Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – For dual inline package
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-28
2004-04-13
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2829)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
For dual inline package
Reexamination Certificate
active
06719580
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting an electronic package such as a central processing unit (CPU) with a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB), and particularly to a land grid array (LGA) connector assembly having a fastening device for securing the CPU therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 5
shows a conventional land grid array (LGA) connector assembly for electrically connecting an LGA central processing unit (CPU) (not shown) with a printed circuit board (PCB)
8
. Also referring to
FIG. 6
, the LGA connector assembly comprises a fastening device
9
mounted on the PCB
8
, and a socket
6
received in the fastening device
9
. The fastening device
9
comprises a rectangular frame
91
, and a lever
93
and a metal clip
92
respectively pivotally mounted on two opposite sides of the frame
91
. The frame
91
comprises a pair of lever cams
911
at an end thereof, a rectangular cavity in a middle thereof for receiving the socket
6
therein, and a pair of mounting slots
913
at an opposite end thereof. Each lever cam
911
defines a guiding groove
912
therethrough. The lever
93
has a pair of locating portions
931
movably received in the guiding grooves
912
of the frame
91
, an offset driving portion
933
between the locating portions
931
, and a handle portion
932
extending perpendicularly from an end of one of the location portions
931
. The metal clip
92
comprises a securing hook
921
at a free end thereof, and a pair of mounting portions
922
at an opposite end thereof. The mounting portions
922
are pivotally engaged with the mounting slots
913
of the frame
91
by a pair of fasteners such as pins
923
, respectively.
In use, the clip
92
is firstly oriented perpendicularly to the frame
91
, with the locating portions
931
of the lever
93
located at respective bottoms of the guiding grooves
912
of the frame
91
, and the driving portion
933
disposed above the locating portions
931
. The CPU is attached on the socket
6
, and a copper plate (not shown) which functions as a heat dissipation device is attached on the CPU. Then the clip
92
is rotated down to a substantially horizontal position. The handle portion
932
of the lever
93
is rotated from a horizontal position outside the frame
91
upwardly and toward the frame
91
, with the locating portions
931
pivoting in the bottoms of the guiding grooves
912
. The driving portion
933
reaches the securing hook
921
of the clip
92
, and drives the securing hook
921
downwardly. At the same time, the locating portions
931
begin to slide upwardly along the guiding grooves
912
from the bottoms thereof. The locating portions
931
reach respective tops of the guiding grooves
912
, with the driving portion
933
being located under the locating portions
931
and firmly pressing down on the securing hook
921
. Thus the clip
92
firmly presses the copper plate and the CPU on the socket
6
, and the CPU is electrically connected with the PCB.
Conversely, when the handle portion
932
of the lever
93
is rotated up and away from the frame
91
, the driving portion
933
of the lever
93
gradually moves from the securing hook
921
, and the locating portions
931
progressively move back downwardly along the guiding grooves
912
. Once the locating portions have reached the bottoms of the guiding grooves
912
, the clip
92
is rotated upwardly to be perpendicular to the frame
91
. Then the copper plate and the CPU can be easily taken out from the LGA connector assembly. This may be done, for example, when the CPU is to be replaced by a new higher-speed CPU.
However, as can be seen from
FIG. 6
, other components such as a retention module
7
are also mounted on the PCB
8
around the LGA connector assembly. The retention module
7
supports a heat sink (not shown) and/or a fan (not shown). During the above-described operations of the lever
93
and the clip
92
, the lever
93
is liable to be encumbered by the retention module
7
. In particular, the handle portion
932
may not be able to be fully rotated to the horizontal position outside the frame
91
. In such case, the securing hook
921
of the clip
92
may not be able to be released from the driving portion
933
, and so the clip
92
may not be able to be rotated upwardly. Accordingly, the copper plate and the CPU cannot be taken out from the fastening device
9
.
In view of the above, a new LGA connector assembly that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly such as a land grid array (LGA) connector assembly for electrically connecting an electronic package such as an LGA central processing unit (CPU) with a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB), whereby the connector assembly comprises a fastening device having reliable operation unencumbered by other components on the PCB.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, an LGA connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a fastening device mounted on a PCB, and a socket received in the fastening device. The fastening device comprises a rectangular frame, and a lever and a metal clip respectively pivotally mounted to two opposite sides of the frame. The frame comprises a lever cam in a middle of an end thereof. The lever cam defines a locating slot therethough, and comprises a pair of screw surfaces. The clip comprises a securing portion at a free end thereof. A rectangular opening is defined in the securing portion. The lever has a locating portion received in the locating slot of the frame, an L-shaped driving portion extending from an end of the locating portion, and a handle portion extending perpendicularly from an opposite end of the locating portion. In use, the driving portion of the lever is rotated to enter the opening of the securing portion for engaging firmly with the securing portion in the opening, with a CPU pressed on the socket. During rotating the lever, the lever is unencumbered by other components, such as a retention module, on the PCB.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4657328 (1987-04-01), Matsuoka
patent: 4761140 (1988-08-01), Geib
patent: 6485320 (2002-11-01), Ma
Abrams Neil
Chung Wei Te
Dinh Phuong
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