Electrical connector with anti-rotation mechanism

Details Electrical connector with anti-rotation mechanism Electrical connector with anti-rotation mechanism

2002-07-17

2003-08-26

Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

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

Including compound movement of coupling part

C439S259000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06609926

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector for electrically connecting a central processing unit (CPU) with a printed circuit board (PCB), and particularly to an electrical connector with a cover and an anti-rotation mechanism.
2. Description of Prior Art
CPU sockets are widely used in personal computer (PC) systems to electrically connect CPUs with PCBs. A CPU socket usually comprises a base, and a cover slidably engaged on the base. A cam actuator actuates the cover to slide along the base, such that contact pins of the CPU are pushed to electrically mate with a multiplicity of contacts secured in the base.
A conventional cam actuator is disclosed in “BGA Socket: a dendritic solution” (P460-P466,1996 IEEE 46
th
Electronic Components & Technology Conference). When a CPU socket is manufactured to have a cam actuator, the CPU socket can have a low profile. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,250,941, 6,254,415, 6,280,224, 6,296,507 and 6,338,640 all disclose conventional cam actuators used in CPU sockets. Referring to
FIG. 5
, U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,640 discloses a cam actuator
26
of a CPU socket
2
. The actuator
26
comprises a plurality of cylindrical portions. The cylindrical portions progressively decrease in diameter from top to bottom. Central axes of the cylindrical portions are offset from each other. A protecting mechanism
24
comprises a cover plate
241
that is insert-molded in the cover
22
, and a base plate
242
that is received in a recess
201
of the base
20
.
When the CPU socket
2
is assembled, the actuator
26
is positioned in the cover plate
241
and the base plate
242
. In operation, the actuator
26
is rotated to push the cover plate
241
to slide along the base plate
242
. This actuates the cover
22
to slide along the base
20
.
Conventionally, when the cover
22
slides along the base
20
, the cover plate
241
of the protecting mechanism
24
slides along and directly rubs a top surface of the base plate
242
. This can result in rotation of the cover plate
241
relative to the base plate
242
. When this happens, the cover
22
may not slide properly or may fail to slide altogether. Furthermore, damage to the whole CPU socket
2
may result.
A new CPU socket that overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which prevents or minimizes rotation of a cover thereof relative to a base thereof.
In order to achieve the above object, an electrical connector with anti-rotation mechanism in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an insulative base, a cover, a plurality of conductive terminals, an actuator, an anti-rotation mechanism and a washer. The cover is slidably mounted on the base. The conductive terminals are received in passageways defined in the base. The actuator can actuate the cover to slide along the base. The anti-rotation mechanism comprises a cover plate retained in the cover, and a base plate received in the base. The cover plate and the base plate respectively comprise a pair of guiding blocks, and a pair of guiding slots movably receiving the guiding blocks. When the actuator actuates the cover to slide along the base, the anti-rotation mechanism prevents or minimizes rotation between the cover plate and the base plate.


REFERENCES:
patent: 6071140 (2000-06-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6086402 (2000-07-01), Huang
patent: 6254415 (2001-07-01), Mizumura et al.
patent: 6280224 (2001-08-01), Huang
patent: 6296507 (2001-10-01), Huang
patent: 6338640 (2002-01-01), Lin

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