Electrical connector and terminal

Abstract

An electrical connector is configured to electrically connect to a chip module, where a bottom surface of the chip module is provided with at least one conductive sheet. The electrical connector includes: an insulating body, configured to sustain the chip module, and provided with at least one accommodating hole penetrating through the insulating body vertically; and at least one terminal, correspondingly accommodated in the at least one accommodating hole, and having at least two elastic arms. Two inner sides of two adjacent elastic arms of the at least two elastic arms are protrudingly provided with two contact portions upward, so that each of the contact portions is located higher than an upper surface of each of the two adjacent elastic arms. An outer side of each elastic arm is spaced from each of the contact portions. The two contact portions upward abut a same conductive sheet of the chip module.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, configured to electrically connect to a chip module, wherein a bottom surface of the chip module is provided with at least one conductive sheet, the electrical connector comprising: an insulating body, configured to sustain the chip module, and provided with at least one accommodating hole penetrating through the insulating body vertically; and at least one terminal, correspondingly accommodated in the at least one accommodating hole, and having at least two elastic arms, wherein two inner sides of two adjacent elastic arms of the at least two elastic arms are protrudingly provided with two contact portions upward, so that each of the contact portions is located higher than an upper surface of each of the two adjacent elastic arms, an outer side of each of the two adjacent elastic arms is spaced from each of the contact portions, and the two contact portions upward abut a same conductive sheet of the at least one conductive sheet.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the two adjacent elastic arms has a center line along an extending direction thereof, and each of the contact portions is provided at one side of the center line.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of terminals, wherein the two adjacent elastic arms are provided at two of the terminals.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: each of the at least one terminal has a flat plate-shaped connecting portion; the two adjacent elastic arms are formed by bending and extending upward from the connecting portion; two conducting arms are formed by bending and extending downward from the connecting portion; inner sides of the two conducting arms are protrudingly provided with two abutting portions downward, so that each of the abutting portions is located lower than a lower surface of each of the conducting arms; an outer side of each of the conducting arms is spaced from each of the abutting portions; and the two abutting portions downward abut a same conductive spacer of a circuit board.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein each of the abutting portions and each of the contact portions have a same structure.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein a flat plate-shaped retaining portion is formed by extending from each of two opposite sides of the connecting portion, each of two opposite sides of each accommodating hole is concavely provided with a retaining groove, and the retaining groove has a stopping surface located below the retaining portion to prevent each of the terminals from moving downward.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein each of the conducting arms has a center line along an extending direction thereof, and each of the abutting portions is provided at one side of the center line.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a contour of each of the contact portions is a semicircle.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a height of each of the contact portions gradually decreases along a direction from the inner side of the corresponding elastic arm to the outer side of corresponding elastic arm.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the inner side of each of the two adjacent elastic arms is flush with an inner side of each of the contact portions.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the contact portions extends to an end of each of the two adjacent elastic arms.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two adjacent elastic arms is bent toward another one of the two adjacent elastic arms, so that a distance between the two adjacent elastic arms decreases in a direction from bottom to top.

13. A terminal, configured to electrically connect to a chip module, wherein multiple conductive sheets are provided on a bottom surface of the chip module, the terminal comprising: two elastic arms, wherein two adjacent inner sides of the two elastic arms are provided with two contact portions, the two contact portions upward abut a same conductive sheet of the conductive sheets, opposite outer sides of the two elastic arms are provided with two notches respectively, and the two notches are respectively connected to the two contact portions.

14. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein each of the two elastic arms has a center line along an extending direction thereof, and each of the contact portions is provided at one side of the center line.

15. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the two elastic arms is bent toward another one of the two elastic arms, so that a distance between the two elastic arms decreases in a direction from bottom to top.

16. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein each of the notches penetrates through the corresponding elastic arm to an end of the corresponding elastic arm.

17. The terminal according to claim 16, wherein each of the contact portions extends to the end of the corresponding elastic arm.

18. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein each of the notches penetrates through the corresponding elastic arm in a vertical direction.

19. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein a bottom surface of each of the notches is inclined to an upper surface of the corresponding contact portions.

