Contactor Housing Retainer Prevents Contact Dislodgement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Microcircuit testing equipment faces challenges in maintaining accurate, low-resistance, non-destructive contact with closely spaced microcircuit contacts, leading to issues like dislodgement of conductive debris, contamination, and false defect indications, which increase costs and defects in the manufacturing process.

Innovation Solution

A contactor assembly with a housing featuring a slot and a retainer mechanism that prevents the contact from rotating counter-clockwise, ensuring secure positioning and retention of the contact within the housing, even when removed from the load board, using a retainer that overlaps with the contact to maintain alignment and prevent dislodgement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the contact is allowed to rotate freely in the housing, then the contact can be easily inserted and removed, but the contact may rotate counter-clockwise and fall out of the housing when the contactor assembly is removed from the load board

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of contact insertion and removalVSAvoidcontact retention in housing

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by providing a retainer (protrusion) on the housing that preemptively prevents the contact from rotating counter-clockwise and falling out. The retainer is positioned to engage with the contact body and block the counter-clockwise rotation path, thus preventing the harmful effect before it can occur during removal from the load board.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Solution Approach 2:

The retainer acts as an intermediary element between the housing and the contact. It is a protrusion on the housing that interfaces with the contact body, mediating the interaction by providing a mechanical stop that prevents excessive counter-clockwise rotation while allowing the contact to remain securely positioned in the housing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If the housing is made thin to reduce size, then the device compactness is improved, but the housing becomes fragile and cannot strongly clamp the contact in place

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehousing sizeVSAvoidhousing clamping strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the contact retention function into two parts: the thin housing provides structural support and positioning, while the separate retainer (protrusion) element provides the clamping force. This allows the housing to remain thin and compact while the retainer independently performs the clamping function without requiring the housing walls to be thick or strong.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The retainer provides localized strength and clamping capability at the specific location where contact retention is needed, while the rest of the housing can remain thin. The protrusion is strategically positioned to engage with the contact body and provide the necessary clamping force locally, allowing the overall housing structure to maintain compact dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If tester contacts are used extensively to test many devices, then productivity increases, but wear on the contacts dislodges conductive debris that contaminates the testing equipment and DUTs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of devices tested per minuteVSAvoidconductive debris contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the harmful effect of wear by designing the retainer to securely hold the contact in place, which actually improves the stability and control of the contact during testing. The secure retention ensures consistent contact pressure and positioning, which can extend contact life and reduce premature wear-induced debris generation, even though the contacts are used extensively for high productivity testing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS11674998B2Housing with anti-dislodge capability

Publication Date: 2023.06.13 JOHNSTECH INTERNATIONAL CORP

AI summary

A contactor assembly for a testing system is disclosed. The assembly includes a contact having a contact tail and a housing having a top surface and a bottom surface. A slot extends through the housing from the top surface to the bottom surface and defines a first inner side wall of the housing and a first inner end wall. The contact is receivable in the slot. The contact tail includes a sloped terminus. A retainer is disposed on the first inner side wall. When the sloped terminus is engaged with the first inner end wall, at least a portion of the retainer overlaps with the contact forming at an overlapping area in a cross-sectional view, thereby preventing removal of the contact from the top side of the housing.