Probes and Test Sockets

Abstract

To provide a probe and a socket for inspection with which the probe is directly contacted with a housing, and high dimensional accuracy is not required in manufacturing.SOLUTION: Provided is a probe for ground which is formed in a housing 11 and inserted into an open hole 40 defined by a metal inner circumferential wall, comprising a probe body 101 having a cylindrical barrel 130 and plungers 110, 120 extending in the direction of a first axis, and a spring member 150 through which the barrel 130 is inserted. The spring member 150 has a coil part 151 which is wound around a second axis, and through which the barrel 130 is inserted in the direction of the second axis, and a projection part 152 which is formed continuously with the coil part 151 and projects outside of the outer circumferential surface of the coil part 151, elastically contacting the inner circumferential wall, the coil part 151 pushing the probe body 101 against the inner circumferential wall by elasticity of the projection part 152.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a probe and a testing socket. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art When testing devices that require high-speed transmission, a testing socket having three types of pins (probes) - a signal pin, a power pin, and a ground pin - is often used.

[0003] The ground pin electrically connects the ground terminal of the testing device and the ground terminal of the test board to the housing acting as a ground. An example of the ground pin is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which electrical continuity is established between a ground contact probe and a metal block serving as a ground via a coil spring whose diameter is partially changed and whose axis is eccentric. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-060527 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in manufacturing the coil spring used in the configuration of Patent Document 1, it is not easy to control the degree of eccentricity, making it difficult to provide a coil spring that stably contacts both the ground contact probe and the metal block.

[0007] Furthermore, since electrical continuity is achieved via the coil spring, the coil spring must be electrically conductive, which limits the options for the material of the coil spring.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a probe and an inspection socket which allow the probe to come into direct contact with the housing and which do not require high dimensional accuracy in their manufacture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the probe and the inspection socket of the present invention employ the following measures. That is, a probe according to one aspect of the present invention is a grounding probe that is formed in a housing and inserted into a through hole defined by a metallic inner wall, and includes a probe body having a cylindrical barrel extending in the direction of a first axis and a plunger housed in the barrel, and a spring member through which the barrel is inserted, the spring member having a coil portion wound around a second axis and through which the barrel is inserted in the direction of the second axis, and a protrusion formed continuously with the coil portion, protruding outward beyond the outer circumferential surface of the coil portion and elastically contacting the inner wall, and the coil portion presses the probe body against the inner wall by the elasticity of the protrusion.

[0010] According to the probe of this aspect, the spring member has a coil portion wound around the second axis and through which the barrel is inserted in the direction of the second axis, and a protrusion formed continuously with the coil portion and protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the coil portion to elastically contact the inner circumferential wall, and the coil portion presses the probe body against the inner circumferential wall by the elasticity of the protrusion, so that when there is a gap between the through hole and the probe body, the barrel can be brought into direct contact with the housing, thereby ensuring electrical continuity between the probe body and the housing. In addition, because the protrusion of the spring member elastically contacts the inner circumferential wall, even if the gap between the through hole and the barrel is not constant due to dimensional errors of the through hole or the barrel, the errors can be absorbed, and therefore high dimensional accuracy is not required in forming the through hole or manufacturing the barrel. In addition, since the electrical continuity is not achieved through the spring member, the spring member itself is not required to be electrically conductive or to have excellent electrical conductivity. This allows for a wider range of options for the material and manufacturing method of the spring member, which can reduce costs. For example, the spring member can be made of inexpensive resin. In addition, since there is no need to gold-plate the spring member to stabilize the contact resistance between the spring member and the housing, costs can be reduced by the amount of plating that is not required.

[0011] In addition, in a probe according to one embodiment of the present invention, the spring member has two coil portions adjacent to each other in the direction of the second axis, and the protrusion portion is provided between the coil portion and another coil portion adjacent to it.

