Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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41 BACKGROUND OF THE :[NVENTION
I
6 ~ Field of the Invention
7 I The present invention relates generally to integrated
81 circuit component connector apparatus and more particularly to
9 ¦ an improved carrier and socket device for facilitating the
10 ¦ connection and disconnection of DIP packaged integrated circuits
11¦ in electronic apparatus.
12 ¦ Description of the Prior Art
13 ¦ Heretofore, integrated circuit components packaged in
14 ¦ dual in-line packages (DIPs~ have been either soldered directly
15 ¦ to a printed circuit board or have been mounted on a multi-pronged
16 ¦ carrier which is in turn plugged into a fixture on a circuit
17 board. Although such connection is suitable for certain
18 applications, it is not suitable for those applications in which
19 ¦ static discharge presents a problem relativè to the integrity of
20 ¦ the packaged integrated circuit. For example/ in circuits such
21 ¦ as ROM devices, static charge transferred from the fingers of
22 ¦ one picking up the device to the conductive legs thereof is
23 ¦ capable of aestroying either the device or the data stored therei ,
24 ¦ or perhaps even both.
25 ¦ Whereas a DIP permanently soldered to a circuit board
26 ¦ is not normally susceptable to static discharge problems, it is
27 not readily removable from the board for testing or replacement.
28 On the other hand, whereas a DIP mounted to a standard plugable
29 carrier is readily removable from the supporting circuit board,
it is not free from static discharge problems because the plugabl
31 prongs to which it is connected are exposed to the touch of
32 one holding the carrier.
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SU~ARY OF THE INVENTION
It is -therefore a principal object of the present
invention to provide a novel socket and removable DIP carrier
which protects the DIP from static discharge during handling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide
a socket for attachment to a circuit board and a mating DIP
carrier which is adapted to be readily insertable and removable
from the socket.
sriefly~ a preferred embodiment of the present invention
includes a generally rectangular socket and mating DIP carrier
in which the socket component includes a plurality of contacts
disposed along two sides thereof with the terminal portion of
each contact extending through the bottom of the socket and
the contact portion extending through the side wall and into a
carrier-receiving inner receptacle formed in the top of the body.
Each end of the socket is provided with keyways. The external
perimeter of the carrier body is configured to be matingly
received within the socket receptacle and is adapted to receive
a DIP in inverted disposition in the bottom thereof. The carrier
includes vertical slots formed in each side for receiving the
DIP legs in recessed disposition, and a longitudinally extending
beam which forms a detent for locking the carrier within the
socket. The ends of the carrier are keyed to match the socket
keyways and a pull tab is formed on the upper side of the carrier
body for facilitating insertion and removal of the carrier into
and out of the socket. When the carrier is inserted into the
socket, the socket contacts are received within the side slots
of the carrier and engage the DIP legs.
In accordance with~the present invention there is pro-
vided apparatus for removably connect;ng a dual in-line packaged
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integrated circuit (DIP) to a circuit boarcl comprising: (a) a
socket member _omprised of (i) a first body having a carrier-
receiving cavity formed therein, said first hody constructed of
an insulating material, and (ii) a plurality of electrically
conductive contact members disposed along opposite sides of
said carrier-receiving cavi-ty, each of said contact members
having a pronged portion projecting outwardly from said first
body for attacnment to the circuit board, and a resilient
portion extending into said carrier-receiving cavity; and (b) a
carrier member formed of an insulating material, having side
portions and an external configuration dimensioned for removably
mating reception within said carrier cavity, with a DIP
receiving cavity formed in the undersurface of said carrier
member, said DIP receiving cavity adapted to therein receive
the chip portion of the DIP with the conductive legs of the
DIP locating along said side portions of said carrier member,
so that when said carrier member is inserted into said socket
member, the chip portion of the DIP is held therebetween, with
the DIP in an inverted position, i.e., with the conductive legs
2Q of the DIP pointing away from the circuit board.
