Low-profile zero-insertion force socket
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorRolf A. Konstad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low-profile zero-insertion socket includes a plurality of resilient contacts mounted directly into the motherboard. The socket has a support plate slidingly attached to the motherboard and including a plurality of through apertures formed to receive the pins of a microprocessor package. A low-profile eccentric cam actuator, rotationally coupled to the motherboard, is provided for moving the support plate that bears the microprocessor to and from a position where the microprocessor pins engage the resilient contacts.
Claims26
A socket for coupling to an integrated circuit package having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising:
- a printed circuit board (PCB);
- contacts disposed in a plurality of openings of said PCB for providing electrical terminal connection in said PCB;
- a support plate movably attached to said PCB and disposed over said contacts to support said integrated circuit package, said support plate having a plurality of apertures, wherein said plurality of terminals extend through said apertures and into said openings;
- and
- actuation means mechanically coupled to said support plate and said PCB for moving said support plate so that said terminals engage with said contacts, thereby electrically coupling said integrated circuit package to said PCB.
A socket for attaching to a semiconductor device having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising:
- a printed circuit board (PCB);
- a plurality of resilient contacts disposed in a plurality of openings of said PCB that provide electrical connection to said PCB;
- a support plate having a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of terminals, said support plate slidingly attached to said PCB, said terminals extending through said apertures and into said openings such that when said support plate is moved from a first to a second position, said terminals engage said resilient contacts to electrically couple said semiconductor device to said PCB;
- and
- an actuator movably engaging said support plate.
A tow-profile socket for coupling to a microprocessor having a plurality of terminals, said low-profile socket comprising:
- a motherboard having a plurality of openings;
- a plurality of resilient contacts disposed in said openings of said motherboard;
- a non-conductive support plate movably attached to said motherboard, said non-conductive support plate including a plurality of through apertures formed to receive said plurality of terminals such that said terminals extend through said apertures into said openings, said non-conductive support plate having an unlatched and a latched position, said resilient contacts being electrically disengaged from said plurality of terminals in said unlatched position, and said resilient contacts being electrically engaged with said plurality of terminals in said latched position;
- and
- an actuator for moving said non-conductive support plate into said latched position.
A method of electrically connecting an integrated circuit package having a plurality of pins to a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising the steps of:
- (a) inserting a plurality of contact members into a corresponding plurality of openings in said PCB, an inner surface of said openings having a soldered connection to an electrical trace on said PCB, each of said contact members abutting in said soldered connection and also having at least one curvilinear member that accepts one of said pins;
- (b) mounting a support plate to said PCB such that said support plate slidingly moves over said opening upon rotation of a cam, said support plate having a plurality of through apertures that accept said pins;
- (c) placing said package onto said support plate such that said pins extend through said apertures into said openings while said support plate is in a first position;
- (d) rotating said cam from said first position to a second position thereby causing said pins to electrically engage said at least one curvilinear member of said contact members.
A socket for attaching to a semiconductor device having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising:
- a printed circuit board (PCB);
- a plurality of resilient contacts disposed in a plurality of openings of said PCB that provide electrical connection to said PCB, each of said plurality of resilient contacts comprising a first cylindrical body portion having a vertical slot, a second cylindrical body portion and a contact head portion vertically oriented between said first and second cylindrical body portions, said contact head having an entrance opening and a pair of curvilinear contact elements, said first cylindrical body portion includes a leading taper for insertion into said PCB;
- and
- a support plate having a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of terminals slidingly attached to said PCB, said terminals extending through said apertures and into said openings such that when said support plate is moved by an actuator from a first to a second position, said terminals engage said resilient contacts to electrically couple said semiconductor device to said PCB.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.