Land grid array connector assembly

An land grid array (LGA) connector assembly comprises an insulative frame, a plurality of contacts received in the insulative frame, a reinforcement covering a circumference of the insulative frame, a clip assembled on the reinforcement and a lever mounted to the reinforcement and engaging with the clip. The clip is formed with a pivotal portion pivotally assembled on the reinforcement. The pivotal portion has at least one stopping portion on a edge thereof, the stopping portion is extending towards the insulative frame and abuts against the insulative frame to prevent the clip from moving flatly when the clip is in a close position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to land grid array (LGA) connector assembly, and particularly to an LGA connector assembly adapted for receiving an LGA central processing unit (CPU) therein and electrically connecting the CPU to a printed circuit board (PCB).

2. Description of Related Art

Referring toFIG. 5, a conventional LGA connector assembly8adapted for electrically connecting with an LGA CPU100comprises an insulating frame82receiving a plurality of contacts81, a reinforcement83assembled on the insulative frame82, a clip84and a lever86pivotally mounted to the reinforcement83respectively. The clip84has a pivotal portion87engaging with a latching portion89formed on the reinforcement83, and the lever86has a driving portion85for pressing against the clip84. During a rotating of the lever86towards the insulative frame82, the driving portion85of the lever86brings the clip84pressing against the CPU100, then the CPU100electrically connects with the contacts81received in the insulative flame82.

Referring toFIG. 6, during the process of the clip84rotating from an open position to a close position relative to the insulative frame82, the pivotal portion87of the clip84moves outwardly. When the driving portion85presses the clip84, the clip84will be pulled toward the driving portion85because of the cooperation of the driving portion85and the clip84. Another word, the cooperation between the clip84and the driving portion85will give a pulling force, by which the clip84will move toward the driving portion85. If the clip84moves unduly, the CPU100is pushed to strike a sidewall of the insulative frame82. That may cause that sidewall of the insulative frame82to be damaged or a pressing force of the clip84on the CPU100to be not enough, so that the contacts81especially the contacts81in the corner88can not contact with the CPU100reliably. And due to a friction between the CPU100and the sidewall of the insulative frame82, the CPU100may not be in a right position which is needed in a normal working state, so that a pressing point and the pressing force of the clip84are not steady, that will influence a normal working of the CPU100.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a land grid array (LGA) connector assembly, which can get a well electrically connecting with a LGA central processing unit (CPU).

Another object of the present invention is to provide a LGA connector assembly, which can decrease a friction between the CPU and an insulative frame of the LGA connector.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a LGA connector assembly, which can prevent the CPU from being damaged due to excessive movement.

Accordingly, to achieve above-mentioned object, a land grid array (LGA) connector assembly in accordance with the present invention is adapted for electrically connecting with an LGA central processing unit (CPU), the LGA connector assembly comprises an insulative frame, a plurality of contacts received in the insulative frame, a reinforcement covering a circumference of the insulative frame, a clip assembled on the reinforcement and a lever mounted to the reinforcement and engaging with the clip. The clip is formed with a pivotal portion pivotally engaging with the reinforcement. The pivotal portion has at least one stopping portion on a edge thereof abutting against the insulative frame to prevent the clip from moving flatly.

The stopping portion of the clip can prevent the CPU from moving unduly, and decrease a friction between the CPU and a sidewall of the insulative frame near the lever. Such arrangement makes the CPU be pressed enough and ensures that the CPU will electrical contact with the contacts of the LGA connector assembly reliably. Furthermore, this arrangement can reform the problem that a pressing point and a pressing force of the clip are not steady.

The detailed features of the present invention will be apparent in the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIGS. 3–5, a land grid array (LGA) connector assembly in accordance with the present invention is adapted for electrically connecting an LGA central processing unit (CPU)60with a printed circuit board (PCB) (not shown).

The LGA connector assembly comprises an insulative frame10, a plurality of contacts12received in the insulative frame10, a reinforcement20covering a circumference of the insulative frame10, a lever30and a clip40pivotally mounted to two opposite ends of the reinforcement20respectively.

The insulative frame10has an electric portion14in a center thereof with a mating face15in a top surface, a plurality of projections18on a bottom surface thereof and a guiding portion19located outside a sidewall thereof. The electric portion14is provided with a plurality of passages16for receiving corresponding contacts12. Each contact12has an engaging portion (not labeled) extending beyond the mating face15to electrically connect with corresponding electrical pad (not shown) of the CPU60and a soldering portion (not shown) soldering on the PCB.

The lever30formed by bending a threadlike metal wire several times comprises an operating portion32and a locating portion34perpendicular to the operating portion32. The operating portion32is formed with a handle portion33bended from a free end thereof, and the locating portion34is formed with an driving portion35at a center thereof.

