Electronic component socket

Claim 1

An electronic component socket for connecting to an electrical circuit on a printed circuit board an electronic component having a package and at least one pair of rows of leads arranged along at least one pair of sides of said package, which comprises: a socket body made from an insulating material so as to have a floor portion on which said electronic component is to be mounted and at least one pair of side walls extending upwardly from said floor portion; a plurality of contact channels provided on said floor portion and arranged along said side walls at an arranging pitch equal to that of said leads; a plurality of contact elements, each being made from conductive, resilient sheet metal and having a generally S-shaped form so as to give a spring property in a vertical direction, said contact element having at an upper end a contact portion for contact with a corresponding lead of said electronic component and a connection portion to be connected to a corresponding conductor of said electrical circuit, said contact element being disposed in a corresponding contact channel on said floor portion such that said contact portion is exposed from an upper surface of said floor portion adjacent said side wall and said connection portion is positioned on a lower surface of said floor portion; movable retainer means with a pair of retaining sides extending downwardly for pressing each lead of said electronic component onto a corresponding contact portion of said contact element against a vertical spring force of said contact element; at least one pair of rows of guiding posts provided on said floor portion, said post within each row being on opposite sides of each contact channel to form guiding grooves for said leads therebetween and spaced from said adjacent side wall to form an elongated recess for receiving said retaining sides; first engaging means provided on an inside of said side wall; and second engaging means provided on an outside of said movable retainer means at a position corresponding to said first engaging means for engagement with said first engaging means by sliding said movable retainer means to one side so that said retaining means is slid sideways on upper surfaces of said leads, whereby said movable retainer means is latched to said socket body while contact surfaces of said leads and said contact portions are cleaned.