Abstract:
An electrical connector assembly, adapted for electrically connecting an IC package or module to a printed circuit board, includes a metallic bracket surrounding a stationary electrical connector which is mounted upon the printed circuit board. A module equipped with another electrical connector is positioned upon and removably assembled to the stationary electrical connector. A locking/ejecting member is pivotally mounted upon the bracket to releasably lock the module in position. A retention lever is pivotally mounted upon the bracket to prevent the locking/ejecting member from inadvertently or mistakenly unlatching the locking member from the module.

Description:
[0001]    The instant application is a CIP (Continuation-in-Part) application of the copending application Ser. No. 15/069,976 filed Mar. 15, 2016 which is a CIP application of U.S. Pat. No. 9,377,573 issued on May 19, 2016. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, more particularly to an electrical connector assembly adapted for electrically connecting an IC package or module to a printed circuit board. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    Current electrical connector assembly as disclosed in the parent application Ser. No. 15/069,976 discloses the locking member pivotally mounted upon the metallic frame to releasably lock the heat sink. Anyhow, it lacks the retention means thereof to prevent unlock mistakenly and inadvertently. 
         [0006]    An improved electrical connector assembly is desired to efficiently retain the locking member in position without a risk of wrong unlatching. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    According to one aspect of the present invention, an electrical connector assembly, adapted for electrically connecting an IC package or module to a printed circuit board, includes a metallic bracket surrounding a stationary electrical connector which is mounted upon the printed circuit board. A module equipped with another electrical connector is positioned upon and removably assembled to the stationary electrical connector. A locking/ejecting member is pivotally mounted upon the bracket to releasably lock the module in position. A retention lever is pivotally mounted upon the bracket to prevent the locking/ejecting member from inadvertently or mistakenly unlatching the locking member from the module. 
         [0008]    The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the electrical connector assembly in accordance with present invention wherein the module is loaded upon the electrically connector and locked by the locking member. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective of the electrical connector assembly shown in  FIG. 1  wherein the module is moved away from the stationary connector. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is another explored perspective view of the electrical connector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is another explored perspective view of the electrical connector assembly shown in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a further exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is another further perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 7(A)  is an exploded perspective view of the module of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 7(B)  is another exploded perspective view of the module of  FIG. 7(A) . 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a further exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is another further exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is a further exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is another further exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  to show the module is locked by the locking/ejecting member and the locking/ejecting member is retained by the retention lever when the locking/ejecting member is positioned in a locking position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a side view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1  to show the module is unlocked from the locking/ejecting member and the locking/ejecting member is no longer retained by the retention lever when the locking/ejecting member is positioned in an unlocking/ejecting position. 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a side view of an electrical connector assembly according to another embodiment with a simplified/shortened locking/ejecting member thereof to show the module is locked by the locking/ejecting member and the locking/ejecting member is retained by the retention lever. 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a side view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 15  to show the module is unlocked from the locking/ejecting member and the locking/ejecting member is no longer retained by the retention lever. 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is an enlarged partial perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 15  to show the retention lever is not located in a locking position but retained in an lifted position not to hinder the pivotal movement of the locking/ejecting member. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning timing considerations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
         [0028]    The electrical connector assembly  100  as show in  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 14 , is used for electrically connecting a movable module  600  and a optical jumper member  700  to a printed circuit board  500 . The electrical connector assembly  100  includes a metallic bracket/frame  102  surrounding an insulative housing  104  therein. A rear region of the housing  104  is equipped with contacts  106  to form a stationary connector  108 . A front region of the housing  104  receives the optical jumper element  700 . Similar to what is disclosed in the parent application, the jumper element  700  is adapted to be downwardly assembled into the front region of the housing  104  in the vertical direction and forwardly withdrawn therefrom along the front-to-back direction after disengaged from the module  600 . 
         [0029]    The module  600  includes a frame  110  to receive an electronic component (not shown), an electrical connector  112  is connected to the electrical connector via the solder balls  114  each of which is linked to a contact  116  ( FIG. 14 ) for mating with the contact  106  of the connector  108 . A cover  116  is attached upon the frame  110  to shield the aforementioned electronic component (not shown). The frame includes a pair of transversely extending posts  118  for locking with the locking/ejecting member (illustrated later), and three downwardly extending posts  120  received within the corresponding holes  702  in the jumper element  700 . The connector  112  forms a pair of lateral protrusions  115  for use with the locking/ejecting member (illustrated later). 