20. The terminal according to claim 13, wherein the two elastic arms are folded outward to form the two contact portions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the disclosure and together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electrical connector in FIG. 1 before a chip module is pressed thereon;

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the electrical connector in FIG. 1 after a chip module is pressed thereon;

(5) FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part a in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a terminal in FIG. 1;

(7) FIG. 6 is a side view of the electrical connector in FIG. 1;

(8) FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a part b in FIG. 6;

(9) FIG. 8 is a side view of the electrical connector in FIG. 1 before a chip module is pressed thereon;

(10) FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a part c in FIG. 8;

(11) FIG. 10 is a side view of the electrical connector in FIG. 1 after a chip module is pressed thereon;

(12) FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a part d in FIG. 10;

(13) FIG. 12 is a planar cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

(14) FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a part e in FIG. 12;

(15) FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a terminal of an electrical connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

(16) FIG. 15 is a front view of the terminal in FIG. 14;

(17) FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a terminal of an electrical connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

(18) FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a terminal of an electrical connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

(19) FIG. 18 is a front view of the terminal in FIG. 17;

(20) FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a terminal of an electrical connector according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention;

(21) FIG. 20 is a front view of the terminal in FIG. 19;

(22) FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a terminal of an electrical connector according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention; and

(23) FIG. 22 is a front view of the terminal in FIG. 21.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(24) The present invention is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various embodiments of the invention are now described in detail. Referring to the drawings, like numbers indicate like components throughout the views. As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of a, an, and the includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of in includes in and on unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, titles or subtitles may be used in the specification for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present invention.

(25) It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being on another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present therebetween. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being directly on another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

(26) Furthermore, relative terms, such as lower or bottom and upper or top, may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. For example, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as being on the lower side of other elements would then be oriented on upper sides of the other elements. The exemplary term lower, can therefore, encompasses both an orientation of lower and upper, depending of the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as below or beneath other elements would then be oriented above the other elements. The exemplary terms below or beneath can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below.

(27) As used herein, around, about or approximately shall generally mean within 20 percent, preferably within 10 percent, and more preferably within 5 percent of a given value or range. Numerical quantities given herein are approximate, meaning that the term around, about or approximately can be inferred if not expressly stated.

(28) As used herein, the terms comprising, including, carrying, having, containing, involving, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to.

(29) The description will be made as to the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in FIGS. 1-22. In accordance with the purposes of this invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention, in one aspect, relates to an electrical connector.

(30) FIG. 1 to FIG. 11 show an electrical connector 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The electrical connector 100 is configured to electrically connect a chip module 200 to a circuit board 300, and includes an insulating body 1 and multiple terminals 2 accommodated in the insulating body 1.

(31) As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, the insulating body 1 has multiple accommodating holes 11 penetrated through the insulating body 1 vertically. The accommodating holes 11 are disposed in rows in a staggered manner. Each of two opposite sides of each of the accommodating holes 11 is concavely provided with a retaining groove 111, and each of the retaining grooves 111 has a stopping surface 1111.

(32) The terminals 2 are respectively and correspondingly accommodated in the accommodating holes 11.

(33) As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 5, and FIG. 11, each of the terminals 2 has a flat plate-shaped connecting portion 21. Two adjacent elastic arms 22 are formed by bending and extending upward from the connecting portion 21, and two adjacent conducting arms 23 are formed by bending and extending downward from the connecting portion 21.

(34) The inner sides of the two adjacent elastic arms 22 are protrudingly provided with two contact portions 24 upward. Opposite outer sides of the two adjacent elastic arms 22 and opposite outer sides of the two adjacent conducting arms 23 are provided with two notches 27 respectively. The two notches 27 located at the two adjacent elastic arms 22 are respectively connected to the two contact portions 24. In other words, each of the two elastic arms 2 has one of two contact portions 24 and one of the two notches 27, so that each contact portion 24 is located higher than an upper surface of each of the elastic arms 22. The outer side of each elastic arm 22 is spaced from each of the contact portions 24.

(35) A bottom surface of the chip module 200 has multiple circular conductive sheets 201. The two contact portions 24 upward abut a same one of the conductive sheets 201.

