Electrical connector for repeated connection to integrated circuit grid array devices

Claim 1

An electrical connector for repeated connection to integrated circuit devices of the kind having an array of individual contacts on a contact face thereof, and comprising: an insulating housing body having an upper, contact face and a lower face for connection to an external circuit; a corresponding array of individual terminals anchored in the housing and each comprising a tubular receptacle portion having a mouth at the contact face and a male terminal portion extending axially therefrom and protruding from the lower face; a contact member mounted in each receptacle portion for axial sliding movement therein towards and away from the mouth; springs in respective receptacle portions in biassing engagement with the respective contact members to urge the contact members axially upwardly towards the contact face so that engagement of respective contacts with upper ends of respective members with an axial downward contact force depresses the respective contact members against the action of the spring axially further into the receptacle to establish electrical connection therebetween, and, disengagement, of the contacts and contact members permits the spring to restore the respective contact members towards the upper face; the housing body being molded from one piece of plastic material with front and rear ends and opposite sides extending between the ends, locking projections extending laterally from opposite sides at the front end and ears upstanding from opposite sides at the rear end, identical apertures being formed in respective ears, each aperture having an enlarged pivotal portion communicating forwardly with a slot-form locking portion; and a one-piece cover member of generally U-shape having a pair of resilient arms extending rearwardly from a forward transverse wall, flanges depending from opposite ends of the transverse wall and having forwardly opening locking pin receiving slots, forward, free ends of the arms having depending portions and tabs extending laterally outwardly therefrom, the cover member being mountable on the housing body by receipt of the respective tabs in respective enlarged portions of respective apertures, admitted therein by resilient flexure together of the free ends of the arms and the cover member being moveable between open, device receiving, and closed, device retaining positions, by pivotal movement of the front end between positions remote and adjacent the contact face, respectively, and subsequent forward movement of the cover member to bring the locking slots into registration with respective locking pins and the tabs into registration with the locking slots of the base member.