U.S. patent number RE29,513 [Application Number 05/709,872] was granted by the patent office on 1978-01-10 for electrical connection apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Teradyne, Inc.. Invention is credited to Lennart B. Johnson.
United States Patent |
RE29,513 |
Johnson |
January 10, 1978 |
Electrical connection apparatus
Abstract
Electrical socket apparatus for integrated circuit packages and
like devices has a contact for receiving the male connection
element of the circuit device through an aperture in a folded
spring section and for seating the male element at the mouth of the
folded section. The shank of the contact is split, which forms two
branches that provide a resiliently-acting interference fit of the
shank within a contact-mounting aperture. A heat sink, preferably
employed in a socket with the contact and nested within the profile
of the contact spring section, has a heat receiving panel for
abutting against the underside of the mounted circuit device.
Inventors: |
Johnson; Lennart B. (Milford,
NH) |
Assignee: |
Teradyne, Inc. (Boston,
MA)
|
Family
ID: |
23905679 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/709,872 |
Filed: |
July 29, 1976 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
479843 |
Jun 17, 1974 |
03917375 |
Nov 4, 1975 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/485; 439/487;
439/554; 439/571; 439/775; 439/852 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K
7/1038 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H05K
7/10 (20060101); H05K 7/10 (20060101); H01R
013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/112R,125R,126R,126RS,127R,128,241,242,244R,244VC,248R,248S,253R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lake; Roy
Assistant Examiner: Jones; DeWalden W.
Claims
Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and secured
by Letters Patent is:
1. Panel-mounted electrical socket apparatus for a circuit device
from which extend leads arranged in two side-by-side rows, said
apparatus comprising
A. first and second side-by-side rows of socket contacts,
1. each socket contact extending within a separate aperture in
.Iadd..[.each.]..Iaddend. .Iadd.such .Iaddend.panel and having a
folded contact clip disposed at least partly thereabove,
2. said contact clip having a folded, inverted, U-shaped
configuration including a first clip arm extending toward and
within the aperture, a bridging fold uppermost on said clip and
apertured to receive a lead of said circuit device, and a second
clip arm extending alongside said first clip arm and forming a
resiliently-expandable contact area therewith for receiving
therebetween the electrical lead, and
B. a heat sink of thermally-conductive material having an upper
panel disposed between said rows of socket contacts and arranged
for contiguous abutment against the bottom of such circuit
device.
2. Socket apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a
resiliently compressible shank member on each socket contact
located and compressively engaged within the aperture in such
panel.
3. An electrical socket contact, of electrically-conductive
material, for mating engagement with a male connection element,
said contact comprising, in combination,
A. a mounting section longitudinally extending between first and
second locations thereon for mounting said contact within an
aperture through a panel-like support member with said locations
thereof being accessible for electrical contact at opposite sides
of said support member, and for transferring an electrical signal
with a further conductor, and
B. a folded contact clip
1. having first and second arms integral with a fold and extending
from the fold in a direction longitudinal to said mounting section,
said first arm being integral with said mounting section at said
first location thereof and extending therefrom to said fold in the
direction away from said second location, and said second arm
extending from said fold in the direction toward said second
location,
2. having first and second opposed contact surfaces disposed distal
from the fold of said contact clip and arranged to receive between
them and electrically engage the male connection element, said
first contact surface being on one of said first arm and said
mounting section, and said second contact surface being on said
second arm, and
3. forming with said arms spring means resiliently urging said
second surface toward said first surface.
4. An electrical contact according to claim 3 further comprising
means forming a clearance void in said fold for accommodating
passage of such male connection element from the side of said
folded clip distal from said mounting section to within said folded
clip and between said contact surfaces.
5. An electrical contact according to claim 3 further comprising
means on said second arm forming protrusions extending toward said
first contact surface for providing a minimum spacing of said
second contact surface from said first contact surface.
6. An electrical contact according to claim 3 further comprising an
end tab on said second arm forming said second surface, said tab
being cold-formed to gap said second surface from said first
surface by raised platforms protruding toward said first
surface.
7. An electrical contact according to claim 3 further comprising a
connection-passing aperture through said fold and located
longitudinally in line with said opposed contact surfaces.
8. An electrical contact according to claim 3 further characterized
in that said mounting section and said clip provide, other than
said opposed contact surfaces, an obstruction-free path for the
passage of such male connection element from between said first and
second arms toward said second location of said mounting
section.