(36) A contour of the contact portion 24 is a semicircle, and a height of each of the contact portions 24 gradually decreases along a direction from the inner side of the elastic arm 22 to the outer side of the elastic arm 22. An inner side edge of each of the contact portions 24 is flush with an inner side edge of each of the two elastic arms 22 correspondingly. Each elastic arm 22 has a center line L along an extension direction thereof, and each contact portion 24 is located at one side of the center line L. In this way, the contact portions 24 cannot easily slide out from the conductive sheet 201. Therefore, a risk that the terminals 2 and the chip module 200 are not conducted with each other is reduced, thereby ensuring stable contact between the electrical connector 100 and the chip module 200.

(37) The two notches 27 located at the two adjacent elastic arms 22 respectively penetrate through the corresponding elastic arms to ends of the two adjacent elastic arms 22. Moreover, each of the two notches 27 respectively crosses the corresponding center line L, and partially penetrates through the corresponding elastic arm 22 to the inner side of the corresponding elastic arm 22.

(38) The inner sides of the two adjacent conducting arms 23 are protrudingly provided with two abutting portions 25 downward, and as opposite outer sides of the two adjacent conducting arms 23 are provided with the two notches 27 correspondingly, so that each of the abutting portions 25 is located lower than a lower surface of each of the two adjacent conducting arms 23, and the outer side of each of the two adjacent conducting arms 23 is spaced from each of the abutting portions 25.

(39) A top surface of the circuit board 300 has multiple conductive spacers 301, and the two abutting portions 25 downward abut a same conductive spacer 301.

(40) Each of the two abutting portions 25 and each of the two contact portions 24 have the same structure. An inner side edge of each of the two abutting portions 25 is flush with an inner side edge of each of the two adjacent conducting arms 23. Each of the two adjacent conducting arms 23 has the center line L, and each of the two abutting portions 25 is located at one side of the center line L. In this way, the two abutting portions 25 cannot easily leave the spacer 301. Therefore, a risk that the terminals 2 and the circuit board 300 are not conducted with each other is reduced, thereby ensuring stable contact between the electrical connector 100 and the circuit board 300.

(41) The two notches 27 located at the two adjacent conducting arms 23 respectively penetrate through the corresponding conducting arms 23 to ends of the two adjacent conducting arms 23. Moreover, each of the two notches 27 respectively crosses the center line L, and partially penetrates through the corresponding conducting arm 23 to the inner side of the corresponding conducting arm 23.

(42) A flat plate-shaped retaining portion 26 is formed by extending from each of two opposite sides of the connecting portion 21. When the terminal 2 is assembled into the corresponding accommodating hole 11 from top to bottom, the retaining portion 26 is retained in the retaining groove 111 of the insulating body 1. The stopping surface 1111 is located below the retaining portion 26, to prevent the terminal 2 from moving downward.

(43) Each elastic arm 22 is exposed from an upper surface of the insulating body 1. The contact portions 24 abut the conductive sheets 201. The conducting arms 23 are exposed from a lower surface of the insulating body 1. The abutting portions 25 abut the conductive spacers 301. The notches 27 are spaced from the conductive sheets 201 and the conductive spacers 301 in a vertical direction.

(44) FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 show a second embodiment of the electrical connector 100 in the present invention. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: each of the accommodating holes 11 accommodates two terminals 2 disposed at an interval; and each of the two terminals 2 is provided with an elastic arm 22 and a conducting arm 23. The two terminals 2 accommodated in one of the accommodating holes 11 upward contact a same one of the conductive sheets 201 and downward contact a same one of the conductive spacers 301.

(45) FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 show a terminal 2 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. This terminal 2 differs from the terminal 2 in the first embodiment in that: the terminal 2 has a flat plate-shaped connecting portion 21; the connecting portion 21 has a vertical plane 210; and two elastic arms 22 are formed by bending and extending upward from the connecting portion 21 and adjacent to each other.

(46) Each of the elastic arms 22 includes a first arm 221 and a second arm 222. The first arm 221 is bent and extends upward from the connecting portion 21 in a direction away from the vertical plane 210. The second arm 222 is formed by extending upward from the first arm 221 in a direction toward and across the vertical plane 210. One of the second arms 222 is bent toward another one of the second arms 222, so that a distance between the two elastic arms 22 decreases in a direction from bottom to top.

(47) Inner sides of the two adjacent second arms 222 are protrudingly provided with two contact portions 24 upward. The two contact portions 24 respectively extend to free ends of the two second arms 222, and widths of the contact portions 24 are the same. Bottom surfaces of the two notches 27 are parallel to upper surfaces of the two contact portions 24.

