Information
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Patent Grant
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6383006
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Patent Number
6,383,006
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Date Filed
Wednesday, August 15, 200123 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, May 7, 200222 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
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A ZIF socket (2) comprises a base (20) defining a bottom half channel (200) and a cover (22) defining an upper half channel (220) wherein the bottom half channel joins with the upper half channel to form a full channel enclosing a lever (24) of the socket having a cam shaft (242) and a handle (240). A retention means (205) is fixed on the rear portion of the base, a resilient arm extends forwardly from a top portion of the retention means and defines a recess (209) thereon. The recess (209) can keep the handle positioned on one side of the socket at a vertical position with regard to the base.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a ZIF (zero insertion force) socket, and particularly to ZIF socket having a retention means formed on a base of the socket to retain effectively a lever of the socket in a vertical position with regard to the base.
2. Description of the Related Prior Art
The CPUs are more and more popular in the computer industry. As well known, the CPU is commonly connected to a mother board through a ZIF socket which is directly mountably soldered on the mother board. It is noted that the ZIF socket generally includes a base securely mounted onto the mother board, and a cover slidably moved with regard to such base by way of lever means whereby the CPU may be loaded onto the socket in a ZIF status when the lever is in a vertical position and the socket is in an open state, and the conductive pins of the CPU can engage the corresponding contacts in the socket for operative signal transmission when the lever is in a horizontal position and the socket is in a closed state. Prior art ZIF sockets are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,722,848, and 5,167,515. A related art is shown in
FIG. 5
, which discloses a ZIF socket
1
comprising a base
11
, a cover
12
slidably mounted to the base
11
and a lever
13
including an actuation handle
131
and a cam shaft
132
joined with each other at an angle. The cover
12
has an upper half channel
120
and the base
11
has a bottom half channel
110
wherein the upper channel
120
joins with the bottom channel
110
to form a fall channel enclosing the cam shaft
132
therein. In assembly, the can shaft
132
is received in the bottom half channel
110
and the handle
131
is exposed to one side of the base
11
. A CPU (not shown) is loaded onto the cover
12
under zero insertion force when the lever is in a vertical position. After the handle
131
is driven to a horizontal position, conductive pins of the CPU will engage with conductive means of the socket
1
and the socket
1
is in a closed state.
This type of socket includes several disadvantages. First, it is difficult to load the cover
12
onto the base
13
if the lever
13
has shifted from the vertical position a certain angle and the CPU cannot be loaded onto the socket under a zero insertion force. Secondly, the cover
12
and the base
11
will nip the pins of the CPU tightly if the handle
132
of the lever
13
so shifts from the vertical position that the cover
12
slides a distance against the base
11
. Furthermore, the cam shaft
132
will push the cover
12
a certain distance from the right position in a horizontal direction for being fixed on the cover
12
straight. Therefore the CPU is difficult to be pulled out and pins of the CPU will have a tendency of being damaged.
Hence, an improved ZIF socket having retention means is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a ZIF socket having retention means directly formed on a base of the socket to effectively retain a lever at a right position relative to the base.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a ZIF socket in accordance with the present invention comprises a base defining a bottom half channel and a cover defining an upper half channel wherein the bottom half channel joins with the upper half channel to form a full channel enclosing a lever of the socket having a cam shaft and a handle. A retention means is fixed on the rear portion of the base, a resilient arm extends from top portion of the retention means forwardly formed a recess thereon. The handle is position by one side of the socket and can be retained by the recess in a right position with regard to the base.
