US5669774A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ball grid array socket
Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Ltd
•
Filing: 1996-03-13
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Granted: 1997-09-23
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Expires: 2016-03-13
Abstract
Abstract A substrate mating assembly has a first substrate with at least one socket mounted thereon. The at least one socket has contact retention points provided thereon which extend into a contact receiving opening thereof. A second substrate is provided with at least one mating contact mounted thereon. The at least one mating contact has an arcuate surface and is dimensioned to be received in the contact receiving opening of the at least one socket. As the first substrate and the second substrate are electrically mated together, the at least one mating contact is received in the contact receiving opening and maintained in position therein by the cooperation of the contact retention points with the arcuate surface of the at least one mating contact. The contact retention points are provided on resilient arms which are configured to allow for the elastic distortion thereof as the at least one mating contact is brought into engagement with the at least one socket, such that when the at least one mating contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the arcuate surface of the at least one mating contact to maintain the at least one mating contact in position.
Inventors
- 👤 Dimitry Grabbe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 02:36
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/22; H01R13/24; H01R13/2464; H01R13/2485; G; G01; G01R; G01R1/00; G01R1/02; G01R1/04; G01R1/0408; G01R1/0433; G01R1/0483; H01R12/00; H01R12/50; H01R12/51; H01R12/52; H05; H05K; H05K7/00; H05K7/02; H05K7/10; H05K7/1053; H05K7/1076; H05K7/1084; G01R1/0441; G01R1/0466; H10; H10W; H10W72/00; H10W72/071; H10W72/072; H10W72/07221; H10W72/07227; H10W72/07231; H10W72/20; H10W72/241
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
An electrical connection system for electrically connecting a first substrate to a second substrate comprising: at least one ball contact disposed on a major surface of the first substrate, and; at least one socket contact mountable on a major surface of the second substrate to receive the ball contact, the socket contact having a bottom wall, a side wall extending from the bottom wall in a direction toward a mating end and essentially perpendicular to the bottom wall, the side wall forming an opening into which the ball contact is inserted, and at least one contact retention point provided on the side wall proximate the mating end and extending into the opening, the contact retention point cooperating with the ball contact to draw the ball contact into engagement with the socket contact during mating as the contact retention points pass over the ball contact.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
144 words
An electrical connection system for electrically connecting a first substrate to a second substrate comprising: at least one ball contact disposed on a major surface of the first substrate, and; at least one socket contact mountable on a major surface of the second substrate to receive the ball contact, the socket contact having a bottom wall, a side wall extending from the bottom wall in a direction toward a mating end and essentially perpendicular to the bottom wall, the side wall forming an opening into which the ball contact is inserted, and at least one contact retention point provided on the side wall proximate the mating end and extending into the opening, the contact retention point cooperating with the ball contact to draw the ball contact into engagement with the socket contact during mating as the contact retention points pass over the ball contact.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 1 wherein the socket contact is stamped and formed from flat stock.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 1 wherein carrier retention points are provided on the side wall and extend in a direction away from the opening, the carrier retention points cooperate with a carrier to maintain the socket contacts therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
42 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 1 wherein the contact retention points are provided on resilient arms, the resilient arms are configured to allow for the elastic deflection thereof as the ball contact is brought into engagement with the socket contact.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 1 wherein the socket contact is a laminate material, the inside layer of the laminate material is a material which does not have an affinity for tin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 5 wherein the laminate has an inside surface of stainless steel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 5 wherein the outside surface of the laminate is tin.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 1 wherein the socket contact is a spring tempered metal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 8 wherein the spring tempered metal is gold plated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 8 wherein the spring tempered metal has a layer of nickel plating and a layer of gold plating.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 8 wherein the spring tempered metal has a layer of palladium plating and a layer of gold plating.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 8 wherein the spring tempered metal has a layer of nickel plating and a layer of palladium plating.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
104 words
A socket contact being mountable on a substrate and matable with a ball contact comprising: contact retention points disposed on resilient arms extending substantially perpendicular to a bottom wall, the contact retention points extend into an opening defined by the resilient arms, the resilient arms being configured to allow for the elastic deflection thereof as a mating ball contact is brought into engagement with the socket contact, such that when the mating ball contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the periphery of the mating ball contact to maintain the mating ball contact in position.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
104 words
A socket contact being mountable on a substrate and matable with a ball contact comprising: contact retention points disposed on resilient arms extending substantially perpendicular to a bottom wall, the contact retention points extend into an opening defined by the resilient arms, the resilient arms being configured to allow for the elastic deflection thereof as a mating ball contact is brought into engagement with the socket contact, such that when the mating ball contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the periphery of the mating ball contact to maintain the mating ball contact in position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