[0012] According to the probe of this aspect, the spring member has two coil parts adjacent to each other in the direction of the second axis, and the protrusion is provided between one coil part and another coil part adjacent thereto, so that the two coil parts can press the probe body against the inner circumferential wall. In other words, a force for pressing the probe body against the inner circumferential wall can be applied to two points of the barrel. This allows the probe to be stably pressed against the inner circumferential wall. In other words, the probe body can be stably brought into contact with the inner circumferential wall.

[0013] In a probe according to an aspect of the present invention, the protrusions are provided on both ends of the coil portion in the direction of the second axis.

[0014] According to the probe of this aspect, the protrusions are provided on both ends of the coil portion in the second axial direction, so that the spring member can be brought into contact with the inner circumferential wall at two protrusions spaced apart in the second axial direction. This allows the probe to be stably and strongly pressed against the inner circumferential wall. In addition, the spring member can be prevented from tilting in the through hole.

[0015] In a probe according to an aspect of the present invention, the protrusions have tips that intersect with each other when viewed from the direction of the second axis.

[0016] In the probe according to this aspect, the tips of the protrusions intersect when viewed from the direction of the second axis, so that the restoring forces exerted by the protrusions act in the same direction.

[0017] In addition, an inspection socket according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing having a through hole defined by a metal inner peripheral wall and formed along a third axis. ,before The probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is inserted into the through hole, and the coil portion presses the probe body against the inner circumferential wall by the elasticity of the protrusion.

[0018] Moreover, in an inspection socket according to one embodiment of the present invention, the barrel has a flange portion protruding from an outer circumferential surface, the through hole has a small diameter portion that is larger in diameter than a portion of the barrel other than the flange portion and smaller in diameter than the flange portion, and a large diameter portion that is larger in diameter than the flange portion and is continuous with the small diameter portion along the direction of the third axis, the flange portion is accommodated in the large diameter portion of the through hole, and the spring member is accommodated in the large diameter portion between the flange portion and the small diameter portion.

[0019] In the inspection socket according to this aspect, the barrel has a flange portion protruding from the outer circumferential surface, the through hole has a small diameter portion larger in diameter than the portion of the barrel other than the flange portion and smaller in diameter than the flange portion, and a large diameter portion larger in diameter than the flange portion and continuing to the small diameter portion along the third axis, the flange portion is accommodated in the large diameter portion of the through hole, and the spring member is accommodated in the large diameter portion between the flange portion and the small diameter portion, so that the flange portion can be biased in a direction away from the small diameter portion by the elasticity of the coil portion along the second axis. This allows a preload to be applied by the elasticity of the coil portion when the inspection socket is mounted on a test board. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a probe and an inspection socket in which the probe directly contacts the housing and high dimensional accuracy is not required in the manufacture. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a socket equipped with a probe according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a socket equipped with a probe. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the probe body (the barrel is shown in longitudinal section). [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper housing before the spring member is inserted into the upper housing. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper housing when the spring member is inserted into the upper housing. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the upper housing when the probe is inserted into the upper housing. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII shown in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a socket before it is mounted on a printed wiring board. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the socket mounted on a printed wiring board. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an IC package mounted in a socket. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a front view of a spring member according to a first modified example. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a front view of a spring member according to Modification 2. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a spring member according to Modification 2. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a front view of a spring member according to Modification 3. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a spring member according to Modification 3. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a spring member according to Modification 3. [Figure 23] 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a socket having a probe according to a second embodiment mounted on a printed wiring board. FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a front view of a probe main body according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the housing when the probe is inserted into the housing. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the socket mounted on a printed wiring board. [Figure 27] 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a socket according to a fourth embodiment mounted on a printed wiring board. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] [First embodiment] A probe and an inspection socket according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] [Outline of the inspection socket] An overview of the inspection socket 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "socket 10") will be given below. As shown in FIG. 1, a socket 10 is a component that provides electrical continuity between a printed wiring board (test board) 20 and an IC package (semiconductor package) 30 during testing of the IC package 30. The socket 10 is mounted on the upper surface of a printed wiring board 20 . The IC package 30 is mounted in a recess 12a formed in a movable base 12 of the socket 10.

