GB2260925A

GB2260925A - Component mounting socket

Info

Publication number: GB2260925A
Application number: GB9221648A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Shinichi Matsui; Naoshi Tsunehiro; Naotomo Adachi; Mitsuko Kawabata
Original assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
Priority date: 1991-10-21
Filing date: 1992-10-15
Publication date: 1993-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 2012-10-15
Also published as: GB9221648D0; GB2260925B; JPH05114445A

Abstract

A socket (10) can be mounted on a printed circuit board by the use of a suction nozzle. A suction plate (4) is provided for engagement by such suction nozzle and after solder mounting is severed from the socket to clear the centre space for a thin compact component. The socket body (1) has electrical contacts (3) and is in the form of a square frame, a suction plate (4) being formed integrally on an upper end portion of the socket body (1) in a diagonal direction through thinned portions (8) which are readily cut. <IMAGE>

Description

SOCKET BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention retakes to a socket for containing an electronic component, such as an IC package and a ROM, to connect the same to a circuit.

One conventional socket of the type described is shown in Figs. 3A to 3C. Fig. 3A is a plan view, Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view, and Fig. 3C is a perspective view.

As shown in Figs. 3A to 3C, a socket body 31 comprises a square frame 32, and a bottom plate 33 integrally formed on the inside of the frame 32 to form a containing space 34. Provided on the square frame 32 are electrical contacts 35 which are adapted to be in contact with terminals of an electronic component, such as an IC package, contained in the containing space 34, so as to connect this electronic component to a circuit.

For mounting an electronic component on a printed circuit board 37 by the use of the above socket 36 of a square shape, the bottom plate 33 of the socket 36 is held by a suction nozzle of a mounting device under the influence of suction, and then the socket 36 is mounted on the printed circuit board 37. Then, the electronic component is contained in the containing space 34, so that its terminals are held in contact with the contacts 35, thereby connecting this electronic component to a circuit.

Recently, it has been desired to provide a thin, compact, lightweight design of an electronic component. There is known a socket as shown in Figs. 4A to 4C which is suited for such an electronic component.

Fig. 4A is a plan view, Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view, and Fig. 4C is a perspective view.

As shown in Figs. 4A to 4C, a socket body 31' of this conventional socket 36' is composed solely of a square frame 32'. Thus, this socket 36' differs from the above conventional socket 36 only in that the bottom plate 33 is not provided.

The socket 36' cannot be held by a suction nozzle, and therefore is mounted on a printed circuit board 37 either manually or by a chuck. However, in the former method, since the thin-type socket 36' is manually held, and is placed on the printed circuit board 37, mounting variations are relatively large, so that the mounting precision is inferior. On the other hand, in the latter method, the chuck corresponding in size to the socket body must be prepared, which is not economical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With the above problems in view, it is an object of this invention to provide a socket which can be mounted on a printed circuit board by the use of a suction nozzle although a socket body is so formed as to be suited for an electronic component of a thin, compact, lightweight design, thereby enhancing the mounting precision as well as the economy.

According to the present invention, there is provided a socket for containing an electronic component, comprising: a frame-like socket body having electrical contacts; and a suction plate formed integrally on the socket body in such a manner that the suction plate can be cut off from the socket body; whereby by cutting the suction plate off from the socket body, an open containing space for containing the electronic component is formed through the socket body.

Preferably, the suction plate should be disposed diagonally with respect to the socket body, and connected to an upper end portion of the socket body.