         [0030]    The bracket  102  is equipped with a retention lever  122  and a locking/ejecting member  150  thereof. The bracket  102  soldered upon the printed circuit board  500 , includes a pair of locking tabs  124 , a pair of lead-in tabs  126  for guiding downward loading of the module  600  into the housing  104 , and a pivot groove  128 . The retention lever  122  forms a pivotal shaft  130  received within the pivot groove  128 , and a pair of operation arms  132  each adapted to be moved between an upper rest position between the locking tab  124  and the lead-in tab  126 , and a lower securing position under the locking tab  124 . The locking/ejecting member  150  forms a U-shaped structure with an ejecting lever  152  which is used to provide the pivotal axes  154  of the locking/ejecting member  150  so as to allow the locking/ejecting member  150  to be pivotally mounted upon the bracket  102  via the pivotal axes  154  extending through the pivotal holes  156  in the locking/ejecting member  150  and the pivotal holes  158  in the bracket  102 . The locking/ejecting member  150  further includes a pair of ejecting tabs  160  to upward eject the lateral projection  115  when the locking/ejecting member  150  is unlocked to downwardly rotated, a pair of restricting tabs  162  to be downwardly pressed by the corresponding operation arms  132  when the retention lever  122  is positioned in the lower locking position where the arms  132  are locked under the locking tabs  124 , and a pair of abutment tabs  164  which are used to retain the ejecting lever  152  in position with regard to the locking/ejecting member  150 . A pair of slots  166  are formed in the locking/ejecting member  150  to receive the pivotal shaft  130  therein so as to allow the downwardly pivotal movement of the locking/ejecting member  150  with regard to the pivotal shaft  130 . A pair of locking heads  168  respective downwardly press the corresponding extending posts  118  in position when the locking/ejecting member  150  is in a locked position. 
         [0031]    When the retention lever  122  is locked by the locking tab  124 , the restricting tab  162  is downwardly pressed by the arm  132  so as to preclude rotation of the locking/ejecting member  150  when the downward force is applied upon the ejecting lever  152  which downwardly presses the abutment tab  164  for rotation tendency. Anyhow, when the retention lever  122  is released from the locking tab  124  and retained at the rest position between the locking tab  124  and the lead-in tab  126 , the restricting tab  162  is no longer downwardly pressed by the arm  132  so as to allow rotation of the locking/ejecting member  150  when the downward force is applied upon the ejecting lever  152  which downwardly presses the abutment tab for rotation tendency. Once rotated, the locking head  168  no longer locks the corresponding extending post  118 , and the ejecting tab  160  upwardly urges the corresponding lateral protrusion  115  of the connector  112  to push the electrical connector  112  away from the stationary connector  108  so as to allow upward removal of the whole module  600 . Notably, in this embodiment, the ejecting lever  152  is downwardly pressed via the flange  170  of the locking/ejecting member  150  wherein the ejecting lever  152  is essentially retained to the locking/ejecting member  150  via the three points retention, i.e., abutment of the ejecting lever  152  with the flange  170  and with the abutment tab  164 , and the pivotal axis  154  received within the pivotal hole  158 . 
         [0032]    Compared with the parent application, unless intentionally releasing the retention lever  122  from the locking tab  124 , the additional retention lever  122  assures reliable locking between locking/ejecting member  150  with regard to the module  600  without any inadvertent or mistaken ejection thereof advantageously. On the other hand, the module is retained advantageously in a preloaded manner via the locking head  168  and the extending post  118  because the retention lever  122  is in a tensioned manner to force the module  600  downwardly due to downward abutment of the arm  132  against the retention tab  162 . 
         [0033]      FIGS. 15-17  show another embodiment similar to the first embodiment while the locking/ejecting member is shortened without the flange to abut against the ejecting lever so as to have the ejecting lever abut against the locking/ejecting member at two points instead of three points. Anyhow, the operation effect is still the same with the first embodiment, i.e., the retention lever assuring no inadvertent unlatching of the locking/ejecting member due to improper impact upon the locking/ejecting member 
         [0034]    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.