9. An electrical contact according to claim 3
A. further comprising means forming a connection element-receiving
channel in said mounting section extending from said first location
thereof toward said second location and forming said first surface
along the channel bottom surface, and
B. in which at least a portion of said second arm interfits within
said channel to dispose said second surface, in the absence of a
male connection element interposed between said connection
surfaces, within said channel.
10. An electrical contact according to claim 3
A. in which said mounting section includes an elongated shank for
seating within the aperture in the contact-mounting member, and
B. further comprising a longitudinal slot in said shank forming
therein a pair of elongated shank branches resiliently flexible
into said slot.
11. An electrical contact according to claim 3 further comprising
in said mounting section a resiliently and radially compressible
shank member for interferingly interfitting within the aperture in
such support member for mountingly seating said contact.
12. An electrical contact according to claim 3 further comprising
means forming protrusions on said second arm adjacent each of two
sides of said second contact surface, said protrusions being
disposed for engagement with said first contact surface for
providing a minimum spacing between said contact surfaces.
13. Panel-mounted electrical socket apparatus for a circuit device
from which at least one lead extends, said apparatus comprising
an electrically-conductive socket contact mountingly seated within
an aperture in the panel member and having a folded contact clip
disposed at least partly above the panel member; said contact clip
having a folded, inverted, U-shaped configuration including a first
elongated member extending toward and within the aperture, a second
elongated member extending alongside said first member and forming
a resiliently-expandable contact area therewith for receiving
therebetween the electrical lead, and a bridging fold disposed
uppermost on said clip and interconnecting said elongated members,
said fold being apertured to receive the lead of said circuit
device for extension therethrough to said contact area.
14. A panel-mounted electrical socket contact of
electrically-conductive material for mating engagement with a male
connection element, said contact comprising
A. a generally U-shaped folded spring member having first and
second arms at least partially extending side by side in a first
direction from the base of said fold,
B. a contact-mounting section integral with said spring member at
the end of said first arm distal from the base of said fold, and
extending longitudinally with said first arm along said first
direction, said mounting section being configured for seating
engagement within an aperture through the panel for mounting said
contact thereon and disposing said fold of said spring member on
one side of said panel,
C. first and second opposed contact surfaces,
1. said first contact surface being on one of said mounting
sections and said first arm and said second contact surface being
on said second arm,
2. extending longitudinal with said first direction and in line
with the base of said fold, and
3. resiliently urged toward each other by said spring member for
compressive, electrically-connecting engagement between them of
such male connection element, and
D. means forming an aperture through the base of said fold in said
spring member for passage therethrough of such male connection
element from outside said folded spring member on said one side of
said panel to between said opposed contact surfaces in the
direction toward the opposite side of said panel.
15. A socket for an electrical circuit package having leads
arranged in two side-by-side rows extending transversely from the
circuit package, said socket comprising
A. an electrically-insulating body having a U-shaped cross section
formed by upstanding contact-mounting enclosures arranged in two
side-by-side rows for receiving such leads, and by a web extending
between said rows of enclosures adjacent the bases thereof, and
B. a heat sink seated
1. within said U-shape of said socket body,
2. having a panel disposed uppermost thereon for contiguous and
heat-transferring engagement with the bottom of such circuit
package when plugged into said socket, and
3. having thermal dissipating members extending from said panel
within said U-shape of said contact body.
16. A socket according to claim 15 further comprising means in said
heat sink disposing the upper surface of said panel thereof above
said rows of enclosures of said socket body.
17. A socket according to claim 15 in which said heat sink further
comprises
A. a pair of upstanding fin members disposed laterally outwardly of
said rows of enclosures on opposite sides of said socket body and
extending upwardly above said panel, and
B. thermally-conductive web members mountingly joining said fin
members to said panel, said web members being located beyond the
ends of said rows of enclosures and extending outwardly from said
U-shape to said fin members.