[0024] The IC package 30 may be of a ball grid array (BGA) type, a land grid array (LGA) type, or a quad flat package (QFP) type.

[0025] The socket 10 includes a probe 100, a housing 11 having an upper housing 11A and a lower housing 11B, and a movable base 12.

[0026] In the socket 10, the housing 11 is disposed on the printed wiring board 20 side, and the movable base 12 is disposed so as to be stacked on the housing 11 (upper housing 11A).

[0027] A biasing member (not shown) is interposed between the housing 11 (upper housing 11A) and the movable base 12, and biases the two members in directions separating them from each other. Further, the base screw 14 is fixed to the upper housing 11A via the movable base 12 so that the biasing member prevents the movable base 12 from falling off (jumping out) from the upper housing 11A. This allows the movable base 12 to be configured so as to be elastically movable toward and away from the housing 11. In detail, the movable base 12 moves away from the housing 11 when no load is applied, and the movable base 12 moves toward the housing 11 when the movable base 12 is pressed toward the housing 11.

[0028] The housing 11 has an upper housing 11A and a lower housing 11B, and is configured so that the upper housing 11A is stacked on the lower housing 11B.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing 11 has a through hole 40 formed across the upper housing 11A and the lower housing 11B, and the probe 100 is accommodated in this through hole 40. For ease of explanation, the probe 100 is not shown in the through-hole 40 (the through-hole 40 on the left side) shown in FIG.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, through-hole 40 is composed of a large diameter portion 41A1, a medium diameter portion 41A2 and a small diameter portion 41A3 formed in upper housing 11A, and a small diameter portion 41B formed in lower housing 11B. The large diameter portion 41A1, the medium diameter portion 41A2, the small diameter portion 41A3, and the small diameter portion 41B share a common axis line X3 (third axis line).

[0031] In the upper housing 11A, the large diameter portion 41A1 has a larger diameter than the medium diameter portion 41A2, which has a larger diameter than the small diameter portion 41A3. The small diameter portion 41B of the lower housing 11B has a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 41A1 of the upper housing 11A.

[0032] The inner peripheral wall of the housing 11 that defines the through hole 40 configured as above is made of a conductive material (e.g., a metal) and is electrically connected to the ground. To achieve this, the housing 11 itself can be made of metal.

[0033] [Probe Details] The detailed structure of the probe 100 will now be described. There are three types of probes 100: a signal pin, a power pin, and a ground pin. The probe 100 of this embodiment relates to a ground probe that electrically connects the ground terminal of the IC package 30 and the ground terminal of the printed wiring board 20 to the housing 11, which serves as ground.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, the probe 100 includes a probe body 101 and a spring member 150 .

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the probe body 101 includes a barrel 130 , an upper plunger 110 , a lower plunger 120 , and a biasing member 140 .

[0036] The barrel 130 is a cylindrical member extending in the direction of an axis X1 (first axis). The barrel 130 is made of metal (for example, a copper-based material that has been plated). The barrel 130 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the medium diameter portion 41A2 and larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 41A3 and the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 41B.

[0037] Barrel 130 accommodates a base end portion of upper plunger 110 , a base end portion of lower plunger 120 , and a biasing member 140 . Here, the base end of the upper plunger 110 refers to the end opposite the tip portion that contacts the IC package 30. Also, the base end of the lower plunger 120 refers to the end opposite the tip portion that contacts the printed wiring board 20 (see FIG. 16).

[0038] The upper plunger 110 and the lower plunger 120 are made of metal (for example, a copper-based material that has been plated). The biasing member 140 is, for example, a coil spring made of metal (for example, a piano wire that has been plated).

[0039] The tip portion (shaft portion protruding from barrel 130) of upper plunger 110 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of small diameter portion 41A3 of upper housing 11A. Also, the tip portion (shaft portion protruding from barrel 130) of lower plunger 120 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of small diameter portion 41B of lower housing 11B.

