LGA-BGA connector housing and contacts

• US 7,059,873 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Original Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Inventors: Johnescu, Douglas M., Stoner, Stuart C., Kolivoski, Christopher J., Daily, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US10/997,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 439/66, 439/71, 439/83, 439/342, 439/733.1, 439/444, 439/943
• US Class Current: 439/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2435 with opposite contact points, e.g. C beam
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/943 including provision for pressing contact into pcb hole

Abstract

Electrical connectors and contacts are disclosed. An electrical connector having a contact receiving well extending along a contact receiving direction, and having a generally T-shaped cross-section along a direction transverse to the contact receiving direction. An electrical contact may be received in the contact receiving well. The contact may include a generally planar body portion, a groove and shoulder for use with a pressing tool, a first contact portion extending from a first end of the body portion, and a second contact portion extending from a second end of the body portion. The contact is adapted to be received into a generally T-shaped contact receiving well to prevent movement of the electrical contact therein. The electrical contact includes burrs formed by stamping to cut into the receiving well, and a contact tail with double bend, allowing the tail to float within a cavity of the contact receiving well.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a connector housing having a rear wall and three front walls that define a contact receiving well, the contact receiving well extending along a contact receiving direction; and

an electrical contact received in the contact receiving well and extending from each of two ends of the contact receiving well, the electrical contact having a body portion in contact with and contained between the rear wall and two of the three front walls, wherein the electrical contact is not in contact with one of the three front walls, wherein the electrical contact includes a ball end, and the contact receiving well includes a cavity through which the contact extends, the cavity being configured to prevent movement of the ball end into the contact receiving well, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the cavity is offset from a longitudinal axis of the contact receiving well.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the contact receiving well is further defined by a first side wall that extends between the rear wall and one of the front walls, and by a second side wall that extends between the rear wall and a second of the front walls, wherein the body portion of the electrical contact is in contact with and contained between the first and the second side walls in a direction transverse to the contact receiving direction.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the body portion of the contact has a first side, the first side having a sharp edge extending along a length thereof, the contact being disposed within the contact receiving well such that the sharp edge engages at least one of the front wall and the rear wall.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein the body portion of the contact has a second side opposite the first side, the second side having a rounded edge.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the contact receiving well includes an internal surface that extends in a direction transverse to the contact receiving direction and tends to prevent movement of the contact in the contact receiving direction.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein the contact includes a body portion having an edge that abuts the internal surface when the contact is received into the contact receiving well.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the cavity has an opening having a width, and the ball end of the contact has a diameter that is greater than the width of the opening.

8. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing that defines a contact receiving well, the contact receiving well extending along a contact receiving direction; and

an electrical contact received in the contact receiving well and extending from each end thereof, the electrical contact including at least two bends angled in relation to the contact receiving direction and located within the contact receiving well, the contact including a ball end attached to a stem of the contact within a cavity configured to prevent movement of the ball end into the contact receiving well.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cavity is offset from a longitudinal axis of the contact receiving well, and the contact includes a tail portion that floats in a cavity of the contact receiving well.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein electrical connection of the electrical contact to other electrical contacts does not occur within the contact receiving well.

11. An electrical contact, comprising:

a planar body portion having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first and the second ends tending to define a length of the electrical contact;

a first contact portion having a single stem extending from the first end of the body portion and tending to increase the length of the electrical contact; and

a second contact portion having a single stem extending from the second end of the body portion and tending to further increase the length of the electrical contact;

wherein the second contact portion is a BGA tail portion including two bends located within a contact receiving well and angled in relation to a lengthwise direction of the electrical contact; and

wherein the body portion includes a slot within the first end of the body portion adjacent to the first contact portion.

12. The electrical contact of claim 11, further comprising:

a push shoulder extending from the body portion, the push shoulder having a push surface for seating the contact into a connector housing.

13. The electrical contact of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal center line of the slot is aligned with a longitudinal center line of the body portion of the contact.

14. The electrical contact of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal center line of the BGA tail portion is not aligned with a longitudinal center line of the body portion of the contact.

15. The electrical contact of claim 11, wherein the first contact portion is an LGA contact portion.

16. The electrical contact of claim 15, wherein the first contact portion includes three bends in relation to a lengthwise direction of the electrical contact.

17. An electrical connector comprising:

a connector housing having a contact receiving well; and

an electrical contact received in the contact receiving well, the contact having a planar body portion residing within the contact receiving well, a single stem LGA portion extending from the body portion and from the contact receiving well, and a single stem BGA portion having a double bend terminating at a ball end, wherein the double bend terminates in a cavity in the contact receiving well, the cavity has an opening the opening has a width, and the ball has a diameter that is greater than the width of the opening.

18. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein the double bend portion enables the BGA tail to float in the cavity in the contact receiving well, wherein a longitudinal center line of the cavity is not aligned with a longitudinal center line of the contact receiving well.

19. An electrical connector comprising:

a connector housing that defines a contact reception cavity, a first wall that protrudes into the contact reception cavity, and a second wall that also protrudes into the contact reception cavity, wherein the first wall and the second wall each partially separate the contact reception cavity into a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion; and

an electrical contact that defines a retention portion, a mating contact end attached to the retention portion of the electrical contact, and a mounting contact end attached to the retention portion of the electrical contact, the mounting contact end having a single stem with two bends within the contact reception cavity;

wherein the retention portion of the electrical contact is retained in the first cavity portion defined by the connector housing and the first and second walls and does not extend into the second cavity portion defined by the connector housing and the first and second walls.