The clip40is stamped and formed from a sheet of metallic material and formed a frame structure defining a space at a center thereof. The clip40comprise two opposite sides41,42, the side41is formed with an extending portion411extending outwardly from a middle part of an outside edge thereof, the side42is formed with a pair of symmetrical pivotal portions421with an arc cross section and a position portion422disposed between the pair of the pivotal portions421all extending outwardly from an outside edge thereof. The clip40is bend toward the insulative frame10at a central section thereof between the opposite sides41,42to form an inverted arch figure with a pressing portion43protruding to the insulative frame10. In use, the pressing portions43of the clip40is contacting with the CPU60, when the driving portion35of the lever30presses the clip40downwardly, the pressing portions43of the clip40is brought to press the CPU60downwardly to make the CPU60electrically abut against the contacts12of the LGA connector assembly firmly. The metal clip40has a pair of hooked stopping portions424integrative with the pivotal portion421, the stopping portions424are formed on a rear edge of the pivotal portion421near the side42of the metal clip40and bend toward insulative frame10. Each pivotal portion421defines an outboard edge far away from the position portion422and an inboard edge adjacent the position portion422. The stopping portions424are symmetrical and both formed on the outboard edge or the inboard edge of corresponding pivotal portion421, or even the pivotal portion421is formed with a plurality of stopping portions424both on the outboard edge and the inboard edge thereof.

The reinforcement20comprises a rectangular bottom plate (not labeled) with a rectangular gap (not labeled) and four sidewalls extending upwardly from each edge of the bottom plate (not labeled). The sidewalls comprise a first sidewall22and a second sidewall24opposed to the first sidewall22. The first sidewall22is formed with a pair of slots221engaging with the pivotal portion421of the clip40to pivotally assemble the clip40to the reinforcement20. The second sidewall24is formed with a pair of inflexed blocking pieces241on a edge thereof and a driving piece242formed by bending a part of one of the blocking pieces241. The blocking pieces241, the driving242and the bottom plate define a space together to receive the locating portion34of the lever30. Another sidewall of the reinforcement20near the operating portion32of the lever30is formed with a flange243to lock the lever30. The reinforcement20further has a plurality of notches26on edges of the bottom plate to engaging with the projections18of the insulative frame10.

In assembling the LGA connector assembly, the clip40and the lever30are pivotally mounted on the first sidewall22and the second sidewall24of the reinforcement20respectively, then the clip40is set at an open position relative to the reinforcement20, the insulative frame10is put into the reinforcement20firmly by an engagement of the projections18thereof and the notches26of the reinforcement20, simultaneity, the insulative frame10is surrounded by the sidewalls of the reinforcement20.

In use, the LGA connector assembly is mounted to and electrically connected with the PCB. The clip40and the handle portion33of the lever30are each oriented perpendicular to the insulative frame10, with the driving portion35disposed above the locating portion34. The CPU60is received in the insulative frame10with metallic contact pads thereof loosely attaching on the corresponding contacts12, at this time the stopping portions424of the clip40do not touch anything, that means the clip40can rotate freely at that position. And then the clip40is rotated downwardly to a horizontal position, following, the operating portion32of the lever30is rotated downwardly to an approximately horizontal position. When the driving portion35of the lever30reaches the extending portion411of the clip40, the driving portion35drives the clip40downwardly by pressing the extending portion411, that causes the pressing portion43of the clip40to press the CPU60downwardly and bring the electrical pads of the CPU60elastic colliding with the contacts12. Finally the operating portion32is engaged under and locked by the flange243of the reinforcement20, the driving portion35is fastened in a horizontal position and keeps the electrical pads of the CPU60elastic colliding with the contacts12tightly.

During the operating portion32of the lever being locked by the flange243, the pivotal portion421of the clip40rotates along the guiding portion19of the insulative frame10, and the clip40will move towards the driving portion35of the lever30, that may also bring the CPU60moving together, but the clip40will not move unduly due to a existence of the stopping portions424, the stopping portions424abut against the guiding portion19of the insulative frame10to prevent the CPU60from crushing or even damaging a sidewall of the insulative frame10, and the stopping portion also decrease a friction between the CPU60and the sidewall of the insulative frame10, so that the CPU60can electrically connect with the contacts12located at corners17of the insulative frame10reliably.

Referring toFIG. 4, it shows another embodiment of an land grid array (LGA) connector assembly in accordance with the present invention. The difference between this LGA connector assembly and the above LGA connector assembly is a bended direction of the hooked stopping portions424′ of the metal clip40, the hooked stopping portions424′ are extending from an lateral side of the pivotal portion421and bend toward insulative frame10to abut against the insulative frame10when the clip40is in a close position.