18. A socket according to claim 15 further characterized in that
said heat sink has a cross-sectional beam-like configuration within
said U-shape of said socket body and with said panel forming the
upper flange thereof, and further having a base member forming the
lower flange thereof and a web joining said panel with said base
member, said base member being disposed adjacent said web of said
socket body and wedgedly secured between said rows of enclosures
for affixing said heat member to said socket body. .Iadd.19. A
socket contact comprising
an upper interconnect section,
a lower termination section, and
an intermediate shank section
said shank section being separated into two longitudinally
extending portions,
said portions being flexible and adapted to be flexed toward each
other by conductively plated walls of a mounting aperture.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.20. A socket contact comprising an end interconnect
section, said section being adapted to receive in electrically
connecting contact a pin,
said section including
a longer generally longitudinally extending portion with a first
pin contact surface extending generally parallel to said longer
generally longitudinally extending portion,
a shorter generally longitudinally extending portion with a second
pin contact surface extending alongside said first pin contact
surface, said shorter portion being shorter than said longer
portion, and
a transverse portion integral with and foldedly connected to each
of said longer portion and said shorter portion, said transverse
portion having centrally thereof therethrough a hole for accepting
therethrough said pin,
said section being a spring with said longer and shorter portions
so positioned springily with respect to each other and so shaped as
to engage said pin frictionally and electrically at said pin
contact surfaces in consequence solely thereof. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND
This invention relates to electrical connection apparatus and in
particular to socket apparatus for seatingly receiving the male
connection elements of an integrated circuit package or like
device. More particularly, the invention provides a novel contact
for sockets of integrated circuit devices. The invention also
provides a socket incorporating the contact and disposing a heat
sink contiguously below the circuit device.
Advantages of the socket apparatus of the invention are facile yet
secure mounting on a panel or other member, secure electrical
engagement with the mating electrical element, and compact seating
of the circuit package being mounted. In addition, the heat sink
provides thermally efficient heat transfer from the circuit
package, with little or no increase in the overall space
requirement.
A general object of the invention is to provide an electrical
contact, for use in a circuit board socket for an integrated
circuit device, which provides reductions in the required space and
improvements in both the mechanical and the electrical
connections.
A specific object is to provide an electrical contact of the above
character which seats a mating connection element in a clip having
a virtually open bottom. Attainment of this feature enables a
device which is plugged into the contact to locate at a minimal
spacing above the contact mounting structure, e.g. a circuit board,
essentially without regard to the length of the leads on the
device. Another object is that the contact engage the mounting
structure with a secure press-fit, but yet with relatively low
insertion force. A further object of the invention is to provide a
contact of the above character which occupies minimal space and
hence can be mounted on a circuit board in a high density
arrangement with other contacts and circuit elements.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an electrical
contact having the foregoing features and which has secure
resilient engagement with the mating electrical element. It is a
further object that the contact provide this resilient engagement
with a controlled preload.
Another object of the invention is to provide a contact of the
above type which has a low profile above the mounting circuit board
or other structure, which can readily provide a plate contact area
for the mating connection element, and which yet is relatively easy
and low cost to fabricate.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an electrical
socket incorporating a contact having the foregoing features. A
further object is to provide a compact heat sink for socket
apparatus of the foregoing character and which conducts heat from a
circuit device close to the site of heat generation therein.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in
part appear hereinafter.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
A socket for mounting and connecting an integrated circuit dual
in-line package to a printed circuit board in accordance with the
invention has improvements with regard to mounting the socket to a
printed circuit board or other mounting member, with regard to the
socket contact that receives and electrically interconnects the
male connection element of the package to further circuitry, and
with reard to a heat sink for dissipating heat generated within the
circuit package.
The socket contact has a shank section that seats the contact in an
aperture through the printed circuit board or other mounting
member, has a conventional wire-wrap or solder termination
extending below the board, and has an upper interconnect section.
The intermediate shank section is split or apertured to form two
flexible branches. Upon insertion of the contact into the mounting
aperture, these branches interfere with the aperture walls and
resiliently flex inward. The resilient force of the flexed branches
maintain the installed contact in resilient engagement with the
aperture, which ensures secure mechanical mounting as well as
continued reliable electrical contact where the mounting aperture
has a conductive plating.
The upper interconnect section of the contact has a folded spring
clip that receives and electrically engages a male connection
element. The fold is disposed uppermost on the contact and faces
downward, i.e. the arms of the folded structure extend from the
fold toward the shank section. A mating male connection element
engages the contact by passing through an aperture in the fold to
extend into the spring clip, where it is compressively engaged
between the ends of the folded structure. The length of the folded
structure forms the spring clip with a long effective spring
length, which is desirable for secure resilient engagement with the
mating connection element. The foregoing contact configuration is
readily fabricated from a single strip of material with a stamping
process, and requires no milling or like cutting.