In accordance with the present invention there is also
provided a dual in-line packaged integrated circuit (DIP) for
removable attachment to a circuit board, comprising: (a) a
socket member comprised of (i) a first body having a carrier
receiving cavity formed therein, said first body constructed
of an insulating material, and (ii) a plurality of electrically
conductive contact members disposed along opposite sides of said
carrier receiving cavity, each of said contact members having a
pronged portion projectin~ outwardly from said first body for
3Q attachment to the circuit board, and a resilient portion
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extending into said carrier receiving cavity; (b) a carrier
member formed of an insulating material, having side portions
and an external configuration dimensioned for removable mating
reception within said carrier cavity, with a DIP receiving
cavity formed in the undersurface of said carrier member; and
(c) a DIP comprised of a chip portion and conductive legs
extending from said chip, said chip mounted in said DIP receiving
cavity, with said conductive legs of the DIP located along said
side portions of said carrier member, so that when said carrier
member is mounted in said carrier receiving cavit~ of said
socket member, said chip portion of said DIP is enclosed between
said socket member and carrier member with said DIP in an in-
verted position, namely, with said conductive legs of said DIP
pointing away from the circuit board.
Among the many advantages of the present invention are
that it provides a means for making a DIP readily interchangeable
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I in a functional circuit.
21 Another advantage of the present inven-tion is tha-t it
31 enables a DIP to be readily removed for tes-ting or substitution.
4¦ Still another advantage of the present invention is that
51 the carrier protects the DIP leads from contact with the fingers
61 of a holder and therefore isolates the contained integrated
71 circuit from static charge.
81 These and other objects and advantages of the present
91 invention will no doubt become apparent to those skilled ln
10 ¦ the art after having read the following detailed description of
11¦ a preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the several
12 ¦ figures of the drawing.
13 I .
14 ¦ IN THE DRA~ING
15 ¦ Fig. l is an exploded perspective view showing a socket
16 ¦ and DIP carrier in accordance with the present invention;
17 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a DIP carrier broken
18 ¦ along the line 2-2 shown in Fig. l;
19 ¦ Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the DIP carrier
20 ¦ taken along the lines 3-3 of Figs. l and 2;
21 ¦ Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the socket broken
22 ¦ away along the line 4-4 as shown in Fig. l;
23 ¦ Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the socket taken
24 ¦ along the lines 5-5 of Figs. l and 4; and
Fig. 6 is a broken segment of a bottom plan view of the
26 socket shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.
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I DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TH~ PREFERRED EM~ODIMENT
2 I Referrin~ now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, there is shown
3 a socket 10 and a mating DIP carrier 12 with the carrier 12
4 being positioned in exploded relationship above the mating recep-
tacle 14 formed in the top of socket 10. For purposes of
6 illustration, socket 10 is shown disposed above a printed circuit
7 board 16 onto which it is to be mounted.
8 I Referring now additionally to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be
9 noted that socket 10 is generally rectangular in configuration
10¦ with the exception that the end wall 18 has an offset 20 for
11 accommodating a pair of keyways 22 and 24. At the opposite~
12¦ end of socket 10, a pair of laterally-extending keyways 26, one
13 of which is not shown, are also provided. The side walls 28
14¦ and 30 are provided with exterior slots 32 and intersecting
15¦ interior slots 34 which receive contact members 36 as shown in
16¦ Fig. 5. As indicated in the broken segment of a bottom plan
17¦ view sho~.~n in Fig. 6, the contact receiving slots 34 are T-shaped
18 ¦ in cross-sectional configuration. Contact members 36 are of
19¦ conventional configuration and includes tapered lower extremities
20¦ for engaging PC board apertures 17, a widened upper section,
21 ¦ illustrated by the dashed lines 38 in Fig. 4, and a cantilevered
22 ¦ spring contact arm 40 which after insertion into the slot
23 ¦ extends into the cavity 14. The widened portion 38 includes
24 a resilient lock tab 42 which springs into the slot 32 as a
25 ¦ member 36 is pushed into slot 34 from the bottom and serves
26 ¦ to lock the member 36 in place.
