Connector assembly having improved latching means

Claim 1

A connector assembly for establishing electrical connections with terminal pads on one surface of the substrate of an IC package, said connector assembly comprising a housing having an IC receiving face and laterally directed external side surfaces which extend normally of said IC receiving face, contact terminals in said housing which bear against said terminal pads of a substrate positioned on said face, a flat clamping lid in covering relationship to said IC receiving face for clamping said substrate against said contact terminals, and retaining means on said housing for removably holding said clamping lid on said housing, said connector assembly being characterized in that: said retaining means comprises a pair of resilient sheet metal latch arms which are mounted on said housing proximate to one of said side surfaces and proximate to said IC receiving face of said housing, said latch arms comprising cantilever beams which extend in opposite direction alongside said one side surface of said housing. said latch arms each having a retaining portion on its end disposed in a plane which is normal to the plane of said IC receiving face and which extends partially over marginal portions of said IC receiving face, said retaining portions having edge portions, defined by the thickness of said sheet metal latch arms, which are engagable with said clamping lid to retain said lid on said housing, said latch arms being flexible normally of their own planes and parallel to the plane of said IC receiving face whereby said retaining portions can be moved laterally beyond said one side surface thereby to permit placement of an IC package in, and removal of an IC package from, said connector assembly.