Abstract:
The electrical connector assembly includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts retained in the housing. The stand includes a support and a spring supporting the support. The electrical connector is seated upon the support and moveable along with the support in the vertical direction due to deformation of the spring. Each of the contacts includes an upper contacting section and a lower contacting section. An electronic component located upon the housing and downwardly pressing and mechanically and electrically connected to the upper contacting sections. An FPC is sandwiched between the support and the electrical connector and mechanically and electrically connected to the lower contacting sections.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an electrical connector and the support, and particularly to the support moveable in a floating manner in a vertical direction. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Chinese Patent No. CN202042681 discloses an electrical connector assembly having a first connector receiving the CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a second connector attached upon the first connector and mechanically and electrically connected to one side/top region of the CPU for further connecting to other electronic parts via an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). Anyhow, such an approach improperly increases the height of the whole CPU/connector assembly, thus contradicting the lower profile/miniaturization trend. U.S. Pat. No. 9,130,322 discloses another approach using an adaptor structure cooperation with or located between other two upper and lower connectors for mounting to a top/side region of the CPU board. Anyhow, such arrangement requires the contacts of the lower connector soldered to the CPU board and the contacts of the upper connector soldered to the FPC, thus increasing complexity thereof. Yet another approach is to use a discrete connector side by side arranged with the CPU socket to have a side region of the CPU downwardly abut against the discrete connector for connecting to the FPC. Anyhow, there is a potential risk for poor connection between the CPU and the FPC due to the different heights between CPU socket and the discrete housing. 
         [0005]    An improved connector which is located beside the CPU socket with an adjustable effect to comply with the CPU socket having variable heights thereof, thus assuring reliable connection among the CPU, the contacts of the discrete connector and the FPC so as to achieve the superior transmission from the CPU to the FPC. The adjustment of the electrical connector simultaneously reinforces confrontation between the electrical connector and the FPC so that it is unnecessary to have the contacts of the electrical connector soldered upon the FPC but through a clipping/pressing effect via the spring effect. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An electrical connector assembly an electrical connector and a stand which the connector is seated. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts retained in the housing. The stand includes a support and a spring supporting the support. The electrical connector is seated upon the support and moveable along with the support in the vertical direction due to deformation of the spring. Notably, the moveability of the connector provides adjustability of the whole connector assembly to comply with the CPU mounted upon a CPU socket which is essentially side by side arranged with the electrical connector assembly. 
         [0007]    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 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an assembled perspective view of an electrical connector assembly according to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a downwardly exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is an upwardly exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded perspective view of the stand of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is an assembled perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  to use with a CPU socket with the CPU thereon wherein the CPU downwardly presses the electrical connector and the associated contacts; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 5  with the CPU removed away from the CPU socket; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly and the CPU socket with the associated CPU of  FIG. 5 , taken along a transverse line passing through the fixing hole. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly and the CPU socket with the associate CPU of  FIG. 5 , taken along another transverse line passing through the alignment hole. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-8 , an electrical connector assembly includes an electrical connector  1 , an FPC  2 , i.e., the flexible printed circuit (board), and a stand  3  wherein the FPC is essentially sandwiched between the electrical connector  1  and the stand  3  in the vertical direction. 
         [0018]    The electrical connector  1  includes an insulative housing  11  and a plurality of contacts  12  (only two shown as representatives) retained in the housing  11 . The housing includes opposite top and bottom faces wherein the top face forms a receiving cavity  111  to receive a corresponding extension  502  of the CPU  500 . The housing  11  is rectangular and includes a first fixing part  13  with a guiding section  131  facing the receiving cavity  111  to be received in a notch  504  of the CPU  500  for guiding the corresponding extension  502  of the CPU  500  into the receiving cavity  111 . A pair of alignment posts  112  downwardly extend from two opposite diagonal corners of the housing  11 . The contact  12  includes a main body  121 , an upper contacting section  122 , a lower contacting section  123  and a solder ball  24  attached to the lower contacting section  123 . Notably, the solder ball  124  may not be necessary if the lower contacting section  123  is shaped as the upper contacting section  122  for resiliently contacting the counterpart. 
         [0019]    The FPC  2  includes an alignment holes  21  through which the corresponding alignment posts  112  respectively extend, and a plurality of conductive pads  22 . In this embodiment, because the lower contacting section  123  is equipped with the solder ball  124 , the conductive pads  22  are soldered with the solder ball  124 . Anyhow, in an alternate embodiment the conductive pad  22  may be directly pressed by the resilient lower contacting section  123  for mechanical and electrical connection therebetween. 
