Abstract: A terminal 20 for use in connecting a battery cable 9 to a rectangular blade 4 on a battery 2 includes a terminal body 22 and a spring member or multiple contact band 70. The spring member 70 is fabricated from a material that is more elastic than the terminal body 22 to reduce mating force, but still generate sufficient normal force to provide a good connection to the rectangular blade 4. The multiple contact spring band 70 has a plurality of spring beams in the form of twisted louvered spring beams 78 or curved spring beams 80. The spring member 70 is positioned within a receptacle section 30 of the terminal body 22 that includes two parallel walls 32, 46. The terminal body 22 also includes a wire termination section for attaching the terminal 20 to a battery cable 8. Inline and right angle versions of the terminals employ similar spring members 70.

Abstract: A retention device (50) for retaining a terminal (40) in a hole in a plastic housing is disclosed. The device (50) comprises two sets of outwardly projecting nibs (52) on a cylindrical section (44) of the terminal (40). Each nib (52) includes a flat edge surface (54) normal to the axis of the terminal (40).

Abstract: A socket connector having a plurality of socket contacts engagable with pin contacts is disclosed. The socket connector is specifically adapted for mating with an array of pins positioned in a prescribed relationship on the exterior of an electrical component such as a fan motor. Individual sockets are contained within passages extending between the mating end and the rearward end of the housing and at least one of the passages has a constricted pin entry portion adjacent the mating end to align a pin to avoid pin-socket stubbing during mating. A laterally extending opening defined by a side entry mold is used to define this constricted portion and to define an opposed contact retention surface.