(48) A bending arm 28 is formed by bending and extending downward from the connecting portion 21. The bending arm 28 and the first arm 221 are located at a same side of the vertical plane 210. A width of the bending arm 28 gradually decreases in a direction from top to bottom. Two clamping portions 29 horizontally extend from two opposite sides of a bottom portion of the bending arm 28 and are configured to clamp a solder (not shown in the figures).

(49) FIG. 16 shows a terminal 2 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This terminal 2 differs from the terminal 2 in the third embodiment in that: an intersection of the two elastic arms 22 is not at the connecting portion 21. Certainly, in other embodiments, the free ends of the two adjacent elastic arms 22 may be connected to each other by a bridging portion (not shown in the figure).

(50) FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 show a terminal 2 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. This terminal 2 differs from the terminal 2 in the third embodiment in that: the bottom surfaces of the two notches 27 are respectively and correspondingly connected to the upper surfaces of the two contact portions 24 in an inclined manner.

(51) FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 show a terminal 2 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. This terminal 2 differs from the terminal 2 in the third embodiment in that: the two second arms 222 further extend inward, and the two notches 27 respectively and correspondingly penetrate through the two second arms 222 in a vertical direction.

(52) FIG. 21 and FIG. 22 show a terminal 2 according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. This terminal 2 differs from the terminal 2 in the sixth embodiment in that: the two second arms 222 are respectively folded outward to form the two contact portions 24.

(53) To sum up, the electrical connector and the terminal according to certain embodiments of the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

(54) (1) The two contact portions 24 are upward protrudingly provided at the inner sides of the two adjacent elastic arms 22 and abut the same conductive sheet 201. Therefore, a contact area between each terminal 2 and the conductive sheet 201 is small. In this way, the contact portions 24 cannot easily leave the conductive sheet 201, thereby preventing the contact portions 24 from being out of contact the conductive sheet 201 to avoid the outer side of each contact portion 24 sliding out from the conductive sheet 201 and abutting other components that are on the chip module 200 and that are lower than the conductive sheet 201. Therefore, a risk that the terminals 2 and the chip module 200 are not conducted with each other is reduced, thereby ensuring stable contact between the electrical connector 100 and the chip module 200.

(55) (2) The two contact portions 24 are upward protrudingly provided at the inner sides of the two adjacent elastic arms 22 and abut the same conductive sheet 201, and the opposite outer sides of the two adjacent elastic arms 22 are provided with the two notches 27 that are respectively connected to the two contact portions 24. Therefore, a contact area between the terminal 2 and the conductive sheet 201 is small, so as to ensure that the contact portions 24 cannot easily slide out from the conductive sheet 201, thereby preventing the contact portions 24 from being out of contact with the conductive sheet 201 to avoid the outer side of each contact portion 24 sliding out from the conductive sheet 201 and abutting other components that are on the chip module 200 and that are lower than the conductive sheet 201. Therefore, a risk that the terminal 2 and the chip module 200 are not conducted with each other is reduced.

(56) (3) The height of each of the contact portions 24 gradually decreases along a direction from the inner side of the elastic arm 22 to the outer side of the elastic arm 22, so that a position at which each contact portion 24 is in contact with the conductive sheet 201 is located at the inner side of each of the elastic arms 22, thereby further ensuring that the contact portions 24 cannot easily leave the conductive sheet 201, and further reducing the risk that the terminal 2 and the chip module 200 are not conducted with each other.

(57) (4) One of the second arms 222 is bent toward another one of the second arms 222, so that the distance between the two second arms 222 decreases in a direction from bottom to top, thereby further ensuring that the contact portions 24 cannot easily leave the conductive sheet 201, and further reducing a risk that the terminal 2 and the chip module 200 are not conducted with each other.

(58) (5) The two second arms 222 are respectively folded outward to form the two contact portions 24, so that a position at which each contact portion 24 is in contact with the conductive sheet 201 is located at the inner side of each second arm 222, thereby further ensuring that the contact portions 24 cannot easily leave the conductive sheet 201, and further reducing a risk that the terminal 2 and the chip module 200 are not conducted with each other.

(59) The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.

(60) The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and their practical application so as to activate others skilled in the art to utilize the invention and various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and the exemplary embodiments described therein.