Electrical connector having metal enhancement elements

An electrical connector can be mounted on a printed circuit board, including an insulating main body, and electrical terminals disposed on the printed circuit board. Tin balls are provided on the electrical terminals and a metal piece is provided on the lower surface of the insulating main body. The metal piece protruding from the lower surface of the insulating main body can be soldered on the printed circuit board. The electrical connector according to the present invention is provided with a metal piece on and protruding from the lower surface of the insulating main body. The metal piece can be soldered on the printed circuit board to enhance the retention strength between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board to prevent the tin balls provided on the electrical terminals from breaking away the printed circuit board because the electrical connector can move away from its center of gravity and then tilts relative to the printed circuit board during reflow soldering. Consequently, normal electrical conduction between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board can be ensured.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electrical connector and particularly to an electrical connector connecting a chip module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At present, an electrical connector employed in industry usually includes an insulating main body and a plurality of electrical terminals disposed on the insulating main body. The insulating main body is provided with a receiving face for a chip module, an installing surface for connecting with the printed circuit board, and a plurality of terminal holes running through the receiving face and the installing surface. The terminal holes are fitted with the electrical terminals, whose one ends are connected with the printed circuit board by the tin balls and other ends are elastically abutted against a corresponding conducting washer provided on the chip module to achieve the electrical conduction between the chip module and the printed circuit board.

However, it is sometimes necessary for a printed circuit board to go through a reflow soldering for a printed circuit board to be installed with electronic devices on the side opposite to the side installed with the electrical connector. During the reflow soldering, the electrical connector installed on the printed circuit board is dangling from the printed circuit board. The electrical connector is only connected with the printed circuit board only by the tin balls provided on the electrical terminals. And the tin balls are getting softer as the temperature surrounding the printed circuit board increases. Although the tin balls can attach to the printed circuit board with the surface tension of molten tin balls, the center of gravity of the electrical connector may move from its centroid and then the electrical connector will tilt a certain degrees relative to the printed circuit board, i.e. the overall electrical connector is not in parallel with the printed circuit board. At the location where the electrical connector moves away from the printed circuit board, the tin balls are inclined to detach from the printed circuit board and in turn the electrical conduction between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board would be negatively affected.

It is therefore necessary to provide a novel electrical connector to overcome the shortcoming described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which can ensure good electrical conduction.

In order to accomplish the objects of the present invention, an electrical connector according to the present invention can be mounted on a printed circuit board, including an insulating main body, and electrical terminals disposed on the printed circuit board. Tin balls are provided on the electrical terminals and a metal piece is provided on the lower surface of the insulating main body. The metal piece protruding from the lower surface of the insulating main body can be soldered on the printed circuit board.

Compared with the prior art, an electrical connector according to the present invention is provided with a metal piece on and protruding from the lower surface of the insulating main body. The metal piece can be soldered with the printed circuit board to enhance the retention strength between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board to prevent the tin balls provided on the electrical terminals from breaking away the printed circuit board because the electrical connector can move away from its center of gravity and then tilts relative to the printed circuit board during reflow soldering. Consequently, normal electrical conduction between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board can be ensured.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 5, an electrical connector1according to the present invention comprising an insulating main body and electrical terminals (not shown) is to connect a chip module (not shown) onto a printed circuit board2.

The insulating main body comprises a base body11disposed on the printed circuit board2and a cover body12engaged with the base body11. The base body11is provided with a plurality of terminal holes (not shown) running through the upper and lower surfaces to receive electrical terminals (not shown). The electrical terminals (not shown) are provided with a plurality of tin balls14(partially shown), part of which protrude from the lower surface of the base body11to be soldered with the printed circuit board2. The four corners of the lower surface of the base body11are provided with metal pieces15protruding from the lower surface of the base body11(alternatively, the lower surface of the base body11can be provided with evenly distributed metal pieces15around the perimeter of the lower surface). The metal pieces15and the base body11can be integrally manufactured, or the base body11is provided with a notch (not shown) into which the metal pieces15can be mounted. The lower surface of the metal piece15is larger than the diameter of the tin ball14and can be soldered onto the printed circuit board2. Also, the lower surface of the base body11is provided with a plurality of protrusions112whose height is smaller than the distance from the base of the tin ball14to the lower surface of the base body11. A receiving face121is provided on the cover body12to receive a chip module (not shown). The perimeter of the receiving face121is provided with a contacting part122to contact against the perimeter of the chip module (not shown). A plurality of through holes123are provided on the cover body12corresponding to the electrical terminals (not shown). An actuation device13is disposed between the base body11and the cover body12. The preferred embodiment of the actuation device13is a rocker. The cover body12can slide relative to the base body11under the action of the rocker13.

When the electrical connector1and the printed circuit board2are being soldered, the metal piece15on the lower surface of the base body12is soldered together with the printed circuit board2, apart from the tin balls14and the printed circuit board2are soldered together. The printed circuit board2can be securely connected with the electrical connector1after soldering because the area of the metal piece15is larger and so is its contacting area with the printed circuit board2after soldering. Consequently, the tin balls14provided on the electrical terminals will be prevented from breaking away the printed circuit board2when the electrical connector1moves away from its center of gravity and then tilts relative to the printed circuit board2during reflow soldering. Therefore, normal electrical conduction between the electrical connector1and the printed circuit board2can be ensured.

FIGS. 6 and 7illustrate the second preferred embodiment of an electrical connector according to the present invention. The difference between the present embodiment and the embodiment described above is that an inserting part151′ is disposed on the bottom of the metal piece15′. The inserting part151′ can be inserted into and soldered securely with its corresponding hole20on the printed circuit board2. Also, the top of the inserting part151′ of the metal piece15′ is provided with a protrusion142′ which can be abutted against the surface of the printed circuit board2. The height of the protrusion152′ is smaller than the distance from the base of the tin ball14to the lower surface of the base body11. The present embodiment can achieve the object achieved by the embodiment described above.

FIGS. 8 and 9illustrate the third preferred embodiment of an electrical connector according to the present invention. The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment described above is that the electrical connector is provided with a securing mechanism. The securing mechanism includes a base31for receiving and securing an insulating main body30as well as a cover body32and a rocker33pivotedly connected, respectively, to the base body31. The rocker33can be pressed to engage with the cover body33onto the base31. One side of the base31is provided with a clipping part311pivotedly connected to the rocker33, and the other side of the base31relative to the clipping part311is provided with a rotating shaft hole312releasably connected with the cover body32. Certainly, the metal piece16can be regarded as a structure described in the second embodiment described above. The present embodiment can achieve the object achieved by the embodiment described above.

Consequently, in the embodiment of the present invention, a metal piece is provided on and protruding from the lower surface of the insulating main body. The metal piece can be soldered with the printed circuit board to enhance the retention strength between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board to prevent the tin balls provided on the electrical terminals from breaking away the printed circuit board because the electrical connector can move away from its center of gravity and then tilts relative to the printed circuit board during reflow soldering. Consequently, normal electrical conduction between the electrical connector and the printed circuit board can be ensured. It is appreciated that the electrical connected according to the present invention can improve the shortcoming of conventional electrical connector.

While the invention has been described with reference to the a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention, which is defined by the appended claims.