The Whitaker Corporation

Amp LLC

Kevin E Walker

David A Trout

Iosif Korsunsky

Attalee Snarr Taylor

Edward John Bright

Earl William McCleerey

Robert William Brown

Michael Anthony Yeomans

Adam Douglas Cunningham

James E Crompton, Iii

William E Spink

Ronald R Ricci, Jr

Klaus D Brunnengraeber

An electrical connector for electrical connection to a circuit board (,) and for receiving a module card (,) and an operating circuit card (,) comprises a dielectric housing (,) having adjacent card-receiving areas (,), first electrical contacts (,) mounted in the dielectric housing and having termination sections (,) for electrical connection with conductive members of the circuit board and contact sections (,) extending into one of the card-receiving areas (,) for electrical connection to conductive members of the module card (,) when inserted into the one of the card-receiving areas, and second electrical contacts (,) mounted in the dielectric housing and having contact portions (,) extending into the one of the card-receiving areas (,) for electrical connection with conductive members of the module card (,) and extending into the other of the card-receiving areas (,) for electrical connection with conductive members on the operating circuit card (,) when inserted into the other of the card-receiving areas (,).

Electrical connector for receiving module cards and an operating circuit card

Retention system (10) for guiding a processor module during mating, and retention thereafter, having a pair of retention members (12) with upper sections (20) pivotable from upright positions to recumbent positions with respect to lower sections (22) when a processor module is absent. Retention members (12) latch a module (16,100) therebetween upon full insertion into guide channels (52). Module (16) includes latching surfaces (78) that latch beneath latch surfaces (76) defined on a latch (70) that is deflectable outwardly to delatch. Module (100) includes latch projections (102) that seat in apertures (88) adjacent the guide channel entrance.

Retention member for processor module

Retention assembly (10) includes an end section (30,104) at each end of a pair of board-mounted receptacle connectors and defines guide channels (20) for insertion thereinto of a pair of modules (22). A retention cap (14,100) is securable to posts (38,122) of end sections (30,104) and is movable transversely to be wedged against top surfaces (68) of modules (22).

Retention assembly with cap for processor modules

A connector assembly 20 including a housing 26 adapted for mounting to a panel 30 through a cutout 31 in the panel 30. The housing 26 is adapted for sliding engagement with the panel 30 when installed in the cutout 31. A centering mechanism 29 is coupled to the housing 26 and serves to substantially vertically center the housing 26 in the cutout 31 when the connector 20 is unmated with a complementary connector.

Self-centering panel-mounted connector assembly

A zero insertion force socket for an electronic package comprises a cover (20) which is slidably mounted on a base (10). The cover has a package mounting surface (22) which defines a plane. A cam mechanism (30) which is operable for sliding the cover on the base is pivotable on an axis (36) that extends perpendicular to the plane of the package mounting surface.

Low profile actuator for ZIF socket

A socket connector for high speed memory modules utilizes planar contact strips having the same contact element design for signal, ground, power and daisy chain. The daisy chain contact strips are segmented and staggered to permit the use of flat contact elements.

Socket having a staggered conductive path through multiple memory modules

A retainer is disclosed for securing a heat sink having a plurality of parallel vertical fins above an electronic package which is mounted on a socket. The retainer comprises a clip assembly including a clip having a pair of spaced apart beams dimensioned to span the heat sink and to reside in respective grooves between respective pairs of adjacent ones of the fins. The beams are resiliently deflectable in respective planes extending parallel to the fins. One end of the clip is engageable beneath a ledge on one side of the socket. An opposite end of the clip is pivotally coupled to a latch. The latch is engageable beneath a second ledge on an opposite side of the socket upon deflection of the beams in their respective planes. The clip assembly biases the heat sink toward the socket when the one end of the clip and the latch are engaged beneath the first and second ledges. A toggle coupled between the clip and the latch is movable between open and closed positions to engage and disengage the latch with the second ledge. The toggle has an overcenter position corresponding to the closed position such that a force must be applied to the toggle to move the toggle from the closed to the open position.

Retainer for securing a heat sink to a socket

A socket supports a plurality of integrated circuit chips in a vertical stack and interconnects the chips to circuit traces on a substrate. The socket includes a dielectric base having a top surface and a bottom surface. The base holds a plurality of electrical contacts. Each of the contacts has a foot portion which extends below the bottom surface for electrical connection with one of the traces, and a main body portion which extends above the top surface for electrical connection with respective electrical leads extending from the chips. Each of the main body portions has a solder coating on one side. The contacts are arranged such that the solder coated sides abut their respective leads, and the contacts are electrically connectable with the leads by reflow of the solder coating.

