Contact strip for electrical connector

Details Contact strip for electrical connector Contact strip for electrical connector

2000-10-10

2001-05-15

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Contact terminal

Strip of detachable contacts

C439S886000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06231406

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact strip, and particularly to a contact strip for a Ball Grid Array (BGA) electrical connector, wherein the contact strip is provided with a means for saving plating liquid during plating of the conductive contacts thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Referring to
FIG. 4
, a prior art contact strip for a BGA electrical connector (not shown) comprises a plurality of contacts
1
, a contact carrier
2
and a corresponding number of links
3
connecting respective contacts
1
to the contact carrier
2
via a neck portion
31
of the link
3
. When the contacts
1
are inserted into a housing (not shown) of the connector, the contact carrier
2
is bent away from the contacts
3
from the connection between the contacts
1
and corresponding necks
31
. Each contact
1
comprises a soldering portion
12
for attaching a solder ball (not shown) thereto for soldering to a printed circuit board (not shown) and a contact portion
11
for engaging with a pin of a CPU (not shown). The contact portions
11
are plated with an expensive precious metal for increasing the current carrying capacity and reducing resistance of mated connections with pins of the CPU. However, the liquid precious metal may be wicked onto the links
3
and onto the contact carrier
2
during plating, thereby wasting precious metal plating, increasing the cost of the electrical connector.
Hence, an improved contact strip for a BGA electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide a contact strip for a BGA electrical connector, wherein the contact strip provides means for preventing loss of expensive plating metal during plating of the contacts.
A contact strip for a BGA connector of the present invention comprises a plurality of conductive contacts, a contact carrier and a corresponding number of links connecting respective contacts to the contact carrier via neck portions of the links. Each contact comprises a contact portion for electrically contacting a pin of a CPU and a soldering portion for attaching a solder ball prior to soldering to a printed circuit board. The contact portion is plated with a liquified gold plating for enhancing its electrical/mechanical characteristics. Each link defines a longitudinal slot designed to obstruct a wicking path of the plating liquid, thereby preventing loss of the plating liquid by wicking onto the contact carrier. Furthermore, a plurality of elongate openings are defined in the contact carrier above and perpendicular to the slots for further preventing the plating liquid from wicking onto the contact carrier, thereby preventing waste of the liquified gold.
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: 3864008 (1975-02-01), Bakermans et al.
patent: 3864014 (1975-02-01), Lynch
patent: 5616044 (1997-04-01), Tsai
patent: 5797774 (1998-08-01), Kaneko

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