1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a socket connector having a conductive layer arranged in a lower section of a passageway so as to interconnect a contact terminal disposed within an upper portion of the passageway and a solder mass disposed at a bottom surface of the socket connector.
2. Description of Related Art
Various electrical connectors are widely used in a computer system for interconnecting two electronic devices, such as a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and an IC (Integrated Circuit) package. These connectors each serves as a carrier for the IC package and also establishes electrical connection between the two devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,241 issued to Matsuoka et al. on Nov. 18, 1994 discloses a connector for interconnecting two electronic devices (i.e. an IC package and a PCB). The connector includes an upper insulating cover and a lower insulating housing both stack with each other and jointly define a plurality of through holes therein for retaining a multiplicity of contact arrangements, respectively. Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of Matsuoka, the first embodiment of the contact arrangement includes an upper contact and a lower contact engaging with each other. The upper contact has a pair of legs received in a sleeve of the lower contact. When the electronic devices are loaded, the legs of the upper contact abut against an oblique inner wall of the sleeve of the lower contact and thus produce a normal force that is able to assure the reliable connection between the electronic devices and the connector.
There is another embodiment of Matsuoka as shown in
Though normal force that ensures the connection between the electronic devices and the connector is generated in both of the above described contact arrangements, there is a disadvantage thereof that the contact arrangements each employs a pair of rigid metal contacts which take a large mount of metallic material and therefore is not competitive.
In view of the above, a new low profile electrical connector capable of cost-effective.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved low profile electrical connector having contact arrangement of low cost.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector for connecting two electronic devices, which includes a first housing having a plurality of first through holes, a second housing mounted under the first housing and having a plurality of second through holes aligning with the first through holes respectively. An inner wall of each second through hole is plated to have a conductive layer thereon. A contacting member is attached to the conductive layer and disposed beyond a bottom surface of the second housing for engaging with one electronic device. A plurality of contacts each includes a contacting portion disposed in the first through hole for engaging the other electronic device and an engaging section disposed in the second through hole and electrically contacted with the conductive layer.
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, in which:
Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the present invention in detail.
The electrical connector 1 includes a first insulative housing 2 and a lower insulative housing 3 disposed under the first housing 2. A plurality of first through holes 20 and second through holes 30 are respectively formed in the first and the second housing 2, 3 and are in alignment with each other in a vertical direction when the first and second housings 2, 3 are stacked together. The first housing 2 is surrounded with four sidewalls so that a cavity 22 is formed to receive the IC package 6 therein. Referring to
Referring to
When the IC package 6 is loaded into the cavity 22 of the first housing 2 and engaged the contacts 4, the contact 4 is pressed and moves downwardly. The legs 41 deforms because of the engagement with the oblique surface of the second through hole 30, while keeping continuous contact with the conductive layer 32. Via the connection between the contact 4 and conductive layer 32, the IC package is electrically communicated with the circuit in the printed circuit board 7. A normal force that ensures reliable engagement between the contacts 4 and the IC package 6 is produced as a result of the deformation of the legs 41 of the contact 4. When the IC package 6 is released from the electrical connector 1, the contacts 4 move upwardly to an original position under the actuation of the normal force.
While preferred embodiments 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 defined in the appended claims.
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