1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector for providing stable electrical connection between two separate electronic components.
2. Background of the Invention
Electrical connectors are widely used in personal computer systems to electrically connect a variety of electronic components, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) and an integrated circuit (IC) package. Basically, an electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of contacts embedded in the insulative housing. Each of the contacts electrically registers with a circuit pad on the PCB and a conductive pad on the IC package at two opposite ends thereof, and, therefore, establishes an electrical route between the conductive pad and the circuit pad.
Typically, an electrical connector includes an insulative housing defining a plurality of passageways therein and a plurality of contacts secured in the corresponding passageways, respectively. Each passageway includes a narrow fastening slot and a wide receiving slot in communication with each other. A pair of stepped sidewalls is provided at opposite lateral sides of the narrow fastening slot.
Each contact includes a planar medial section and a pair of spring arms extending from two opposite ends of the medial section. The medial section is formed with a pair of fastening block extending laterally in coplanar manner with the medial section. When the contact is in a wholly inserted position, the fastening blocks of the planar medial section interfere with the stepped sidewalls so as to retain the contact in the passageway.
However, the contact secured in the corresponding passageway via interferential engagement between the fastening blocks and the stepped lateral sidewalls is prone to disengage from the passageway, which may adversely affect electrical connection between the PCB and the IC package.
Therefore, there is a heretofore unaddressed need in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an electrical connector including an insulative housing defining a number of passageways therein and a number of contacts planted in the corresponding passageways, respectively. Each passageway defines a T-shaped horizontally cross-sectional configuration including a narrow fastening slot and a wide receiving slot in communication with each other. The contact includes a planar medial section interferingly secured in the fastening slot and a bulge integrally extending from the planar medial section. A lying wall adjacent the narrow fastening slot correspondingly defines a recess to receive the bulge.
The mate between the dome-shaped bulge and the recess not only reinforces the inferential engagement between the planar medial section and the insulative housing, but also prevents the contact from deflecting from the insulative housing. As a result, the contact can be stably and securely held in the passageway and, therefore, stable electrical connection between the PCB and the IC package is achieved.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description of preferred embodiment, in which:
Reference will now be made to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, an electrical connector 3 in accord with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is used to electrically connect an IC package 4 and a PCB 5. The electrical connector 3 includes an insulative housing 20 defining a plurality of passageways 202 and a plurality of contacts 1 secured in the corresponding passageways 202, respectively.
Referring to
The planar medial section 14 defines a relying surface 143 extending vertically between the upper spring arm 10 and the lower soldering section 12. An upper and a lower fastening blocks 141 stretch out in a coplanar manner with the relying surface 143. The upper and the lower fastening blocks 141 are laterally dimensioned different from each other in accord with different lateral structure of the narrow fastening slot 2021. Dome-shaped bulge 142 adjacent the lower soldering section 12 projects from the planar medial section 14, to be received in a recess 2023 correspondingly defined in the insulative housing 20 encircling the narrow fastening slot 2021.
The upper spring arm 10 of the contact 1 includes an arched apex 101 at a free end thereof to elastically and electrically engage the conductive pad 41 of the IC package 4. The lower soldering section 12 of the contact 1 has a planar soldering pad 121 to be connected to a corresponding circuit pad 52 on the PCB 5 via a soldering ball 51.
As shown in
Assembly of the electrical connector 3 will now be described in greater detail. Turning now to
The mating of the dome-shaped bulge 142 with the recess 2023 not only enhances the inferential engagement between the planar medial section 14 and the lateral sidewalls, but also prevents the contact 1 from disengaging and deflecting from the passageway 202. As a result, the contact 1 can be stably and securely retained in the passageway 202.
Operation of the electrical connector 3 will now be described in greater detail. As illustrated in
While the present invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, the description of the invention is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various of modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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93216436 | Oct 2004 | TW | national |