Information
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Patent Grant
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6276973
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Patent Number
6,276,973
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Date Filed
Wednesday, March 1, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, August 21, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 439 862
- 439 342
- 439 515
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A contact of an electrical connector includes an upper section for engaging a pin of a central processing unit module, a lower section retained in a bore defined in a housing of the connector with a tail section extending therefrom for being electrically connected to a circuit board and a plurality of spaced connecting sections, serving as signal transmission channels, arranged between the upper and lower sections and electrically connected thereto to serve as electrical current channels. By increasing the number of the connecting sections, the total cross-sectional area of the electrical channels is increased which effectively reduces the inductance thereof.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a contact of an electrical connector, and in particular to a contact of a socket connector for retaining a semiconductor device, such as a central processing unit (CPU) module on a circuit board.
2. The Prior Art
Socket connectors for retaining and electrically connecting a CPU module to a circuit board are known in the art. A socket connector comprises an insulative housing defining an array of bore therein for receiving and retaining conductive contacts. Each contact has a body portion from which a tail and a mating section extend in opposite directions. The body forms an electrical channel between the mating section and the tail. The tail extends beyond a lower face of the housing for being received in a corresponding pin opening defined in the circuit board. The mating section engages with a corresponding conductive terminal extending from the CPU module to establish electrical connection between the CPU module and the circuit.
With the increase of the operational frequency of CPUs, the contacts of the socket connector are subject to severe requirement in electrical properties, among which impedance, especially inductance, of the contact is one of the major problems to be addressed. The body of he contacts of the conventional socket connectors, such as those disclosed in the above mentioned prior art, forms a single signal transmission channel having a limited cross-sectional area thereby leading to difficulty in reducing inductance.
It is thus desired to provide a contact structure which overcomes the above problem encountered in high frequency operation of the CPUs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a contact for a socket connector having reduced impedance.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact for a socket connector having an increased cross-sectional area for reducing the inductance thereof.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a contact for a socket connector having a body forming at least two spaced signal transmission channels thereby effectively increasing the cross-sectional area thereof and reducing the inductance.
To achieve the above objects, a contact of a socket connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an upper section for engaging a pin of a central processing unit module, a lower section retained in a bore defined in a housing of the connector with a tail section extending therefrom for being electrically connected to a circuit board and a plurality of spaced connecting sections, serving as signal transmission channels, arranged between the upper and lower sections and electrically connected thereto to serve as electrical current channels. By increasing the number of the connecting sections, the total cross-sectional area of the electrical channels is increased which effectively reduces the inductance thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of preferred embodiments thereof, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a contact in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of a contact in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of a contact in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 4
is a perspective view of a contact in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings and in particular to
FIG. 1
, a contact of an electrical connector constructed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, generally designated with reference numeral
100
, comprises a lower, retention section
102
and an upper, mating section
104
connected to the retention section
102
by at least two spaced connecting sections
106
arranged therebetween. A tail section
108
extends from the lower section
102
in a direction opposite the upper section
104
.
The contact
100
is received in a corresponding bore defined in a connector housing (not shown) and the retention section
102
is retained in the bore with the tail section
104
extending beyond a bottom surface of the housing for being mounted to a circuit board (not shown). A through hole technique may be used to fix the tail section
108
of the contact
100
to the circuit board wherein a pin opening is defined in the circuit board into which the tail section
108
is inserted and then soldered. Alternatively, a surface mount technology may be applied to solder the tail section
108
to the circuit board.
The mating section
104
forms an inclined surface
110
for guiding the engagement of a corresponding pin of a central processing unit (CPU) module (not shown) received in the bore of the connector housing with the contact
100
.
In accordance with the present invention, at least two connecting sections
106
are formed between and electrically connect the upper section
104
to the lower section
106
for establishing electrical connection between the CPU module and the circuit board. The two connecting sections
106
forms two electrical channels or signal transmission channels between the upper and lower sections
104
,
102
. The two channels, as compared with the conventional one channel structure, provides a large cross-sectional area through which electrical current flows between the upper and lower sections
104
,
102
. By the large cross-sectional area, the overall inductance of the electrical channels between the upper and lower sections
104
,
102
is effectively reduced.
FIG. 2
of the attached drawings shows a contact, designated by reference numeral
200
, in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The contact
200
comprises a lower, retention section
202
and an upper, mating section
204
connected to each other by three spaced connecting sections
206
arranged therebetween. A tail section
208
extends from the lower section
202
for being electrically connected to a circuit board (not shown). An inclination
210
is formed on the upper section
204
for facilitating engagement between the contact
200
and a corresponding pin of a CPU module (not shown).
