Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-24
2001-01-16
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
C439S068000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174173
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC socket, to which is mounted an IC package is adapted to be electrically connected to a printed circuit board.
2. Prior Art of the Invention
A known IC socket of this type is shown in
FIG. 4
, for example, and with reference to
FIG. 4
, an IC socket
1
has a structure to be mounted to a printed circuit board
2
. The IC socket
1
holds an IC package
3
, which is to be electrically connected to the printed circuit board
2
.
The IC socket
1
has a socket body
4
into which a plurality of contact pins, not shown, are arranged. The contact pins have lead portions projecting downward, in a state shown in
FIG. 4
, and the lead portions are inserted into through holes
2
a
of a circuit pattern printed on the printed circuit board
2
so as to establish an electrical connection therebetween. As shown in
FIG. 4
, an attachment
5
, a tab film
6
and a press jig
7
are integrally assembled by means of bolts
8
, and the assembly is mounted in the socket body
4
to be detachable, thus constituting the IC socket
1
.
An electrode pattern, which is hindered by the press jig
7
in the illustration of
FIG. 4
, is formed to a central portion of a front surface side thereof, the electrode pattern being electrically joined or connected to arrangement of terminals of the IC package
3
. The contact terminals
6
a
, connected through the circuit, are arranged to the peripheral edge portion of the electrode pattern, and movable contact pieces of contact pins provided for the socket body
4
are connected to the upper surface of these contact terminals
6
a
so as to be connected to and separated from each other.
The press jig
7
is provided with a jig body
7
a
into which the IC package
3
is inserted and also provided with a pressing portion
7
b
which presses the upper surface of the inserted IC package
3
, thereby contacting, under pressure, the terminals formed to the lower surface of the IC package
3
against the electrode pattern of the tab film
6
.
According to the structure and the manner mentioned above, the contact terminals
6
a
formed to the peripheral edge portion of the tab film
6
is electrically connected to the printed circuit board
2
by way of contact pins.
In the conventional structure mentioned above, however, a number of contact pins are arranged in the socket body
4
and a mechanism for displacing or biasing the movable contact pieces of these contact pins are also arranged therein, so that the entire structure of the socket body
4
is made large in size and thus complicated, providing a problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate defects or problems encountered in the prior art mentioned above and to provide an IC socket having a small-sized and compact structure.
This and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention by providing an IC socket to be connected to a printed circuit board, which comprises:
a terminal socket to be connected to the printed circuit board to establish an electrical connection therebetween;
an intermediate connector which is mounted on the terminal socket and on which an IC package is mounted, the intermediate connector being provided with one surface on an IC package side, on which an electrode pattern adapted to be joined to a terminal arrangement of the IC package is formed, and also provided with another one surface on a terminal socket side, on which a contact terminal means to be connected to the terminal socket are formed, the intermediate connector being further provided with a circuit for connecting the electrode pattern to the contact terminals;
a press means pressing the IC package mounted on the intermediate connector against the intermediate connector; and
fastening means for detachably fastening the press means, the intermediate connector and the terminal socket in this order so as to establish an electrical connection between the IC package and the terminal socket through the intermediate connector.
In a preferred embodiment in the above aspect, the intermediate connector is supported by the terminal socket and the press means. The contact terminal means of the intermediate connector comprises a plurality of pin-shaped terminals to be inserted into the terminal socket. The intermediate connector has a thin sheet structure such as tab film. The intermediate connector has an area to which the terminal arrangement of the IC package is pressed and an elastic member having an elastic property is disposed to that area.
The press means comprises a press jig member having a jig body to which the IC package is mounted.
The terminal socket, the intermediate connector and the press means are formed with fastening holes having substantially the same size and positional arrangement and the fastening means comprises fastening bolts and nuts, the fastening bolts being inserted into the fastening holes for fastening the terminal socket, the intermediate connector and the press means together by the nuts.
There may be further provided a ball guide means interposed between the intermediate connector and the press means.
According to the structures and characters of the IC socket of the present invention mentioned above, the terminal socket is joined and connected to the circuit pattern of the printed circuit board so as to establish the electrical connection therebetween, the intermediate connector is mounted on the terminal socket, the IC package is mounted on the intermediate connector. Furthermore, the electrode pattern is formed to one surface of the intermediate connector in the above arrangement and the contact terminals are located to the other one surface thereof. Accordingly, the height of the entire structure of the IC socket can be reduced and made compact, and moreover, the structure thereof can be made simple because of no location of contact pins and displacing or biasing mechanism as used in a conventional structure. Furthermore, since the intermediate connector has a thin sheet shape such as tab film, the entire structure of the IC socket can be made further compact.
Still furthermore, the press jig, the intermediate connector and the terminal socket are fastened together to be detachably by the bolts and nuts, and the intermediate connector is merely interposed between the press jig and the terminal socket, so that the intermediate connector, which may be easily damaged, can be easily exchanged with new one when damaged.
Still furthermore, since the contact terminals of the intermediate connector are formed as pin-shaped terminals, the intermediate connector can be more easily attached or detached by inserting or withdrawing these pin-shaped terminals, and moreover, the electrical connection therebetween can be easily and surely established only by inserting the pin-shaped terminals into the terminal socket.
Still furthermore, since the intermediate connector such as tab film has a thin thickness and less elasticity, the location of the elastic member can ensure the electrical connection between the IC package and the intermediate connector.
The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made more clear from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4969828 (1990-11-01), Bright et al.
patent: 5131852 (1992-07-01), Grabbe et al.
patent: 5481435 (1996-01-01), Werther
patent: 5612514 (1997-03-01), Lam
patent: 5883788 (1999-03-01), Ondricel et al.
patent: 09129329 (1997-05-01), None
Enplas Corporation
Fish & Richardson PC
Nguyen Son V.
Sircus Brian
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