US 5,215,472 AGranted

High density grid array socket

AssigneeAugat Inc.

InventorsStephen D. DelPrete, Don Santos, Steven R. Corbesero

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Abstract

A leadless component socket comprises a one- or two-piece leadless component contact socket assembly having a plurality of holes with a respective plurality of spring contacts disposed therein. The socket assembly includes a finger slot or slots to facilitate the manual removal of a chip carrier from the socket and a bias clip and integral keyed corner for assuring proper alignment of the chip carrier with the contacts of the socket assembly. The socket further comprises a cover, a cover support, an insulator assembly and a backup plate or other fastening means for supporting the socket on a printed circuit board. The socket assembly can be configured with a variety of contact terminal ends adapted for a desired mode of circuit board interface. A variety of cover configurations are also accommodated and disclosed.

Claims44

Dependent claims

A high density contact socket comprising:

a contact socket assembly having an insulative portion, said insulative portion having a plurality of holes disposed therein and having a channel disposed in at least one corner thereof;
a plurality of resilient contacts disposed in at least some of said plurality of holes, aid plurality of resilient contacts comprising a separable contact tip and contact base;
a biasing means for maintaining alignment of a plurality of electrical connections between a component installed in said contact socket assembly and said plurality of resilient contacts, said biasing means including at least one substantially U-shaped resilient biasing clip having a bight configured for disposition within said channel and a pair of beams extending therefrom that are disposed in a plane substantially parallel to a planar top surface of said component installed in said contact socket assembly, said pair of beams forming legs of said U-shaped clip and fee ends of said pair of beams located to resiliently engage said walls of said component installed in said contact socket assembly;
an integral means for ensuring a particular orientation of said leadless component said integral means disposed proximate to said bight disposed in said channel between said integral means and said at least one corner of said insulative portions;
a cover adapted to be disposed on said contact socket assembly and adapted for applying sufficient pressure on said component installed in said contact socket assembly to maintain said component in electrical engagement with said plurality of resilient contacts;
a back-up fastener adapted for connection with at least one of said cover and said contact socket assembly;
and
engagement means for maintaining said contact socket assembly, said cover and said back-up plate in mutual engagement.

5 more elements

A high density contact socket comprising:

a contact socket assembly adapted for receiving at least one leadless component package and having an insulative portion, said insulative portion having a plurality of holes disposed therein and having a channel in at least one corner thereof adapted for receiving a biasing means for maintaining alignment of a leadless component installed in said contact socket assembly, said biasing means including a resilient substantially U-shaped biasing clip having a bight configured for disposition within said channel and a pair of beams extending therefrom which are disposed in a plane substantially parallel to a planar top surface of said leadless component said pair of beams forming legs of said U-shaped clip and free ends of said pair of beams located to resiliently engage side walls of said leadless component installed in said contact socket assembly;
an integral means for ensuring a particular orientation of said leadless component, said integral means for ensuring a particular orientation of said leadless component disposed proximate to said bight disposed in said channel between said integral means and said at least one corner of said insulative portion, said insulative portion having means for accessing and urging said leadless component therefrom;
a plurality of resilient contacts disposed in at least some of said plurality of holes, said plurality of resilient contacts comprising a contact tip and a contact base, said contact tip and said contact base partially protruding from said at least some of said plurality of holes in said insulative portion;
a cover adapted to be disposed on said contact socket assembly and adapted for applying sufficient pressure on a component installed in said contact socket assembly to maintain said component in electrical engagement with said plurality of resilient contacts;
a back-up plate adapted for connection with at least one of said cover and said contact socket assembly;
and
fastening means for configuring said contact socket assembly, said cover and said back-up plate in mutual engagement.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.