Socket assembly with pick-up cap

Details Socket assembly with pick-up cap Socket assembly with pick-up cap

2001-12-06

2003-04-29

Le, Thanh-Tam (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With contact preventer or retractable cover part

C439S940000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06554624

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket assembly, and particularly to a socket assembly with a pick-up cap for facilitating suction by a pick up device.
2. Description of Related Art
Integrated circuit chip, such as a central processing unit (CPU), is a necessity for a computer. Generally, a socket is used to connect the integrated circuit chip with a motherboard. As the processing speed of the integrated circuit chip is increasingly fast, the conventional package of the socket, such as a pin grid array (PGA), cannot meet the demand of the fast running speed of the integrated circuit chip. Thus, the package of the socket has been changed into ball grid array (BGA). As is well known in the art, the PGA socket is through-hole soldered on a motherboard, and the BGA socket is welded on a motherboard through surface mounting technology (SMT). In through-hole soldering, the socket may be manually placed on the motherboard and then welded on the motherboard. Whereas, in SMT welding, a socket must be sucked by a pick up device and placed on a motherboard with terminals of the socket mating with corresponding pads of the motherboard. Subsequently, bottom ends of the terminals are soldered on the solder pad by Infrared reflow. In the SMT welding process, a pick-up cap is required to facilitate suction by the pick up device. In conventional practice, a pick-up cap is substantially a plastic plate with a few spring plastic arms for engaging with the socket. However, in high temperature during the SMT welding, the plastic arms are easy to deform permanently and lose elasticity. Thus, the conventional pick-up cap cannot endure repeated suction.
Hence, a socket assembly with a pick-up cap enduring repeated suction is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a socket assembly with a pick-up cap that can endure repeated suction.
In order to achieve the object set forth a socket assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises a socket and a pick-up cap assembled to the socket. The socket comprises a bottom base, a top cover movably assembled to the bottom base, a plurality of terminals assembled into the bottom base, and an actuating lever pivotably sandwiched between the top cover and the bottom base. The bottom base comprises a plurality of receiving passageways for receiving the terminals. The top cover comprises a plurality of through holes in alignment with the receiving passageways. The pick-up cap comprises a base plate with a top planar face and a plurality of pins assembled into the base plate. In assembly, the pick-up cap is assembled to the socket with the pins being received in the through holes of the top cover and the receiving passageways of the bottom base when the actuating lever is in a free position. When the actuating lever is manually turned to a closed position, the pins of the pick-up cap are engaged with the terminals of the socket and the pick-up cap is securely retained on the socket The top planar face of the pick-up cap facilitates suction of the socket by a pick up device. In the present invention, because the pick-up cap engages with the socket with the metal pins which endure high temperature, the pick up may endure repeated suction.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4726793 (1988-02-01), Bright
patent: 5342214 (1994-08-01), Hsu
patent: 5547389 (1996-08-01), Hsu
patent: 5651684 (1997-07-01), Northey et al.
patent: 6210197 (2001-04-01), Yu
patent: 6231367 (2001-05-01), Hsiao et al.

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