Latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier

Details Latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier Latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier

2002-11-08

2004-11-16

Karlsen, Ernest (Department: 2829)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

C206S701000, C324S765010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06819128

ABSTRACT:

This application is based on Patent Application No. 2001-346331 filed Nov. 12, 2001 in Japan, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier, and more specifically, to a latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier which can be easily opened and closed.
2. Description of the Related Art
If a chip (die) which has met a specification but has not been packaged, i.e. a KGD (Known Good Die) is to be subjected to a burn-in test, the KGD is once mounted in a special carrier, and the carrier with the KGD mounted is further mounted in an IC socket. Subsequently, the IC socket is incorporated into a test board, to carry out a burn-in test.
The structure of the conventional carrier with the KGD mounted will be simply described with reference to FIG.
4
. This figure is a sectional view of a carrier with an IC chip mounted.
The KGD carrier
10
comprises a carrier retaining member
20
and a carrier base assembly
30
.
The carrier retaining member
20
has a cover
21
, a chip retaining member
22
, a coil spring
23
, and a steel ball
24
to elastically hold an IC chip
40
placed on the carrier base assembly
30
.
The carrier base assembly
30
has a carrier main body
31
including a latch
36
, a substrate (contact sheet)
32
as a printed-circuit board, an elastomer frame
33
, an elastomer
34
as a cushion, and a carrier base
35
. The latch
36
has a locking portion
36
a
locked on the carrier retaining member
20
and a latch base
36
b
rotationally movably mounted on the carrier main body
31
and urged and biased toward the interior of the carrier base assembly
30
by a helical torsion coil spring
37
.
The IC chip
40
is mounted in the carrier
10
in the following manner. First, with the carrier retaining member
20
removed, the IC chip
40
is placed on the substrate
32
. Subsequently, the carrier retaining member
20
is used to uniformly and elastically push the IC chip
40
into tight contact with the substrate
32
, thereby electrically connecting the IC chip
40
and the substrate
32
together. Furthermore, the latch
36
is engaged with the cover
21
of the carrier retaining member
20
to complete mounting the IC chip
40
as shown in the figure.
As shown in
FIG. 4
, at least two opposite latches
36
are required to engage the carrier retaining member
20
with the carrier base assembly
30
and also to uniformly tightly contact the IC chip
40
with the substrate
32
. However, in the conventional carrier
10
, the at least two opposite latches
36
are provided with the carrier main body
31
. With this arrangement, when the carrier retaining member
20
is removed from the carrier base assembly
30
, the two opposite latches
36
must be simultaneously rotationally moved outward in the opposite directions relating to the carrier retaining member
20
. That is, the two opposite latches
36
must be simultaneously opened and disengaged (unlocked) from the carrier retaining member
20
. Then, while maintaining this disengaged state, the carrier retaining member
20
must be removed from the carrier base assembly
30
. Conversely, when the carrier retaining member
20
is installed on the carrier base assembly
30
, this installation must be carrier out while keeping the two opposite latches
36
open.
A complicated structure is required to automatically install and remove the carrier retaining member
20
on and from the carrier base assembly
30
while keeping the at least two opposite latches
36
simultaneously open. If this is manually carried out, the operation is difficult. Furthermore, if for example, two sets of two opposite latches
36
are provided so as to cross at right angles, the complicity and difficulty enhance.
In view of these problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier which has a simple structure and which facilitates the simultaneous opening and closing of latches and the installation and removal of a carrier retaining member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain this object, a latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier according to the present invention comprises a carrier retaining member having a cover and a chip retaining member, a carrier base assembly having a carrier main body, a substrate, and a carrier base, at least two opposite latches rotationally movably provided on a cover of the carrier retaining member and each including an operation portion and a locking portion which generally form an L shape, and engaging portions provided on the carrier main body of the carrier base assembly to engage with the corresponding locking portions of the latches. The latch locking mechanism is characterized in that when the locking portions of the two opposite latches are closed, the locking portions engage with the corresponding engaging portions provided on the carrier main body to lock the carrier retaining member and the carrier base assembly.
Further, each tip of the operation portions of the two opposite latches are preferably arranged close to each other with a small space.
Furthermore, two sets of the two opposite latches may be arranged so as to cross at right angles.
Moreover, at least two sets of the two opposite latches may be arranged so that the sets are parallel with each other and the operating portions of the sets are connected together.
Further, in the latch locking mechanism of a KGD carrier according to the present invention, the cover may have a groove portion which is formed of inclined surfaces having an inclination &agr; from a horizontal surface and a concave portion so as to allow the operation portions of the two opposite latches to be rotationally moved.
Furthermore, the angle &agr; and an angle &bgr; at which the locking portion of the latch can be cleared from the engaging portion of the carrier preferably has a relationship &agr;−&bgr;=−1 to +3°, more preferably a relationship &agr;−&bgr;=0 to +3°.
The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5320550 (1994-06-01), Uratsuji et al.
patent: 5557212 (1996-09-01), Isaac et al.
patent: 6046597 (2000-04-01), Barabi
patent: 58-206145 (1983-12-01), None
patent: 59-103390 (1984-07-01), None
patent: 9-22764 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 2001-91557 (2001-04-01), None
patent: 2001-228200 (2001-08-01), None

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