Zero insertion force socket

Claim 1

A socket for electrically connecting electronic elements having electrically conductive pins to a circuit board, said socket comprising: a base having four sides and a bottom with a plurality of first holes formed thereon; a top cover which is connected with said base to form a hollow box-like member having a top side formed by said top cover and a bottom side formed by said bottom of the base and four lateral sides, said top cover having a plurality of second holes formed thereon to allow said pins of said electronic elements to penetrate therethrough; a slidable block which is disposed inside said box-like member and slidable up and down therein, said slidable block having a plurality of funnel-like penetrating holes with a wider end formed on a first side thereof opposing said top side of the box-like member and a narrower end formed on a second side thereof opposing said bottom side of the box-like member, each of said funnel-like holes corresponding to one of said first holes and also corresponding to one of said second holes; a plurality of pinching elements, each of which is constituted by two resilient conductive strips with first ends thereof secured together and second ends thereof separated to form a Y-shaped element, each of said Y-shaped elements being disposed inside one of said funnel-like holes with the first end thereof penetrating through said narrower end of each of said funnel-like holes and each of said corresponding first holes to form an electrical connection with said circuit board and the separate second ends thereof inside said wider end of each of the funnel-like holes for receiving said pins of the IC element therebetween; and a lifting mechanism pivotally connected to said slidable block for moving said slidable block up and down so as to have said separate second ends of the Y-shaped pinching elements pinch and release said pins of the IC elements to form and break an electrical connection therebetween.