Abstract:
An electrical connector ( 10 ) includes an upper connector portion ( 12 ) including a first insulating housing ( 16 ′) having a first elongated body ( 17 ) with a pair of side arms ( 25 ) extending forwardly from opposite ends of the first body and a lower connector portion ( 14 ) including a second elongated insulating housing ( 16 ) fixedly assembled to the first housing. The first and second housings respectively define first and second receiving slots ( 18′, 18 ) for receiving first and second modules ( 100 ) therein. A number of first and second contacts ( 50, 52; 40, 42 ) is respectively received in the first and second housings for electrically contacting with the first and second modules.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a memory socket connector used in notebook computers.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,585 discloses a memory socket connector including a lower connector portion and an upper connector portion. The upper and lower connector portions are substantially identical in structure each comprising an insulating housing and a plurality of contacts retained in the housing. The insulating housing includes an elongated body defining a receiving slot for receiving a memory module therein and two rows of passageways by two sides of the receiving slot with the contacts received therein for electrically contacting with the inserted memory module. A pair of latch arms extends forwardly from opposite ends of the elongated body for retaining the memory module in the housing.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,035 discloses a memory socket connector of another type including a unitary insulating housing having an upper connection port and a lower connection port for respectively receiving upper and lower memory modules therein. The upper connection port is somewhat forwardly offset from the lower connection port in a front-to-back direction of the memory socket connector. Each connection port defines a receiving slot and two rows of passageways by two sides of the slot with the contacts received therein for electrically contacting with a corresponding inserted memory module. A pair of latch arms is respectively integrally formed at two opposite ends of the upper and lower connection ports for retaining the memory modules in the memory socket connector.  
           [0006]    However, because the insulating housing of each above-mentioned connector has latch arms formed at opposite sides thereof, the insulating housing is easy to deform during the injection molding thereof, thereby adversely affecting the coplanarity of the memory socket connector. Accordingly, an electrical connection is adversely affected between the memory socket connector and a printed circuit board on which the connector is seated.  
           [0007]    Hence, an improved memory socket connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a memory socket connector having better coplanarity to thereby ensuring a better connection between the memory socket connector and a printed circuit board on which the connector is seated.  
           [0009]    In order to achieve the object set forth, a memory socket connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an upper connector portion including a first insulating housing and a lower connector portion including a second elongated insulating housing fixedly assembled to the first housing. The first housing has a first elongated body defining a first receiving slot for receiving a first memory module therein and a pair of side arms extending forwardly from opposite ends of the first body. The second elongated housing defines a second receiving slot for receiving a second memory module therein. A plurality of first and second contacts is respectively received in the first and second housings for electrically contacting with the first and second memory modules.  
           [0010]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a memory socket connector in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the memory socket connector with an auxiliary separate metal member adapted to be attached thereto and a pair of memory modules to be inserted into the connector;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a lower connector portion of FIG. 2 with corresponding contacts therein;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper connector portion of FIG. 2 with corresponding contacts therein; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the memory socket connector mounted on a printed circuit board with the memory modules being inserted thereinto. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a memory socket connector  10  in accordance with the present invention comprises an upper connector portion  12  and a lower connector portion  14  for respectively receiving upper and lower memory modules  100  therein. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower connector portions  12 ,  14  are SO DIMM (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module) connectors.  
         [0018]    Referring to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper connector portion  12  comprises a first insulating housing  16 ′ and a plurality of first contacts  52 ,  50  received in the first housing  16 ′ in upper and lower rows. The first housing  16 ′ includes a first elongated body  17  defining a first receiving slot  18 ′ therein for receiving the upper module  100  and two rows of first passageways  20 ′ in front and rear surfaces thereof communicating with the first receiving slot  18 ′ for receiving the first contacts  50 ,  52 . A pair of side arms  25  extends forwardly from opposite ends of the first elongated body  17 . Each side arm  25  includes an upper latch section  21 ′ and a lower latch section  21  wherein the upper latch section  21 ′ has a smaller length than that of the lower latch section  21 . The upper and lower latch sections  21 ′,  21  respectively have an enlarged locking head  23 ′,  23  formed adjacent a distal end thereof for retaining the memory module  100 . The side arms  25  define a pair of projections  151  on inner surfaces thereof.  
