Thomas & Betts International LLC

Tyco Electronics Corporation

Tyco Electronics Logistics Ag

Global Interconnect, Inc.

Jonathan W Goodwin

David R Crotzer

Donald Phillip Amaral, Jr

Curtis G Knaub

David A Dedonato

Arthur G Michaud

Wayne Stewart Alden, Iii

Stephen D DelPrete

William Petrocelli

Chuanlong Yue

Donald Amaral

Stephen Delprete

David DeDonato

Steven Wakefield

Roy Burton

Robert Edward Daley, Iii

Chester Anthony Potter

Michael Melkonian

A collar comprising a top surface having a legend capable of being read by a reading device, a collar body and an inner wall configured to surround and secure the collar to an object placed within a slot defined by the inner wall.

Identification collar and methods

A flex connector assembly for connecting circuit boards has been provided that includes a housing having at least one cavity holding a preloaded spring exerting an outwardly-directed force toward top and bottom ends of the housing; at least one pressure support member located at one of the top and bottom ends, the pressure support member exerting an inwardly-directed force on the preloaded spring; and at least one flex circuit having a flex array arranged on one of the top and bottom ends; and at least one compressible socket having a socket array overlapping the flex circuit. The preloaded spring acts to compress the flex array and the socket array onto one another.

Board-to-board flex connector

A mounting system for an integrated circuit employs a novel load cell having a backing plate, a bow spring and a load distribution plate. The load cell controls the loading forces on contacts of an integrated circuit socket. A heat sink having a base includes a pedestal extending from the base that abuts the integrated circuit for purposes of heat removal. Springs are employed to provide loading forces for the heat sink that are lower than the loading forces for the integrated circuit socket contacts.

Integrated circuit mounting system with separate loading forces for socket and heat sink

The present invention provides an electrical and fluid interconnect for providing electrical connection between one or more circuits or electrical devices and a mateable circuit board or substrate, and for providing fluid coupling of a cooling fluid to permit fluid flow in relation to the electrical circuits or devices when mated to the circuit board or substrate. The fluid connector has a valve which in the absence of mating pressure is in a closed or off position. When mated to a fluid connector which is part of or coupled to the latch assembly, the valve is opened to permit fluid to flow.

Electrical and fluid interconnect

An electrical connector assembly is provided including first and second circuit boards proximate each other and each having a first side and a second side. The electrical connector assembly includes flex circuits electrically connected to the first and second sides of the first and second circuit boards and carrying electrical signals therebetween. The electrical connector assembly includes load cells having at least one bowed spring, a base plate, and a cover plate. The spring has a peak portion and end portions and is compressed between the base and cover plates. The peak portion engages one of the base and cover plates with the end portions engaging another of the base and cover plates to exert a load force on the base and cover plates. The load cells are aligned opposite each other on the first and second circuit boards and retain the flex circuits thereto.

Electrical connector assembly for printed circuit boards

A method and apparatus for mounting a lidless semiconductor device. A lidless semiconductor device, such as a land grid array device comprising a substrate having a semiconductor die mounted thereon is disposed in a socket. The socket includes a plurality of resilient conductive members arranged in a predetermined contact array pattern for conductively coupling conductive contacts on a printed circuit board with corresponding contacts on the underside of the lidless semiconductor device. A first set of springs applies a predetermined force to the substrate to conductively couple the contacts on the substrate to the contacts on the printed circuit board via the conductive members of the socket. Another set of springs urges the bottom surface of a heat sink into thermally conductive abutting relation with the top surface of the semiconductor die. The pressure on the die is less than the pressure applied by the substrate so as to avoid damage to the semiconductor die.

Method and apparatus for mounting a lidless semiconductor device

A method for securing a contact assembly to a frame in an integrated circuit socket via cold forming. A plurality of posts are integrally formed with and extend from the bottom surface of the frame of an integrated circuit device socket. The contact assembly includes a plurality of conductive columns mounted within an insulating sheet in a predetermined contact pattern. The insulating sheet also has a plurality of post receiving apertures that are selectively positioned such that the posts extend through corresponding apertures in the insulating sheet when the contact assembly is positioned in a mounting position on the bottom surface of the frame. The posts are cold staked to expand the diameter of the post ends and to secure the contact assembly to the frame. Integral spacer abutments are provided on the bottom surface of the frame to provide a planar mounting surface for the socket and to precisely space the insulating sheet from the printed circuit board when the socket is mounted to the printed circuit board.

Stake attached contact assembly in an integrated circuit socket assembly

An integrated circuit socket assembly including a frame and a contact assembly has EMI shielding integral with the socket frame. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit socket includes a cocket for a Land Grid Array (LGA) or Ball Grid Array (BGA) device. EMI shielding in the form of a conductive shielding member is disposed in opening that extend through side portions one each of the sides of the frame. The conductive shielding members extend slightly below the lower surface of the the frame so as to make contact with cooperative conductive areas on a printed circuit board when the socket assembly is mounted to the printed circuit board in amounting position. The conductive shielding members may extend above the upper surface of the frame so as to contact a conductive heat sink mounted above the socket assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the conductive members comprise resilient conductive shielding members.

