Protective carrier and securing means therefor

Claim 1

In combination: a substrate having contact areas thereon; a chip carrier socket having a first surface and a second surface, a recess extending from the first surface, contact passages extending from the first surface to the second surface, contacts positioned in the contact passages, posts extending outward from the first surface, the second surface being adjacent the contact areas of the substrate, such that the contacts of the socket are in electrical engagement with the contact areas of the substrate; a protective carrier having a chip carrier and flexible circuitry with leads therein secured to the protective carrier in such a manner that any dimensional changes of the circuitry and the protective carrier, due to different coefficients of expansion of the circuitry and protective carrier, will maintain the center of each in coincidence, giving the circuitry and the protective carrier a reliable and accurate reference point, facilitating the positioning of the protective carrier onto the socket and ensuring that the leads will align with the contacts of the socket; and a securing and pressure means with integral resilient means, and securing and pressure means having openings provided adjacent the resilient means, the openings align with the posts of the socket such that the openings and the resilient means cooperate with the posts to provide and maintain the contact force required to ensure the leads of the protective carrier are maintained in electrical engagement with the contacts of the sockets.