Patent Publication Number: US-7896680-B2

Title: Zero insertion force socket connector preventing pin legs of CPU from over movement

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to a socket connector, and more particularly to a zero insertion force (ZIF) socket connector preventing pin legs of the CPU from over movement. 
     2. Description of Related Arts 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,634 issued to Lin et al. on Apr. 29, 2003 discloses an electrical connector having an insulative housing and an electrical contact received in the insulative housing, connecting a pin leg of a CPU (central processing unit) onto a PCB (printed circuit board). The electrical contact has a base portion, a solder portion extending from the base portion, and a pair of spaced arms. Each arm has a body section extending from the base portion and a finger including a lead-in section extending from the body section and a contact section extending from the lead-in section. The lead-in sections of the fingers are coined to define planar lead-in surfaces for guiding the pin leg of the CPU into the contact sections with zero insertion force (ZIF). However, the contact sections define an opening slot to the air and there are no stopping feature formed on the insulative housing for the pin leg, which causes the pin leg of the CPU easily over movement beyond the contact section. The electrical connection between the CPU and the PCB is destroyed. 
     Hence, a socket connector preventing pin legs of the CPU from over movement is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a socket connector preventing pin legs of the CPU from over movement. 
     To achieve the above object, a socket connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts received in the insulative housing and a cover moveable with respect to the insulative housing. The cover has a mating surface facing the insulative housing, a coupling surface opposite to the mating surface, rows of slots extending through the mating surface and the coupling surface, and at least one block on the mating surface. The at least one block is located between two adjacent slots. 
     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 DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective, partly view of a socket connector constructed in accordance with the present invention only showing a plurality of contacts and a cover forming a plurality of blocks, and a plurality of pin legs of the CPU is included therein; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the contact of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective, side view of the socket connector with the insulative housing of the connector and the inserted pin legs shown therein. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the socket connector before the pin legs associated with the cover are assembled to the insulative housing with the terminals retained therein. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the socket connector after the cover is assembled to the insulative housing. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a socket connector (not labeled) of the present invention, used for connecting with a plurality of pin legs  11  of a CPU (not shown) and a printed circuit board (PCB, not shown), includes an insulative housing  13 , a plurality of contacts  12  received in the insulative housing  13 , and a cover  10  horizontally moveable with respect to the insulative housing  13  and urging electrical connection between the pin legs  11  and the contacts  12 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the contact  12  comprises a base portion  120 , a soldering portion  121  extending downwardly, vertically from the base portion  120 , a pair of spaced arms  122  extending from opposite lateral edges of the base portion  120 , a pair of engaging portions  123  formed on the spaced arms  122 , and a pair of lead-in portions  124  extending from the engaging portions  123 . The lead-in portions  124  define a first interspace  125  and the engaging portions  123  define a second interspace  126  communicating with the first interspace  125 . Furthermore, the first interspace is larger than the second interspace for facilitating insertion of the pin legs of the CPU into the lead-in portions  124  with zero insertion force. The base portion  120  of the contact  12  is essentially a vertical retaining section retained in the insulative housing  13 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the insulative housing  13  defines a connecting surface  132  facing towards the cover  10 , a soldering surface  131  opposite to the connecting surface  132 , and a plurality of passageways  130  extending through the soldering surface  131  and the connecting surface  132 . Each passageway  130  is formed and surrounded by corresponding dividing walls  133 . Certain of the dividing walls  133  has a corresponding notch  134  at a top portion thereof. The contacts  12  are received in the passageways  130  of the insulative housing  13  with the contacting portions  123  and the lead-in portions  124  at the top portion of the passageway  130 , i.e., extending lower than the connecting surface  132  of the insulative housing  13  for connecting with the pin legs  11  of the CPU. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , the cover  10  defines a mating surface  104  facing toward the insulative housing  13  and a coupling surface  103  opposite to the mating surface  104  to support the CPU. The cover  10  defines a plurality of slots  102  connecting the mating surface  104  with the coupling surface  103 , and forms a plurality of blocks  101  on the mating surface  104 , each beside a same edge of the slot  102 . The block  101  defines an arcuate portion  105  facing the slot  102 . The pin legs  11  of the CPU extend through the slots  102  of the cover  10  and are moveable accompanying with the cover  10 . Some blocks  101  are partly received in adjacent passageways  130  when the cover  10  is assembled to the insulative housing  13  under an initial open position. The contacting portion  123  of the contact  12  and the notch  134  are essentially located at a same level. Especially, the pin leg  11  is located between the corresponding block  101  and the corresponding contacting portion  123  in a mating, lengthwise direction perpendicular to a vertical direction. The cover  10  moves subsequently along the mating direction with respect to the insulative housing  13  to be at a closed mating position. Thereafter, the pin legs  11  of the CPU move into the second interspace  126  from the first interspace  125  and are sandwiched between the engaging portions  123 . The blocks  101  are capable of moving from the adjacent passageways  130  into the corresponding passageways  130  of the insulative housing  13  through the notch  134  during the movement of the cover  10  with respect to the insulative housing  13  along the lengthwise direction. Because each block  101  has a transverse width larger than the first interspace  125  of the lead-in portions  124 , the blocks  101  confront with the lead-in portions  124  of the contacts  12  in case the cover  10  is over-pushed. Therefore, the pin legs  11  of the CPU are prevented from moving away from the engaging portions  123 . In an alternative embodiment, the number of the blocks  101  is not same as that of the slots  102 , but at least one block  101  is provided for two adjacent slots  102 . 
     In the present invention, because each contact  12  and the corresponding block  101  are located at two opposite sides of the pin leg  11 , the block  101  confronts with the lead-in portions  124  of the contact  12  in case the cover  10  is over-pushed so as to prevent the pin leg  11  from moving away from the engaging portions  123 . 
     While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present invention are considered within the scope of the present invention as described in the appended claims.