Adjustable Axial Spacing for Wear-Compensated Test Probes
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Contacting devices with pin-shaped contact elements, such as needles, experience significant wear and shortening due to frequent contact and abrasive cleaning, leading to a reduced service life and the need for frequent replacement.
Innovation Solution
The axial spacing of guide elements can be adjusted using various devices like continuous or stepped adjusters, pneumatic, hydraulic, or piezo mechanisms, allowing the protruding length of contact elements to be maintained and extended as needed, ensuring effective contact without compromising the shape of the needle ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If contact elements are used frequently for testing, then testing productivity is improved, but the contact elements experience wear and shortening
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an adjustable axial spacing mechanism between guide elements that allows the protruding length of contact elements to be dynamically adjusted. This dynamic adjustment compensates for wear and shortening of contact elements, enabling them to maintain effective testing length throughout their service life, thus resolving the contradiction between frequent use and service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of axial spacing between guide elements to adjust the protruding length of contact elements. By varying this spatial parameter, the system compensates for material loss from wear, allowing contact elements to maintain functional length despite frequent testing operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If contact elements are ground flat for cleaning, then contamination is removed, but the contact elements shorten
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable axial spacing mechanism allows the system to compensate for the length reduction caused by grinding contact elements flat for cleaning. After grinding shortens the elements, the spacing can be adjusted to restore the appropriate protruding length, maintaining testing effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of grinding (which shortens elements) into a beneficial adjustment opportunity. The grinding process is accepted as necessary for cleaning, and the subsequent length adjustment compensates for the loss, turning the harmful shortening into a manageable parameter change.
3Reliability
If the protruding length of contact elements is increased, then contact reliability is improved, but the guidance and positioning accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the protruding length of contact elements through variable axial spacing of guide elements. This allows optimization of the balance between contact reliability (sufficient protrusion) and positioning accuracy (adequate guidance), adapting the length to actual testing conditions rather than using a fixed compromise value.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution extends the service life of contact elements by allowing for continuous adjustment of their protruding length, reducing wear-related shortening, and maintaining effective contact without the need for frequent replacement, while ensuring good guidance and positioning.
Implementation Method 1
the adjustment device is a pneumatic adjustment device, ie by air pressure
Implementation Method 2
the adjustment device is a hydraulic adjustment device, in which the adjustment mentioned takes place by means of a hydraulic medium
Implementation Method 3
the adjustment device is a piezo adjustment device. This changes the length of a piezo section by applying a more or less high electrical voltage to it
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a contacting device (1) for contacting an electrical test specimen (25), in particular a test specimen (25) provided with tinned contacts, comprising at least two guide elements (2, 3, 4, 5) which have openings (16, 17, 18, 19) through which contact elements (20) extend substantially axially and which project from the guide element (5) on a side facing the test specimen (25) to contact the test specimen (25). It is provided that the axial distance of the guide elements (2, 3, 4, 5) or the axial position of the guide element (5) facing the test specimen (25) is adjustable to adapt the projection length (H).