1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket having a fastening machanism for reliably fastening a sensor thereon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic packages, such as integrated circuits (ICs), are miniaturized electronic devices in which a number of active and passive circuit elements are located on or within a continuous body of material to perform the function of a complete circuit. To ensure reliability of ICs, ICs require burn-in, in which ICs are operated at high temperature for an extended period of time to accelerate failure mechanisms, to eliminate early product failures before the ICs are sold and assembled into the end product. Thus, a burn-in socket is needed to receive an IC therein and electrically connect the IC with a burn-in board.
During such process, a sensors is used to provide the operator with burn-in data, such as temperature of the environment, position of the ICs. However, conventional burn-in sockets do not provide any fastening mechanism for retaining the sensors easily, the operators have no choice but to truss or plaster the sensors on the burn-in sockets, which obviously can not ensure the proper position of the sensor and can not provide credible burn-in data.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,038,919 discloses an improved burn-in socket. The burn-in socket has a substantially rectangular body with a receiving space for ICs and defines a horizontal hole inwardly recessed from an outside surface of a sidewall of the body and a vertical hole downwardly recessed from a top surface of the sidewall to communicate with the horizontal hole. A sensor inserts into the horizontal hole, then a screw inserts into the vertical hole to press the sensor and retain the sensor in the body. A metal washer with screw thread is received in the vertical hole to engage with the screw and prevent the screw destroy the sidewall of the body. However, the screw is inserted by manual work that will increase assembling steps and product cost.
Hence, a new socket which overcomes the above-described disadvantages is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a socket having fastening mechanism for easily retaining a sensor thereon.
In order to achieve the abovementioned object, a socket in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a body receiving a plurality of contacts therein, the body defining a slot and a fastening hole communicating with the slot, and a retaining member received in the slot of the body, the retaining member comprising a blocking protruding into the fastening hole and a spring urging the blocking toward the fastening hole.
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:
Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.
Referring to
The socket 1 has a body and a plurality of contacts (not shown) received in the body for contacting with the IC, the body comprises a base 10 and a center plate 11 mounted on the base 10. The base 10 has an approximately rectangular frame 100 with a receiving space 101 in the center and four retaining portions 102 respectively adjacent to four corners of the frame 100, each retaining portion 102 having a through hole 103. The center plate 11 has an approximately rectangular board 110 with a hole 112 in a center thereof and four mounting portions 114 adjacent to four corners of the board 110, each mounting portion 114 defining an aperture (not labeled) for a blot 2. The mounting portions 114 of the center plate 11 upwardly protrude beyond a top surface of the board 110 with a bottom surface 116 thereof higher than a bottom surface 118 of the board 110.
Conjoined with
Referring to
Referring to
Of course, we may adapt another method to receiving the retaining member 3. For example, the slot 105 may extends through the retaining portion 102 at both ends thereof, the retaining portion 102 may define another gap communicating with the slot 105 near the first end of the slot 105 away form the fastening hole 106, so the blocking 31 and the spring 32 may insert into the slot 105 from the first end of the slot 105 to the second end, after that a metal piece is used to be inserted into the gap to prevent the springs 32 from moving out.
While the present invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various 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.