Grounding Probe With Elastic Protrusion For Socket Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manufacturing of coil springs for grounding sockets is challenging due to difficulty in controlling eccentricity, requiring high dimensional accuracy and limiting material choices for electrical conductivity, which complicates stable contact and increases costs.

Innovation Solution

A probe and socket design featuring a spring member with a coil part and protruding parts that provide elastic contact with the housing, allowing direct contact and stable electrical conduction without needing high dimensional accuracy or conductive materials, enabling the use of inexpensive materials and reducing manufacturing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a coil spring with eccentric axis is used to establish electrical conduction between the contact probe and metal block, then electrical conductivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to difficulty in controlling the degree of eccentricity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical conductivityVSAvoiddimensional accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of making the spring axis eccentric to achieve contact, the patent inverts the approach by making the spring axis concentric with the through-hole and relying on the elastic protrusion to create the necessary contact pressure. This reverses the conventional design while achieving the same electrical conduction function without the manufacturing precision problems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating an asymmetric protrusion structure on one specific location of the spring's outer circumferential surface. This localized feature provides the necessary elastic contact pressure at the critical contact point while maintaining overall spring symmetry and manufacturability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a coil spring is used to establish electrical conduction, then electrical conductivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to limited material choices and requirement for gold plating

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical conductivityVSAvoidmaterial selection complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive conductive materials and gold plating with a simpler, more economical spring material. The elastic protrusion design ensures reliable electrical contact without requiring premium materials, thereby reducing cost and material selection complexity while maintaining functional reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Stability of the object's composition

If high dimensional accuracy is required in molding the through-hole or manufacturing the barrel, then contact stability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact stabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the critical parameter from dimensional precision to elastic deformation. By designing an elastic protrusion that can deform to accommodate clearance variations, the system achieves stable contact without requiring tight manufacturing tolerances on the through-hole or barrel dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

Ensures reliable electrical conduction and stable contact between the probe and housing, absorbing dimensional errors and reducing the need for gold plating, thus lowering costs and simplifying manufacturing.

Implementation Method 1

the spring member includes a coil part wound about a second axis, the barrel being inserted through the coil part in a direction of the second axis, and includes a protruding part formed continuously to the coil part and protruding outward from an outer circumferential face of the coil part to be in elastic contact with the inner circumferential wall, and the coil part is configured to press the probe body against the inner circumferential wall by elasticity of the protruding part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20240353444A1Probe and inspection socket

Publication Date: 2024.10.24 YAMAICHI ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

Provided are a probe and a socket for inspection that cause the probe to be in direct contact with a housing and are not required to have high dimensional accuracy in the manufacturing thereof. A probe for grounding to be inserted through a through-hole, which is formed in a housing and defined by a metal inner circumferential wall, includes: a probe body including a cylindrical barrel extending in the direction of a first axis and a plunger; and a spring member through which the barrel is inserted, the spring member includes a coil part wound about a second axis, the barrel being inserted through the coil part in the direction of the second axis, and includes a protruding part formed continuously to the coil part and protruding outward from an outer circumferential face of the coil part to be in elastic contact with the inner circumferential wall, and the coil part presses the probe body against the inner circumferential wall by elasticity of the protruding part.