[0040] The upper plunger 110 and the lower plunger 120 are biased in directions away from each other by a biasing member 140, and are configured to be slidable relative to the barrel . That is, the probe body 101 shown in FIG. 4 is a so-called double-sided sliding type probe in which the upper plunger 110 and the lower plunger 120 slide in the direction of the axis X1.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spring member 150 has a coil portion 151 and a protrusion portion 152.

[0042] The coil portion 151 is a cylindrical portion formed by winding a linear material around an axis X2 (second axis). The outer diameter of the coil portion 151 is smaller than the inner diameter of the large diameter portion 41A1 and is larger than the inner diameter of the medium diameter portion 41A2.

[0043] Examples of materials for the coil portion 151 include metal and resin. Examples of metallic materials include piano wire, stainless steel wire, and hard steel wire. Tungsten-based and copper alloy-based materials may also be used.

[0044] The protrusion 152 is a portion of the linear material forming the coil portion 151 that protrudes outward beyond the outer circumferential surface of the coil portion 151 . In the same figure, the protrusion portion 152 is formed by extending the linear material at the upper end of the coil portion 151 along the tangential direction so as to protrude outward beyond the outer circumferential surface of the coil portion 151, and then bending the protruding portion downward along the axis X2. The term "tangential direction" used here means the direction of a tangent to a circle drawn by the outline of coil portion 151 when coil portion 151 is viewed in plan from the direction of axis X2 as shown in FIG.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spring member 150 including the protruding portion 152 has an outer diameter (a circumscribing circle, a circle indicated by C in FIG. 6) larger than that of the large diameter portion 41A1 under no load. However, the diameter of the circumscribing circle can be reduced to a diameter smaller than that of the large diameter portion 41A1 by elastically deforming the protruding portion 152 through the twisting of the coil portion 151. This allows the spring member 150 to be housed in the large diameter portion 41A1.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, the probe 100 is constructed by inserting the probe main body 101 into the coil portion 151 of the spring member 150.

[0047] [How to assemble the probe and socket] A method for assembling the probe 100 and the socket 10 will now be described. First, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the spring member 150 is inserted into the large diameter portion 41A1 formed in the upper housing 11A from below along the direction of the axis X3.

[0048] At this time, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the protrusion 152 of the spring member 150 is elastically deformed by the twisting of the coil portion 151, so that the spring member 150 is housed in the large diameter portion 41A1. In addition, since the outer diameter of the coil portion 151 is larger than the inner diameter of the medium diameter portion 41A2, the spring member 150 remains in the large diameter portion 41A1.

[0049] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the spring member 150 housed in the large diameter portion 41A1 elastically contacts the coil portion 151 and the protrusion portion 152 with the inner wall defining the large diameter portion 41A1 due to an elastic force (restoring force) that causes the protrusion portion 152 to return to its original position (see Figure 6). Specifically, the coil portion 151 and the protrusion portion 152 contact opposing portions of the inner circumferential wall. In the case of Fig. 9, the coil portion 151 contacts the right side of the inner circumferential wall, and the protrusion portion 152 contacts the left side of the inner circumferential wall.

[0050] At this time, as shown in Figures 9 to 11, since the coil portion 151 is moved by the restoring force of the protrusion portion 152, the axis X2 of the coil portion 151 is offset with respect to the axis X3 of the through hole 40 (here, the large diameter portion 41A1 and the medium diameter portion 41A2). 11, the inner diameter of the coil portion 151 and the inner diameter of the medium diameter portion 41A2 overlap by a maximum distance d1 in a direction passing through the axis X2 and the axis X3. That is, when the medium diameter portion 41A2 is viewed in plan from the direction of the axis X2 and the axis X3, it is open by a maximum distance d1. For ease of explanation, the spring member 150 shown in FIG. 11 only shows the coil portion 151, with the protrusion portion 152 omitted.

[0051] Next, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the probe body 101 is inserted into the through-hole 40 along the direction of the axis X3, and is inserted into the coil portion 151 along the direction of the axis X2.

[0052] At this time, by setting each dimension so that the outer diameter D1 of the barrel 130 is larger than the distance d1, the through hole 40, the probe body 101, and the spring member 150 have the following relationship.