Therefore, in the present invention, the socket can be mounted on a printed circuit board by holding the suction plate by the suction nozzle, and thereafter the soldering is carried out, and then the suction plate is cut off from the socket body to provide the containing space, and the electronic component is contained in this containing space so that terminals of this electronic component are held in contact with the electrical contacts of the socket body, thereby connecting the electronic component to the circuit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1A is a plan view of a socket according to the present invention; Fig. 1B is a partly-broken, front-elevational view of the socket; Fig. 1C is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the socket, showing a portion of connection between a socket body and a suction plate; Fig. 2A is a perspective view showing the manner of mounting the socket on a printed circuit board by the use of a suction nozzle; Fig. 2B is a perspective view showing the manner of cutting off the suction plate of the socket; Fig. 2C is a perspective view of the socket with the suction plate removed; Fig. 3A is a plan view of one conventional socket; Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the conventional socket; Fig. 3C is a perspective view of the conventional socket; Fig. 4A is a plan view of another conventional socket;; Fig. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the conventional socket of Fig. 4A; and Fig. 4C is a perspective view of the conventional socket of Fig. 4A.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT One preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in Figs. 1A to 1C, a socket body 1 of a socket 10 is in the form of a square frame, and a containing space 2 is formed through the socket body 1 from its upper side to its lower side. Electrical contacts 3 are provided on the socket body 1, and the contacts 3 are adapted to be in contact with terminals of an electronic component, such as an IC package, received in the containing space 2 so as to connect this electronic component to a circuit. A suction plate 4 for mounting the socket 10 on a printed circuit board 12 is formed integrally on the upper end portion of the socket body 1 in such a manner that the suction plate 4 can be cut off from the suction body 1.As one example, the suction plate 4 has a generally circular suction portion 5 at its central portion, and a pair of elongate connecting portions 6 extending respectively from the opposite sides of the suction portion 5. The suction plate 4 is disposed diagonally with respect to the socket body 1, and outer ends of the two connecting portions 6 are integrally connected respectively to the inner sides of diagonally-disposed corners of the socket body 1 at the upper end of the socket body 1. A central portion of the outer end of each of the two connecting portions 6 is cut off to form a hole 7 which allows a distal end of a cutter 13 to pass therethrough. The outer end of each of the two connecting portions 6 is reduced in thickness to provide thinned portions 8 for facilitating the cutting of the connecting portion 6 from the socket body 1.Recesses 9 for taking out the electronic component are provided respectively in the diagonally-disposed corners of the socket body 1.

The manner of mounting the electronic component on the printed circuit board 12 by the use of the square socket 10 of the above construction will now be described with reference to Figs. 2A to 2C.

First, as shown in Fig. 2A, the suction portion 5 of the suction plate 4 of the socket 10 is held by a suction nozzle 11 of a mounting device under the influence of suction, and in this condition, the socket 10 is mounted on the printed circuit board 12 as shown in Figs. 2B and 1B. Thereafter, the contacts 3 are soldered to the printed circuit board. Then, the thinned portions 8 (see Figs. 1A and 1C) of the connecting portions 6 are cut off from the socket body 1 (see Fig. 2B), and as shown in Fig. 2C, the suction plate 4 is removed from the socket body 1, thereby providing the open containing space 2 through the socket body 1. Then, the electronic component is contained in the containing space 2 of the socket body 1 so that terminals of this electronic component are held in contact with the contacts 3 (see Figs. 1A and 1B), thereby connecting the electronic component to the circuit.

Thus, the electronic component is contained in the open containing space 2 formed through the socket body 1, and therefore the socket body 1 can be made thinner, and by doing so, the socket body can be suited for the thin, compact and lightweight electronic component.

As described above, in the present invention, the suction plate for mounting the socket on the printed circuit board is formed integrally on the socket body, having the electrical contacts, in such a manner that the suction plate can be cut off from the socket body, and by cutting the suction plate off from the socket body, the open containing space for containing the electronic component is formed through the socket body.

With this construction, the socket can be mounted on the printed circuit board by holding the suction plate by the suction nozzle, and thereafter the soldering is carried out, and then the suction plate is cut off from the socket body to provide the containing space, and the electronic component is contained in this containing space, so that terminals of this electronic component are held in contact with the electrical contacts of the socket body, thereby connecting the electronic component to the circuit. Thus, the socket can be mounted on the printed circuit board by the use of the suction nozzle although a socket body is so formed as to be suited for the electronic component of a thin, compact, lightweight design, thereby enhancing the mounting precision as well as the economy.

Further, since the suction plate is provided diagonally with respect to the socket body, the suction plate can be easily cut off from the socket body.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A socket for containing an electronic component, comprising: a frame-like socket body having electrical contacts; and a suction plate formed integrally on said socket body in such a manner that said suction plate can be cut off from said socket body; whereby by cutting said suction plate off from said socket body, an open containing space for containing the electronic component is formed through said socket body.

2. A socket according to claim 1, in which said socket body has a generally square shape, said suction plate being disposed diagonally with respect to said socket body, and connected to an upper end portion of said socket body.

3. A socket as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.