Abstract: A preloaded spring contact electrical terminal with a support portion mounted in a fixed position in a housing, an abutment portion and a spring flex portion deformed to preload the abutment portion against a housing cavity wall. A contact portion is axially aligned with and axially spaced from the abutment portion to provide a narrow configuration in which preload force, contact force and insertion force can be optimized while contact wear is reduced.

Abstract: A connection for flexible circuits permits one or more flexible circuits such as flat flexible cables to be connected to a standard and widely used electrical connector such as a printed circuit board edge connector. The connection includes a substantially rigid flexible circuit structure having a carrier of flat planar configuration with opposed surfaces. A flexible circuit is adhesively bonded to at least one surface with conductive traces of the circuit exposed. Electrical connections are made to the traces by inserting the carrier with attached flexible circuit into a connector having a housing supporting a plurality of terminals with contact portions in a linear array engageable with the exposed conductive traces of the flexible circuit.