Connector for leadless integrated circuit packages

Claim 2

A connector for removably mounting a leadless circuit package on a backpanel and electrically coupling the terminal pads of the leadless circuit package to the backpanel, said connector comprising: a. a housing for mounting on the backpanel, said housing having a pair of upstanding end walls and a pair of upstanding side walls which form the perimeter of an upwardly opening chamber formed therein into which the leadless circuit is nestingly positionable; b. a cover demountably nestingly positioned within the chamber of said housing atop the leadless circuit package when that package is positioned Therein, said cover laterally slidably movable relative to said housing; c. deflecting and locking means formed in said housing and disposed in the path of sliding movement for deflecting said cover downwardly in the chamber of said housing when said cover is slidably moved into engagement therewith and for locking said cover in the deflecting position; and d. electrical interconnecting means mounted in said housing and extending into the chamber of said housing for engagement with the terminal pads of the leadless circuit package when that package is positioned therein, said electrical interconnecting means extending from said housing for engaging the backpanel when said housing is mounted thereon.

Claim 3

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deflecting and locking means comprises: a. one of the upstanding end walls of said housing having an inwardly opening elongated slot formed therein into which a portion of said cover is laterally slidable for deflecting and locking engagement therein; and b. each of the upstanding side walls of said housing having at least one upwardly and inwardly opening notch formed therein for receiving portions of said cover and for deflectingly lockingly engaging those received portions of said cover upon sliding movement of said cover.

Claim 4

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deflecting and locking means comprises: a. one of the upstanding end walls of said housing having an inwardly opening slot formed therein into which a portion of said cover is slidingly movable and which provides an overlaying end wall cantilevered ledge, the end wall cantilevered ledge having an inclined plane surface and a detent surface which upon sliding movement of said cover will deflect and lock said cover in the deflected position; and b. each of the upstanding side walls of said housing having at least one upwardly and inwardly opening notch for receiving portions of said cover and each of which provide an overlaying side wall cantilevered ledge, these latter cantilevered ledges each having and inclined plane surface and a detent surface which upon sliding movement of said cover will deflect and lock said cover in the deflected position.

Claim 5

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deflecting and locking means comprises: a. one of the upstanding end walls of said housing having an elongated inwardly opening slot formed therein into which a portion of said cover is slidingly movable; b. an end wall cantilevered ledge formed in the upstanding end wall of said housing and disposed to overlay the slot formed in that end wall and extend toward the chamber of said housing; c. each of the upstanding side walls of said housing having at least one upwardly and inwardly opening notch formed therein for receiving a portion of said cover therein; d. a side wall cantilevered ledge formed in each of the upstanding side walls of said housing adjacent the notch formed therein, said side wall cantilevered ledges disposed to overlay a portion of its adjacent one of the notches formed in the side walls of said housing, said side wall cantilevered ledges coplanar with and extending in the same direction as said end wall cantilevered ledge; e. an inclined plane surface formed on each of said end wall and said side wall cantilevered ledges, said inclined plane surfaces disposed on the lower portions of their respective ones of said end wall and said side wall cantilevered ledges adjacent the extending ends thereof; and f. a detent surface formed on each of said end wall and said side wall cantilevered ledges, said detent surfaces disposed on the lower portions of their respective ones of said end wall and said side wall cantilevered ledges adjacent said inclined plane surface thereof.

Claim 6

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover is provided with wedge means thereon for engaging said deflecting and locking means upon lateral sliding movement of said cover.

Claim 7

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover comprises: a. a cover body of planar configuration having a leading edge, a trailing edge, and a pair of side edges; b. an inclined planar surface formed on the leading edge of said cover body and which is disposed to slope angularly upwardly and rearwardly to the upper surface of said cover body; c. at least one ear extending laterally from each of the side edges of said cover body, each of said ears coplanar with said cover body and each having a leading edge which is parallel with and faces in the same direction as the leading edge of said cover body; and d. an inclined plane surface formed on the leading edge of each of said ears and which are disposed to slope angularly upwardly and rearwardly to the upper surface of their respective ones of said ears.

Claim 8

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cover is provided with heat radiating means for dissipating heat produced by the leadless circuit package when that package is mounted within said housing.

Claim 9

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrical interconnecting means comprises at least one conductive element embedded within said housing, said conductive element having a spring contact portion formed on the end thereof which extends into the chamber of said housing for conductively contacting one of the terminal pads of the leadless circuit package when that package is mounted in said housing, said conductive element having a pin portion on the end thereof which extends from said housing for engagement with the backpanel when said housing is mounted thereon.

Claim 10

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrical interconnecting means comprises at least one conductive element embedded within said housing, said conductive element having a spring contact portion formed on each of its opposite ends for forming a conductive contact with one of the terminal pads of the leadless circuit package when that package is mounted in said housing and for forming a conductive contact with the background when said housing is mounted thereon.

Claim 11

A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrical interconnecting means comprises: a. at least one elastomeric body embedded in said housing; and b. at least one flexible electrically conductive ribbon on said elastomeric body and disposed thereon to provide a first contact portion thereof extending into the chamber of said housing and a second contact portion extending exteriorly of said housing.

Claim 12

A connector as claimed in claim 1 further comprising tool means movably mounted in said housing for slidingly moving said cover into engagement with said deflecting and locking means.