17 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 13 wherein the socket contact is a spring temper metal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 13 wherein the socket contact is a laminate material, the inside layer of the laminate material is a material which does not have an affinity for tin.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A socket contact as recited in claim 15 wherein the laminate has an inside surface of stainless steel.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
139 words
A substrate mating assembly comprising: a first substrate with at least one mating contact mounted thereon, the at least one mating contact having an arcuate surface and dimensioned to be received in a contact receiving opening of at least one socket contact, a second substrate with the at least one socket contact mounted thereon, the at least one socket contact having contact retention points disposed on resilient arms extending into a contact receiving opening thereof, the resilient arms are configured to allow for the elastic deflection thereof as the at least one mating contact is brought into engagement with the at least one socket contact, such that when the at least one mating contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the arcuate surface of the at least one mating contact.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
139 words
A substrate mating assembly comprising: a first substrate with at least one mating contact mounted thereon, the at least one mating contact having an arcuate surface and dimensioned to be received in a contact receiving opening of at least one socket contact, a second substrate with the at least one socket contact mounted thereon, the at least one socket contact having contact retention points disposed on resilient arms extending into a contact receiving opening thereof, the resilient arms are configured to allow for the elastic deflection thereof as the at least one mating contact is brought into engagement with the at least one socket contact, such that when the at least one mating contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the arcuate surface of the at least one mating contact.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
An assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein the mating contact is a conductive ball.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
An assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein the mating contact is surface mounted to the second substrate and the socket contact is surface mounted to the first substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
91 words
An assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein the contact retention points are provided on resilient arms, the resilient arms are configured to allow for the elastic deflection thereof as the at least one mating contact is brought into engagement with the at least one socket contact, such that when the at least one mating contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the arcuate surface of the at least one mating contact to maintain the at least one mating contact in position.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
43 words
An assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein a carrier is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate to maintain the spacing therebetween, the carrier has socket contact receiving openings provided therein to cooperate with the at least one socket contact.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
53 words
An assembly as recited in claim 21 wherein carrier retention points are provided on the at least one socket contact and extend in a direction away from the contact receiving opening, the carrier retention points cooperate with the carrier to maintain the at least one socket contact in the socket contact receiving openings.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
An assembly as recited in claim 22 wherein the contact retention points of the at least one socket contact are provided on resilient arms.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
42 words
An assembly as recited in claim 23 wherein contact receiving openings are configured to be overstress protection members, whereby as the at least one mating contact is moved into the at least one socket contact, the resilient arms will not be overstressed.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
111 words
A socket assembly for establishing an electrical connection to a ball contact comprising: a socket being mountable on a substrate at a bottom wall and having contact retention points disposed on resilient arms extending from the bottom wall, the contact retention points extend into an opening defined by the resilient arms, the resilient arms being configured to allow for the elastic distortion thereof as a mating ball contact is brought into engagement with socket, such that when the mating ball contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the periphery of the mating ball contact to maintain the mating ball contact in position.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
111 words
A socket assembly for establishing an electrical connection to a ball contact comprising: a socket being mountable on a substrate at a bottom wall and having contact retention points disposed on resilient arms extending from the bottom wall, the contact retention points extend into an opening defined by the resilient arms, the resilient arms being configured to allow for the elastic distortion thereof as a mating ball contact is brought into engagement with socket, such that when the mating ball contact is fully inserted, the resilient arms will return toward an unstressed position to cooperate with the periphery of the mating ball contact to maintain the mating ball contact in position.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
29 words
A socket assembly as recited in claim 25 wherein the mating contact is surface mounted to the second substrate and the socket is surface mounted to the first substrate.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
33 words
A socket assembly as recited in claim 25 wherein the socket is a laminate material, the inside layer of the laminate material is a material which does not have an affinity for tin.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
A socket assembly as recited in claim 25 wherein the laminate has an inside surface of stainless steel.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
16 words
A socket assembly as recited in claim 25 wherein the socket is a spring temper metal.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-09-22 | 2001-03-24 | 2001-09-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-09-22 | 2005-03-24 | 2005-09-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-09-22 | 2009-03-24 | 2009-09-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |