Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-05
2004-06-15
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
C439S515000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06749440
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical contact, and more particularly to an electrical connector contact for electrically interconnecting two electrical interfaces such as contact pads of an integrated circuit (IC) package and a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are two current trends in the connector industry which pose great challenges for manufacturers: the trend toward miniaturization of socket connectors, and the trend toward increased density of arrays of electrical contacts of the socket connectors. In a typical miniaturized socket connector, each contact received in a housing of the connector is short and occupies only a limited space. Thus a spring arm of the contact is too short to provide good resilient characteristics. As a result, engagement between the connector and an associated electrical device may be unreliable.
In order to overcome the above problems, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,203,331 and 6,296,495 provide another kind of electrical connector. Referring to
FIGS. 5
,
6
and
7
, the connector comprises a housing
8
, and a plurality of electrical contacts
9
received in the housing
8
. A plurality of contact-passages
81
is defined in the housing
8
, the contact-passages
81
receiving the corresponding contacts
9
therein. Each contact
9
has an inverted “U”-shaped retention portion
91
, and a “U”-shaped extending portion
92
extending slantingly down from the retention portion
91
. A first mating portion
922
is formed at a bottommost portion of the extending portion
92
. The first mating portion
922
extends outside the corresponding contact-passage
81
, for engaging a corresponding contact pad
830
on a PCB
83
. A second mating portion
921
is formed at a topmost portion of the extending portion
92
. The second mating portion
921
extends outside the corresponding contact-passage
81
, for engaging a corresponding contact pad
820
on an IC package
82
. With this structure, the extending portion
92
is relatively long, and gives the contact
9
good resilient characteristics.
However, the elongate extending portion
92
increases a length of an electric path along an “L”-shaped portion of the contact
9
between the first and second mating portions
922
,
921
. Thus impedance of the contact
9
is increased. Further, the contacts
9
are densely arrayed in the housing
8
. As a result, much heat is generated and concentrated in the connector during operation. The connector and the IC package
82
are liable to malfunction, and may even sustain damage.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide an improved electrical contact for a connector that overcomes the above-mentioned problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact having both low impedance and good resilient characteristics.
To fulfill the above-mentioned object, an electrical contact is provided according to the present invention, for electrically interconnecting with two electrical interfaces. The contact comprises an “H”-shaped retention portion, a “U”-shaped extending portion extending slantingly down from one end of the retention, and a second engaging portion extending upwardly from an opposite end of the retention. First and second mating portions are formed at topmost and bottommost portions of the extending portion, for respectively engaging with the electrical interfaces.
With this structure, the extending portion of the contact is relatively long, and gives the contact good resilient characteristics. Additionally, a first engaging portion is formed on the extending portion, for engaging the second engaging portion. Thus two parallel electric paths are formed between the first and second mating portions when the contact electrically mats with the two electrical interfaces. As a result, impedance of the contact is decreased.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5437556 (1995-08-01), Bargain et al.
patent: 5820389 (1998-10-01), Hashiguchi
patent: 5984693 (1999-11-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6146152 (2000-11-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6179624 (2001-01-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6203331 (2001-03-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6227869 (2001-05-01), Lin et al.
patent: 6280254 (2001-08-01), Wu et al.
patent: 6296495 (2001-10-01), Wang et al.
Liao Fang-Jwu
Szu Ming-Lun
Hammond Briggitte R.
Paumen Gary
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