Abstract:
A removing apparatus, for removing an electrical connector from a PCB, comprises a base, a pulling member, a pair of opposite clipping members, a lower supporting member and at least one resilient member. The pulling member connects to the base to be operated to bring the base up and down. The two clipping members pivotally mount to the base. The lower supporting member mounts below the base. The resilient member located between the base and the lower supporting member. When the base moves downwardly, the latch of the clipping member can engage with the electrical connector and pick it up from the PCB, when the base moves back, it is easy and secure to remove the electrical connector from the PCB.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a removing apparatus, particularly to a removing apparatus for easily and securely removing an electrical connector from a circuit substrate, such as a print circuit board (PCB). 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Electrical connectors are widely used in electrically connecting an IC package to a PCB. The electrical connectors are usually connected with the PCB by surface mounted technology (SMT) or compression mounted technology (CMT). When by CMT, the electrical connector has no solder balls to be soldered with the PCB, thus it is necessary to provide a plurality of posts for fastening the electrical connector to the PCB. In use, when a tolerance between the posts and holes of the PCB is too large, the posts are too loose to fasten the electrical connectors with the PCB steadily. Thus the tolerance should be small, so that the posts and the PCB can well interferentially fit. As a result, the electrical connector difficultly fixes to or removes from the PCB. When fixing the electrical connector on the PCB, a large operation force is needed, which also results in a distortion of the PCB. So, a frame is usually mounted around the electrical connector to strengthen an intension of the PCB, and the frame includes a top surface higher than the electrical connector. Because of an addition of the frame, it becomes more difficult to remove the electrical connector from the PCB, and sometimes the posts of the electrical connector are broken when the operation force is unsuitable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a removing apparatus for removing an electrical connector which is mounted on a PCB by CMT from the PCB. 
     To fulfill the above object, a removing apparatus, for removing an electrical connector from a circuit substrate made in accordance with the present invention, comprises a base, a pulling member, a pair of opposite clipping members, a lower supporting member and at least one resilient member. The base includes a main body having a top surface. The pulling member is to be operated to press and lift the base. The two clipping members are mounted to the base, and each of the clipping members has a fixing portion connected to the base and a latch extending downwardly from the fixing portion for hooking the electrical connector, and the fixing portion is pivotally assembled on a corner of the base. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of a removing apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded, perspective view of the removing apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an assembled, perspective view of an electrical connector being removed by the removing apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows the removing apparatus engaging with the electrical connector; 
         FIG. 5  shows the removing apparatus engaging with the electrical connector mounted on a PCB with a frame; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5  with the removing apparatus in a first position; 
         FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view of  FIG. 5  with the removing apparatus in a second position; and 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of  FIG. 8  with the pressing portion resisting against the frame. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a removing apparatus  100  made in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a base  1 , a pulling member  2 , a pair of pressing members  3  pivotally mounted on the base  1 , a pair of clipping members  4  pivotally mounted on the base  1 , a lower supporting member  5 , two pin shafts  6  and four resilient members  7  between the base  1  and the lower supporting member  5 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the base  1  has a substantially rectangular main body  10  with four corners cut out. The main body  1  includes a top surface (not labeled) and four pairs of tabs  11  and  12  extending upwardly from the top surface. The two pairs of tabs  11  are formed on two diagonal corners of the main body  10  respectively, and the other two pairs of tabs  12  are formed on two opposite sides of the main body  1 . The pair of tabs  11  are close to corresponding tabs  12 . All of the tabs  11 ,  12  are formed in a substantially rectangle shape and each of the tabs  11 ,  12  defines a horizontal through hole (not labeled) in the centre thereof. The main body  10  defines two pairs of slots  13  and  14 . The slots  13  are substantially in diagonal corners of the main body  1  and are close to the two pairs of tabs  11  respectively. The other pair of slots  14  are located between the two pairs of tabs  12  respectively. Two through holes  15  are defined in the main body  1  for accepting the pin shafts  6 . 
     The pulling member  2  is in a T-shape and includes a standing block  21  and a horizontal handle  22  jointing to an upper end of the standing block  21 . The standing block  21  is configured as a rectangular shape and defines two through holes  211 ,  212  at a bottom and an upper ends thereof respectively. The handle  22  which is in a shaft shape is received in and passes through the through hole  212 . 
     The pair of pressing members  3  pivotally mount on two sides of the main body  10  of the base  1 , and are parallel and opposite to each other. Each pressing member  3  includes a horizontal pole portion  31  and a protrusion  32  protruding downwardly from one end of the pole portion  31 , and the other ends of the two pole portions are connected by a pin member  33  which inserts through the through hole  211  of the pulling member  2 , and the two pressing members  3  are located on two opposite sides of the standing block  21  of the pulling member  2  respectively. Each pole portion  31  defines a horizontal through hole (not labeled) in a substantially middle part thereof for receiving a pin member  34  and a slot (not shown) on a bottom surface thereof corresponding to the slots  14  for receiving resilient members  35 . The pole portion  31  is pivotally located between the tabs  12  via a pin member  34  passing through the corresponding through holes (not labeled) of the tabs  12 . 
