Electrical contact for ZIF socket connector

Details Electrical contact for ZIF socket connector Electrical contact for ZIF socket connector

2001-12-10

2002-10-29

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Including compound movement of coupling part

C439S856000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06471534

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket connector for electrically interconnecting an electronic package, for example a Central Processing Unit (CPU), with a printed circuit board, for example a mother board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 9 and 10
, two drawing figures adapted from U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,725, an electrical contact
14
to be used in a ZIF socket connector (not shown) is disclosed. The electrical contact
14
includes two parallel, vertical arms
106
and
108
. Channel-shaped strap
110
joins the two arms adjacent their lower ends
112
and spaces them apart. The width of the arms
106
and
108
decrease uniformly upwardly towards their upper ends
116
. A pair of fingers
118
project laterally from their attachment to upper ends
116
of the arms
106
and
108
. First sections
120
of the fingers
118
converge toward each other. Free ends
122
, attached to and extending outward from the converging sections
120
, are parallel to each other and are spaced apart by a distance less than the minimum diameter of pins (or leads, not shown) on an electronic package (not shown) to reliably and electrically connect with the pins when engaged. A lead
124
extends downwardly from the arm
106
.
The contacts
14
are stamped out of coplanar stock in a continuous strip. Referring to
FIG. 10
, a carrier strip
130
is connected to the electrical contact
14
which has not yet been formed into the
FIG. 9
structure. A lateral dimension p is defined between outer ends of the fingers
118
of each electrical contact
14
, which determines a maximum lateral dimension of a blanked out electrical contact
14
and a minimal length of material needed to make the electrical contact
14
. Since the arms
106
,
108
with the fingers
118
are symmetrically configured with respect to each other, as is known to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, for providing dual contacting points to the pins of the electronic package to ensure an electrical connection therebetween, the lateral dimension p is at least twice of a lateral dimension p′ of each arm
106
,
108
defined between a center line c of the electrical contact
14
and the outer lateral end of the finger
118
and is comparatively larger than an acceptable data, for example 1.27 millimeter, thereby consuming a large quantity of material in manufacturing and increasing the cost of the electrical contacts
14
, which is obviously not economical to contact manufacturers.
Therefore, a ZIF socket connector with a material-saving electrical contact is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A major object of the present invention is to provide a cost effective electrical contact for a ZIF socket connector which provides also a reliable electrical connection between an electronic package and a printed circuit board.
A ZIF socket connector in accordance with the present invention comprises a base, a cover, an actuator and a plurality of electrical contacts. The cover is assembled to the base and is actuated by the actuator to be movable with respect to the base. The electrical contacts are received in the base. Each electrical contact comprises a retention portion, a solder portion extending from the retention portion, a first arm and a second arm extending beside the first arm. The first arm comprises a beam section extending from the retention portion, a curved section and a free end extending from the curved section toward the second arm. The second arm comprises a leg section and a curved contacting section extending from the leg section toward the first arm. The curved contacting section is aligned with the free end to cooperatively secure therebetween and electrically contact a pin of an electronic package received on the cover.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4498725 (1985-02-01), Bright et al.
patent: 6113411 (2000-09-01), Lu et al.
patent: 6171156 (2001-01-01), Lin et al.

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