Integrated circuit socket assembly having integral shielding members

A socket for an LGA or BGA package is provided which is of relatively simple construction and which provides reliable and efficient interconnection of the package and a printed circuit board. The socket comprises a contact assembly having an array of resilient conductive columns having respective contact ends, the columns being mounted on a thin insulative sheet. The contact assembly is supported on a frame of insulating material and which has alignment posts for alignment of the contact assembly to the frame and for alignment of the frame and mounted contact assembly to an associated circuit board. The frame also includes elements for soldering or bonding the socket to a circuit board.

LGA package socket

Resilient electrical interconnects are provided which have a non-uniform cross section which achieves an increased range of deflection and a predetermined relationship between compression force and deflection of the interconnect, and between resistance and deflection of the interconnect. A smaller cross sectional area decreases the spring rate, or compression force, of the interconnect during compression. Increased range of deflection and reduced spring rate enables improved compensation for surface irregularities and facilitates mounting of integrated circuit or other devices having large arrays of interconnects. The non-uniform cross section is provided by a single or compound slope, or alternatively a nonlinear curve, from the end of smaller cross-section to the end of larger cross-section.

Resilient electrical interconnects having non-uniform cross-section

A socket for a BGA package is provided which is of relatively simple construction and which provides reliable and efficient interconnection of a BGA package and a printed circuit board. The socket comprises a contact assembly having an array of resilient conductive columns having respective contact ends, the columns being mounted on a thin insulative sheet. The contact assembly is supported on a frame of insulating material and which has alignment posts for alignment of the contact assembly to the frame and for alignment of the frame and mounted contact assembly to an associated circuit board. The frame also includes latch elements for retaining the contact assembly on the frame. The socket is mounted onto a printed circuit board which has an array of contact areas corresponding to the array of resilient contacts of the socket. A BGA package is placed onto the socket frame and the package is maintained in alignment on the frame such that the ball contacts engage the respective contacts of the contact assembly of the socket. The package is retained in the socket by a retention mechanism. The socket can include elements for preventing overstress of the resilient contacts.

Socket for BGA packages

A Land Grid Array (LGA) clamp mechanism is presented. The mechanism includes a spring having a number of beams that mate with cooperating posts from a backing plate. The backing plate fits on the bottom side of a printed circuit board, opposite the area where a device is installed with the posts extending from the backing plate and through the printed circuit board. The LGA device is either inserted into a socket on the top side of the printed circuit board or mounted directly to the top side of the printed circuit board. A heat sink is placed directly on top of the LGA device. The posts from the backing plate extend through the circuit board and through the heatsink. A spring assembly is positioned along a top surface of the heatsink and is secured to the posts. The spring assembly includes a spring and a bias adjustment screw that is adjusted to provide a desired uniform amount of pressure to the heatsink, device and socket. Such a mechanism not only provides a uniform amount of pressure but also is additionally simple to install and adjust.

LGA clamp mechanism

An electrical interconnect comprising a non-conductive substrate having respective opposite surfaces and a plurality of apertures formed therein extending between the respective opposite surfaces, and a corresponding plurality of elastic conductive interconnect elements located within the plurality of apertures, in which each elastic conductive interconnect element extends between the respective opposite surfaces of the substrate. Each elastic conductive interconnect element is formed of a non-conductive elastic material having a quantity of conductive flakes and a quantity of conductive powder granules interspersed therein. The interconnect elements can be integrally molded in the substrate or separately formed and inserted in the substrate.

Conductive elastomer interconnect

A three point alignment feature facilitates alignment of an integrated circuit chip relative to a socket that is mounted on a printed circuit board,. The socket includes four walls that define a rectangle in which the integrated circuit chip is mounted. A first contact point,extends inward from a first one,of the walls. Second and third contact points,extend inward from a second one,of the walls. A first force is applied against the integrated circuit chip from a third one,of the walls. Second and third forces are applied against the integrated circuit chip from a fourth one,of the walls. Hence, the integrated circuit chip is aligned in a corner defined by the first and second walls, and is oriented by the three contact points. Spring members,may be employed to provide the first, second and third forces. Another alignment feature including two posts,on the socket is employed to facilitate alignment of the socket with respect to the printed circuit board. The socket is rotatable about the first post,when inserted in a corresponding hole in the circuit board; insertion of the second post,into its corresponding hole prevents further rotation of the socket. Further, captive hardware fasteners may be employed to attach the socket to the printed circuit board.

Method and apparatus for aligning an integrated circuit chip

A three point alignment feature facilitates alignment of an integrated circuit chip relative to a socket that is mounted on a printed circuit board 14. The socket includes four walls that define a rectangle in which the integrated circuit chip is mounted. A first contact point 28 extends inward from a first one 22 of the walls. Second and third contact points 30, 32 extend inward from a second one 20 of the walls, which adjoins the first wall. A first force is applied against the integrated circuit chip from a third one 18 of the walls, which is parallel with the first wall. Second and third forces are applied against the integrated circuit chip from a fourth one 16 of the walls, which is parallel with the second wall. Hence, the integrated circuit chip is aligned in a corner defined by the first and second walls, and is oriented by the three contact points. Spring members 34, 36, 38, 40 may be employed to provide the first, second and third forces. Another alignment feature is employed to facilitate alignment of the socket with respect to the printed circuit board. Further, captive hardware fasteners may be employed to attache the socket to the printed circuit board.

Growing community of inventors

Braintree, MA, United States of America

Jonathan W Goodwin