Socket for stacking integrated circuit chips

The invention minimizes openings or cracks near the position at which a solder tail of a lead frame extends through a wall of a case molded about the lead frame and through which wall the solder tail extends, so as to prevent leakage through the wall near the solder tail. To accomplish this, a double-bend is formed in the solder tail before encapsulation of the lead frame. The double-bend comprises a first downward right-angle bend just outside the case wall, and an adjacent distally-spaced opposite bend such that the distal end portion of the solder tail extends substantially parallel to the plane of the lead frame. Subsequently, an anvil is positioned to support the portion of the lead tail between the case wall and the first downward bend in the solder tail, while a forming tool forces the distal end portion of the soldering tail downward to the desired final position. The final bending occurs primarily around the previously-formed opposite bend, rather than at or immediately adjacent to the case wall, thereby substantially eliminating openings in the molded case body where the solder tail passes through the case wall.

Method of providing bends in electrical leads, and articles made thereby

An electrical socket includes a base having a generally central reception area which can receive an electronic device having leads extending to a peripheral region of the reception area. Multiple pressure members are fixed with respect to the base in a manner permitting movement between open and closed positions. Each of the pressure members has a pressure applying portion which is disposed in the peripheral region when the pressure member is in the closed position and is disposed outwardly of the peripheral region when the pressure member is in the open position. A circuit carrying member having conductive traces extends to within the peripheral region. Springs engage the pressure members when in the closed position and bias the pressure applying portions toward the traces, whereby the electrical leads can extend under the pressure applying portions and be urged by biasing forces against the traces. The pressure members are guided for both tranlational movement and pivoting movement with respect to the base and are movable against the bias of the springs. The pivoting movement relieves the biasing forces from the electrical leads and the translational movement withdraws the pressure applying portions to an area beyond the peripheral region.

Electrical socket

A chip carrier socket 2 comprises, a chip carrier receiving member, multiple electrical terminals 4 extending over component mounting pads 64 of a substrate 10, and surface mount contacts 62 of the terminals 4 being aligned so as to engage the conductive mounting pads 64 that are in alignment with conductive leads 6 of a chip carrier 8, whereby the same mounting pads 64 can be used for surface mount attachment to the leads 6, and can be used for surface mount attachment to the terminals 4 of the chip carrier socket 2. The terminals include recesses 66 on edges adjacent to the surface mount contacts to prevent these edges from being wetted by solder. Certain ones of the terminals include posts 38 to uniquely orient the socket 2 with respect to the substrate 10.

Surface mount chip carrier socket

A retention device (10) for retaining a bumperless plastic quad flat pack (80) in a socket cover (12) is disclosed. The device (10) includes an engaging member (54) at the end of a resilient arm (50) and which has a slanted surface (66) which engages a slanted surface (94) of a reverse orientation on the flat pack (80) to urge it in a direction against the restraining force of the leads (104) of the pack (80), which are received in slots (32) in the cover side walls (26).

Retention device for flat pack sockets

Chip carrier sockets have terminals provided therein for receipt of chip carriers which have leads extending therefrom. The chip carrier sockets have covers which are provided with resilient retention arms, the resilient retention arms cooperate with the chip carriers to retain the chip carriers in the cover. However, with various chip carriers, no structure is provided to cooperate with the resilient retention means of the cover. Therefore, an adapter is provided to cooperate with the chip carrier, to insure that the chip carrier is accurately inserted and maintained in the cover of the chip carrier socket. The adapter has projections which extend from the corners of the frame, the projections dimensioned to be received in the retention arms of the cover to insure that the adapter is maintained in position.

Adapter for use with a bumperless chip carrier

Chip carrier sockets (2) have terminals (4) provided therein, the terminals (4) comprising leg portions (34) with first resilient arms (18) and second resilient arms (20) pivotally attached thereto. The first resilient arms (18) have contact surfaces (26) provided on free end sections (22) thereof. The contact surfaces (26) are provided to electrically engage leads (6) of the chip carrier (8). A cover (12) is provided to cooperate with the chip carrier and to act as a protective handler for the chip carrier. Retention means are positioned on the chip carrier socket (2) to cooperate with the cover (12), thereby providing the contact force required to insure that a positive electrical connection is effected between the leads (6) and the terminals (4). The resilient configuration of the retention means insures that the retention means will not fail under normal stresses associated therewith.

Growing community of inventors

Harrisburg, PA, United States of America

Kevin E Walker