Force Biased Spring Probe Pin Assembly With Split Plunger
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spring probe pin assemblies experience increased resistance and potential overheating due to wear, leading to excessive current flow through the spring, which can cause it to heat up or melt, especially when used repeatedly.
Innovation Solution
A force-biased spring probe pin assembly with a split plunger member, where the diagonal cut between the upper and lower parts of the plunger applies a transverse force to ensure good electrical contact, and optionally using non-conductive materials to reduce current flow through the spring, thereby minimizing damage and overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional spring probe pin assembly is used with repeated contact, then electrical connection is established, but wear between the plunger and barrel wall increases resistance, causing excessive current through the spring which may lead to overheating or melting
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger is divided into two separate segments: a lower plunger segment and an upper plunger segment. This segmentation allows each segment to independently maintain contact with the barrel wall, distributing the wear and electrical contact function across multiple surfaces rather than a single contact point, thereby reducing resistance and preventing excessive current concentration in the spring
Solution Approach 2:
The upper plunger segment acts as an intermediary element between the spring and the lower plunger segment. It transfers the spring force to the lower segment while maintaining its own contact with the barrel wall, creating an additional electrical conduction path through the plunger segments themselves rather than forcing all current through the spring, thus reducing spring current and overheating risk
2Reliability
If the spring forms an electrical path in parallel with the barrel member, then electrical connection is provided, but the spring resistance is so much higher than the barrel member that insignificant current flows through the spring
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the plunger into segments creates multiple electrical contact points with the barrel wall, establishing additional parallel current paths through the plunger-barrel interface. This reduces the overall resistance of the electrical path and redistributes current away from the high-resistance spring, decreasing energy loss and spring current
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the electrical resistance parameter of the plunger path by creating multiple contact surfaces between the segmented plunger and the conductive barrel wall. This reduces the total resistance of the alternative current path, making it more favorable for current flow compared to the spring path, thereby reducing spring current and associated energy consumption
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
The solution maintains reliable electrical contact with minimal damage to probe pads and reduces the risk of spring overheating by distributing force effectively and minimizing current flow through the spring, ensuring prolonged functionality.
Implementation Method 1
A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the upper split plunger part and the second end of the internal cavity
Implementation Method 2
the diagonal surface of the upper split plunger part exerts a transverse force to the diagonal surface of the lower split plunger part ensuring good electrical contact
Implementation Method 3
the current typically flows from the probe pad on the integrated circuit through the probe pin, through the plunger, through the wall of the barrel member, and into the head
Implementation Method 4
the resistance of the spring is typically so much higher than the resistance of the wall of the barrel member that an insignificant amount of current flows through the spring
Data Source
AI summary
A force biased spring probe pin assembly includes a barrel member having a barrel wall defining an elongate internal cavity with a lower end and an upper end. The assembly also includes a split plunger member comprised of an upper split plunger part separated from a lower split plunger part separated by a diagonal cut reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the lower end of the internal cavity. A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the upper split plunger part and the second end of the internal cavity. A force biased spring probe pin assembly includes a barrel member having a barrel wall defining an elongate internal cavity with a lower end and an upper end. The assembly also includes a first split plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the lower end of the internal cavity and a second split plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the upper end of the internal cavity. The first and second split plunger members are each comprised of two parts: a first upper plunger part separated from a first lower plunger part by a diagonal cut. A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the first and second upper split plunger parts. In each split plunger the diagonal surface of the upper split plunger part exerts a transverse force to the diagonal surface of the lower split plunger part ensuring good electrical contact between the lower split plunger member part and the barrel wall.