Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2001-09-25
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
C439S331000, C439S342000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293809
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket for electrical parts for detachably holding electrical parts such as semiconductor devices (called “IC package” hereinlater), and more particularly, a socket for electrical parts having an improved structure for positioning the electrical parts.
2. Related Art of the Invention
In conventional art, there is known an IC socket, as such socket for electrical parts, for detachably holding an IC package as electrical part.
There is known, as such IC package, a BGA (Ball Grid Array) type, in which a number of almost spherical solder (soldered or soldering) ball (terminals) are arranged in shape of matrix to a lower surface of, for example, a rectangular package so as to project downward.
On the other hand, the IC socket is provided with a socket body having an IC package accommodation portion on which the IC package is positioned and accommodated in a predetermined portion, and each of the solder balls of the IC package is clamped between a pair of elastic pieces of a contact pin thereby to establish an electrical connection between the IC socket and the IC package.
However, in the IC socket having the conventional structure mentioned above, it is difficult to precisely locate the IC package to the predetermined position of the accommodation portion of the socket body, and there is a fear of the solder balls being displaced in position, resulting in failure of contact to the contact pins and a fear of damaging the solder balls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate defects or drawbacks encountered in the prior art mentioned above and to provide a socket for electrical parts capable of easily positioning the electrical parts, preventing contact failure of terminals and preventing the terminals from being damaged.
This and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention by providing a socket for an electrical part comprising:
a socket body;
an accommodation portion formed to the socket body and adapted to receive an electrical part to which a plurality of terminals are arranged with a predetermined pitch;
a plurality of contact pins arranged to the socket body and adapted to contact to or separate from the terminals, respectively; and
a positioning structure formed to the accommodation portion of the socket body for positioning at least two terminals separated by a plurality of pitches on the accommodation portion.
According to this structure, since at least two terminals having a plurality of pitches are positioned, the positioning precision or performance of the electrical part with respect to the socket body can be further improved, and moreover, the contact failure and damages to the terminal such as solder ball can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, in comparison with a structure in which all the terminals are to be positioned, in the present invention, the terminals are positioned at only at least tow portions, so that the manufacturing efficiency of molds and the productivity of the positioning structure can be improved.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention of the aspect mentioned above, the terminal of the electrical part is restricted in a movement thereof in one direction by the positioning structure and restricted in a movement in another one direction by the contact pin.
The contact pin projects over a surface of the accommodation portion of the socket body. The contact pin is formed with a pair of elastic pieces having front end portions between which the terminal is clamped and the clamping direction accords with the another one direction, being normal to the one direction mentioned above.
The electrical part has a substantially rectangular shape and the positioning structure includes at least two positioning members arranged at positions corresponding to at least two terminals disposed to outermost portions on diagonal lines of the rectangular shape of the electrical part. The positioning structure may comprises four positioning members arranged at four corner portions of the rectangular electrical part on diagonal lines thereof.
The positioning structure comprises a projection member projecting over a surface of the accommodation portion of the socket body. The projection member is composed of a pair of projections between which the terminal is to be held.
In the preferred embodiments, the socket is an IC socket and the electrical part is an IC package.
According to the structures of the preferred embodiments mentioned above, since one terminal is restricted in its position from a plurality of directions by the positioning structure composed of positioning members and the contact pin, the positioning precision can be further improved. Furthermore, the distance between the positioning members can be made maximum, so that the positioning precision can be still further improved.
Furthermore, in the present invention, the projections as the positioning structure and the contact pins are arranged so as to project over the electrical part accommodation portion of the socket body. Therefore, in comparison with the structure that the entire surface of the electrical part contacts the accommodation surface of the socket body, a gap exists at the lower surface portion of the electrical part, and accordingly, the heat radiation effect to the heat generated to the electrical part at a time of Burn-in Test will be improved. Furthermore, there is reduced the possibility of the electrical part being inserted in an inclined manner due to the dispersion of the flatness of the electrical part mounting surface of adhesion of foreign material and bowing (warping) or the like of the electrical part will be slightly acceptable.
Furthermore, the elastic pieces have elasticity, so that the dispersion in performance of the terminals at the manufacturing time thereof can be somewhat acceptable.
The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made more clear from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5013256 (1991-05-01), Matsuoka et al.
patent: 5419710 (1995-05-01), Pfaff
patent: 5649836 (1997-07-01), Kashiwagi
patent: 5730606 (1998-03-01), Sinclair
patent: 5833472 (1998-11-01), Bright
Enplas Corporation
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Patel Tulsidas
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