Abstract:
An electrical connector adapted for connection an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip to a printed circuit board (PCB) includes an insulating housing having a plurality of passageways, a plurality of contacts received in the passageways and a frame moveable assembled on the housing to allow the IC chip to be inserted therein. The frame includes a first and second side walls parallel to each other and a third side wall connecting with ends of the first and second side walls without a sidewall opposite the third wall, thereby a hatch is defined opposite to the third wall.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an electrical connector adapted for an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip, especially to a test socket for an IC chip. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    A conventional test socket usually includes a base portion having a contact array of columns and rows therein, a movable member set in the base portion, a rectangular frame used to drive the movable member to shift. The rectangular frame comprises four side walls to form a rectangular cavity. The rectangular frame is sized to just receive a predetermined sized IC chip. In use actually, the contact array of the socket is designed to be more than a corresponding array of electrical member of the IC chip, which is convenience to test different chips with different electrical member array. The IC chips sometimes will touch the side wall of the frame if the IC chip, when inserted into the frame, closes up to said sidewall, which will result in damage of the IC chip. 
         [0005]    Therefore, an electrical connector with an improved frame is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the related arts. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with an improved frame. 
         [0007]    In order to achieve above-mentioned object, an electrical connector adapted for connection an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip to a printed circuit board (PCB) comprises an insulating housing having a plurality of passageways, a plurality of contacts received in the passageways and a frame moveable assembled on the housing to allow the IC chip to be inserted therein. The frame comprises a first and second side walls parallel to each other and a third side wall connecting with ends of the first and second side walls without a sidewall opposite the third wall, thereby a hatch is defined opposite to the third wall. 
         [0008]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the frame shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of the contact shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an electrical connector used to electrically and mechanically connect an IC chip especially a ball grid array chip (not shown), mainly includes an insulating housing  1  having an upper-opening receiving cavity  10 , a supporting member  2  received in the receiving cavity  10 , an integral frame  5  set on the housing  1  and a fixing member  3  accepted in the bottom of the housing  1 . The connector further includes a plurality of contacts received through the housing, the supporting member and the fixing member (only one contact is shown in  FIG. 2 ). 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , the housing  1  has a centre bottom wall  13  and four side walls  15  perpendicular to the bottom wall  13  to form the upper-opening receiving cavity  10 . The bottom wall  13  defines a plurality of passageways  14  running though in the up and down direction. The outer faces of the side walls  15  define guiding grooves  12  in the up and down direction. Four receiving holes  16  are defined at four corners of side walls  15  respectively to receive spring elements such as four first coil spring members  70 , and four retaining posts  11  each extends downwards from the housing  1  at the opposite of the receiving holes  16  for retaining the housing to the PCB. 
         [0016]    The supporting member  2  is received in the receiving cavity  10  of the housing  1  and defines a plurality of passageways  23  aligned with the passageways  14  of the housing  1 . Four protrusions  20 , each with an arc shaped guiding face  200  are defined at two opposite sides of the supporting member  2  adjacent to the four corners. Four hook portions  21  extending downwards respectively adjacent the protrusions  20 , run through corresponding slot  17  and slaw the bottom wall  13  of the housing  1  to retain the supporting member  2  in the receiving cavity  10 . An outwardly second post portion  22  is defined at an end side of the supporting member  2  and a second coil spring member  71  is assembled on the post portion  22 . 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the frame  5  has three side walls, two parallel longer side walls  54  and a short side wall  55  perpendicularly connecting with ends of said longer side walls  54 , another ends of the longer side walls define a hatch  541  therebetween. The side walls define a U-shape receiving space  53  to received the IC chip. Five retaining portions  50  with hook sections  500  extending downwards from side walls, are used to cooperate with the guiding grooves  12  of the housing  1  so that the frame  5  are assembled on the housing  1  and slide along the guiding grooves  12 . Four post portion  51  extend downwards and are received in the first coil springs  70  received in the receiving holes  16 , which urge the frame  5  to shift upwards and downwards. Two pairs of actuating portions  52  extending downwards from the opposite side walls  54  respectively have slanting faces  520  to press against the arc shaped guiding faces  200  of the protrusions  20 . 
         [0018]    The three side walls  54 ,  55  of frame support the chip therein. The hatch  541  allow the chip to be inserted even if the chip is slightly larger than the frame of the chip or closes up to the hatch  541  since one end of the chip can go across the hatch. The short side wall  55  is also used to limit the chip in the frame. As a result, the side walls of three ensure the chip from broken but stably received in the frame. 
         [0019]    The fixing member  3  is retained in bottom of the housing  1  by a retaining device like some blots (not shown). The fixing member  3  has a plurality of passageways  30  aligned with the passageways  14  of the housing  1  and the passageways  23  of supporting member  2 . 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , the contacts are received in the passageways  23  of the supporting member  2 , the passageways  14  of the housing  1  and the passageways  30  of the fixing member  3 . The contact  2  includes a solder leg  40  for being soldered on a PCB, a bending portion  41  having an offset to the solder leg  40  and a pair of slim arm portion  42 ,  43  extending upwardly forms the bending portion  41 . The two arm portions join at bottom ends thereof and one arm portion  42  is used as a stationary arm while the other arm portion  43  is used as a movable arm. The top portions of the two arm portions offset in projection plane  421 , namely not overlap or partly overlap, and define clamping portions  420 ,  430  at the top ends thereof. 
         [0021]    A protecting board  6  locating under the fixing member  3  has a pair of latching member  60  including locking portions  600  for latching with the housing to protect the contacts from being destroyed. 
         [0022]    When an exterior force is exerted on the frame  5 , the frame  5  is driven downwards until a final position where the posts  51  are fully received in the holes  16 . During the process, all the coil springs is compressed and the IC chip can be put into the U-shape receiving space  53 . Meanwhile the actuating portions  52  press against the protruding portion  20  to urge the supporting member  2  to shift to another end of the receiving cavity  10 . As a result, movable arms  43  shift away from the stationary arm  42  so that the gap between the clamping portions  420 ,  430  are larger than the diameter of the solder balls of the IC chip. The solder balls are easy to enter into the clamping portions. The coil spring members will restore after the exterior force withdraws and the movable arms will return back to lock the solder balls of the IC chip. The IC chip can be taken out if an exterior force is exerted on the actuating member again. 
         [0023]    However, the disclosure is illustrative only, changes may be made in detail, especially in matter of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention.