Socket for electrical parts

[0002] The present invention relates to a socket for an electrical part for detachably accommodating an electrical part such as semiconductor device (called hereunder “IC package”), and more particularly, a socket for an electrical part having improved contact pins contacting terminals of the electrical part.

[0003] An IC socket as a socket for an electrical part having a conventional structure is shown, for example, in FIGS. 7 and 8, which corresponds to a structure disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. SHO 63-61788.

[0004] In the structure of the IC socket shown in these figures, a float plate 3 is disposed on a base 5 of a socket body 2 to be vertically movable under a state being upward urged, as viewed, and an IC package 6 is mounted on this float plate 3.

[0005] The IC package 6 includes a package body 6ahaving a lower surface to which a number of terminals 6bare arranged with narrow pitch between adjacent ones.

[0006] A number of contact pins 7 are electrically connected to the terminals 6b,respectively. Each of these contact pins 7 comprises a cylindrical (tubular) piece 7a,upper and lower contact pieces 7band 7cdisposed inside the tubular piece 7aand a coil spring 7dalso disposed inside the tubular piece 7aso as to be interposed between the upper and lower contact pieces 7band 7c.These contact pieces 7band 7cand coil springs 7dare formed of conductive materials. In such structure, the upper contact piece 7bis urged upward, and the tubular piece 7ais inserted under pressure into the socket body 2, or the tubular piece 7ais idly fitted to the float plate 3 and the lower contact piece 7cis inserted into an insertion hole 9aformed to a printed circuit board 9 to thereby establish an electrical connection. The socket body 2 is fastened to the printed circuit board by means of bolts 10 or like.

[0007] Furthermore, a radiation (radiator) plate 11 is disposed above the IC package 6 so as to press the IC package 6 from the upper side thereof, and both end portions of this radiation plate 11 is depressed by a rotatable (pivotal) pressing members 12.

[0008] By depressing downward the radiation plate 11 by the pressing members 12, the IC package 6 is also depressed downward and the terminal 6bis pressed by the upper contact piece 7bof the contact pin 7. Accordingly, the IC package 6 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 9 through the upper contact piece 7b,the coil spring 7dand the lower contact piece 7c.At this time, the upper contact piece 7bis vertically displaced and contacted under pressure to the terminal 6bof the IC package 6 by the urging force of the coil spring 7a,thus being electrically contacted thereto.

[0009] However, in the conventional example of the structure mentioned above, the contact pin 7 is composed of the tubular piece 7a,the upper contact piece 7b,the lower contact piece 7cand the coil spring 7d.Thus, the contact piece 7 has many constructional elements and assembling steps are complicated and increased.

[0010] Moreover, for the IC package 6, it is required to make small (fine) a pitch of the terminals 6aarranged to the lower surface of the package body 6a,and accordingly, it is also required to make small a pitch of the contact pins 7. Furthermore, it is required to widen or make wide an allowance (allowable range) to positional shifting of the terminal 6b,and for this reason, it is required to widen an area of a contact portion of the contact pin 7 contacting the terminal 6bof the IC package 6.

[0011] In a Ball Grid Array (BGA) type package, particularly, in order to avoid a damage to a portion near the center of the lower portion of a solder ball as terminal, it is necessary to sufficiently ensure an area of a recessed portion formed to the central portion of a contact portion of the contact pin contacting the solder ball. If be not ensured, the lower central portion of the solder ball abuts against a portion, not recessed portion, of the contact portion, and thus, this portion may be damaged.

[0012] However, in the contact pin 7 of the conventional structure, the diameter of the tubular piece 7ais larger than the upper contact piece 7bhaving a contact portion. Therefore, it is difficult to sufficiently secure the contact portion contacting the terminal, and hence, also difficult to make fine the pitch of the contact pin 7.

[0013] An object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate defects or drawbacks encountered in the prior art mentioned above and to provide a socket for an electrical part having a structure capable of reducing the number of constructional parts or elements and assembling steps thereof.

[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a socket for an electrical part capable of ensuring a sufficient area of a contact portion of the contact pin contacting a terminal of the electrical part with fine pitch.

[0015] These and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention by providing, in one aspect, an IC socket for an electrical part in which a contact pin electrically connecting a terminal of an electrical part and a printed circuit board is provided for a socket body of an IC socket, wherein the contact pin comprises a sleeve having a space having one end opening, a plunger inserted into the sleeve through the end opening thereof to be vertically movable and an elastic member for urging downward the plunger in an vertical attitude of the contact pin, and the sleeve is arranged to be vertically movable with respect to the socket body and is provided with a contact portion formed to an upper end thereof contacts a terminal of the electrical part to be electrically connected thereto and the plunger has a lower end contacting the printed circuit board to establish an electrical connection therebetween.

[0016] In preferred embodiments of this aspect, the plunger is arranged to be vertically movable with respect to the socket body. The sleeve and the plunger are disposed to be relatively slidable to thereby establish an electrical connection therebetween. The contact portion of the sleeve is formed with a central recessed portion and/or the contact portion of the sleeve is formed with a plurality of sharp protruded portions.

[0017] In a more detailed aspect, there is provided an IC socket for an electrical part for establishing an electrical connection between a printed circuit board and a terminal of an IC package, comprising:

[0018] a socket body to which the IC package is mounted;

[0019] a plurality of contact pins provided for the socket body through which a plurality of terminals of the electrical part are electrically connected to the printed circuit board; and

[0020] means mounted to the socket body to press the electrical part against the socket body,

[0021] each of the contact pins comprising, in a vertical attitude thereof:

[0022] a sleeve having an inner space having one end opening;

[0023] a plunger inserted into the sleeve through the end opening thereof to be vertically movable; and

[0024] an elastic member for urging downward the plunger,

[0025] the sleeve being arranged to be vertically movable with respect to the socket body and being provided with a contact portion at an upper end thereof contacting to the terminal of the electrical part to be electrically connected.

[0026] In preferred embodiments of this aspect, the means to press the electrical part is a cover member pivotally mounted to the socket body.

[0027] The sleeve is composed of a tubular member into which the plunger is fitted and the elastic member is disposed, the elastic member is a coil spring which urges the plunger downward so as to abut against the printed circuit board to establish an electrical connection therebetween.

[0028] The socket body has a base on which a plate member is rested, the plate member being formed with a through hole through which the tubular member of the sleeve is inserted.

[0029] The tubular portion is formed with an annular protruded portion to an outer periphery thereof and the plate member is formed with a stepped portion to which the annular protruded portion abuts when the tubular member is inserted into the through hole formed to the plate member to thereby restrict an upward movement of the sleeve.

[0030] The contact portion of the sleeve is formed with a central recessed portion.

[0031] According to the preferred aspects of the present invention mentioned above, since the contact pin is composed of three parts of the sleeve, the plunger and the elastic member such as coil spring, the number of constitutional elements can be reduced and, hence, assembling steps can be made simple and reduced.

[0032] Furthermore, since the contact portion is formed to the sleeve having the inner space into which the elastic member is fitted, the diameter of the contact portion can be made larger than a diameter of a contact portion formed to a plunger which is inserted into the space. As a result, an occurrence of a damage to a portion near the central portion of the terminal of the electrical part can be avoided and the allowance to the positional shifting of the terminal can be made large, thus realizing a compact structure of the terminal of the electrical part.

[0033] Furthermore, according to the preferred embodiments, the plunger of the contact pin can be pressed under pressure against the printed circuit board by the urging force of the elastic member, so that the contacting stability of the contact pin can be ensured and an invasion of a foreign material into a space between the plunger and the printed circuit board can be prevented.

[0034] Since the plunger is urged upward and the sleeve is urged downward in a state of the electrical part being accommodated in the socket body, the elastic member is compressed from its both longitudinal directions. Thus, the repulsive force is increased and, hence, the contacting stability of the contact pin can be ensured.

[0035] Still furthermore, through the relative sliding movement between the sleeve and the plunger, both the elements are rubbed to each other, realizing an electrical conductive state therebetween. This conductive path may be added to the conductive path of the sleeve, the plunger and the elastic member, whereby high frequency performance may be improved.

[0036] Still furthermore, the formation of the sharp protruded portions to the top end portion of the contact portion of the contact pin makes it possible to bite the terminal such as solder ball and, hence, effectively support the conductive state.

[0037] The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made more clear from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] In the accompanying drawings:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an IC socket according to a first embodiment of the present invention with a cover being opened;

[0040] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a side view of the IC socket of FIG. 1 with the cover being closed;

[0041] FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a location condition of a contact pin of the IC socket of of the first embodiment of FIG. 1;

[0042] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a contact pin of the IC socket of FIG. 1 or 3;

[0043] FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing a location condition of a contact pin of a second embodiment of the IC socket of the present invention;

[0044] FIG. 6 includes FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D showing illustrated perspective view of modified examples of the contact pins according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention;

[0045] FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an IC socket of a conventional structure; and

[0046] FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a contact pin of a conventional structure.

[0047] Preferred embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof will be described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] [First Embodiment]

[0049] FIGS. 1 to 4 represent a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, a reference numeral 21 denotes an IC socket of surface package or mount type as “socket for an electrical part”, and the IC socket 21 is a socket for achieving an electrical contact between a solder ball 22bas “terminal” of an IC package 22 as “electrical part” and a printed circuit board P of an IC test device for the purpose of carrying out of a performance test of the IC package 22.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 1, the illustrated IC package 22 is a package of so-called a BGA type, in which the IC package 22 has a package body 22ahaving a rectangular plate structure and a number of solder balls 22bare arranged to the lower surface portion of the package body 22aso as to project downward in a matrix arrangement with predetermined pitch.

[0052] On the other hand, the IC socket 21 comprises a socket body 23 having a base or base member 24 on which an upper side plate 25 is disposed as viewed in FIG. 1, so that the IC package 22 is rested on this upper side plate 25. A cover member 26 is pivotally mounted to the socket body 23 so as to press downward the IC package 22 from the upper side thereof. The IC socket 21 is further provided with a number of contact pins 27 in the matrix arrangement in conformity with the arrangement of the solder balls 22bmentioned hereinbefore for the purpose of realizing an electrical connection between the IC package 22 depressed by the cover member 26 and the printed circuit board P disposed to the lower side of the socket body 23 through the engagement between the contact pins 27 and the solder balls 22bas terminals.

[0053] Each of the contact pins 27 is composed of a sleeve 28, a plunger 29 and a coil spring as an elastic member or piece 30, which are all formed of a conductive material, as shown in FIG. 3, for example.

[0054] With reference to FIG. 3, the sleeve 28 of the contact pin 27 has a tubular (cylindrical) portion 28bhaving a space 28ahaving a lower opening and inserted into a through hole 25aformed to the upper side plate 25 to be vertically movable. The tubular portion 28bis formed, at its outer peripheral portion, with an annular projection 28c,and under this projection 28cabutting against a stopper stepped portion 25bas shown in FIG. 3, the rising movement of the sleeve 28 is restricted.

[0055] The sleeve 28 is also formed, at its upper end portion, with a contact portion 28dcontacting the solder ball 22bof the IC package 22. The contact portion 28dis formed with a plurality of protruded portions in shape of mount and with a central recessed portion 28fas shown in FIG. 4.

[0056] The plunger 29 of the contact pin 27 has a central portion 29ahaving a diameter larger than that of an upper side portion 29band that of a lower side portion 29c.When this plunger 29 is fitted into the sleeve 28, the central portion 29ahaving a large diameter portion is slid vertically along the inner peripheral surface of the tubular portion 28bof the sleeve 28. According to such sliding motion, the lower side portion 29ccontacts the printed circuit board P to thereby establish an electrical conductive state therebetween. These sleeve 28 and the plunger 29 may be formed by using an automatic lathe, for example.

