Coda Systems : What are Interfacing Components/Spring Contacts?

What are interfacing components/spring contacts?

An interfacing component / spring contact is a spring loaded component for board to board interconnection and data, power & battery charging applications including:

charging batteries in portable instruments
power and data transfer pins in a docking station
integral compliant contacts, such as for an antenna contact in a mobile phone
board to board spring contacts for use in computerised gaming systems and telecommunications units

The spring loaded contact consists of a gold plated tubular metal barrel, spring and plunger as a one piece item. The tip of the spring loaded plunger will provide a reliable electrical contact to the target, whose distance away or position may well be uncertain. Typically a mating contact land is used as the mating surface. The tip of the plunger will usually be rounded in shape (radius) which will prevent damage or significant wear to the contact land.

What are interfacing components/spring contacts?