27 ¦ The bottom surface of socket 10 is flat except for the
28 ¦ integrally formed transverse ribs 33 which extend thereacross to
29 ¦ strengthen the socket struc-ture. In addition, the ribs 33 serve
33ol as standoffs for raising the main body of the socket above the
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I ¦ board surface to which the device is mounted. The inside surface
2 ¦ of the socket bottom is plain except for an arrowhead 35 which
3 ¦ is molded therein as an alignment reminder. An identical
4 I arrowhead 35A is molded into the carrier 12.
Carrier 12 is also generally rectangular in external
6 configuration except that at one end it is provided with protrudir g
7 key projections 50 and 52 which are adapted to mate with the
8 keyways 22 and 24, respectively, of socket lO, and at the other
9 end it is provided with laterally extending key projections 54
and 56 which mate with the keyways 26 at the corresponding end
11 of socket lO. As illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, the bottom of
12 carrier 12 is provided with a rectangular cavity 57 defined by
13 the interior side walls 58, end walls 60 and the bottom surface
14 62 of a web 64 that extends along the length of the carrier.
The purpose of the cavity is to provide a chamber for receiving
16 the body of a DIP 66 as shown by the dashed lines in Figs. 2
17 and 3.
18 The sides of the carrier 12 are configured to include
19 a detent beam 68 which extends along the length of each side
wall, and a plurality of upstanding posts or ribs 70. The
21 ribs 70 are narrow and shallow from beam 68 to the junction of
22 web 64 so as to prov-de wide openings 74 (Fig. 2) for receiving
23 the knee portion of the DIP legs 76, but are wider and deeper
24 above web 64 so as to provide narrow slots 72 for receiving the
tips of the DIP legs as indicated at 78 (~igs. 2 and 3).
26 As indicated in Fig. 3, the junction of web 64 with the
27 ribs 70 is made with an upward flare so that the edge portion
28 provides a camming sur~ace 80 for guiding the DIP legs into the
29 slots 72 as the DIP body is inserted into the chamber 57. The
upper extremity of the flared portion 82 also provides a shoulder
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l ver which the ex~remity 73 of the DIP legs ma~ be ~ormed to
2 both secure the DIP in the carrier and cause a flat side contact
31 sur~ace to be presented within the slots 72 and 74.
4¦ Formed in the central portion of web 64 is a pull tab 83
51 having flanges 84 on either end to ~rovide a gripping surface
6 ¦ with which the carrier may be held between the thumb and index
71 finger of a use. In order to provide additional clearance for
81 the thumb and index finger, apertures 86 are provided in the
91 web 64 on each side of the pull tab 83. The center of pull
10¦ tab 83 is recessed both top and bottom to provide a thin web 88
11¦ having a rectangular aperture 90 formed therein. The aperture 90
12 provides entry way for an auxiliary lifting tool (not shown).
13 In order to use such tool, which might, for example, have an
14 ¦ inverted T-shaped lower extremity, the T-shaped portion would
be inserted through slot ~0 and the tool rotated so as to engage
16¦ the lower surfaces 92 of web 88 and thereby allow carrier 12
17¦ to be lifted out of engagement with socket 10.
18 Note by comparing Fig. 2 to Fig. 4 that the slots 72
19 ¦ and 74 of carrier 12 are aligned with the contacts 36 in socket
20 ¦ 10, and by comparing Fig. 3 to Fig. 5 that thé contact arms 40
21 ¦ extend into the path taken by carrier 12 as it mates with
22 ¦ socket 10. This, of course, means that as the carrier is insertel 1
23 into the cavity 14 the arms 40 will cam over the beams 68 and
24 ¦ spring into slots 74 to engage the DIP legs 76. In Fig. 5, a
25 ¦ partially broken carrier 12 is shown in phantom lines in mating
26 ¦ relationship with socket 10 so as to illustrate the manner in
27 ¦ which the contacts 40 engage the legs of the DIP 66.
