Patent ID: 6559665
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: G01R,H01L,H01R,H05K

Abstract:
An IC socket for surface mounting an IC device having a predetermined array of I/O contacts to a circuit board having a corresponding array of circuit contacts, said IC socket comprisinga body portion which includes an insulating and relatively thin contact interface wall having opposed and substantially parallel mounting surfaces, one of said mounting surfaces being an interior mounting surface for receiving an IC device and the other of said mounting surfaces being an exterior mounting surface for mounting the body portion to a circuit board, said body portion further including a perimeter defining an internal cavity region for holding the IC device in position the over the contact interface wall, a plurality of relatively short conductor pins extending through and held by said contact interface wall in a array corresponding to a predetermined array of I/O contacts of an IC device, each of said conductor pins including a conductive barrel-shaped pin casing having opposed ends and an inside diameter, oppositely directed depressible pin contacts each of which has an enlarged diameter base end slidably captured within one end of the pin casing and each of which has a projecting contact end of a smaller diameter than its base end, and an internal compression spring extending between and abutting the base ends of said pin contacts within said pin casing, said compression spring having a diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the base ends of said pin contacts, and the contact ends of the contact pins of said pin conductors projecting from the ends of the pin casing beyond the mounting surfaces of said contact interface wall to provide a conductive path therebetween, each of the pin contacts of said conductor pins being resiliently depressible against the conductor pin's internal compression spring to provide spring loaded contacts for both the I/O contacts of an IC device and the circuit contacts of a circuit board contacted thereby, and means for releaseably holding an IC device against the interior mounting surface of the contact interface wall of said body portion such that the I/O contacts of the IC device remain in contact with the pin contacts of the conductor pins projecting from said interior mounting surface.