     The pair of opposite clipping members  4  are pivotally mounted on the base  1 , and each clipping member  4  includes a fixing portion  41  and a latch  42  extending downwardly from the fixing portion  41  for hooking the electrical connector  8 . The fixing portion  41  substantially has an L shape and includes a horizontal arm  411  pivotally located between the pair of tabs  11  via another pin member  43  for handling and a vertical arm  412  extending upwardly from the horizontal arm  411 . The latch  42  extends vertically from an end of the horizontal arm  411  away from the vertical arm  412 , and a hook  44  is defined at a free end thereof. The horizontal arm  411  defines a horizontal through hole  45  in a substantial middle part thereof for receiving a pin member  43 . A resilient member  46  is disposed between the horizontal arm  411  and the top surface of the main body  10  of the base  1  and to prevent the latches  42  of the two clipping members  4  from rotating outwardly, and two opposite ends of the resilient  46  are received in the slot  13  of the base  1  and a corresponding slot (not shown) formed on a bottom surface of the horizontal arm  411 . 
     The lower supporting member  5  are mounted below the base  1  and includes a plate  51  substantially paralleling to the main body  10  of the base  1 . Four slots  52  are defined in four corners of the plate  51  respectively for receiving the corresponding resilient members  7 . Each of the two opposite corners defines a recess  53  for receiving and holding the corresponding hook  44  of the clipping member  4 . The plate  51  further defines two screw holes  54  corresponding to the through holes  15  for securing the two pin shafts  6  respectively. 
     Each of the two pin shafts  6  includes a top caput portion  61 , a middle pole portion  62  and a bottom screw portion  63 . The pin shaft  6  runs through corresponding through hole  15  of the base  1  and finally is fastened into the corresponding screw hole  54  of the lower supporting member  5  so as to hold the base  1  and the lower supporting member  5  together. When the pin shaft  6  is fastened, the middle pole portion  62  is received in the through hole  15  and can slide along the through hole  15  when the resilient members  7  disposed between the lower supporting members  5  and the base  1  are compressed. 
     Two opposite restrict members  18  are located at two sides of the pulling member  2  respectively, and adjacent to the standing block  21  of the pulling member  2 . The two restrict members  18  are mounted on the top surface of the base  1  and the standing block  21  of the pulling member  2  can sliding steadily up and down along a channel defined by the two restrict members  18 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 5 , an electrical connector  8  employing the removing apparatus  100  includes an insulative housing  81  and a plurality of terminals (not shown) received in the insulative housing  81 . Two opposite corners of the insulative housing  81  corresponding to the clipping members  4  define a recess  82  respectively for receiving corresponding hook  44  of the clipping member  4 . Four posts  83  are defined on a bottom of the insulative housing  81  for fixing the electrical connector  8  to a PCB  200 . When the electrical connector  8  is assembled to the PCB  200 , a metal frame  9  is mounted on the PCB  200  surrounding the insulative housing  81  to strengthen the PCB  200 . The frame  9  has four peripheral sidewalls (not labeled) adjacent to sides of the insulative housing  81  of the electrical connector  8  and being higher than the sides of the electrical connector  8 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 4 , when assembling the removing apparatus  100 , firstly, the pulling member  2  is connected with the two pressing members  3 , with a pin member  33  through the through hole  211  of the standing portion  21  of the pulling member  2  and two ends of the pole portions  31  of the two pressing members  3 . The pressing member  3  is pivotally mounted on the base  1 , with the pole portion  31  being rotatably arranged between the pairs of tabs  12  respectively via the pin member  34  through the through holes (not labeled) of the tabs  12 . And two resilient members  35  are arranged between the slots (not shown) on the bottom surface of the pole portions  31  of the pressing members  3  and the corresponding slots  14  of the base  1  respectively and adapted to keep the pressing members  3  horizontal. Secondly, the pair of clipping members  4  are pivotally mounted on the two diagonal corners of the base  1 , with the fixing portion  41  being rotatably arranged between the pair of tabs  11  respectively via the pin member  43  through the through holes (not labeled) of the pair of tabs  11 . And two resilient members  46  are arranged between the slots (not shown) of the fixing portions  41  of the clipping members  4  and the slots  13  of the base  1  respectively adapted to provide a sufficient clamping force between the two clipping members  4  for holding the electrical connector  8 . Thirdly, the lower supporting member  5  is mounted below the base  1  and four resilient members  7  are arranged between the slots (not shown) of the main body  10  of the base  1  and the slots  52  of the plate  51  of the lower supporting member  5  respectively. Finally, two pin shafts  6  are fastened into the screw holes  54  through corresponding through holes  15  of the base  1  respectively. Thus, the removing apparatus  100  is assembled together. 
     Now turning to  FIGS. 4-8 , when the removing apparatus  100  is not in service, the hook  44  of each clipping member  4  is retrieved in the recess  53  of the lower supporting member  5  and to prevent the hook  44  from being destroyed. In use, the removing apparatus  100  locates upon the lower supporting member  5 . Then, the pulling member  2  is pressed downwardly to drive the base  1  to move downwardly toward the lower supporting member  5  to a predetermined position where the pair of clipping members  4  latch the recess  53  of the electrical connector  8 . Finally, the pulling member  2  is pulled upwardly to detach the electrical connector  8  from the PCB  200 , and the electrical connector  8  can be picked up out by operating the fixing portions  41  of the two clipping members  4 . Moreover, when the pulling member  2  is pulled up, the pole portions  31  of two pressing members  3  are lifted and the protrusions  32  move downwardly simultaneously to resist the peripheral sidewalls (not labeled) of the frame  9 . Thus, a much larger operation force is provided to remove the electrical connector  8  from the PCB  200  more easily and to prevent the posts  83  of the electrical connector  8  from being broken. 
     Accordingly, because of the clipping members  4  and the pressing members  3 , the removing apparatus  100  can lift the electrical connector  8  from the PCB  200  easily and securely. With two opposite restrict members  18 , the pulling member  2  is easy and stable to operate. 
     Furthermore, although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various alterations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without in any way departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.