Socket warpage reduction apparatus

Abstract

Socket warpage reduction apparatus and method including a socket comprising a socket housing having a surface mount region for an electrical device, and at least one rigid bar secured in a groove in the socket housing and contiguous the surface mount region to ensure the surface mount region is flat and remains flattened in varying ambient conditions.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 758,055, filed Jan. 15, 2004, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09 / 964,619, filed Sep. 28, 2001 and issued Feb. 17, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,692,280, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.FIELD [0002] The present invention is directed to socket warpage reduction. More particularly, the present invention is directed to socket warpage reduction apparatus and methods. BACKGROUND [0003] Electrical sockets may be used to secure electronic packages and / or integrated circuit (IC) devices, for example, onto a system board (e.g. a mother board or a printed circuit board “PCB”) of an electronic system. These electrical sockets may be constructed for easy installation and replacement of electronic packages (e.g. electrical components) and / or IC devices such as complex memory chips and advanced processor chips. The electrical sockets may also be available in different sizes and con...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is directed to reducing warping of electrical sockets, particularly in ZIF sockets, which can cause issues when installing electronic components on a circuit board. The invention provides an apparatus and method to ensure that the sockets have a flat surface mount region and can flatten the surface mount region if warping occurs during manufacture or installation. The invention addresses the issue of warping in ZIF sockets that have a lever or cam to secure the electronic devices, especially where the surface mount region is present on a movable portion of the socket housing. The invention also includes a method to reinforce the socket with a reinforcing frame that is co-extensive with the perimeter of the top plate of the socket to ensure a flat surface mount region.

Problems solved by technology

However, these commonly available LIF and ZIF sockets, used for securing an electronic package and / or an IC device onto a system board of an electronic system, contain several disadvantages, especially when electrical devices such as electronic packages or IC devices are inserted in LIF or ZIF sockets that have been secured onto a PCB of an electronic system.

One disadvantage that arises is related to the process of assembling a PCB.

The presence of delicate and easily bent large pin number arrays on electrical and IC devices require the devices to sit flush and squarely on the surface of socket connectors on the PCB.

It follows that any planar warpage of a socket surface mount region will not mate uniformly with the planar electronic devices, and such significantly increases the probability that the pin array may not align perfectly with a pin aperture array in the surface mount region of the socket.

This results in a less than perfect interconnection of the pins with the socket connector.

Socket connectors that have experienced a variety of environmental conditions such as reflow and annealing may become twisted or turned, that is warped out of shape, which exacerbates pin insertion concerns.

The problem of socket warpage is particularly vexing in ZIF sockets of the type that include a lever or a cam to secure an electrical device to the socket, especially where the surface mount region is present on a movable portion of a socket housing.

This less advantageous approach at best, has limited rigidity characteristics owing to the thin (sheet metal) frames, and thus does not provide for any structure to flatten a surface mount region in the event that warpage of a surface mount region arises during molding, reflow or annealing processes routinely experienced in socket manufacture and installation on a PCB.

Images