[0057] Further, the coil spring 30 is disposed inside the space 28aof the sleeve 28 so as to urge the sleeve 28 in the downward direction and the plunger in the upward direction.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the base 24 and the upper side plate 25 are fastened together by means of bolt and nut assembly 31, 32, and four guide sections 25cfor positioning the transverse direction of the IC package 22 are formed to the upper side plate 25 at its four portions corresponding to four corner portions of the rectangular package body 22a.

[0059] The cover member 26 is pivotally mounted, at its base end side, to the socket body 23 through a pivot (shaft) 34 and urged by a spring 35 in a direction to be opened, i.e. clockwise direction in FIG. 1. In the closed state of the cover member 26, a latch member 36 provided for the front (top) end portion of the cover member 26 is engaged with an engagement portion 23bof the socket body 23 to keep the cover closed state as shown in FIG. 2. Further, the cover member 26 is formed with a pressing portion 26afor pressing the package body 22ain the cover closed state.

[0060] The contact pins 27 are assembled (mounted) to the socket body 23 in the manner such that the contact pins 27 are inserted into the through holes 25aof the upper side plate 25 in the state before the assembling of the base 24 and the upper side plate 25.

[0061] Then, the upper side plate 25 having the inserted contact pins 27 is mounted to the base 24 and the plunger 29 of the contact pins 27 are inserted into the through holes 24aof the base 24. Thereafter, the base 24 and the upper side plate 25 are fastened by the bolt 31 and the nut 32 as mentioned above. According to the described manner, the contact pins 27 are mounted to the socket body 23.

[0062] The IC socket 21 of the structure mentioned above will be utilized in the following manner.

[0063] Preliminarily, the IC socket 21 is mounted to the printed circuit board P. In this state, the plunger 29 of the contact pin 27 abuts against the printed circuit board P and the printed circuit board P is raised upward from the position shown in FIG. 3 against the urging force of the spring 30. As a result, the plunger 29 is pressed against the printed circuit board P by the urging force of the spring 30, thus ensuring the contacting stability therebetween and preventing invasion of foreign material between the plunger 29 and the printed circuit board P.

[0064] From the state mentioned above, the IC package 22 is accommodated in each of the IC sockets 21 and the electrical connection between the IC package 22 and the printed circuit board P is attempted as follows.

[0065] Under the opened state of the cover member 26 shown in FIG. 1, the IC package 22 is conveyed by an automatic machine, for example, guided on the upper side plate 25 by the guide members 25cand then mounted on the predetermined position.

[0066] Thereafter, when the cover member 26 is closed, the IC package 22 is depressed by the pressing portion 26a,whereby the solder balls 22babut against the contact portions 28dof the sleeves 28 of the contact pins 27, respectively, and the sleeves 28 are lowered against the elastic force of the spring coils 30 to thereby ensure an electrical connection between the solder balls 22band the contact portions 28dof the sleeves 28, respectively. According to the lowering motion of the sleeve 28, the urging force of the coil spring 30 is increased and the contacting pressure of the plunger 29 against the printed circuit board P can be further improved.

[0067] During the operation mentioned above, the sleeve 28 and the plunger 29 are relatively moved and slid, and both the members are rubbed to each other and hence become electrically conductive. Accordingly, by adding this conductive path to a conductive path formed by the sleeve 28, the coil spring 30 and the plunger 29, high frequency characteristic can be enhanced and improved.

[0068] According to the manner that the IC package 22 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board P through the IC socket 21 as mentioned above, the performance test of the IC package 22 will be carried out.

[0069] According to the present invention of the structure mentioned above, since the contact pin 27 is composed of the sleeve 28, the plunger 29 and the coil spring 30, the number of parts therefor can be reduced, thus reducing the assembling steps.

[0070] Furthermore, since the contact portion 28dis formed to the sleeve 28 having the space 28ainto which the coil spring 30 is inserted, the contact portion 28dcan be formed with a large diameter in comparison with a conventional structure in which a contact portion 28dis formed to a plunger 29 to be inserted into such space 28a.

