Electrical contact for ZIF socket connector

Details Electrical contact for ZIF socket connector Electrical contact for ZIF socket connector

2001-12-27

2003-04-29

Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

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

Including compound movement of coupling part

C439S259000, C439S857000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06554633

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket connector for interconnecting an electronic package, for example a Central Processing Unit (CPU), with a printed circuit board, for example a mother board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 9-10
, two drawing figures substantially adopted from U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,725, an electrical contact
14
to be used in a ZIF socket connector is disclosed. The electrical contact
14
includes two parallel, vertical arms
106
and
108
. Channel-shaped strap
110
joins the two arms adjacent their lower ends
112
and spaces them apart. The width of the arms
106
and
108
decrease uniformly upwardly towards their upper ends
116
. A pair of fingers
118
project laterally from their attachment to upper ends
116
of the arms
106
and
108
. First sections
120
of the fingers
118
converge toward each other. Free ends
122
, attached to and extending outward from the converging sections
120
, are parallel to each other and are spaced apart by a distance less than the minimum diameter of pins (or leads, see
FIG. 11
)
117
on an electronic package (not shown) to reliably and electrically connect with the pins
117
when engaged. A lead
124
extends downwardly from the arm
106
.
The contacts
14
are stamped out of coplanar stock in a continuous strip. Referring to
FIG. 10
, a carrier strip
130
is connected to the electrical contact
14
which has not yet been formed into the
FIG. 9
structure. A lateral dimension p is defined between outer ends of the fingers
118
of each electrical contact
14
, which determines a minimal length of material needed to make an electrical contact
14
. Since the arms
106
,
108
with the fingers
118
are symmetrically configured with respect to each other, as is known to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, for providing dual contacting points to the pins
117
of the electronic package to ensure an electrical connection therebetween, the lateral dimension p is twice of the lateral dimension p′ of each arm
106
,
108
, which is defined between a center line C of the electrical contact
14
and the outer end of the finger
118
, and is comparatively large, thereby consuming a large quantity of material in manufacturing and increasing the cost of the electrical contacts
14
, which is obviously not economical to contact manufacturers.
In addition, a pitch p″ is defined between the center lines C of every two adjacent electrical contacts
14
and is comparatively large due to the relatively large lateral dimension p of each electrical contact
14
, thereby decreasing the efficiency in both the plating process of the electrical contacts and the assembling process of the electrical contacts to a corresponding insulative housing (not shown).
Furthermore, referring to
FIG. 11
, as is known to persons skilled in the pertinent art, after the pin
117
is initially inserted between the fingers
118
with zero insertion force, the pin
117
is then pushed to electrically contact with the free ends
122
and the free ends
122
and the converging sections
120
of the arms
106
,
108
are slightly pressed outwardly around a beginning portion
109
from which the converging sections
120
begin to converge toward each other. A total length of each finger
118
is relatively small, so an arm of force, which is defined between the beginning portion
109
and the outer end of the finger
118
, is also small, thereby resulting in an undesirably large push force for the pin into between the free ends
122
.
Furthermore, when the pin
117
is pushed, in the direction as indicated by the arrow B, from between the converging sections
120
to between the free ends
122
, acute angles formed between the converging sections
120
and the free ends
122
is encountered since a distance between the converging sections
120
is larger than a distance between the free ends
122
, thereby further increasing the push force.
Therefore, an improved electrical contact for a ZIF socket connector is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a cost effective electrical contact for a ZIF socket connector which provides also a reliable electrical connection between an electronic package and a printed circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical for a ZIF socket connector which increases efficiency of the plating and the assembling processes thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact for a ZIF socket connector which reduces a push force needed for a pin of an electronic package to electrically contact therewith.
A ZIF socket connector comprises a base, a cover, an actuator and a plurality of electrical contacts in accordance with the present invention. The cover is assembled to the base and is actuated by the actuator to be movable with respect to the base. The electrical contacts are received in the base. Each electrical contact comprises a base portion, a solder portion extending from the base portion, and a contacting portion comprising a pair of arms. Each arm comprises a vertical section extending from the base portion, a horizontal section and a resilient section having free end. The free ends of the resilient sections of the arms are so formed as to have contacting surfaces thereof press therebetween and electrically contact a pin electronic package received on the cover.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4498725 (1985-02-01), Bright et al.
patent: 6319038 (2001-11-01), Howell et al.

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