The foregoing and other features, described hereinafter, of the
contact configuration provide secure and firm mechanical and
electrical engagement of the contact within a plated-through
circuit board mounting hole, and of the mating connection element
with the contact. Moreover, the contact has a low profile above the
circuit board on which it is mounted, as well as being compact in
the lateral dimension for a high density with other structure on
the circuit board. In addition, the mating connection element can
extend beyond the folded spring clip into abutting relation against
the circuit board. This enables the contact to mount the circuit
package in utmost proximity to the circuit board, thereby
minimizing the space required for the mounted circuit package.
Still further, the contact can be configured to dispose the mouth
of the spring clip within the circuit-board or other mounting
aperture. This allows the mating connection element to extend into
the contact-mounting aperture for an even lower profile of the
contact alone and, more importantly, of the mounted circuit
package.
The socket contact accommodates a heat sink disposed below the
circuit package and contiguous with the package underside, which is
the location where many circuit packages generate heat. Hence, this
underside disposition of the heat sink enhances the dissipation of
heat from the circuit package. Fins of the heat sink, however, can
extend laterally outward and upward from the contact-mounting
socket to provide a large radiating surface without detracting from
a high density structure on the circuit board itself.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,
combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts exemplified in
the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the
invention is indicated in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the
invention, reference should be made to the following detailed
description and the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a set of contacts
embodying the invention and mounted on a board-like panel for
receiving an integrated circuit package, and further shows a socket
incorporating the contacts;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating contacts embodying
a further construction according to the invention;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a single contact as shown in FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the contact of FIG. 3 partly
broken away;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a single contact having the
construction shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a side elevational sectional view of the contact of FIG.
5 seated in a plated-through hole of a printed circuit board with a
mating connection element seated therein;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a heat sink construction according
to the invention; and
FIG. 8 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of a heat
sinking socket according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows a set of contacts 12, each press fitted into a
separate aperture 14 through a printed circuit board 16 or other
mounting panel. The contacts mount an electrical device,
illustrated as an integrated circuit package 18 having the
conventional dual in-line configuration, to the board 16 and
electrically interconnect each male pin 20 of the package to
conductors plated on the board and/or to wire-wrap or solder
connections. The latter connections are made in a conventional
manner via tail sections 22 of the contacts. The set of contacts 12
generally is housed in a socket body 24 to form a unitary socket
26.
As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, each contact 12 preferably is
fabricated from a single strip of metal or other
electrically-conductive material and has an intermediate shank
section 28 between the tail section 22 and a folded spring section
36. The shank section mounts the contact seated within a mounting
hole, e.g. hole 14 of FIG. 1, and has sidewall edges 30 that
compressively engage the mounting hole. Where the mounting hole is
plated through with metal, the contact edges 30 engage the plating
with an interference fit to provide both mechanical attachment of
the contact with the mounting board and secure electrical contact
with the plating.
To enhance these connections and facilitate insertion of the
contact into the mounting hole, the shank section 28 is split, more
particularly is apertured as indicated at 32, to form two resilient
shank branches 28a and 28b. The shank section is dimensioned so
that the branch corners 30 interfere with the mounting aperture. As
illustrated, the width of the shank section can be larger than that
of the tail section, with the transition being tapered to provide
wedging surfaces for insertion. With this construction, upon
insertion of the shank section into the mounting aperture, the
branch edges deform, and imbed into, the aperture walls. In
addition, however, the branches resiliently flex inward, i.e. into
the aperture between them. This reduces the force otherwise
required to insert the contact. It also provides a continuous,
persisting outward resilient pressure of the branch edges against
the aperture walls. This in turn maintains the contact shank
section continuously in firm engagement with the mounting aperture.
The contact hence remains securely mounted, and is resistant to
dislodgement by shock and other abuse.
Where desired, the shank branches can be bowed outward prior to
insertion. This can increase the interference fit, and the amount
of inward flex the branches can accommodate without exceeding their
elastic limit.
With further reference to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, each contact 12 has a
pair of laterally-extending shoulders 34 adjacent the upper end of
the intermediate section and which butt against the
contact-mounting board when the contact is fully inserted therein,
as in FIG. 1.
