Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-04
2003-12-23
Gilman, Alexander (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
C439S331000, C439S268000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06666691
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to sockets used for effecting an electric connection between an electronic package and an external device and more particularly to the arrangement of contact elements in such sockets that engage the terminals of the electronic package.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, an IC package is manufactured by sealing an IC chip having an electronic circuit on its main surface with plastic and prior to shipment, the IC packages are subjected to a reliability test called a burn-in test in order to separate acceptable units from unacceptable ones. In conducting this burn-in test, a socket is used for the purpose of effecting an electric connection between the IC package and a substrate used for testing.
As shown in FIGS.
9
(
a
) and
9
(
b
), a plurality of contact pins
104
are arranged on a base
103
of a conventional socket
100
to correspond to the terminal arrangement of an IC package
101
placed in the socket. Each contact pin
104
comprises an anchor portion
104
a
secured to the bottom of the center of base
103
and a contact part
104
b
which is elastically biased against a respective terminal of IC package
101
. An adaptor
105
is mounted on base
103
for vertical movement relative thereto and is used for seating IC package
101
. A plurality of contact holes
106
are formed in adaptor
105
which are somewhat larger than the outer shape of the contact part
104
b
of contact pin
104
. The adaptor
105
accommodates the tip part of a respective contact pin
104
in a contact hole
106
.
A latch
107
is provided on base
103
for pressing IC package
101
to open or close in linkage with a vertically movable cover
108
. IC package
101
is pushed down along with adaptor
105
as latch
107
applies a force to IC package
101
, thereby causing contact pins
104
that have protruded from the contact holes
106
above the seating surface
105
a
to contact terminals
101
a
of IC package
101
.
This type of conventional socket
100
has certain limitations and problems as will be described below:
Since there are some variation in the size of each contact hole
106
of adaptor
105
and the length of each contact pin, the location of the tip of contact pin
104
and the edge part of the contact hole
106
varies, depending upon the contact pins. Even if the contact pins
104
were to be pressed to the same position at the edge portion of contact holes
106
by bending each contact pin
104
through a lowering of the engagement position of the adaptor, for example, the amount of the protrusion of the contact part
104
b
of contact pins
104
will vary from the seating surface
105
a
of adaptor
105
.
As a consequence, even if the engagement position of adaptor
105
were to be adjusted so that the contact part
104
b
of contact pins
104
would not protrude from the seating surface
105
a
of adaptor
105
, as shown in
FIG. 10
, some contact pins
104
inevitably protrude from seating surface
105
a
of adaptor
105
due to the variation of the length of the contact pins and the like. When IC package
101
is placed on adaptor
105
, therefore, the IC package tends to catch on contact pins
104
that have protruded, thereby interfering with mounting of the IC package.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is the provision of a socket which overcomes the above described limitations and problems associated with the conventional technology. Another object of the invention is the provision of a socket which is capable of smoothly mounting electronic packages, without the electronic package being caught by the tip part of the contact pins on the seating surface.
Briefly, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a socket comprises a base, a cover mounted on the base for alternating motion in the vertical direction relative to the base, first spring members that urge the cover in the upward direction away from the base, a plurality of elongated contact elements each having a first end secured to the base, an intermediate curved part extending from the first end and which can be elastically deformed, a contact part having a second end or contact tip linked to the curved part and which can be elastically pressed against a respective connective terminal of an electronic part, and a protrusion formed at a location which is separated from the second end of the contact element by a selected length. The socket includes a regulator having a plurality of through holes through which the contact part of the contact elements extend in such a way that the regulator is able to engage in an alternating motion in the vertical direction relative to the base, a plurality of control parts for the regulation of the displacement of the contact parts as the control parts engage the protrusion of the contact elements, and a latch member which is provided on the base in such a way as to pivot, making it possible for an electronic package to be inserted by pivoting the latch member from an original closed position to a removed open position in linkage with the downward motion of the cover, and which presses the electronic package that has been mounted in a downward direction by pivoting from the open position to the original closed position in linkage with the return movement of the cover body.
An adaptor is formed with a seating surface for seating the electronic package and second spring members urge the adaptor in an upward direction away from the base. The regulator is also biased in an upward direction away from the base. When the adaptor and the regulator are at their respectively highest locations, a selected distance is provided between the adaptor and the regulator. An electronic package mounted on the seating surface when the latch is in its open position, is pressed against the connective terminals of the electronic package as the latch pivots to its original closed position.
According to a feature of the invention, the tip of the contact parts are disposed below the seating surface when the adaptor is at its highest position. Further, the tip of the contact parts are adapted to be in engagement with the connective terminals of the electronic package on the seating surface when the latch is at its original closed position.
According to a feature of the invention, third spring means in the form of the contact elements themselves bias the regulator in an upward direction relative to the main base.
Additional objects and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description. These objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5376010 (1994-12-01), Petersen
patent: 5690281 (1997-11-01), Ikeya
patent: 5788513 (1998-08-01), Kajiwara et al.
patent: RE36217 (1999-06-01), Petersen
patent: 6027355 (2000-02-01), Ikeya
patent: 6050836 (2000-04-01), Tohyama
patent: 6123552 (2000-09-01), Sakata et al.
patent: 6280219 (2001-08-01), Sano et al.
patent: 6322384 (2001-11-01), Ikeya
patent: 6439910 (2002-08-01), Hayakava
patent: 6575767 (2003-06-01), Satoh et al.
Baumann Russell E.
Gilman Alexander
Telecky , Jr. Frederick J.
Texas Instruments Incorporated
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