Force-Biased Spring Probe Pin Assembly with Transverse Bearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spring probe pin assemblies experience increased resistance and potential damage due to wear, causing excessive current to flow through the spring, which can lead to overheating or melting, especially after repeated use.
Innovation Solution
A force-biased spring probe pin assembly is designed with a barrel member and plunger members, featuring rectangular cavities with movable cylindrical bearings that apply a slight transverse force to ensure good electrical contact, and optionally using deformable materials or metallic springs to maintain contact without significant current flow through the spring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spring probe pin assembly is used repeatedly, then the electrical connection is maintained, but wear increases resistance causing excessive current flow through the spring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a force-biased mechanism with a bearing that acts as an intermediary to apply lateral force to the plunger, ensuring consistent contact between the plunger and barrel wall. This mediator maintains the electrical path through the barrel wall rather than allowing current to divert through the spring, thus preventing overheating while preserving reliable electrical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the contact parameters by applying a lateral force to the plunger through the bearing, which modifies the contact pressure and friction characteristics between the plunger and barrel wall. This parameter change ensures that the electrical current continues to flow preferentially through the low-resistance barrel wall path even after repeated use, preventing the spring from overheating.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the plunger maintains contact with the barrel wall through friction, then electrical current flows through the wall, but wear increases resistance over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic force-biased mechanism where the bearing applies a lateral force to the plunger that compensates for wear over time. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the contact pressure between the plunger and barrel wall is maintained consistently throughout the service life, preventing resistance increase and maintaining efficient current flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The force-biased mechanism with the bearing creates a self-adjusting system where the lateral force automatically compensates for wear between the plunger and barrel wall. As wear occurs, the bearing maintains contact pressure, ensuring the electrical path remains low-resistance throughout the component's service life without requiring external intervention.
3Reliability
If a spring is used to provide contact force, then electrical connection is established, but current through the spring causes heating and potential melting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a force-biased mechanism with a bearing as an intermediary that applies lateral force to the plunger, ensuring the electrical current flows through the barrel wall rather than the spring. This mediator redirects the current path away from the spring, preventing heating and potential melting while maintaining reliable electrical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent effectively extracts the electrical current path from the spring by using the force-biased mechanism to ensure current flows through the barrel wall instead. This separation of the electrical conduction function from the spring removes the harmful thermal effect from the spring while preserving the spring's mechanical function of maintaining contact.
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 significantly extends the lifespan of the spring probe pin assembly by preventing excessive current from flowing through the spring, reducing the risk of overheating or melting and ensuring reliable electrical connections over multiple uses.
Implementation Method 1
A cylindrical bearing, 420, within this rectangular cavity applies a slight transverse force to the plunger 404 ensuring good electrical contact between the plunger and the wall of the barrel member
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 first plunger member 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 plunger member and the second end of the internal cavity. At least one rectangular cavity formed in the plunger member with a movable cylindrical bearing in the cavity that applies a slight transverse force to the plunger member ensuring good electrical contact between the plunger and the wall of the barrel member. 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 plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the lower end of the internal cavity and a second plunger member reciprocally mounted in the internal cavity proximate the upper end of the internal cavity. A spring member is positioned in the internal cavity between the first plunger member and the second plunger member. At least one rectangular cavity formed in the first plunger member with a first movable cylindrical bearing in the cavity that applies a slight transverse force to the first plunger member ensuring good electrical contact between the first plunger member and the wall of the barrel member and at least one rectangular cavity formed in the second plunger member with a second movable cylindrical bearing in the cavity that applies a slight transverse force to the second plunger member ensuring good electrical contact between the second plunger member and the wall of the barrel member.