Socket connector and method for making same

Details Socket connector and method for making same Socket connector and method for making same

2001-12-26

2003-04-08

Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Including compound movement of coupling part

C439S083000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06544064

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a socket connector having conductive contact elements for electrically connecting an electronic package, such as a central processing unit (CPU) module, to a circuit board, and more particular to a socket connector having compactly arranged contact elements. A method for making the socket connector is also disclosed.
2. The Related Arts
Socket connectors for mounting an electronic package, such as a central processing unit (CPU) module, to a circuit board are well known and commonly used in the computer industry.
FIG. 1
of the attached drawings shows an example of the socket connectors that is referred to as ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket connector. The socket connector, generally designated with reference numeral
10
, comprises a dielectric base housing
12
defining an array of cavities
14
open to a top face
15
of the base housing
12
. A dielectric cover
16
rests on the top face
15
of the base housing
12
and is movable across the top face
15
of the base housing
12
in a given moving direction A. The cover
16
defines through holes
18
corresponding to the open cavities
14
of the base housing
12
. The cover
16
carries an electronic package
20
having depending pin legs
22
extending through the holes
18
and partially projecting into the cavities
14
. An actuator
24
drives the cover
16
in the moving direction for bringing the pin legs
24
into contact with conductive contact elements
26
received and retained in the base housing
12
thereby forming electrical connection therebetween. Examples of socket connectors of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,498,725, 5,833,483, 6,059,596, 6,142,810, and 6,159,032.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,310 also discloses a socket connector of this type. The device of the '310 patent comprises a base housing
12
defining cavities
14
each receiving a contact element having a single beam. An example of the single-beam contact element is shown in
FIG. 2
of the attached drawings wherein a contact element
26
is stamped from a metal plate (not shown) and remains attached to a carrier strip
28
after stamping. The carrier strip
28
carries a number of contact elements
26
for simultaneously fitting the contact elements
26
into the cavities
14
of the base housing
12
. The carrier strip
28
is then removed to complete the manufacture of the connector.
Each contact element
26
comprises a retention section
30
retained in the cavity
14
of the base housing
12
and a post
32
extending beyond the base housing
12
for being soldered to a circuit board (not shown). An intermediate section
34
extends from the base section
30
and is substantially opposite to the post
32
. The intermediate section
34
has a distal free end
36
from which a cantilever beam
38
extends for biasingly engaging the pin leg
22
of the electronic package
20
.
Also referring to
FIG. 3
, the cantilever beam
38
comprises a free end portion
40
and an oblique portion
42
connected to the intermediate section
34
and the free end portion
40
by two bend portions
44
whereby the free end portion
40
is substantially parallel to but offset from the distal end
36
of the intermediate section
34
a distance determined by the oblique portion
42
.
The cavity
14
of the base housing
12
that receives the contact element
26
has a side wall
46
parallel to and opposite to the free end portion
40
of the cantilever beam
38
with a gap therebetween. The pin leg
22
is initially received in the cavity
14
at a position corresponding to the distal end
36
of the intermediate section
34
and is moved in the moving direction A under the guidance of the oblique portion
42
into the gap between the free end portion
40
and the side wall
46
. The cantilever beam
38
is deflected as shown in dashed lines and thus biasingly engages the pin leg
22
.
A disadvantage of the conventional contact elements is that the contact elements
26
must be lined up and in registration with each other because the cantilever beam
38
extends in a direction substantially parallel to the moving direction A of the pin leg
22
. The pitch between adjacent cavities
14
of the base housing
12
must be at least greater than the length of the cantilever beam
38
. In addition, due to the need of the oblique portion
42
for biasingly engaging the free end portion
44
with the pin leg
22
, the overall length of the cantilever beam
38
cannot be effectively reduced. Thus, the overall size of the socket connector with the same arrangement and same number of contact elements cannot be reduced and the contact elements cannot be arranged in a compact manner.
Thus, a socket connector that allows the contact elements to be compactly arranged is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a socket connector having compactly arranged contact elements.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a socket connector having compactly arranged contact elements.
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, a socket connector comprises a base housing defining cavities and contact elements positioned in the cavities. Each cavity has a first channel extending in a given direction and a second channel oblique with respect to and in communication with the first channel. Each contact element comprises a retention section retained in the cavity and oblique with respect to the given direction. The contact element comprises a cantilever beam somewhat complaint with the given direction. A pin leg of an electronic package is initially received in the second channel of the cavity and movable in the given direction toward and biasingly engaging the cantilever beam. The contact element comprises a straight tail extending beyond the housing with a mass of solder attached thereto for soldering to a circuit board. A slot is defined in the tail for securely retaining the solder.
A method for making the socket connector of the present invention comprises the steps of (1) providing a base housing defining cavities having first and second channels oblique with respect to each other; (2) forming a row of contact elements connected to a carrier strip by connection sections; (3) twisting the connection sections to obliquely orient the contact elements with respect to the carrier strip; and (4) gang loading the contact elements into the cavities with the cantilever beams of the contact element somewhat compliant with the given direction.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4498725 (1985-02-01), Bright et al.
patent: 5833483 (1998-11-01), Lai et al.
patent: 5947778 (1999-09-01), Lai et al.
patent: 6059596 (2000-05-01), Pei et al.
patent: 6086401 (2000-07-01), Hsiung et al.
patent: 6142810 (2000-11-01), Hsiao et al.
patent: 6159032 (2000-12-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6186816 (2001-02-01), Lu et al.
patent: 6231367 (2001-05-01), Hsiao et al.
patent: 6241535 (2001-06-01), Lemke et al.

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