Patent Publication Number: US-6981884-B2

Title: Contact for socket

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a contact for a socket, and particularly relates to a contact adapted for use with a socket and which is capable of resilient compression. 
   2. Background of the Invention 
   There are several kinds of connection methods between a socket and a peripheral device. A resilient compression connection with a contact is one kind of connection. A conventional contact illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2  includes a base  1 , a contact arm  2  extending from the base  1  upwardly, a carrier-tape arm  3  bent from the contact arm  2 , and a solder portion  4  bent from a bottom of the base  1  at a right angle. The solder portion  4  is used for welding a welding material, such as a solder ball. A contact portion  6  slantwise extends upwardly from a top of the contact arm  2 . In the assembly process, the conventional contact mates with an insulating housing  5 , the base  1  is secured in a receiving slot  51  of the insulating housing  5 , the contact portion  6  is exposed through the insulating housing  6 , and the solder portion  4  aligns with a bottom of the insulating housing  5  to electrically connect to a circuit board (not shown) via the conventional contact. The peripheral device (not shown) can be placed above the contact portion  6  of the conventional socket, and further pressed downwardly to electrically connect the contact portion  6 . 
   At least three shortcomings in this kind contact need to be overcome. First, to meet a predetermined height of the socket, the base shall be designed to be short, so as to result in a slackened retention between the base of the insulating housing. Second, the contact portion has a tapered and bent end to contact the peripheral device, thus a contact resistance between the peripheral device and the tapered end is too large to influence the electrical connection therebetween. Third, the conventional contact is processed by pluralities of bending steps that waste time and costs. 
   Hence, an improvement over the prior art is required to overcome the disadvantages thereof. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   The primary object of the invention is therefore to specify a contact with a easy process and a secure connection that provides a low contact resistance for effective electrical connection. 
   According to the invention, the object is achieved by a contact adapted for use with a socket. The contact includes a base, an orientation arm, a resilient arm, and a solder portion. The resilient arm has a first portion extending from the base and a second portion bent upwardly from the first portion, and the second portion of the resilient arm is parallels to the base as an inverse type with a straight, turning angle. Therefore, the contact is processed easily and simply and is further capable of making a secure connection to a peripheral device. The contact resistance between the contact and the peripheral device is reduced thereby guaranteeing an effective electrical contact. 
   To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention. Examples of the more important features of the invention thus have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject of the claims appended hereto. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view according to a conventional contact; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional profile while the conventional contact assembles in an insulating housing; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a contact with a solder ball according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view while the contact assembles to an insulating housing according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional profile while the contact assembles to an insulating housing according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the contact according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the contact according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the contact according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the contact according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and 
       FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the contact according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     FIGS. 3 to 5  illustrates a contact  10  according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a base  12 , a resilient arm  16  and a solder portion  18 . The resilient arm  16  and the solder portion extend from a bottom of the base  12  simultaneously. The resilient arm  16  can be bent inversely, and includes a first portion  161  extending from the base  12  and a second portion  162  bent from the first portion  161  upwards, and the second portion  162  of the resilient arm  16  is parallels to the base  12  as an inverse type with a straight, turning angle. The second portion  162  further tilts towards a lateral side thereof at a predetermined angle. The resilient arm  16  has a contact portion  17  arranged on a free end of the second portion  162  in order to resiliently compress a peripheral device (not shown). The solder portion  18  can connect a solder material  19  in advance for electrical connecting a circuit board (not shown) later. 
   According to the first embodiment, the base  12  can be manufactured with a height as same as an insulating housing  20 , so as to secure the contact  10  in the insulating housing  20 . The peripheral device forces the resilient arm  16  of the contact  10  while the peripheral device assembles to the socket. The resilient arm  16  will bend laterally owing to the second portion  162  thereof tilts towards the lateral side thereof, and a recovery resistance of the resilient arm  16  will increase to abut against the peripheral device, thus a contact resistance between the peripheral device and contact  10  will reduce to guarantee an effective contact. Further more, the manufacturing steps of the contact  10  only include two steps: punching and bending, thus a simple process is provided. 
   The configuration of the contact  10  can be various to meet same requirements. With respect to  FIG. 6 , a resilient arm  16 ′ of a contact  10 ′ has a curved portion  15 ′, and a slanting portion extending from the curved portion  15 ′ and tilting laterally, so as to increase an elasticity of the resilient arm  16 ′. Two solder portions  18 ′ extend from two lateral sides of a bottom of a base  12 ′ to clip a solder material  19 ′ or  19 ″ (in  FIGS. 7 ,  8 ). Referring to  FIG. 8 , two first portions  161 ″ of the resilient arm  16 ″ parallel to each other and extend from a base  12 ″, a second portion  162 ″ can extend from a part of the first portion  161 ″.  FIG. 9  illustrates a second portion  30  of a resilient arm can be shaped of a bow or the like.  FIG. 10  illustrates a solder portion  40  has a tongue  42  extending downwardly therefrom to penetrate through a circuit board for an electrical connection. 
   All of these contacts according to these embodiments mentioned above are processed easily and simply and further capable of secure connections respectively. The contact resistance between each contact and the peripheral device is reduced thereby to guarantee an effective electrical contact. 
   It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above description is only illustrative of specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.