The spring section 36 extends upward from the shoulders with one
spring arm 38 being an extension of the contact-forming material
strip and in line with the tail and shank sections 22 and 28,
respectively. A flattened fold 40 of the spring section is at the
end, uppermost in the illustrated orientation, of the contact 12.
The other arm 42 of the spring section extends from the fold back
along the first arm to form a clip 44 that engages the mating
connection element, e.g. a pin 20. The illustrated contact-forming
strip is thinner in the spring section 36 than in the tail and
intermediate sections. This facilitates providing the desired flex
in the former section and the desired rigidity in the latter
sections.
As FIG. 4 shows, a male connection element 20 is inserted into the
contact clip, to seat in the clip 44 between the ends of arms 38
and 42, through an aperture 46 in the flattened fold 40 and aligned
with the clip 44 contact areas.
The spring section 36 thus has, when viewed from the side as in
FIG. 4, a generally closed U-shaped configuration with the arms 38
and 42 forming the sides of the U-shape. Further, a flat inner
surface 38a at the base of the arm 38 faces an inner surface 42a on
a tab end 42b of arm 42, to form the clip 44 contact areas. The
length of the spring section, i.e. of the arms and the fold,
between these contact surfaces forms a spring to urge the surface
42a against the surface 38a. However, the contact tab 42b
preferably has two protrusions 50 that abut the surface 38a and
that flank the contact surface 42a to space it by a narrow gap from
the surface 38a. The recessed surface 42a and the opposed surface
38a generally are plated with material, typically gold or tin, that
has superior electrical contact properties, e.g. corrosion
resistance and low electrical contact resistance.
The foregoing construction provides a contact that securely grips
and electrically connects the mating male element, i.e. pin 20. The
long length of the spring section which the folded construction
provides has a low spring constant, as desired, and without resort
to ultra-thin structure. Further, because the height of the two
protrusions on the contact arm 42 can readily be controlled to a
close tolerance, the protrusions provide the contact clip 44 with a
controlled preload pressure for engagement with the mating male
element. Also, the gap which these protrusions form enables the
critical contact surfaces 38a and 42a to be plated with an
electrical contact material. The contact is compact in both lateral
dimensions and with regard to its profile above the supporting
circuit board 16. The lateral compactness enables the circuit board
to carry other electrical elements, including plated connections
threading between the contact-mounting apertures 14, which
relatively high density. The low profile of the contact itself is
enhanced by the fact that it mounts a circuit package, such as the
FIG. 1 package 18, close to the mounting board 16; this is because
the contact allows the male connection elements on that package to
extend into direct abutment with the board through the
downwardly-facing open contact clip 44. Finally, the contact is
readily fabricated, typically by stamping from a single strip of
metal, with the protrusions and with the recess-flanking
protrusions being cold-formed as by coining.
FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 show another contact 60 having many features of
the contact 12, in addition to an even smaller profile or height
above the contact-mounting member. The contact 60 preferably is
formed from a single strip of metal with a tail section 62, and
intermediate shank section 64, and a folded spring section 66 for
engaging a male connection element, such as a pin 68 on the
integrated circuit package 70 illustrated in FIG. 2.
However, in contrast to the FIG. 1 contact 12, the spring section
66 of the contact 60 is partly recessed within the mounting panel,
e.g. the printed circuit board 72, and accommodates extension of a
male connection pin 68 below the circuit board. Specifically, the
contact 60 mountingly seats in a hole through the circuit board and
has a pair of laterally-protruding shoulders 74 that control the
depth of insertion into the circuit board.
The intermediate shank section 64 extends in line with the tail
section 62 between the latter element and the shoulders 74. A
pin-receiving channel 76 recesses the shank section along the major
portion of its length from the shoulders 74 to adjacent the tail
section 62. The channel 76 preferably is coldformed, and hence the
side of the intermediate section opposite the channel 76 bulgingly
protrudes outward as FIG. 6 indicates. The spring section 66
extends from the intermediate section above the shoulders 74 with
an upwardly-extending arm 78, a flattened fold 80 pierced by a
pin-receiving aperture 82, and a downwardly-extending arm 84. The
lower tab end 84b of arm 84 nests within the channel 76 below the
shoulder 74, and hence below the circuit board upper surface when
the contact is mounted.