[0071] As a result, an occurrence of a damage to a portion near the central portion of a spherical lower end portion of the solder ball 22bof the IC package 22 will be avoided, and the allowance to the positional shifting of the solder ball 22bcan be made large. It is therefore possible to make compact and small the solder ball 22b.

[0072] Furthermore, since the contact portion 28dof the sleeve 28 is formed with the central recessed portion 28f,the occurrence of the damage to the central portion of the spherical lower end of the solder ball 22bcan be further prevented, and moreover, since a plurality of protruded portions 28ehaving sharp ends are formed to the sleeve 28, these sharp protruded portions bite portions of the solder ball 22bother than the lower central portion 28f,thus further improving the electrical conductive state therebetween.

[0073] Still furthermore, in the accommodation state of the IC package 22, the sleeve 28 is pushed downward and the plunger 29 is pushed upward, so that the coil spring 30 is pushed and then compressed in both the longitudinal directions thereof. Thus, the repulsive force of the coil spring 30 is thereby increased, and even if a coil spring having a short length is utilized, the contacting stability can be ensured.

[0074] [Second Embodiment]

[0075] FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] In this second embodiment, a contact pin 37 is composed of a sleeve 38, a plunger 39 and a coil spring 40 as elastic member.

[0077] With reference to FIG. 5, the sleeve 38 of the contact pin 37 has a tubular (cylindrical) portion 38bhaving a space 38a.The sleeve 38 is also formed, at its upper end portion, with a contact portion 38dhaving a diameter smaller than that of the tubular portion 38b.The contact portion 38cis formed with a plurality of protruded portions 38din shape of mount as in the former embodiment.

[0078] The sleeve 38 is inserted into the through hole 25aof the upper side plate 25 to be vertically movable, and as shown in FIG. 5, a stepped portion 38eis formed between the tubular portion 38band the contact portion 38c.This stepped portion 38eabuts against the stopper stepped portion 25bformed to the through hole 25ato thereby restrict the upward movement of the sleeve 38.

[0079] The plunger 39 of the contact pin 37 has an intermediate flange portion 39ahaving a diameter larger than that of an upper side portion 39band that of a lower side portion 39c,between which the intermediate flange portion 39ais formed. When the upper side portion 39bof the plunger 39 is fitted into the tubular portion 38bof the sleeve 38 from the lower side thereof as viewed, the flange portion 39ahaving a large diameter portion is slid vertically along the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 24aof the base 24 to be thereby vertically movable. Then, when the flange portion 39aabuts, as shown in FIG. 5, against the stopper stepped portion 24bof the base 24, the lowering motion of the plunger 39 is restricted. The lower side portion 39cof the plunger 39 is protruded downward from the base 24 and contacted to the printed circuit board to thereby establish an electrical connection therebetween.

[0080] Still furthermore, the coil spring 40 is disposed in the space 38aof the sleeve 38 to urge the sleeve 38 upward and urge the plunger downward.

[0081] It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and many other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scopes of the appended claims.

[0082] For example, although, in the first and second embodiments mentioned above, the contact portions 28dand 38dof the sleeves 28 and 38 are formed with a plurality of sharp protruded portions in shape of mounts, these contact portions 28dand 38dmay be formed so as to provide an R (round)-shape (FIG. 6A), a conical shape (FIG. 6B), a recessed bawl shape (FIG. 6C) and a V-cut shape (FIG. 6D).

[0083] Moreover, although, in the described embodiments, the present invention is applied to the IC socket 21 for the IC package 22 of BGA type structure, the present invention is not limited to such BGA type and is applicable to an IC package such as LGA (Land Grid Array) type or PGA (Pin Grid Array) type in which terminals are provided to the lower surface of the IC package and also applicable to an IC package such as QFP (Quad Flat Package) type in which terminals are provided at the side surface of the IC package.

[0084] Still furthermore, although, in the described embodiments, the present invention is applied to a clamshell type IC socket 21 provided with the cover member 26, the present invention is not limited to such structure and is applicable to an open-top type IC socket or a structure in which a pusher for pushing an electrical part is provided on the automatic machine side.