Electrical socket having improved latching means

Details Electrical socket having improved latching means Electrical socket having improved latching means

2001-12-07

2002-04-09

Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

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

Including compound movement of coupling part

C439S259000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06368139

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical socket, and particularly to a central processing unit (CPU) socket having an improved latching means. CPU sockets are well known in the pertinent art and widely used in computer industry. Thus, the CPU sockets are very competitive in markets and one which has a good performance while maintains low manufacturing cost is undoubted predominate.
A copending U.S. patent application with an unknown Ser. No. filed on Oct. 24, 2001 with a title “BALL GRID ARRAY SOCKET CONNECTOR” and assigned to the same assignee, discloses a CPU socket
8
as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
. The CPU socket
8
, named as a zero insertion force (ZIF) pin grid array (PGA) socket, has a non-conductive base
80
, a movable cover
81
mounted on the base
80
and an actuator member
83
fastened at one side of the base
80
for moving the cover
81
with respect to the base
80
. The base
80
forms a pair of latching members
803
and each latching member
803
has a body portion
804
and a horn portion
805
vertically extending from the body portion
804
. The cover
81
has a pair of hook members
811
for hooking the latching members
803
and each latching member
803
has a vertical body
812
and a horizontal hook
814
normal to the vertical body
812
for hooking the horn portion
805
of the base
80
. During movement of the cover
81
, a normal force F
1
generated in the hook portion
814
causes an opening moment M
1
with respect to the latching member
803
, which results in the cover
81
floating with respect to the base
80
. This phenomenon is very disadvantageous because the floating of the cover drives the CPU (not shown) mounted thereon floating also, and thus causes pins of the CPU disconnecting from the conductive contacts (not shown) of the CPU socket
8
. One solution is that a backup plate
84
is manufactured and inserted into a space room beside the hook members
811
so as to block the hook members
811
from opening and accordingly prevent the cover
81
from floating with respect to the base
80
. However, the backup plate
84
will undoubtedly increase the manufacturing and assembly costs of the electrical socket
8
, which is disadvantageous in the competitive market.
Hence, a CPU socket with improved latching means is desired.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide a CPU socket having an improved latching means which can ensure reliable connection between the base and the cover thereof while can reduce manufacturing and assembling cost of the CPU socket.
A CPU socket in accordance with the present invention comprises a non-conductive base defining an array of through holes, a plurality of conductive contacts retained in corresponding through holes, a movable cover covering the base and an actuator member for moving the cover with respect to the base. The base defines a shaft slot extending from one lateral side thereof toward a center portion thereof for receiving the actuator member and forms a pair of latching members beside the shaft slot. Each latching member has a body portion and a horn portion inclined and downwardly extending from the body portion and a first acute angle is defined between the body portion and the horn portion. The cover forms a pair of hook members for engaging with the latching members of the base. Each hook member has an elongate body and a hook portion which define a second acute angle equal to the first acute angel for fittedly latching the horn portion of the base.
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: 5722848 (1998-03-01), Lai et al.
patent: 5833483 (1998-11-01), Lai et al.
patent: 6042413 (2000-03-01), Hsaio et al.
patent: 6065990 (2000-05-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6113411 (2000-09-01), Lu et al.
patent: 6152757 (2000-11-01), Szui
patent: 6186816 (2001-02-01), Lu et al.
patent: 6210196 (2001-04-01), Wang et al.
patent: 6231367 (2001-05-01), Hsiao et al.
patent: 6243267 (2001-06-01), Chuang
patent: 6264490 (2001-07-01), Lemke et al.

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