The clip 86 of the contact 60 is formed by the shank surface 64a at
the bottom of the channel 76, and the inner surface 84a of the tab
84b. The length of the spring section 66, i.e. of arm 78, flattened
fold 80 and arm 84, resiliently urges the tab surface 84a into the
channel 76 toward surface 64a, for resiliently engaging the mating
male connection element 68.
The lower-profile contact 60 of FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 generally has
somewhat larger lateral dimensions than the contact 12 of FIG. 1,
in order to accommodate the channel 76. However, this is the only
additional space which the contact 60 requires in order to seat a
mating connection element within the same hole in which the contact
itself is mounted.
The aperture 82 in the fold of the contact spring section 66
generally lies in a plane transverse to the longitudinal extension
of the contact, i.e. of the tail and shank sections. Further, the
aperture peferably is centered along the width of the spring
section, i.e. is centered in the flattened fold between two beam
portions 80a that span between the arms 78 and 84. The aperture is
further aligned with the opposed surfaces 64a and 84a in the
contact clip 86. With this illustrated preferred configuration, the
male pin 68 passes along a straight path through the aperture 82
and into the channel 76 for engagement by the contact clip 86. The
FIG. 1 contact 12 preferably has the aperture 46 configured in the
same manner relative to the clip 44 of that contact.
With further reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the contacts 12 as well as
the contacts 60 can, as illustrated, be mounted separately on a
panel or like mounting member independent of other structure.
Alternatively, each contact can be incorporated in a multiple
contact socket, with the contact portion above the mounting member
seated within the contact body. For example, FIG. 1 shows a socket
26 having a socket body 24 molded of conventional insulating
material and incorporating the illustrated two rows of contacts 12
arranged in the conventional manner for seatingly receiving a
conventional dual in-line package 18.
In particular, FIGS. 1 and 8 show the socket body 24 is molded with
a separate cavity 90 to accommodate the spring section of each
contact. Each cavity has an upper opening 92 aligned above the
aperture 46 of the contact therein and through which a male
connection element can extend into the contact clip. The outer
walls 24a and 24b of the two rows of cavities form the outer
sidewalls of the socket, and a web 94 joins the cavity inner walls.
Hence the socket body 24 has a generally U-shaped cross-section.
The web is located at the base of the cavities and hence is
adjacent the contact-mounting board 16. As further illustrated,
however, it is preferable that the web be spaced by a small gap
above the circuit board so that, when the socket is installed, the
socket body 24 abuts the circuit board at the bases of the cavities
90 and not at the web 94.
As FIG. 8 illustrates, a heat sink 98 can seat within the void in
the socket body between the two rows of cavity enclosures and above
the web 94. This location of the heat sink 98 disposes it
contiguously below the underside of the circuit package 18 plugged
into the socket. This is desirable because many integrated circuit
structures contain the heat generating elements proximal to their
bottom wall, and hence the underside disposed heat sink 98 is
seated against the circuit package closely adjacent the site of
heat generation therein. The heat sink 98 preferably has an overall
I-beam-like configuration within the socket body, with the top
flange member being a panel 98a located just above the upper
surface of the socket body 24 to protrude upward therefrom to
ensure that it seats against the circuit package. The lower flange
member 98b is bottomed within the socket body adjacent web 94 and
the web member 98c spans between the upper and lower members, as
shown. With this illustrated construction, the heat sink which
typically is extruded of metal or other thermally conductive
material, is removably seated on the socket body by an interference
fit of the lower flange member 98b within the body.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show that the full structure of the illustrated heat
sink 98 has, in addition to the structure already described, a pair
of upstanding outrigger fins 98d located on either side of the
socket body. Webs 98e affix the latter fins to the central portion
of the heat sink. Elongated slots 100 in these webs receive the
upper ends of the socket body to seat the heat sink thereon, as
FIG. 8 shows, and allow the pins of the circuit package to enter
the socket.
As FIG. 7 further shows with dashed lines, the heat sink 98,
independent of whether it includes the webs 98e and fins 98d, can
carry additional radiating fins 102 protruding from the central web
98c.
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those
made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently
attained. Since certain changes may be made in the above
constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it
is intended that all matter contained in the above description or
shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative
and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended
to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention
herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention
which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall
therebetween.
* * * * *