[0053] That is, when the barrel 130 is inserted into the coil portion 151, the coil portion 151 moves by the difference between D1 and d1. 11 and 13, it can be seen that, when the position of the axis X3 is taken as the reference, the coil section 151 has moved from the right side to the left side, and the offset of the axis X2 from the axis X3 has become smaller. It can also be seen that the axis X1 of the probe main body 101 is located between the axis X2 and the axis X3.

[0054] Since the coil portion 151 is pressed against the inner wall of the large diameter portion 41A1 (the right side portion in Figures 12 and 13) by the protrusion portion 152, when the barrel 130 is inserted, the inner surface of the coil portion 151 (the left side portion in the same figures) comes into contact with the outer surface of the barrel 130 at contact point P1. At the same time, the barrel 130, which is receiving a rightward force from the contact point P1, is pressed against the inner circumferential wall defining the medium diameter portion 41A2 (the part on the right side in the same figure) by the elasticity of the protrusion 152, and comes into direct contact with the housing 11 (upper housing 11A) at the contact point P2. This completes the assembly of the probe 100 in electrical communication with the upper housing 11A.

[0055] Next, the lower housing 11B is attached from below the upper housing 11A as shown in Fig. 14. In this way, the socket 10 is assembled.

[0056] Next, as shown in Fig. 15, the socket 10 is mounted on the printed wiring board 20, and then the IC package 30 is placed on the movable base 12 as shown in Fig. 16. This makes the IC package 30 ready for inspection.

[0057] [Other forms of spring members] In addition to the configurations shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the spring member 150 may be configured as shown in FIGS. Modifications of the spring member 150 will now be described.

[0058] [Variation 1] As shown in FIG. 17, the wire material wound around the coil portion 151 may be spaced apart in the direction of the axis X2 to form a spring member 150 that also exerts elastic force in the compression direction along the axis X2.

[0059] [Variation 2] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, a spring member 150 may be formed in which multiple coil portions 151 are arranged adjacent to each other in the direction of axis X2, and the lower end of an upper coil portion 151 and the upper end of a lower coil portion 151 are connected by a C-shaped protrusion 152. In this spring member 150, each coil portion 151 and each protrusion portion 152 are formed from a continuous linear material.

[0060] [Variation 3] As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, a spring member 150 may be formed with two protrusions 152 by extending linear material at both the lower ends of a coil portion 151 in a tangential direction. This allows the barrel 130 to be stably and strongly pressed against the inner circumferential wall that defines the medium diameter portion 41A2.

[0061] In the case of this spring member 150, as shown in Fig. 21, it is necessary to have the tips of the protrusions 152 facing the same direction. In addition, it is preferable that the protrusions 152 are formed so that the protrusions 152 are inclined toward each other when the spring member 150 is viewed in a plan view. Furthermore, it is preferable that the protrusions 152 are formed so that the tips of the protrusions 152 intersect when the spring member 150 is viewed in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 22. This makes it possible to align the direction in which the restoring force exerted by each protrusion 152 acts, i.e., the direction in which each protrusion 152 moves the coil portion 151.

[0062] According to this embodiment, the following effects are obtained. The spring member 150 has a coil portion 151 and a protrusion portion 152 that protrudes outward from the outer circumferential surface of the coil portion 151 and elastically contacts the inner circumferential wall that defines the through hole 40 (large diameter portion 41A1), and the coil portion 151 presses the probe main body 101 against the inner circumferential wall by the elasticity of the protrusion portion 152, so that when there is a gap between the through hole 40 and the probe main body 101, the barrel 130 can be brought into direct contact with the housing 11. This ensures electrical continuity between the probe main body 101 and the housing 11.

[0063] Furthermore, because protrusion 152 of spring member 150 elastically contacts the inner circumferential wall that defines large diameter portion 41A1, even if the gap between through hole 40 and barrel 130 is not constant for each individual product due to dimensional errors of through hole 40 or barrel 130, the errors can be absorbed. For this reason, high dimensional accuracy is not required in forming through hole 40 or manufacturing barrel 130.

