Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – For dual inline package
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-22
2001-04-10
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
For dual inline package
C439S073000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC socket for detachably holding an IC package, which is particularly provided with a heat sink, which can be easily exchanged, for discharging heat of the IC package.
2. Prior Art
A known IC socket of this type has a structure for holding an IC package for carrying out a performance test such as burn-in test of the IC package.
That is, in such IC socket, the IC package is mounted on a socket body, and the IC package is depressed from an upper side by rotating downward a pressure cover rotatably mounted to the socket body so that a number of terminals formed to the IC package come into contact to contact pins located to the socket body at a predetermined pressure.
Some kinds of such conventional IC sockets are provided with heat sinks for discharging (radiating) heat of the IC package in contact thereto. However, in such IC sockets, if the thickness of the IC package or the size of pressing surface of the heat sink are changed, a desirable press contacting cannot be ensured and a suitable heat radiation cannot be expected by using the same heat sink, thus providing a problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate such defects or problems as mentioned above in the prior art and to provide an IC socket in which, even if the thickness of an IC package or a size of a pressing surface of a heat sink is changed, one socket body can be commonly used and the heat sink can be easily exchanged with another one corresponding to an IC package to be used.
This and other object can be achieved according to the present invention by providing, in one aspect, an IC socket in which a pressure cover is disposed to be opened and closed with respect to a socket body so that when the pressure cover is closed, an IC package mounted on the socket body is pressed, the pressure cover being provided with a heat sink, and a heat of the IC package is radiated therefrom through a press-contact of the heat sink to the IC package, and wherein the pressure cover is formed with a heat sink receiver on an inner surface side to the socket body so as to receive the heat sink and a holding member is disposed on an inner surface side of the pressure cover to be detachable so as to detachably hold the heat sink between the heat sink receiver and the holding member.
In another aspect, there is provided an IC socket comprising:
a socket body provided with a plurality of contact pins;
an IC package mounted to the socket body and provided with a plurality of terminals to be contacted to the contact pins;
a pressure cover attached to the socket body to be rotatable so as to be opened or closed;
a heat sink mounted to the pressure cover so that when the pressure cover is rotated to be closed, a heat is radiated from the IC package through a contact of the heat sink to the IC package;
a heat sink receiver formed to an inner surface side of the pressure cover on the socket body side and adapted to receive therein the heat sink; and
a holding member mounted to an inner surface side of the pressure cover to be detachable, the heat sink being held to be detachably between the heat sink receiver and the holding member.
In preferred embodiments in these aspects, the holding member has a structure commonly acting as an IC package pressing means when the pressure cover is closed.
The holding means is provided with a pin projecting toward the pressure cover, the pressure cover is formed with a through hole through which the pin penetrate, the pin having a front end projecting over the through hole, and the projected end of the pin is fixed by a fallout prevention means formed on an outer surface side of the pressure cover. The fallout prevention means comprises lock shim means engageable with the front end of the pin. A pair of pins are located, each of the projected front end of the pins being formed with an engaging groove and the lock shim means comprises a single lock shim member being composed of a pair of engaging pieces and an operation piece connecting both the engaging pieces, each of the engaging pieces being formed with a slot with which the engaging groove of the pin is engaged. The lock shim means may comprise a pair of lock shim members each having an engaging piece and an operation piece, the engaging piece being formed with a slot with which the engaging groove of the pin is engaged.
The pin comprises a front end portion formed as a head portion and a shank portion continuous to the head portion, the shank portion being formed with a slit extending along an axial direction thereof and also formed with a staged portion having a diameter smaller than that of the front end portion, the staged portion being engaged with a peripheral edge of the through hole of the pressure cover.
At least one of the holding member and the pressure cover is provided with an elastically deformable engaging piece and another one thereof is formed with a portion to be detachably engaged with the engaging piece so as to lock the holding member to the pressure cover when engaged.
The heat sink is composed of a plate member having one surface formed with a protruded portion abutting against the IC package and another surface formed with a plurality of heat radiating projections which are fitted into a plurality of holes formed to the heat sink receiver. A coil spring may be disposed between the heat sink and the heat sink receiver so as to urge the heat sink toward the holding member.
According to the IC socket of the present invention of the characters mentioned above, since the heat sink is held to be detachable between the heat sink receiver of the pressure cover and the holding member, the heat sink can be easily exchanged simply by detaching the holding member.
Furthermore, since the holding member also functions as a pressing member for the IC package when the pressure cover is closed, number of parts to be located can be eliminated.
Still furthermore, the holding means is provided with a pin projecting toward the pressure cover, the pressure cover is formed with a through hole through which the pin penetrate, the pin having a front end projecting over the through hole, and the projected end of the pin is fixed by a fallout prevention means formed on an outer surface side of the pressure cover. Accordingly, the location of the fallout prevention means permits the holding member to be detached or attached on the outer surface side of the pressure cover. Moreover, since the fallout prevention means comprises lock shim means engageable with the front end of the pin, the lock shim means and the pin can be easily mounted or dismounted.
Still furthermore, at least one of the holding member and the pressure cover is provided with an elastically deformable engaging piece and another one thereof is formed with a portion to be detachably engaged with the engaging piece so as to lock the holding member to the pressure cover when engaged. This structure makes it possible to attach or detach the holding member to or from the pressure cover by, so-called, one-touch operation.
The nature and further characteristic features will be made more clear from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4113397 (1978-09-01), Snyder
patent: 5520490 (1996-05-01), Perach et al.
patent: 5651688 (1997-07-01), Lin
patent: 5807104 (1998-09-01), Ikeya et al.
patent: 5870286 (1999-02-01), Butterbaugh et al.
patent: 6019166 (2000-02-01), Viswanath et al.
Enplas Corporation
Fish & Richardson PC
Gushi Ross
Paumen Gary
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