Zero insertion force compliant pin contact and assembly

Abstract:

A compliant pin contact and assembly utilizing same in which the contact is comprised of two layers, each of a different material and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than the other, to enable insertion within an opening in either a "cold" or "hot" state to thereby expand and positively engage the opening's walls, thereby securedly holding the pin in position. Representative materials include Invar and aluminum.

Citations

3569901 3913444 4072816 4082394 4462651 4841100 4906198 4912772 5064063 5129830 5139890 5147227 5230632 5536126 5653601 5715595 5754410 5878483

Cited By

Patent number	Title	Issue date
6974339	Connector	2005-12-13
7160122	Power connectors and contacts	2007-01-09

Suggestions

If you were to search for Zero insertion force compliant pin contact and assembly using relaxed search criteria, these patents would come up:

Patent number	Title	Issue date
6171114	Low insertion force array connector for providing a removable high density electrical interconnect to a flexible circuit	2001-01-09
6171155	Female electrical terminal with a low insertion force resilient contact member	2001-01-09
6179640	High temperature minimal (zero) insertion force socket	2001-01-30
6186815	Zero insertion force socket	2001-02-13
6186843	Carrier for socket type contacts having compliant pins	2001-02-13
6244888	Connector with a plug and base of low insertion force, particularly of the type with pin/lyre contacts	2001-06-12
6260268	Method of forming a solid compliant pin connector contact	2001-07-17
6293833	Low insertion force, high contact force terminal spring	2001-09-25
6322403	Low insertion force mating electrical contact structure	2001-11-27
6364682	Electrical connector with low force of insertion particularly with blade contacts, for a flexible circuit	2002-04-02
6371784	Zero insertion force contact for use with a pin grid array	2002-04-16
6565367	Zero insertion force compliant pin contact and assembly	2003-05-20
6663409	Zero insertion force socket having a base with compliant walls	2003-12-16
6672891	Zero insertion force connector for substrates with edge contacts	2004-01-06
6896534	Zero insertion force mount for fixing and making contact with circuit subassemblies on a substrate	2005-05-24
6802720	Pin-array, separable, compliant electrical contact member	2004-10-12
6743038	Zero insertion force connector basing on surface contact	2004-06-01
6979219	Zero insertion force dual beam surface mount contact	2005-12-27
6755699	Reduced insertion force contact pin tip	2004-06-29
6764325	Zero insertion force heat-activated retention pin	2004-07-20

Claims:

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contact adapted for being positioned within an opening of a circuitized substrate as defined by a wall within said substrate, said opening having an innerdiameter, said contact comprising: a first outer layer of material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion; and a second inner layer of material bonded to said first outer layer of material along a common interface and having a secondcoefficient of thermal expansion less than said first coefficient of thermal expansion, said first outer layer of said contact having an outer diameter at a first temperature less than said inner diameter of said opening located in said circuitizedsubstrate in which said contact is adapted for being positioned and being expandable to said inner diameter of said opening at a second temperature less than said first temperature after said contact is positioned within said opening and said first outerlayer engages said wall of said opening to provide a secure fit within said opening of said circuitized substrate, said electrical contact not including a third layer, said first and second layers forming coaxial cylindrical and tapered end portions andincluding a common slotted portion extending substantially the entire length of both portions.

2. The electrical contact of claim 1 wherein each of said first and second layers of material are comprised of metal.

3. The electrical contact of claim 2 wherein said first layer is aluminum and said second layer is Invar.

Patent number:
6565367
View patent at USPTO

Filing date:
January 17, 2001

Issue date:
May 20, 2003

Inventors:
Mark Budman (Vestal, NY)
Bruce Chamberlin (Vestal, NY)
Li Li (Plano, TX)
James Stack (Endicott, NY)

Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY)

Primary Examiner:
Gary Paumen

Assistant Examiner:
James R. Harvey

Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Fraley; Lawrence R.

Current U.S. Classification: 439/161 439/479 439/567 439/82