Socket for a pin grid-array package

Details Socket for a pin grid-array package Socket for a pin grid-array package

1999-12-03

2001-10-02

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

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

Including compound movement of coupling part

Reexamination Certificate

active

06296506

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an electrical connector and, more particularly, to a socket for connecting a pin grid-array (“PGA”) package to a circuit member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical PGA package includes a silicon chip, a package including conductive and non-conductive components and a plurality of pins in a grid array depending downward from a bottom surface of the package. Conventionally, sockets for PGA packages include a plate-like base housing having a plurality of terminals arranged in the same grid pattern as the lead pins of the PGA package and a plate-like cover member having a plurality of through holes in the same grid pattern as the lead pins of the pin grid-array package, thus permitting the lead pins to be inserted in the through holes. The plate-like cover member is slidably positioned on the upper surface of the base housing. Some examples of such sockets are shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-142134 and Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 2-536440.
The base housing and cover are slidably interconnected so that the cover is driven in a plane parallel to the underlying base housing between a first position in which the lead pins of the PGA package can pass through the through holes of the cover to reach the terminals mounted in the underlying base housing without requiring any insertion force to be applied to the lead pins and a second position in which the lead pins of the PGA package contact the terminals.
A variety of terminal structures have been proposed as appropriate for use in such sockets. Some such terminals are configured such that their contact portions engage the lead pins of a PGA package upon movement of the cover of the socket, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-142134 and Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 2-536440 referred to above. Conversely, some terminals are configured such that the lead pins of a PGA package are brought to the contact portions of terminals in the base housing as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-185981.
Essentially all of the terminals have contact portions located in the terminal-receiving cavities of the base housing of the socket, and most have straight pin-like solder tails extending from the bottom of the base housing of the socket. These pin-like solder tails are inserted into through holes of a printed circuit board on which the socket is mounted, and are soldered to the printed circuit board.
The base housing typically has some type of drive mechanism formed thereon for slidably moving the cover over the underlying base housing. In some sockets, a cam is rotatably attached to one lateral side or end of the base housing, and the cam is adapted to be rotated with an associated handle, thereby permitting the cam axle to push or pull the cover over the underlying base housing. The handle may be rotated from a horizontal position in which it is parallel to the base housing to a vertical position in which it is perpendicular to the base housing.
The demand for ever smaller electronic devices has driven the demand for smaller components that make up the electronic devices. However, customers also desire increasing performance from these smaller devices. Thus, component designers must continue to shrink their designs while still improving their performance and ease of use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, one object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized socket stricture for a pin grid-array package.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a zero insertion force electrical connector for mounting on a circuit member and receiving a device having a pin terminal array. The electrical connector includes a dielectric generally planar base housing and a generally planar cover mounted on the base housing. The base housing has an upper surface and a lower surface and a plurality of individual terminal-receiving cavities extending between said upper and lower surfaces and arranged in a terminal-receiving cavity array generally corresponding to the pin terminal array. The cover is movable relative to the base housing between a first insertion position and a second engagement position. The cover has opposed upper and lower surfaces and includes a metal component and an insulative component. The metal component includes a first array of holes therein corresponding to the pin terminal array and the insulative component includes a second array of holes corresponding to the pin terminal array. The first and second arrays are aligned to define a plurality of through holes extending between the upper and lower surfaces and arranged in an array corresponding to the pin terminal array to facilitate receiving the pin terminals in the through holes. Each through hole includes a tapered lead-in section adjacent the cover upper surface to facilitate insertion of the conductive pin terminals through the through holes.
A plurality of conductive terminals is also provided with one being mounted in each cavity. Each terminal includes a retention section for securing the terminal in the base housing, a mounting section for contacting a conductive portion of the circuit member and a contact structure positioned within its respective terminal-receiving cavity and configured for engaging a portion of a respective one of the pin terminals. An actuating structure causes the cover to slide relative to the base housing between the first insertion position and the second engagement position.
The base housing of the connector may include a metal component extending along one end of the base housing and is spaced from the terminal-receiving cavities. Such metal component would include an opening therein configured for engagement by an actuator member. The metal component may further include arms extending along opposite sides of the base housing with the arms spaced from the terminal-receiving cavities. The cover may include a guide structure that interacts with edges of the base member to guide the cover between the first insertion position and the second engagement position. In addition, the guide structure may include openings in edges of the cover and the base housing may include projections extending from the edges of the base member into the openings in the cover. The cover may include a second metal component that extends along one end of the cover and is spaced from the through holes. This second metal component further includes a follower surface configured to engage an actuator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a zero insertion force electrical connector including a dielectric base housing having an upper surface and a lower surface and a plurality of terminal-receiving cavities extending between the upper and lower surfaces and arranged in a terminal-receiving cavity array which generally corresponds to an array of pin terminals. A cover is slidably mounted on the upper surface of the base housing and includes a metal component and an insulative component. The insulative component has a plurality of through holes therein arranged in an array corresponding to the pin terminal array for receiving the pin terminals and the metal component extends along one end of the cover and is spaced from the through holes. The metal component also includes a follower surface configured to engage an actuator. A plurality of conductive terminals are mounted in the terminal-receiving cavities of the base housing for electrically connecting a device to a circuit member.
The base housing may include a metal component extending along one end thereof and spaced from the terminal-receiving cavities. The metal component includes an opening therein configured for engagement by an actuator member. Such base housing metal component may further include arms extending along opposite sides of the base housing with the arms spaced from the terminal-receiving cavities. The electrical connector may also include an actuating structure to slide the cover along the base housing between the first insertion posit

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