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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is an exploded view of a ZIF socket in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a perspective view of a base of the socket in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of the base and a lever of the socket in accordance with the present invention;
FIGS. 4
is an assembled perspective view of the socket in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 5
is an exploded view of a prior art ZIF socket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to
FIG. 1
, a ZIF socket
2
having retention means comprise a base
20
, a cover
22
and a lever
24
. The base
20
has a plurality of passageways
202
extending vertically therethrough for receiving a corresponding number of contacts
203
therein and a bottom half channel
200
. The cover
22
has the similar contour with the base
20
, including a plurality of holes
222
extending vertically therethrough in alignment with the corresponding passageways
202
, respectively, so that the pins which extend downward from the CPU component (not shown) may project downward through the corresponding holes
222
in the cover
22
and further into the corresponding passageways
202
in the base
20
for mechanically and electrically engagement with the corresponding contacts
203
therein. The cover
22
further includes an upper half channel
220
wherein the bottom channel
200
joins with the upper channel
220
to form a full channel (not labeled) enclosing a cam shaft
240
of a lever
24
of the socket
2
. The lever
24
further includes a handle
242
exposed by one side of the socket
2
.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, the base
20
further includes a retention means
205
integrally formed by one side of a rear portion of the base
20
. A resilient arm
207
extending from a top portion of the retention means
205
forwardly defines a recess
209
corresponding with the bottom channel
202
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, in assembly, the cam shaft
240
of the lever
24
is received in the bottom channel
200
, and the handle
242
is in a vertical position with the bottom portion thereof hold in the recess
209
of the resilient arm
207
of the retention means
205
. At the moment, the cam shaft
242
of the lever
24
is extending upwardly to facilitate enclosing of the bottom channel
200
and the upper channel
220
. Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 4
, the cover
22
and the base
20
are joined together when the handle
242
is in a vertical position with regard to the base
20
. The cam shaft
242
extends into the upper channel
220
exactly and the holes
222
of the cover
22
is in a true position corresponding with the passageways
202
of the base
20
to facilitate the pins of the CPU inserting into the socket
2
in a ZIF status.
By this arrangement, when the handle
240
of the lever
24
is turned from a vertical position to a horizontal position, the cam shaft
242
will drive the cover
22
sliding regard to the base
20
and the pins will mechanically and electrically engage with the contacts
204
received in the passageways
202
of the base
20
. Furthermore, when the handle
240
is turned from the horizontal position to the vertical position, the cam shaft
242
will drive the pins from contacting with the contact
204
, the handle
240
is retained in the recess
209
of resilient arm
207
of the retention means
205
. The CPU is easy to pull out of the socket
2
and is unlike to damage the pins thereof.
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.
Claims
- 1. A ZIF socket comprising:a base having a plurality of passageways extending therethrough; a corresponding number of contacts received within the passageways respectively; a cover slidably mounted to the base and defining a number of holes extending through the cover in alignment with corresponding passageways; a lever including a handle and a cam shaft joined with each other at an angle, the handle being exposed to one side of the base, the cam shaft being positioned between the base and the cover; and a retention means positioned on a rear portion of the base and beside the handle of the lever, the retention means including a recess retaining the lever at a fixed position; wherein the retention means comprises a horizontal forwardly-extending resilient arm and the recess is defined on the resilient arm.
- 2. The ZIF socket as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixed position is a vertical position with regard to the base.
- 3. The ZIF socket as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention means is integrally formed on the rear portion of the base.
- 4. A ZIF socket comprising:a base; a cover slidably mounted onto the base along a front-to-back direction; a lever including a handle and a cam shaft joined with each other, said cam shaft extending in a lateral direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction and adapted to actuate the cover to move along said front-to-back direction, said handle moveable along a vertical plane perpendicular to said lateral direction; and a resilient retention device positioned on the base around a joint section of said handle and said cam shaft, said retention device being configured to be able to retain the handle in a vertical position without improperly laterally pushing the cover during rotation of said handle to said vertical position.
- 5. The socket as claimed in claim 4, wherein said retention device extends in said front-to-back direction.
- 6. The socket as claimed in claim 5, wherein said cover defines a recess around the retention device of said base so as to allow retention device to be inwardly laterally deflected during rotation of the handle without interference therebetween.
- 7. The socket as claimed in claim 4, wherein said retention device is positioned between the handle and the cover when said handle is in the vertical position.
- 8. The socket as claimed in claim 4, wherein said retention device is integrally formed with the base.
- 9. A ZIF socket comprising:a base; a cover slidably mounted onto the base along a front-to-back direction; a lever including a handle and a cam shaft joined with each other, said cam shaft extending in a lateral direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction and adapted to actuate the cover to move along said front-to-back direction, said handle moveable along a vertical plane perpendicular to said lateral direction; and a resilient retention device positioned on the base and configured to be able to retain the handle in a vertical position; wherein said retention device is positioned between the cover and the handle when said handle is in said vertical position.
- 10. The socket as claimed in claim 9, wherein said retention device defines an indent configured to comply with a periphery of said handle.
- 11. The socket as claimed in claim 10, wherein said indent faces outwardly.
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Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5167515 |
Matsuoka et al. |
Dec 1992 |
A |
5489217 |
Scheitz et al. |
Feb 1996 |
A |
5679020 |
Lai et al. |
Oct 1997 |
A |
5697803 |
Kistner et al. |
Dec 1997 |
A |
5722848 |
Lai et al. |
Mar 1998 |
A |
5947778 |
Lai et al. |
Sep 1999 |
A |