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Cap for an electrical connectorRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Connectors, Having Or Providing Inductive Or Capacitive Shield, Conductive Shielding Material Individually Surrounding Or Interposed Between Mutually Insulated ContactsCap for an electrical connector description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080070443, Cap for an electrical connector. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/757,523, filed Jun. 4, 2007, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/019,779, filed Dec. 21, 2004, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This application claims priority to these applications. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates generally to electrical connectors. More specifically, the invention relates to a cap for an electrical connector that weights the connector to facilitate mounting of the connector on the surface of a substrate. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Electrical connectors, such as ball-grid array (BGA) connectors, are usually mounted on the surface of a substrate using multiple solder connections. The solder connections act as electrical and mechanical connections between the substrate and contact pads on the connector. [0004] The weight of some BGA connectors is not distributed evenly across the solder balls (or other fusible elements). For example, the center of gravity of some BGA connectors, such as right angle BGA connectors, may be offset from the geometric center thereof to an extent that causes the connector to tilt (or tip) on the substrate. Such tilting can vary the pressures on the solders ball of the ball-grid array. In other words, the weight of the connector may be distributed unevenly among the solder balls. Such uneven distribution can result in differences in the collapsing properties and the height of the solder balls as the solder balls are melted to form electrical connections. These factors degrade the strength and integrity of the resulting solder connections. In extreme cases, tilting can result in separation of the solder ball from the associated contact pad, thereby inhibiting the formation of an electrical connection. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0005] A preferred embodiment for a method of mounting an electrical connector to a substrate includes placing an electrical connector onto a substrate so that a fusible element substantially aligns with the contact pad on the substrate, providing a cap for the electrical connector where the cap has a geometric center offset from its center of gravity, placing the cap onto the electrical connector to counterbalance and reposition the center of gravity of the electrical connector so that the weight of the combined assembly is centered over the fusible area, and heating the electrical connector and the substrate to create at least one electrical connection between the electrical connector and the substrate so that the fusible elements form into a common geometry. [0006] A preferred embodiment of a cap for a electrical connector includes a body, where the body includes a substantially planar first surface suitable for vacuum pickup, a second surface formed to engage the electrical connector, and a center of gravity and a geometric center where the center of gravity is offset from the geometric center so that the cap balances the electrical connector on the substrate fusible area when the cap is placed on the electrical connector. [0007] A preferred embodiment of an assembly includes a substrate, where the substrate includes an upper side having at least one contact pad for connection, an electrical connector, where the electrical connector comprises a housing, an electrical conductor mounted within the housing, a fusible element attached to the electrical conductor for forming an electrical connection with the substrate, a center of gravity, and a geometric center, where the center of gravity of the electrical connector is offset from the geometric center of the electrical connector along at least one axis, and a cap for mating with the electrical connector, where the cap comprises a body with a center of gravity and a geometric center, where the center of gravity of the cap is offset from the geometric center of the cap so that the cap relocates the center of gravity of the combined assembly in alignment with the center of the fusible area when the cap is placed on the electrical connector. [0008] A preferred embodiment of a method for mounting a ball-grid array connector to a substrate includes placing the ball-grid array connector onto the substrate so that a fusible element array substantially aligns with an array of contact pads on the substrate, providing a cap for the ball-grid array connector, wherein the cap has a geometric center offset from its center of gravity, placing the cap onto the ball-grid array connector to counterbalance the ball-grid array connector, and heating the ball-grid array connector and the substrate to create at least one electrical connection between the ball-grid array connector and the substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0009] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, are better understood when read in conjunction with the appended diagrammatic drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, the drawings show an embodiment that is presently preferred. The invention is not limited, however, to the specific instrumentalities disclosed in the drawings. In the drawings: [0010] FIG. 1 is an exemplary view of a substrate and an electrical connector showing a fusible area; [0011] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a right angle ball-grid array connector; [0012] FIG. 3 is an exemplary view of an insert molded leadframe assembly of the ball-grid array connector shown in FIG. 2; [0013] FIG. 4 is an exemplary view of the lower surface of a ball-grid array connector shown in FIG. 2; [0014] FIG. 5 is an exemplary exploded view of an electrical assembly including a substrate, an electrical connector, and a cap in a preferred embodiment of this invention; [0015] FIG. 6A is an exemplary view of a substrate and electrical connector; [0016] FIG. 6B is an exemplary view of a substrate, an electrical connector, and a cap; [0017] FIG. 7A is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the cap shown in FIGS. 5 and 6B, with a balancing portion of the cap in a first position on a cap portion of the cap; and [0018] FIG. 7B is a side view of the cap shown in FIG. 6A, with the balancing portion of the cap in a second position on the cap portion. 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