         [0019]    A auxiliary metal member  24  is employed to be optionally inserted into a cavity  26 ′ in the upper latch section  21 ′. The metal member  24  includes a grasping section  28  which can cooperate with the upper latch section  21 ′ for outward deflection of the upper latch section  21 ′ to thereby releasing the memory module  100  from the first housing  16 ′. The lower latch section  21  has the same metal member  24  received in a cavity  26  thereof.  
         [0020]    Referring to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower connector portion  14  includes a second elongated insulating housing  16  and a plurality of second contacts  42 ,  40  received in the second housing  16  in upper and lower rows. The second housing  16  defines a second receiving slot  18  in a longitudinal direction thereof for receiving the lower module  100  and two rows of second passageways  20  in front and rear surfaces thereof communicating with the receiving slot  18  for receiving the second contacts  40 ,  42 . The second housing  16  defines a pair of recesses  141  in opposite side surfaces thereof for receiving the projections  151  of the first housing  16 ′. In addition, a positioning post  99  integrally extends downward from a bottom of the second housing  16  for being received within a corresponding through hole of a printed circuit board  120  (FIG. 5) on which the memory socket  10  is seated.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 3 again, the second contacts  42 ,  40  are respectively received within the upper row and lower row passageways  20  wherein the second lower row contacts  40  are inserted into the corresponding passageways  20  from the front side and the second upper row contacts  42  are inserted into the corresponding passageways  20  from the back. The lower row contacts  40  each includes a retention section  44  interferentially fitted within the corresponding passageway  20  for retaining the contact  40  within the second housing  16 , a mounting section  46  with a solder ball  460  fused on a bottom thereof for soldering to the printed circuit board  120  and an engagement section  48  projecting into the receiving slot  18  for engagement with a corresponding circuit pad of the lower memory module  100 . Similarly, the upper row contacts  42  each includes a retention section  44 ′, a mounting section  46 ′ with a solder ball  460 ′ fused on a bottom thereof and an engagement section  48 ′. Differently, the upper row contacts  42  are inserted into the corresponding passageways  20  from the back.  
         [0022]    Similar to the second contacts  40 ,  42  of the lower connector portion  14 , referring to FIG. 4 again, the first contacts  50 ,  52  of the upper connector portion  12  include retention sections  54 ,  54 ′, mounting sections  56 ,  56 ′ respectively with solder balls  560 ,  560 ′ fused thereon and engagement sections  58 ,  58 ′ wherein the first lower contacts  50  thereof are inserted into the corresponding first passageways  20 ′ from the front side and the first upper contacts  52  thereof are inserted into the corresponding first passageways  20 ′ from the back. Differently, the height of the first contacts  50 ,  52  are larger than that of the second contacts  40 ,  42 .  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 5, in assembly, the first and second contacts  50 ,  52 ,  40 ,  42  are first respectively inserted into the first and second housings  16 ′,  16  to form the upper and lower connector portions  12 ,  14 . The lower connector portion  14  is then assembled to the upper connector portion  12  in a horizontal direction wherein the projections  151  of the first housing  16 ′ are interferentially fitted within the recesses  141  of the second housing  16 , whereby the lower connector portion  14  and the upper connector portion  12  are fixedly assembled together. It is noted that the projections  151  of the first housing  16 ′ also function as guiding portion for facilitating assemblage of the lower connector portion  14 . It is also noted that the lower connector portion  14  can be fixed to the upper connector portion  12  through other conventional coupling means. At the same time, the upper connector portion  12  and the lower connector portion  14  are substantially offset with each other in a front-to-back direction, whereby the lower module  100 , which is ready to be inserted into the lower connector portion  14 , is able to approach the lower connector portion  14  at an angle with its upper surface substantially positioned below the enlarged locking head  23 ′ of the upper latch section  21 ′ for avoiding improper interference between the lower module  100  and the enlarged locking head  23 ′ of the upper latch section  21 ′ for reaching its final horizontal fixed position.  
         [0024]    It can be understood that a feature of the present invention is that the coplanarity of the second insulating housing  16  of the memory socket  10  can be better ensured during the injection molding thereof since the second insulating housing  16  is substantially in a linear fashion, whereby a better connection is ensured between the memory socket connector  10  and the printed circuit board  120 . At the same time, the mechanical strength of the memory socket connector  10  is still ensured since the first insulating housing  16 ′ have a pair of side arms  25  formed at opposite ends of the first elongated body  17  thereof.  
         [0025]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.