         [0020]    The stand  3  includes a base  31 , a support  33 , a spring  32  sandwiched therebetween in the vertical direction for supporting the support  33 , a fixer  34  fixing the base  31 , the support  33  and the spring  32  together. The base  31  is a rectangular frame, including opposite lengthwise end sections  311  and opposite sides  312  linked between the lengthwise end sections  311 , and an opening  313  surrounded by the lengthwise end sections  311  and sides  312 . A pair of first fixing holes  314  are formed in each corresponding lengthwise end section  311 . 
         [0021]    The support  33  is metallic and includes a main plate  331 , a pair of connection sections  332  upward extending from two opposite lengthwise ends of the mating plate  331 , and a pair of mounting sections  333  extending from the corresponding connection sections  332  outwardly wherein the main plate  331  and the connection sections  332  commonly form a receiving space  334  to receive the electrical connector  1 . The connection section  332  forms a second fixing part  335  to receive the first fixing part  13  of the electrical connector  1  therein. Each mounting section  333  forms a pair of corresponding second fixing holes  336  aligned with the corresponding first fixing holes  314 , respectively, in the vertical direction. The support  33  further includes an insulative plate  337  which is rectangular and located between the FPC  2  and the main plate  331  in the vertical direction for preventing shorting between the FPC  2  and the main plate  331 . The main plate  331  has a pair of alignment apertures  338  and the insulative plate  337  has a pair of alignment orifices  339  so that the alignment posts  112  of the electrical connector  1  extends through the corresponding alignment holes  21  of the FPC  2 , the corresponding alignment orifices  339  of the insulative plate  337 , and the corresponding alignment apertures  338  of the main plate  331  to prevent relative transverse movements among the electrical connector  1 , the FPC  2 , the insulative plate  337  and the support  33 . 
         [0022]    The springs  32  are sandwiched between the mounting sections  333  and the lengthwise end sections  311  in the vertical direction. The spring  32  forms a through hole  321 . The fixer  34  includes a fixing pin  341  and the stopper  342  wherein the fixing pin  341  extends through the corresponding second fixing hole  336  and the corresponding through hole  321 , and is retainably terminated within the corresponding first fixing hole  314  with the stopper  342 , i.e., the C-ring, secured to the retaining groove (not labeled) of the top end of the fixing pin  341  to have the support  33 , the springs  32  and the base  31  secured together wherein the support  33  is moveable in the vertical direction with regard to the base  31  in a floating/tensioned manner. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , in this embodiment, the CPU socket  600  is side by side arranged with the electrical connector  1  wherein the CPU  500  includes a main portion coupling to the corresponding contacts (not shown) of the CUP socket  600  and the aforementioned extension  502  extends horizontally and received within the electrical connector  1  to mate with the corresponding contacts  12 . Understandably, the main portion of the CPU  500  is downwardly forced by some clipping device (not shown) on the CPU socket  600 . Under such a situation, the extension  502  downwardly presses the electrical connector  1  so as to cooperate with the support  33  to directly press the FPC  2  which endures an upward force from the support  33  due to the spring  32 . 
         [0024]    Notably, in this embodiment the electrical connector  1  is detachably mounted upon the stand  3  via the alignment post  112  and the first fixing part  13 . The insulative housing  11  of the electrical connector  1  is supported upwardly by the support  33  in a floating manner due to the springs  32  so as to efficiently forgive/compromise the height difference between the CPU  500  and the electrical connector  1 , thus assuring the reliable mechanical and electrical connection between the electrical connector  1  and the CPU  500  without risks of either the poor connection due to the insufficient contacting force between the CPU  500  and the electrical connector  1  or the structural damage due to the excessive force between the CPU  500  and the electrical connector  1 . Furthermore, because the spring  32  provides an additional upward force upon the FPC  500 , the mechanical connection between the contacts  12  and the conductive pads  22  may no longer require the solder ball  124  but only with the resilient lower contacting section  124  alternately. 
         [0025]    Understandably, the fixing pin  341  may be replaced with a screw and the stopper  342  may be replaced with a screw nut so that the maximum/highest position of the support  33  relative to the base  31  is controllably adjustable in the vertical direction for efficiently complying with the height of the CPU  500  which is corresponding to the height of the CPU socket  600 . 
         [0026]    However, the disclosure is illustrative only, changes may be made in detail, especially in matter of shape, size, and arrangement of sections within the principles of the invention.