28 The beam 68 also provides a detent that cooperates with
29 ¦ contact arms 40 to maintain the carrier locked in engagement
30 ¦ with the socket.
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I In accordance with the present invention, the spring
21 force of contact arms 40 is sel~cted so that a~proximately three
3 pounds of withdrawal force must be applied to tab 83 before the
41 carrier will separate from the socket. This also insures that
adequate contact engaging force is applied between arms 40 and
61 DIP legs 76.
¦ In the preferred embodiment the carrier 12 is molded
81 f a glass and carbon-filled polymeric thermo-plastic or thermo-s~ t
91 material such as nylon or polypropylene material having approxi-
10¦ mately 105 ohms/sq of surface resistivity. By using such materia
11 static charge will be dissipated by the material without damaging
12 the integrated circuit contained in the DIP but will provide
13¦ adequate insulation betwe-en the DIP legs. The carrier 12 is
14¦ a monolithically molded unit. and with the exception of the conta It
15¦ pins 40, so is the socket 10. The only manufacturing step
16 ¦ required in completing socket 10 after it is molded is to insert
17¦ the contact pins 40 into the openings 34 provided in the bottom
18¦ sur~ace.
19 ¦ In use, the socket 10 is mounted to a printed circuit
20 ¦ ~oard 16 or the like by inserting the contact pins 36 into
21 ¦ openings 17 as illustrated in Fig. 1 and appropriately soldering
22 ¦ the pins to leads formed on the lower side of the board. Socket
23 ¦ 10 will rest directly upon the surface of the board but will be
24 ¦ slightly separated therefrom by the ribs 33. It will be appreciat e~
25 ¦ that once the pins 36 are securel~soldered to the underside of the
26 ¦ board 16, socket 10 will be rigidly secured thereto.
27 ¦ Insofar as the carrier is concerned, any desired type of
28 integrated circuit (e.g., computer chip, ROM, RAM or otherwise)
29 ¦ which is packaged in a standard DIP package may be inserted into
3 ¦ the carrier by simply inserting the DIP "legs up" into the cavity
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I of the ~ottom of the carrier. As the legs 76 enyage surface 80,
2~ they will be guided into slots 72 as the base of the DIP bottoms
31 out against the underside of web 64 The legs are then deformed
41 around the shoulder 82 and the mounling is complete, and the devi e
51 is ready to be plugged into a socket.
61 It is important -to note that since the width of the
71 slots 74 is small (typically about .070 inches) and the DIP legs
81 are recessed within the slots, one holding the carrier in his
91 hand will not touch the DIP legs even if he should improperly
10 1 grip the carrier. And even if he were to squeeze the carrier
11 hard enough to cause his skin to touch the DIP legs, any differenc e
12 ~ in static charge between that of his body and the carrier will
13 ¦ have already been dissipated by the semiconductive carrier niateric 1.
14 ¦ Use of the present invention makes it possible to easily
15 ¦ change the electronic functional or storage capability of any
16 ¦ modern electronic device. Furthermore, it makes the removal for
17 testing of a particular circuit component quite simple. And
18 ¦ since the volume of space required to accommodate the socket and
19 1 carrier is only slightly larger than that required by the DIP
20 ¦ itself, the device has nearly universal application.
21 I Although the present invention has been described above
22 ¦ in terms of presently preferred embodiments, it is to be understo( )d
23 ¦ that such disclosure is by way of example only and is not intende
24 ¦ to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, it is intended that
2~ the appended claims are to be interpreted as covering all
26 alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit
27 and scope of the invention.
28 ~ What is claimed is:
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