Connector having relatively movable upper and lower terminals

• US 5,727,954 A
• Filed: 02/08/1996
• Issued: 03/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yamaichi Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yamaichi Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Kato, Yuji, Hayakawa, Nanahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANDIG, BARRY
• Application Number:
  US08/599,341
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 439/66, 439/71, 439/70, 439/591
• US Class Current: 439/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0466 concerning contact pieces or mechanical details, e.g. hinges or cams; Shielding
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0483 Sockets for un-leaded IC's having matrix type contact fields, e.g. BGA or PGA devices; Sockets for unpackaged, naked chips for IC's with connecting points around the edges only G01R1/0433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06722 Spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1069 with spring contact pieces

Abstract

A connector includes a contact pin having an upper pin terminal and a lower pin terminal interposed between an upper connection object such as an IC or the like and a wiring substrate serving as a lower connection object so as to be brought into contact under pressure with contact pieces arranged on surfaces of the objects. The contact pin is held in a hole such that the contact pin as a whole can be moved upwardly and downwardly a predetermined stroke independent of resilient upward and downward movement of the individual upper and lower pin terminals. An upper movement preventive element and a lower movement preventive element, for establishing the upward and downward strokes, are formed between the contact pin and a wall of the hole. When the lower pin terminal is brought into abutment with the wiring substrate serving as the lower connection object, the overall contact pin is freely moved upwardly within the hole so as to engage the upward movement preventive element. After the completion of the engagement with the upward movement preventive element, only the lower pin terminal is push upwardly against the bias of the spring. When the upper connection object is brought into abutment with the upper pin terminal, only the upper pin terminal is descended while compressing the spring, thereby attaining electrical contact under pressure.

Claims

1. A connector for electrically connecting an upper connection object with a lower connection object, said connector comprising:

an insulative substrate having a hole formed therethrough;

a contact pin mounted in said hole of said insulative substrate, said contact pin comprising an upper terminal pin, a lower terminal pin axially movably secured to said upper terminal pin such that said lower terminal pin is axially movable relative to said upper terminal pin, and a spring interposed between said upper terminal pin and said lower terminal pin; and

wherein said contact pin is axially movably mounted in said hole of said insulative substrate such that said upper terminal pin, said lower terminal pin and said spring are axially movable together as a unit relative to said insulative substrate.

2. A connector as recited in claim 1, further comprising

an upward movement preventive element provided on said insulative substrate and protruding radially into said hole to define an upper limit of axial movement of said contact pin relative to said insulative substrate;

and

a downward movement preventive element provided on said insulative substrate and protruding radially into said hole to define a lower limit of axial movement of said contact pin relative to said insulative substrate.

3. A connector as recited in claim 1, wherein

said contact pin further comprises an enlarged diameter cylindrical portion between said upper terminal pin and said lower terminal pin;

and

said enlarged diameter cylindrical portion has a diameter larger than diameters of said upper terminal pin and said lower terminal pin, respectively, so as to form an upper annular stepped portion between said upper terminal pin and said enlarged diameter cylindrical portion and a lower annular stepped portion between said lower terminal pin and said enlarged diameter cylindrical portion.

4. A connector as recited in claim 3, further comprising

an upward movement preventive element provided on said insulative substrate and protruding radially into said hole, said upward movement preventive element being engageable with said upper annular stepped portion;

and

a downward movement preventive element provided on said insulative substrate and protruding radially into said hole, said downward movement preventive element being engageable with said lower annular stepped portion.

5. A connector as recited in claim 4, wherein

said enlarged diameter cylindrical portion of said contact pin comprises a cylindrical sleeve portion;

and

said spring is disposed in said cylindrical sleeve portion of said contact pin.

6. A connector as recited in claim 5, wherein

one of said upper and lower terminal pins is fixed to a first end of said cylindrical sleeve portion;

the other of said upper and lower terminal pins is axially movably secured to a second end of said cylindrical sleeve portion; and

said spring is axially interposed between said cylindrical sleeve portion and said other of said upper and lower terminal pins to bias said other of said upper and lower terminal pins away from said one of said upper and lower terminal pins.

7. A connector as recited in claim 1, wherein

said contact pin further comprises a cylindrical sleeve portion between said upper terminal pin and said lower terminal pin;

and

said spring is disposed in said cylindrical sleeve portion of said contact pin.

8. A connector as recited in claim 7, wherein

one of said upper and lower terminal pins is fixed to a first end of said cylindrical sleeve portion;

the other of said upper and lower terminal pins is axially movably secured to a second end of said cylindrical sleeve portion; and

said spring is axially interposed between said cylindrical sleeve portion and said other of said upper and lower terminal pins to bias said other of said upper and lower terminal pins away from said one of said upper and lower terminal pins.

9. A connector as recited in claim 8, wherein

said first end of said cylindrical sleeve portion comprises a closed end, and said second end of said cylindrical sleeve portion comprises an open end having a radially inwardly stepped portion;

said other of said upper and lower terminal pins comprises a pin portion, a fitting portion having a diameter greater than said pin portion, and a stepped portion between said pin portion and said fitting portion; and

said fitting portion is disposed in said cylindrical sleeve portion and said pin portion extends out of said cylindrical sleeve portion through said open end thereof, such that said stepped portion of said other of said upper and lower terminal pins is engageable with said radially inwardly stepped portion of said cylindrical sleeve portion for maintaining said fitting portion of said other of said upper and lower terminal pins in said cylindrical sleeve portion.

10. A connector for electrically connecting an upper connection object with a lower connection object, said connector comprising:

an insulative substrate having a hole formed therethrough;

a contact pin mounted in said hole of said insulative substrate, said contact pin comprising an upper terminal pin, a lower terminal pin, a cylindrical sleeve portion having a first end fixed to one of said upper and lower terminal pins and a second end axially movably secured to the other of said upper and lower terminal pins, and a spring interposed between said cylindrical sleeve portion and said other of said upper and lower terminal pins and biasing said other of said upper and lower terminal pins away from said one of said upper and lower terminal pins;

an upward movement preventive element protruding radially inwardly from said insulative substrate into said hole and defining an upward movement limit of said cylindrical sleeve portion, said upper terminal pin projecting upwardly beyond said upward movement preventive element;

a downward movement preventive element protruding radially inwardly from said insulative substrate into said hole and defining a downward movement limit of said cylindrical sleeve portion, said lower terminal pin projecting downwardly beyond said downward movement preventive element; and

wherein an axial distance between said upward and downward movement preventive elements is greater than a length of said cylindrical sleeve portion, such that said upper and lower terminal pins, said cylindrical sleeve portion and said spring are axially movable together as a unit in said hole relative to said insulative substrate.

11. A connector as recited in claim 10, wherein

said spring is mounted in said cylindrical sleeve portion.

12. A connector as recited in claim 11, wherein

said first end of said cylindrical sleeve portion comprises a closed end, and said second end of said cylindrical sleeve portion comprises an open end having a radially inwardly stepped portion;

said other of said upper and lower terminal pins comprises a pin portion, a fitting portion having a diameter greater than said pin portion, and a stepped portion between said pin portion and said fitting portion; and

said fitting portion is disposed in said cylindrical sleeve portion and said pin portion extends out of said cylindrical sleeve portion through said open end thereof, such that said stepped portion of said other of said upper and lower terminal pins is engageable with said radially inwardly stepped portion of said cylindrical sleeve portion for maintaining said fitting portion of said other of said upper and lower terminal pins in said cylindrical sleeve portion.