Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-02
2001-03-20
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S259000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06203337
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a socket connector, and in particular to a socket connector having ball grid array (BGA) contacts of which solder balls are effectively prevented from breaking due to different thermal expansions of the connector and a circuit board on which the connector is mounted.
2. The Prior Art
A socket connector connects an electronic device, such as a central processing unit module, to a circuit board. A ball grid array (BGA) configuration facilitates mounting the socket connector to a main circuit board.
FIG. 1
of the attached drawings shows a portion of a conventional socket connector having BGA contacts. The socket connector comprises an insulative header
82
defining a plurality of through holes
820
. Each through hole
820
receives a conductive pin
81
therein. The conductive pin
81
comprises a retention section
811
from which two opposite barbs
813
extend for engaging with side walls of the hole
820
thereby securing the pin
81
in the header
82
. A soldering section
812
extends from the retention section
811
to which a solder ball
83
is attached. The solder ball
83
projects beyond a bottom surface of the header
82
for being soldered to a circuit board
9
to fix the connector thereto and establish electrical connection therewith.
Since the circuit board
9
and the header
82
are made of different material having different thermal expansion coefficients, when the solder balls
83
are soldered to the circuit board
9
, the difference in expansion between the header
82
and the circuit board
9
may cause excessive strain in the solder balls
83
and eventually rupture the solder balls
83
.
Furthermore, the pin
81
is soldered to the circuit board
9
with a very limited surface area resulting in a mechanically weak connection between the pin
81
and the circuit board
9
. Furthermore, the pin
81
is made of a thin plate whereby the pin
81
is mechanically weak when resisting bending in a direction normal to the plate.
Thus, it is desired to provide a connector that eliminates the problems discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a socket connector that prevents excessive strain from occurring in solder balls thereof when soldered to a circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pin structure of a socket connector having a uniform mechanical strength for effectively resisting bending thereof.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a socket connector having pins securely soldered to a circuit board.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a socket connector having pins readily inserted into holes defined therein and securely retained in the holes.
To achieve the above objects, a socket connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a base defining first holes for receiving cylindrical pins therein and a cover fixed to the base for defining a space therebetween for movably receiving a slider. The cover defines second holes corresponding to the first holes of the base for receiving terminal pins of an electronic device therein. The slider defines slots corresponding to the holes for retaining contacts therein. Each contact engages with/separates from the corresponding pin of the base and the corresponding terminal pin for establishing/breaking electrical connection therebetween. The base is mounted to a substrate board having conductive traces formed thereon. A solder ball electrically connects each conductive trace to the corresponding pin of the base. The substrate board is made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient identical to the circuit board thereby eliminating the possibility of rupturing the solder balls due to different thermal expansions of the boards. Each first hole has a conic opening for facilitating insertion of the corresponding pin therein and for accommodating solder to securely solder the pin to the substrate board.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5834848 (1998-11-01), Iwasaki
patent: 5880590 (1999-03-01), Desai et al.
patent: 6022236 (1998-08-01), Mchugh et al.
Abrams Neil
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Nasri Javaid
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