Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Including compound movement of coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-06
2002-11-26
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Including compound movement of coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06485321
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a socket that can accept differently sized electronic packages.
Pin grid array (PGA) sockets are used to accept electronic packages on printed circuit boards. PGA sockets facilitate electrical communication between a large number of pins born on electronic packages (such as microprocessors) and electrical components to which the PGA sockets are mounted (such as circuit boards). Zero insertion force PGA sockets utilize a cover that is slidably movable on a base between open and closed positions. The sliding movement may be actuated, for example, by a lever. The cover has a hole array configured to match a pin array on an electronic package. Similarly, the base has an array of pin receiving chambers configured to accept the pin array of the electronic package. The electronic package is mated to the socket by first placing the electronic package such that its pins penetrate the holes of the cover. With the cover in the open position, the pins penetrate through the holes of the cover and into the pin receiving chambers of the base but are not electrically connected to the pin receiving chambers of the base. When the cover is slid to the closed position, the pins are electrically connected to the base via the pin receiving chambers.
Improper alignment of the electronic package and socket during mating can result in damage to the pins and/or pin receiving chambers. Additionally, attempting to mount the electronic package to the cover when the cover is in the closed position can also result in damage to the pins and/or the pin receiving chambers. Thus, the socket may incorporate features that aid in the alignment of the electronic package.
Changes in electronic package design have resulted in electronic packages that have similar pin arrays but different outside dimensions. Current sockets, however, only provide for the alignment of a single size of electronic package, and cannot align differently sized electronic packages. Thus, it is required to use different sockets to accommodate differently sized electronic packages, and if the electronic package for an electrical system is changed, the socket must also be changed, resulting in larger required inventories of parts and the time, expense, and inconvenience associated with changing sockets.
It is an object of at least certain embodiments of the present invention to overcome the above-noted and other disadvantages of PGA sockets.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
At least one embodiment of the present invention is provided including a socket for receiving electronic packages having different first and second sizes. The socket comprises a base housing having a top surface including an array of pin receiving chambers as well as base side walls. The socket also comprises a cover having a top surface including an array of holes corresponding to the array of pin receiving chambers. The cover also includes cover side walls that slidably engage the base side walls. Further, the socket comprises first and second locating members provided on at least one of the base housing and cover. The first locating member is positioned to engage and align an electronic package having a first size with the array of holes in the cover, and the second locating member is positioned to engage and align an electronic package of a second size with the array of holes in the cover. Optionally, either the first and/or second locating member may be adapted to engage an electronic package during mounting to the socket but not after mounting to the socket. The socket may also comprise relieved portions from the top surface of the cover to facilitate removal of an electronic package from the socket.
The first and second locating members may provide a mechanical stop that locates electronic packages in at least one of a lateral and a longitudinal direction. Further, one of the first and second locating members may extend above the top surface of the cover, and the other of the locating members may recess beneath the top surface of the cover. In this regard, the locating member that recesses beneath the top surface of the cover may be adapted to engage and align an electronic package in both a longitudinal and a lateral direction.
One of the first and second locating members may be provided on the base housing while the other locating member is provided on the cover.
Further, at least one of the first and second locating members may be adapted for visual alignment of an electronic package. In this regard, the locating member adapted for visual alignment may be common to the base housing and the cover.
One of the locating members may also be a resiliently flexible locating member. The resiliently flexible locating member comprises a flexing portion affixed to the socket, and is adapted to engage and align an electronic package having a first size and be deflected substantially beneath the top surface of the cover when an electronic package having a second size is mounted to the socket.
At least one embodiment of the present invention provides an electrical system including an electronic package and a socket. The electronic package comprises an array of pins. The socket is configured to receive the electronic package and an electronic package having a different size. The socket comprises a base having a top surface including an array of pin receiving chambers corresponding to the array of pins. The base also includes base side walls. Further, the socket comprises a cover having a top surface including an array of holes corresponding to the array of pin receiving chambers and the array of pins. The cover includes cover side walls connected to the top surface which slidably engage the base side walls, allowing the array of pins to be slid into and out of engagement with the array of pin receiving chambers. The socket further comprises first and second aligning surfaces on at least on of the base and cover. The first aligning surface is positioned to align the electronic package with the array of holes in the cover, while the second aligning surface is positioned to align an electronic package having a different size with the array of holes in the cover. Optionally, the aligning surfaces may be configured to provide a mechanical stop and/or visual alignment. An aligning surface adapted for visual alignment may further be adapted to facilitate removal of the electronic package from the socket.
At least one embodiment of the present invention provides a socket for receiving electronic packages having different first and second sizes. The socket comprises a base housing having a top surface including an array of pin receiving chambers. The base housing also has base side walls. The socket also comprises a cover having a top surface including an array of holes corresponding to the array of pin receiving chambers. Further, the cover includes cover side walls that slidably engage the base side walls. The socket also comprises a first locating member on the base housing positioned to engage and align an electronic package of a first size with the array of holes in the cover.
Certain embodiments of the present invention thus provide a socket capable of aligning variously sized electronic packages. Certain embodiments of the present invention also provide a socket that prevents electronic packages from being mounted to the socket when the socket is in the closed position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5037321 (1991-08-01), Uratsuji et al.
patent: 5547389 (1996-08-01), Hsu
patent: 6059596 (2000-05-01), Pei et al.
patent: 6379172 (2002-04-01), Howell et al.
Dinh Phuong K T
Patel Tulsidas
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