Electrical connector

Details Electrical connector Electrical connector

2002-04-19

2004-04-20

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

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

Including compound movement of coupling part

C439S526000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06722910

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector which is used to connect electronic components such as ICs (integrated circuits) having numerous pins to a circuit board, and more specifically relates to a ZIF (zero insertion force) type electrical connector which connects and separates contacts and pins of electronic components by a tool actuated slide member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recently, there has been a demand for improved performance in electronic components resulting in microprocessors having extremely large numbers of pins or leads.
In order to reduce the insertion force that must be applied to the pins in the mounting of such ICs ZIF connectors have been widely used for electrically connecting such ICs to circuit boards. Furthermore, slide members have been utilized in such connectors to engage and separate contacts and the pins of ICs from their respective sockets.
For example, the electrical connector shown in
FIGS. 7 through 9
(see Japanese Patent Application Kokoku No. H2-54632) is a known as a conventional electrical connector of this type.
This electrical connector
100
comprises an insulating housing
110
which has a pair of partition walls
112
that rise from both sides of a base. A plurality of IC pin receiving holes
113
extend at a specified pitch along the insides of the respective partition walls
112
of the housing
110
. A plurality of electrical contacts
120
are secured in these IC pin receiving holes
113
. Each contact
120
has an retention barb
123
which is secured in the corresponding IC lead insertion hole
113
, a pin section
121
which is connected to the circuit board (not shown in the figures), and a contact section
122
which resiliently contacts a pin.
141
of the IC
140
. A protrusion
124
is also formed on the plate surface of each contact
120
in the vicinity of the contact section
122
.
An insulating slide member
130
is disposed between the partition walls
112
and is movable along the pair of partition walls
112
of the housing
110
between a first position shown in FIG.
9
(
a
) and a second position shown in FIG.
9
(
b
).
When this slide member
130
is in the first position, the plurality of pins
141
disposed on the IC
140
are inserted into the IC pin receiving holes
113
of the housing
110
. In this first position, as is shown in FIG.
9
(
a
), the protruding parts
124
of the electrical contacts
120
are positioned inside the plurality of recesses
131
formed in both side walls of the slide member
130
, and the pins
141
are not in contact with the contact parts
122
of the contacts
120
. Accordingly, there is no load on the pins
141
, so that the IC
140
is inserted with zero force.
On the other hand, when the slide member
130
is in the second position, as is shown in FIG.
9
(
b
), portions of both side walls of the slide member
130
push the protruding parts
124
of the contacts
120
to the outside, so that the pins
141
contact the contact parts
122
. The slide member
130
maintains this second position as a result of the contact force of a plurality of pairs of contact parts
122
whose protruding parts
124
contact both side walls of the slide member
130
.
For the purpose of moving the slide member
130
between the first and second positions tool insertion recesses
114
and
132
are respectively formed in the base of the housing
110
and in the slide member
130
. In the first position shown in FIG.
9
(
a
), when a tool A such as a screwdriver is inserted into the tool insertion recesses
132
and
114
in that order, and this tool A is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.
9
(
a
), the slide member
130
is urged into the second position shown in FIG.
9
(
b
). Likewise, in this second position, when the tool A is inserted into the tool insertion recesses
132
and
114
in that order, and this tool A is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.
9
(
b
), the slide member
130
is urged into the first position shown in FIG.
9
(
a
).
However, a problem has been encountered in this conventional electrical connector
100
. Specifically, in the second position of the slide member
130
, the slide member
130
maintains this second position only by virtue of the contact force of a plurality of pairs of contact parts
122
which have protruding parts
124
that contact both side walls of the slide member
130
. Accordingly, in the second position the slide member
130
may move if an impact or other unintended force is applied to the electrical connector
100
. When this slide member
130
moves from the second position, faulty or intermittent contact may occur between the pins
141
of the IC
140
and the contact parts
122
of the contacts
120
.
SUMMARY
Accordingly, the present invention was devised in order to address this problem and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector in which the slide member is securely locked in a position in which the pins of the electronic component and the contacts of the electrical connector are in contact, so that there is no movement of the slide member caused by impacts.
The electrical connector of the present invention application comprises numerous contacts that are connected to a circuit board, a base housing in which the contacts are inserted and held, and a slide member which has a plurality of terminal insertion holes into which a plurality of pins of an electronic component are inserted. This slide member is disposed so that it can be moved between a first position and a second position over the base housing. The pins are inserted into the terminal insertion holes when the slide member is in the first position, and the pins that have been inserted into the terminal insertion holes contact the contacts when the slide member is in the second position. A locking member is disposed on the base housing so that this locking member can move between an open position and a locking position perpendicular to the direction of movement of the slide member. The locking member is positioned in the open position when the slide member is in the first position, the locking member moves to the locking position to contact the slide member and prevent movement of the slide member when the slide member is in the second position. An engaging part disposed on the upper surface of the locking member engages the tool that is used to move the locking member.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6217361 (2001-04-01), Murr
patent: 6296506 (2001-10-01), Mizumura et al.
patent: 6347951 (2002-02-01), Murr
patent: 6350142 (2002-02-01), Shirai et al.
patent: 6435893 (2002-08-01), Kasahara
patent: 2-54632 (1990-11-01), None

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