PGA socket with a heat sink fastening device

Details PGA socket with a heat sink fastening device PGA socket with a heat sink fastening device

1999-11-29

2001-06-05

Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)

Electricity: electrical systems and devices

Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...

For electronic systems and devices

C361S707000, C361S717000, C361S722000, C257S713000, C174S016300, C165S185000, C439S342000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06243267

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a PGA (Pin Grid Array) socket, and particularly to a PGA socket having a fastening device for fixing a heat sink thereto.
A PGA socket is used for connecting an integrated circuit chip to a mother board. Low Insertion Force (LIF) PGA sockets are now in use which reduce the insertion force required to establish an electrical interface between contacts of the PGA socket and terminals of the integrated circuit chip. A typical LIF PGA socket includes a base and a cover slidably attached to the base. The base defines a plurality of passageways and has a corresponding number of contacts retained in the passageways. The cover defines a plurality of holes therethrough in alignment with the passageways. A plurality of terminals of the integrated circuit chip extends through the holes of the cover into the passageways. A lever is assembled to a rear portion of the base and is adapted to cammingly push the cover relative to the base thereby forcing the terminals of the IC chip into electrical contact with the contacts of the base.
A heat sink is usually attachable to the PGA socket for dissipating heat generated by a working integrated circuit chip. A variety of methods and devices are used to fasten the heat sink to the IC chip and the PGA socket, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,600,540 and 5,602,719. Referring to
FIG. 5
, a conventional clip
1
for closely attaching a heat sink
7
to an integrated circuit chip
12
assembled to a PGA socket
13
includes a pressing beam
2
, a first latch arm
4
formed at one end of the pressing beam
2
and a second latch arm
6
formed at an opposite end of the pressing beam
2
. While the first latch arm
4
securely engages with a first protrusion
14
formed at one lateral end of the socket
13
and the second latch arm
6
securely engages with a second protrusion (not shown) formed at an opposite lateral end of the socket
13
, the pressing beam
2
extends across the heat sink
7
and downward presses against the heat sink
7
.
FIG. 6
shows a second conventional clip
18
for closely attaching a heat sink
22
to an integrated circuit chip
23
on a PGA socket
24
.
The first conventional clip
1
is a separate element from the PGA socket
13
. After the integrated circuit chip
12
is attached to the socket
13
and the heat sink
7
is then attached to the integrated circuit chip
12
, the clip
1
is assembled to press the heat sink
7
toward the integrated circuit chip
12
. Since room for operating the clip
1
is limited, a tool is usually needed to assemble or disassemble the clip
1
. The small operating room may hinder efficient assembly of the clip
1
to the socket
13
. In addition, the inconvenient process of assembling the clip
1
to the socket
13
may collide with and damage the heat sink
7
or even a mother board on which the PGA socket
13
is mounted. Therefore, a combination of an LIF PGA socket and a heat sink clip which can solve the above-mentioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main purpose of the present invention is to provide a PGA socket having a heat sink fastening device with a simple structure for fixing a heat sink to an integrated circuit chip in the socket.
To fulfill the above-mentioned purposes, a PGA socket comprises a base, a cover slidably attached to the base, a lever and a slider. The base defines a plurality of passageways for retaining a corresponding number of contacts. The cover defines a plurality of holes in alignment with the passageways. The lever is rotatablely coupled between the base and the cover for cammingly sliding the cover and the slider relative to the base. The lever includes a pair of latch arms for downwardly pressing a heat sink against a CPU mounted in the socket when the lever is in a closed position, thereby attaching the heat sink in intimate thermal contact with the CPU. The lever also includes a pair of cams to cammingly push the slider, thereby fixingly engaging a lateral edge of the heat sink when in a closed position.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5167515 (1992-12-01), Matsuoka et al.
patent: 5256080 (1993-10-01), Bright
patent: 5443591 (1995-08-01), Tsai
patent: 5883483 (1998-11-01), Lai et al.

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