis for additional claims in this application or subsequent divisional applications.

Embodiment 1 . A PCB termination connector configured to be mounted onto a PCB, the PCB termination connector comprising an electrical contact, the electrical contact comprising: a contact section; and a tail section for insertion through a through-hole of the PCB; wherein the tail section is configured to deform upon insertion of a deforming member into the tail section such that a dimension of the tail section is configured to increase. Embodiment 2. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 1 , wherein the electrical contact comprises a hollow cavity configured to receive the deforming member, and wherein the tail section comprises an open end to facilitate insertion of the deforming member.

Embodiment 3. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the tail section comprises a ribbed portion located on or near an upper area of the tail section, wherein the ribbed portion is configured to create a contact point to contact a wall of the through-hole of the PCB.

Embodiment 4. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 3, wherein a cross sectional diameter of the ribbed portion is configured to increase upon insertion of the deforming member into the tail section such that the ribbed portion expands radially outwards, and the increase in the cross sectional diameter of the ribbed portion secures the ribbed portion against the wall of the through-hole of the PCB.

Embodiment 5. The PCB termination connector of any one of the Embodiments 1-4, wherein the tail section comprises a flared portion located on or near a lower area of the tail section, and the flared portion is configured to prevent the electrical contact from being removed from the PCB in an opposite direction to a direction of insertion of the tail section.

Embodiment 6. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 5, wherein a cross sectional diameter of the flared portion is configured to increase upon insertion of the deforming member into the tail section by expanding the flared portion radially outwards.

Embodiment 7. The PCB termination connector of any one of the Embodiments 1-6, wherein the tail section comprises one or more slots configured to divide the tail section into one or more contact fingers. Embodiment 8. The PCB termination connector of any one of the Embodiments 1-7, further comprising a housing for the electrical contact, wherein the contact section extends upwards from a portion of the housing, at least a first portion of the contact section is encased within the housing, and the tail section extends downwards and is exposed from below the housing.

Embodiment 9. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 8, wherein a face of the housing is configured to be placed flush on the PCB over the through-hole of the PCB when the PCB termination connector is mounted on the PCB.

Embodiment 10. The PCB termination connector of any one of the Embodiments 1-7, wherein the electrical contact further comprises a stabilising means, and the stabilising means is located within a lower portion of the contact section, and above the tail section.

Embodiment 11. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 10, wherein the stabilising means is a plate comprising an upper and lower face, wherein the lower face is configured to be placed flush on the PCB over the through-hole of the PCB.

Embodiment 12. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 11, further comprising a housing for the electrical contact, wherein the housing is configured to sit flush on the upper face of the stabilising means, and wherein the housing further comprises movement resisting means configured to interact with the stabilising means and prevent lateral movement of the electrical contact.

Embodiment 13. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 12, wherein at least a first portion of the contact section is encased within the housing, and the tail section extends downwards and is exposed from below the housing.

Embodiment 14. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 13, wherein the electrical contact further comprises a body section, the body section is located on or near a central portion of the contact section and above the stabilising means, and the at least first portion of the contact section encased in the housing is the body section.

Embodiment 15. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 8, wherein the electrical contact further comprises a body section, wherein the body section is located on or near a central portion of the contact section, and wherein the at least first portion of the contact section encased in the housing is the body section.

Embodiment 16. The PCB termination connector of any one of the Embodiments 1-15, wherein the contact section includes a male pin or a female socket.

Embodiment 17. The PCB termination connector of any one of the Embodiments 1-16, wherein the PCB terminator connector comprises a plurality of the electrical contacts for insertion through a corresponding plurality of through-holes of a PCB.

Embodiment 18. The PCB termination connector of any one of the Embodiments 1-17, wherein the deforming member comprises at least a head and a body, wherein the head is attached to a first end of the body.

Embodiment 19. The PCB termination connector of Embodiment 18, wherein the body of the deforming member is configured to be in a tapered shape, and the body is further configured to be threaded or smooth.

Embodiment 20. A system comprising the PCB termination connector of any one of Embodiments 1-19 and a PCB comprising at least one through-hole.

Embodiment 21. A method of connecting the PCB termination connector of any one of Embodiments 1-19 to a PCB, comprising: inserting the tail section of the electrical contact through a through hole of the PCB; and inserting a deforming member into the tail section of the electrical contact to deform the tail section such that the deformation prevents the electrical contact from being removed from the through-hole of the PCB.

Embodiment 22. The method of Embodiment 21 , wherein the deforming member is inserted into an open end of the tail section through to a hollow cavity of the electrical contact to deform the tail section by expanding the tail section radially outwards such that a dimension of the tail section exceeds a diameter of the through hole of the PCB.

Numerous modifications, adaptations and variations to the embodiments described herein will become apparent to a person skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure, and such modifications, adaptations and variations that result in additional embodiments of the present invention are also within the scope of the accompanying claims.