As compared to the first embodiment discussed with reference to
FIG. 1
, the three connecting sections
206
of the contact
200
provide an even larger total cross-sectional area through which electrical current flows between the upper and lower sections
204
,
202
. Thus, the overall inductance between the upper and lower sections
204
,
202
is effectively reduced.
FIG. 3
shows a contact, designated by reference numeral
300
, in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. The contact
300
comprises a lower, retention section
302
and an upper, mating section
304
connected to each other by two spaced connecting sections
306
arranged therebetween. A tail section
308
extends from the lower section
302
for being electrically connected to a circuit board (not shown). An arcuate recess
310
is formed in the upper section
304
for receiving a corresponding pin of a CPU module (not shown) thereby forming electrical engagement therebetween. The connecting sections
306
are tapering from the lower section
302
toward the upper section
304
whereby a space between the connecting sections
306
is substantially triangular.
As discussed previously, the two connecting sections
306
of the contact
300
provide a large total cross-sectional area through which electrical current flows between the upper and lower sections
304
,
302
whereby the overall inductance between the upper and lower sections
304
,
302
is effectively reduced.
FIG. 4
shows a contact, designated by reference numeral
400
, in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The contact
400
comprises a lower section
402
and an upper section
404
connected to each other by three spaced connecting sections, including a central connecting section
406
′ and two side connecting sections
406
. A tail section
408
extends from the lower section
402
for being electrically connected to a circuit board (not shown). An arcuate recess
410
is formed in the upper section
404
for receiving a corresponding pin of a CPU module (not shown) thereby forming electrical engagement therebetween. The two side connecting sections
406
are fixedly connected to the upper and lower sections
404
,
402
, while the central connecting section
406
′ has a lower end fixedly connected to the lower section
402
and an upper end separated from the upper section
404
with a gap
412
therebetween. The gap
412
is such that when the pin of the CPU module is received in the recess
410
, the upper section
404
is moved due to resilient deformation of the side connecting sections
406
thereby contacting the upper end of the central connecting section
406
′. Thus, three electrical channels or signal transmission channels are formed between the upper and lower sections
404
,
402
when the contact
400
engages the pin of the CPU module.
As discussed previously, the three connecting sections
406
,
406
′ of the contact
400
provide a large total cross-sectional area through which electrical current flows between the upper and lower sections
404
,
402
whereby the overall inductance between the upper and lower sections
404
,
402
is effectively reduced.
It can be noted that by using plural parallel connection sections with a space(slot) between every adjacent two connection sections thereof, the invention may not only achieve the greater cross-section area for lowering the contact resistance of the individual contact, but also soften the contact for compliance with the normal force requirement of the contact with regard to the CPU pin, relative to the similar cross-section area without any space(slot) thereof. Moreover, the spaces(slots) result in greater amount of surface area of the contact due to the formed surface area surrounding each space(slot), which may affect the impedance in compliance with the electrical requirement.
FIG. 4
further shows the two-step engagement arrangement between the contact and the CPU pin wherein the upper section
404
of the contact
400
projects laterally beyond the tip of the obliquely upwardly extending central connection section
406
′. Thus, as mentioned before, the horizontally moved CPU pin will first engage the upper section
404
and then contact the tip of the central connection section
406
′, thus efficiently lowering the initial abutment force between the contact
400
and the CPU pin for the mechanical benefit while stilling keeping the optimal cross-section area and the greater surface area of the contact for the electrical benefit.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.
Claims
- 1. A contact of an electrical connector comprising:an upper section adapted to engage a conductive member of an electronic device; a lower section adapted to be retained in a bore defined in a housing of the connector; a tail section extending from the lower section beyond a bottom surface of the housing for being electrically connected to a circuit board; and a plurality of spaced connecting sections arranged between the upper and lower sections and electrically connected thereto for serving as signal transmission channels therebetween; wherein three spaced connecting sections are electrically connected between the upper and lower sections; wherein an arcuate recess section is formed in the upper section for receiving the conductive member of the electronic device; wherein a central connecting section and two side connecting sections are connected between the upper and lower sections, the side connecting sections being fixedly connected to the upper and lower sections, the central connecting section having a lower end fixedly connected to the lower section and an upper end separated from the upper section with a gap formed therebetween, the gap being such that when the conductive member of the electronic device engages the upper section, the side connecting channels are deformed to have the upper section contacting the upper end of the central connecting channel.
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
6086401 |
Hsiung et al. |
Jul 2000 |
|