[0064] In addition, since the electrical continuity is not achieved via the spring member 150, the spring member 150 itself is not required to be electrically conductive or to have excellent electrical conductivity. This allows for a wider range of choices for the material and manufacturing method of the spring member 150, which can reduce costs. For example, the spring member 150 can be made of inexpensive resin. In addition, since there is no need to gold-plate the spring member 150 to stabilize the contact resistance, costs can be reduced by the amount that is not plated.

[0065] Furthermore, when using a spring member 150 having two coil portions 151 adjacent to each other in the direction of the axis X2, and a protrusion 152 provided between one coil portion 151 and another coil portion 151 adjacent thereto, the probe body 101 can be pressed against the inner circumferential wall by the two coil portions 151. In other words, a force for pressing the probe body 101 against the inner circumferential wall can be applied to two points of the barrel 130. This allows the probe body 101 to be pressed against the inner circumferential wall in a stable manner. In other words, the probe body 101 can be brought into contact with the inner circumferential wall in a stable manner.

[0066] Furthermore, when using a spring member 150 in which protrusions 152 are provided on both ends of the coil portion 151, the spring member 150 can be brought into contact with the inner circumferential wall at two protrusions 152 spaced apart in the direction of the axis X2. This allows the barrel 130 to be pressed against the inner circumferential wall stably and strongly. Also, it is possible to prevent the spring member 150 from tilting within the through hole 40 (large diameter portion 41A1).

[0067] Furthermore, when using a spring member 150 in which the tips of the protrusions 152 intersect when viewed from the direction of the axis X2, the directions in which the restoring forces exerted by the protrusions 152 act can be aligned.

[0068] [Second embodiment] A probe and an inspection socket according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the shape of the barrel and the upper housing, but is otherwise common to both embodiments. Therefore, detailed explanations of the common features will be omitted, and only the last two digits in the 200 range will be used.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 23, the barrel 230 of the probe body 201 has a flange portion 231 .

[0070] The flange portion 231 is a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the barrel 230 that protrudes outward in the radial direction. The flange portion 231 may be formed over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction relative to the axis X1, or may be formed partially. The flange portion 231 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the large diameter portion 41A1 and larger than the inner diameter of the medium diameter portion 41A2.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 2, in the first embodiment, a small diameter portion 41A3 is provided in the through hole 40 of the upper housing 11A, and the outer diameter of the barrel 130 is made larger than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 41A3, thereby preventing the barrel 130 from jumping out of the upper housing 11A. However, by forming a flange portion 231 on the barrel 230 as in the probe body 201 shown in FIG. 23, the flange portion 231 abuts against a step at the boundary between the large diameter portion 41A1 and the medium diameter portion 41A2 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "step of the medium diameter portion 41A2"). Therefore, even if a small diameter portion 41A3 is not provided in the through hole 40 of the upper housing 11A, it is possible to prevent the barrel 230 from jumping out of the upper housing 11A.

[0072] [Third embodiment] A probe and an inspection socket according to a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is different from the second embodiment in the shape of the probe, but is otherwise common to both embodiments. Therefore, detailed explanations of the common features will be omitted, and only the last two digits of the 300s will be used.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 24, the probe body 301 is a so-called one-side sliding type probe in which the lower plunger 320 is fixed to the barrel 330 .

[0074] As shown in FIG. 25, the probe body 301 is housed in a through hole 40 having a large diameter portion 41A1 and a medium diameter portion 41A2. At this time, the spring member 350 is housed in the large diameter portion 41A1 between the flange portion 331 and the medium diameter portion 41A2.

[0075] The spring member 350 also exerts an elastic force in the compression direction along the axis X2 (see FIG. 17). The spring member 350 has an upper end capable of abutting against the step of the medium diameter portion 41A2, and a lower end capable of abutting against the upper surface of the flange portion 331.

