Patent Grant
7445454
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly for removably mounting a chip module to a printed circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
With the Mechanization development of electronic components integrated manufacture, pick up caps are used in mechanical mounting process of different kinds of electronic components more widely. US Pub. No. 20050003683A1 disclosed an electrical connector assembly comprising an electrical connector and a pick up cap latchably assembled to the electrical connector. The pick up cap comprises a main portion having a smooth top surface and a plurality of hooks extending downwardly from the main portion. The hooks latch to the electrical connector to secure the pick up cap to the electrical connector. A vacuum device absorbs the smooth top surface of the pick up cap to realize the movement and position of the electrical connector.
However, the electrical connector assembly with above structures has at least the shortcomings as follows: Since the hooks often locate at opposite edges of the main portion of the pick up cap, the hooks are easy to contact with other elements and improper force is exerted to the hooks to cause the break of the hooks. Thus, the use of the pick up cap is lost and the electrical connector may be damaged.
Therefore, it is desired to provide an improved electrical connector assembly to stress the problems mentioned above.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly with improved structure for protecting hooks of a pick up cap thereof.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector assembly comprises an electrical connector and a pick up cap latchably assembly to the electrical connector. The electrical connector comprises an insulative housing and a plurality of conductive contacts received in the insulative housing. The pick up cap comprises a main portion and at least a pair of hooks extending from the main portion toward the electrical connector to latch with the electrical connector. The pick up cap forms at least a pair of protecting members adjacent to corresponding hook to protect the hook from being broken by improper force.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.
Please refer to
The insulative housing 60 is a flat board and defines a plurality of contact-receiving slots (not shown) penetrating through opposite upper and lower surfaces thereof. Each contact-receiving slot receives a corresponding conductive contact.
The fastening frame 61 is also a flat board and comprises a plurality of side edges 611 each comprising a supporting surface 6111 equipped with the restriction tubes 62.
The pick up cap 7 is substantially of flat board and comprises a main portion 70 and a plurality of hooks 71 extending from the main portion 70 toward the electrical connector 6, and a plurality of protecting members 72 adjacent to corresponding hooks 71. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protecting members 72 are protruding bars extending downwardly from opposite side edges. The height of each protecting member 72 is substantially same as that of the hook 71. Each protecting member 72 is flush with outer periphery of the main portion 70 to locate at outer side of corresponding hook 71 for preventing the hook 71 from break. Each hook 71 comprises an extension section 711 extending downwardly from the main portion 70 and a latch section 712 bending inwardly from distal end of the extension section 711. The latch section 712 latches to the fastening frame 61 to secure the pick up cap 7 to the electrical connector 6.
The pick up cap 7 forms a plurality of tubers 73 downwardly extending from the main portion 70 to abut against the electrical connector 6 to prevent the curved deformation of the pick up cap 7 toward the electrical connector 6. A pair of tongue sections 74 downwardly extend from opposite side edges of the main portion 70 to each locate between a pair of protecting members 72 for separating the pick up cap 7 from the electrical connector 6 conveniently.
In assembly, the pick up cap 7 is assembled to the electrical connector 6 via the hooks 71. Since the protecting members 72 are located adjacent to the hooks 71, the hooks 71 are prevented from being exerted with outer importer force and being broken, thus, reliable connection between the pick up cap 7 and the electrical connector 6 is achieved.
It should be pointed out that, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the protecting member 72 is a protruding bar located at outer side of the hook 71 with a height equal to that of the hook 71. In alternative embodiments, the protecting member 72 also can be other shapes, and locate adjacent to the hook 71 according to actual needs, and has a height not equal to that of the hook 71.
It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5688133 | Ikesugi et al. | Nov 1997 | A |
| 6916195 | Byquist | Jul 2005 | B2 |
| 6969267 | Byquist | Nov 2005 | B2 |
| 20050003683 | Liao | Jan 2005 | A1 |
| 20080038938 | Liao | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20080102665 | Fan | May 2008 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080102651 A1 | May 2008 | US |
