Electrical connector

Details Electrical connector Electrical connector

1999-10-19

2001-01-02

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

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

Including compound movement of coupling part

Utility Patent

active

06168452

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a zero insertion force connector having a driving mechanism for smoothly and precisely moving a cover relative to a base of the connector.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,615 and Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 80211197, 82213952, 82214483, 83201360 and 85205751 disclose several zero insertion force connectors. Referring to
FIG. 1
, a conventional connector
600
comprises a base
602
, a plurality of contacts
604
received in the base
602
and a cover
603
movably attached to the base
602
. The base
602
provides a pair of driving mechanisms
700
at middle sections of opposite edges thereof. Each driving mechanism
700
defines a groove
701
. In operation, a tool, such as a screwdriver (not shown), is disposed in a selected groove
701
and pivots inwardly to drive the cover
603
on the base
602
. However, this movement produces wear on the cover
603
and the driving mechanism
700
because the screwdriver directly contacts an edge of the cover
603
and the driving mechanism
700
. Thus, the cover
603
and the driving mechanism
700
quickly become damaged. Furthermore, since the driving force exerted on the cover
603
and the driving mechanism
700
is variable, the contacts
604
may not reliably engage with the pins of a chip (not shown). Again, the distance that the cover
603
moves on the base
602
is variable and this may result in incorrect engagement of the contacts
604
and the pins. Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a zero insertion force electrical connector having a driving mechanism driving a cover relative to a base of the connector without producing wear or damage to the electrical connector;
Another object of the present invention is to provide a zero insertion force electrical connector having a driving mechanism moving a chip attached to the cover to have pins of the chip to securely engage with contacts of the electrical connector.
To achieve the foregoing objects, a zero insertion force electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a base accommodating a plurality of contacts therein, a cover movably attached to the base, a frame and a driving mechanism cooperating to move the cover relative to the base. The cover defines a number of holes equal to the number of contacts for receiving pins of a chip. The frame is generally square in shape and defines a square central chamber and a pair of recesses in opposite diagonal corners thereof. The base together with the cover is mounted on a printed circuit board and the frame is disposed around the base and the cover.
The driving mechanism comprises a slider and a driver. The slider comprises an L-shaped wall and a flange outwardly extending from a top of the wall. The flange defines a through slot and a screw hole communicating with the through slot at a corner thereof. The driver comprises a handle having a horizontal pole and a vertical pole connected together and an elliptical cam disposed at a distal end of the vertical pole. The cam is disposed under the flange via the slot and a screw is assembled in the screw hole with a distal end thereof disposed in the slot to prevent the cam from disengaging from the slider. The slider together with the driver is disposed in a selected recess of the frame.
In operation, an external force is exerted on the horizontal pole of the driver to rotate the cam about an axis of the vertical pole. The cam abuts against an outer face of the wall of the slider and a side peripheral face of the recess to drive the slider in a diagonal direction. The slider abuts against two proximate edges of the cover to move the cover on the base. The cover then carries the pins of the chip to engage with the corresponding contacts of the connector.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4420205 (1983-12-01), Kirkman
patent: 4538870 (1985-09-01), Thewlis
patent: 5649836 (1997-07-01), Kashiwagi
patent: 5658160 (1997-08-01), Lai
patent: 5707247 (1998-01-01), Konstad
patent: 5730615 (1998-03-01), Lai et al.
patent: 5855489 (1999-01-01), Walker

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