[0076] 26, when the socket 10 housing the probe 300 is mounted on the printed wiring board 20, the probe 300 is pushed upward by the printed wiring board 20. At this time, the distance between the upper surface of the flange portion 331 and the step of the medium diameter portion 41A2 is shortened, so that the spring member 350 is compressed. This causes the barrel 330 to be biased in a direction away from the step of the medium diameter portion 41A2, and as a result, the lower plunger 320 fixed to the barrel 330 is biased against the printed wiring board 20 (so-called preload).

[0077] [Fourth embodiment] This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the shape of the upper housing, but is otherwise common to both embodiments. Therefore, detailed explanations of the common features will be omitted and only the last two digits in the 400 range will be used.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 27, the through hole 40 formed in the upper housing 11A has a large diameter portion 41A1 and a small diameter portion 41A3, but does not have a medium diameter portion 41A2.

[0079] With this configuration, in the relationship between the probe body 401 and the through hole 40, rather than bringing the barrel 430 into contact with the through hole 40, the upper plunger 410 and the lower plunger 420 can be brought into contact with the inner wall that defines the through hole 40 (small diameter portion 41A3 and small diameter portion 41B).

[0080] It should be noted that the configurations of the respective embodiments are mutually applicable to the extent that they are applicable, regardless of the embodiment. For example, the shape of the spring member 150 according to the modified example described in the first embodiment may be applied to the other embodiments. Also, the probe body 101 of the first embodiment may be a one-side sliding type probe. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10 Socket (Inspection socket) 11. Housing 11A Upper housing 11B Lower housing 12 Movable base 12a recess 14 Pedestal Screw 20 Printed wiring board (test board) 30 IC package (test device) 40 Through hole 41A1 Large diameter section 41A2 Medium diameter section 41A3 Small diameter section 41B Small diameter section 100 Probes 101 Probe body 110 Upper plunger 120 Lower Plunger 130 barrels 140 Pressing member 150 Spring material 151 Coil section 152 Protrusion 200 Probes 201 Probe body 210 Upper plunger 220 Lower Plunger 230 barrels 231 Flange part 250 Spring material 251 Coil section 252 Protrusion 300 Probes 301 Probe body 310 Upper plunger 320 Lower Plunger 330 barrels 331 Flange part 350 Spring material 351 Coil section 352 Protrusion 400 Probes 401 Probe body 410 Upper plunger 420 Lower Plunger 430 barrels 450 Spring material 451 Coil section 452 Protrusion

Claims

1. A grounding probe that is inserted into a through hole that is formed in a housing and is defined by a metal inner peripheral wall, a probe body having a cylindrical barrel extending in a first axial direction and a plunger accommodated in the barrel; a spring member through which the barrel is inserted; Equipped with The spring member has a coil portion wound around the second axis and through which the barrel is inserted in the direction of the second axis, and a protrusion formed continuously with the coil portion, protruding outward beyond an outer circumferential surface of the coil portion, and elastically contacting the inner circumferential wall, The coil portion presses the probe body against the inner circumferential wall by the elasticity of the protrusion.

2. The spring member has two of the coil portions adjacent to each other in the direction of the second axis, The probe according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is provided between the coil portion and another coil portion adjacent thereto.

3. The probe according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusions are provided on both ends of the coil portion in the direction of the second axis.

4. The probe according to claim 3 , wherein tips of the projections intersect when viewed from the direction of the second axis.

5. a housing having a through hole defined by an inner peripheral wall made of metal and formed along a third axis; The probe according to claim 1 , which is inserted into the through hole; Equipped with The coil portion presses the probe body against the inner peripheral wall by the elasticity of the protrusion.

6. The barrel has a flange portion protruding from an outer circumferential surface, the through hole has a small diameter portion having a larger diameter than a portion of the barrel other than the flange portion and a smaller diameter than the flange portion, and a large diameter portion having a larger diameter than the flange portion and continuing from the small diameter portion along the third axis, The flange portion is received in the large diameter portion of the through hole, 6. The inspection socket according to claim 5, wherein the spring member is housed in the large diameter portion between the flange portion and the small diameter portion.

Images