Abstract:
A terminal installed in one terminal slot of an IC chip holder and adapted to electrically connect one contact pin of an IC chip to a circuit board below. The terminal has two suspension arms transversely disposed at different elevations and adapted to clamp the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip and press the contact pin against the peripheral wall of the terminal slot, keeping the contact pin of the IC chip in positive contact with the terminal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a terminal for use in an IC chip holder to electrically connect one contact pin of an IC chip at the IC chip holder to a corresponding electric contact of a circuit board holding the IC chip holder and, more particularly, to such a terminal, which has two suspension arms adapted to clamp the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip and press the contact pin against the peripheral wall of the terminal slot, keeping the contact pin of the IC chip in positive contact with the terminal. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, the installation of an IC chip in a circuit board for use in a computer is achieved by directly soldering the respective contact pins of the IC chip to respective electric contacts of the circuit board. During soldering, the integrated circuit of the IC chip tends to be damaged by heat. In order to eliminate this problem, an IC chip holder may be used to support an IC chip on a circuit board. However, when fastening an IC chip to an IC chip holder, the contact pins of the IC chip tend to be deformed or damaged. Therefore, the arrangement between the contact pins of an IC chip and the terminals in the terminal slots of a matching IC chip holder is important. FIG. 7 illustrates a terminal A for use in an IC chip holder according to the prior art. The terminal A comprises a longitudinal support portion A 2 , a transversely extended flat top positioning portion A 1 , a curved suspension arm A 21  extended from one side of the longitudinal support portion A 2  and adapted to press the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip against the peripheral wall of the corresponding terminal slot in the IC chip holder, and a bottom mounting leg A 3  adapted for fastening to the circuit board below. FIG. 8 shows another structure of terminal B according to the prior art. This structure of terminal B comprises a bottom mounting leg B 2  adapted for fastening to a circuit board, a flat top contact base B 1 , a suspension arm B 11  extended sideways from the flat top contact base B 1  and terminating in an arched contact portion B 12  for the contact of the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip. According to the aforesaid two prior art designs, the terminals A;B are disposed in contact with the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip at one contact point only. Because of one point contact, the contact between the terminal and the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip is unstable, and the IC chip tends to be forced out of position. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a terminal for IC chip holder, which holds the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip firmly in position for positive signal transmission after installation of the IC chip in the IC chip holder. According to the present invention, the terminal has two suspension arms transversely disposed at different elevations and adapted to clamp the corresponding contact pin of the IC chip and press the contact pin against the peripheral wall of the terminal slot, keeping the contact pin of the IC chip in positive contact with the terminal. Because the contact pin of the IC chip is supported in the corresponding terminal slot of the IC chip holder at three bearing points, the IC chip is prohibited from vibration. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a terminal for IC chip holder constructed according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an IC chip holder and an IC chip in which the terminal of the invention is used. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the relationship between the terminal and one terminal slot of the IC chip holder according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a top view in section showing the terminal mounted in the terminal slot and the contact pin of the IC chip holder inserted into the terminal slot. 
     FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing the contact pin of the IC chip moved from the longitudinal support portion of the terminal to the suspension arms. 
     FIG. 6 is similar to FIG. 5 but showing the contact pin of the IC chip set into position and supported between the contact face and stop portion of the suspension arms of the terminal and the peripheral wall of the terminal slot of the IC chip holder. 
     FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a terminal constructed according to the prior art. 
     FIG. 8 is an elevational view of another structure of terminal constructed according to the prior art. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a terminal  1  is shown comprising an elongated longitudinal support portion  11 , a transverse positioning portion  12  perpendicularly extended from the bottom end of the longitudinal support portion  11  at one side, raised portions  121  respectively protruded from two sides of the transverse positioning portion  12 , a longitudinal mounting leg  13  perpendicularly downwardly extended from a middle part of the bottom side of the transverse positioning portion  12 , two protruded retaining portions  132  bilaterally connected between the transverse positioning portion  12  and the longitudinal mounting leg  13 , a first longitudinal reinforcing rib  131  and a second longitudinal reinforcing rib  114  respectively formed in the longitudinal support portion  11  and the longitudinal mounting leg  13  to reinforce the structural strength of the terminal  1 , a first suspension arm  111  perpendicularly extended from one side of the longitudinal support portion  11  and spaced above the transverse positioning portion  12  at a distance, a stop portion  1111  extended upwards from the free end of the first suspension arm  111 , a second suspension arm  112  perpendicularly extended from the top end of the longitudinal support portion  11  above the first suspension arm  111 , a contact face  1121  extended from the free end of the second suspension arm  112  and curved in one direction, and a gap  113  defined between the first suspension arm  111  and the second suspension arm  112 . Further, the protruded retaining portions  132  each have a bottom slope  1321 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, during installation, the terminal  1  is inserted into one terminal slot  221  in the holder body  22  of the terminal holder  2  to force the longitudinal bottom leg  13  out of the corresponding bottom through hole  2211  in the terminal slot  221 . By means of the bottom slopes  1321 , the protruded retaining portions  132  can easily be forced into engagement with the peripheral wall of the bottom through hole  2211 . When installed in the terminal slot  221 , the protruded retaining portions  132  and the longitudinal rib  131  are respectively stopped against the peripheral wall of the bottom through hole  2211  to hold the terminal  1  in position, and the bottom slopes  1321  of the protruded retaining retaining portions  132  are respectively stopped at respective shoulder portions  2212  in the bottom through hole  2211 . 
     Referring to FIGS. from  4  through  6  and FIGS. 2 and 3 again, when attaching the IC chip  3  to the IC chip holder  2  to force the contact pins  31  of the IC chip  3  into the terminal slots  221  of the IC chip holder  2 , the driving handle  21  is turned downwards from the vertical position to the horizontal position to move the slide  23  of the IC chip holder  2  and the IC chip  3  in one direction away from the protruding frame  231  of the IC chip holder  2  (see FIG.  4 ). At this time, the contact pins  31  of the IC chip  3  are respectively pressed against the contact faces  1121  of the terminals  1  in the terminal slots  221  of the IC chip holder  2  and forced into the gap  113  between the first suspension arm  111  and second suspension arm  112  of the terminal  1  in each terminal slot  221  (see FIG.  5 ). When set into position, the contact pins  31  of the IC chip  3  are respectively retained between the contact faces  1121  and stop portions  1111  of the terminals  1  in the terminal slots  221  of the IC chip holder  2  and peripherally stopped against the peripheral walls of the terminal slots  221  of the IC chip holder  2  (see FIG.  6 ). 
     The first suspension arm  111  and the second suspension arm  112  are cut from a material part at one side of the longitudinal support portion  11 . Because the contact face  1121  is curved from the free end of the second suspension arm  112  in one direction, it provides a spring power to force the respective contact pin  31  of the IC chip  3  against the stop portion  1111 . Therefore, the respective contact pin  31  of the IC chip  3  is positively maintained in contact with the terminal  1  between the contact face  1121  and the stop portion  1111 . Because the contact pins  31  of the IC chip  3  are respectively supported at three bearing points, i.e., the contact faces  1121  and stop portions  1111  of the terminals  1  in the terminal slots  221  of the IC chip holder  2  and the peripheral wall of each terminal slot  221  of the IC chip holder  2 , the invention eliminates vibrations between the contact pins  31  of the IC chip  3  and the terminals  1  in the terminal slots  221  of the IC chip holder  2 . 
     A prototype of terminal for IC chip holder has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of FIGS.  1 ˜ 6 . The terminal for IC chip holder functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier. 
     Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.