Probe Enlarged Diameter Restraint for Contact Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional probes used in contact inspection devices experience increased bending and deformation during inspections, leading to unstable adhesion and potential misalignment of the covering member, which can result in unreliable contact with the electrode terminal due to repeated force application, causing damage and instability in the contact state.
Innovation Solution
A probe design featuring an enlarged diameter portion on the second end of the probe base body, which acts as a restraint to maintain the covering member's position and stabilize adhesion, reducing the risk of misalignment and damage by providing a dual-restraint mechanism that includes both the terminal portion's contact with the base and the enlarged diameter's stopper effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the probe is pressed against the test object during inspection, then the contact force is improved, but the covering member is damaged or misaligned due to repeated bending
Solution Approach 1:
The probe is divided into multiple functional segments: the covering member (insulating portion) and the probe base body (conductive portion) are separated as distinct components. The covering member covers only the necessary insulating area while the probe base body provides the conductive contact function, allowing each segment to be optimized independently for its specific function.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating covering is extracted from the traditional continuous design and applied only to the necessary portions of the probe. By removing the covering from the probe tip and base end portions, the design eliminates unnecessary material that would otherwise be damaged by repeated bending, while maintaining insulation where required.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the covering member is restrained at the edge portion, then the adhesion is maintained, but the adhesion decreases over time due to repeated force application
Solution Approach 1:
The covering member is designed as a replaceable component with a limited service life. After a certain number of inspections, when the covering member shows signs of wear or adhesion degradation, it can be easily replaced without replacing the entire probe assembly, minimizing downtime and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The design changes the physical parameters of the covering member by using materials and structures optimized for adhesion resistance. The covering member is designed with specific dimensional parameters (length, diameter) that optimize both its restraining function and resistance to repeated force application.
3Strength
If the covering member is misaligned, then the elasticity is changed, but the contact stability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Different portions of the probe are assigned different functional qualities: the covering member provides insulation and positioning, the probe base body provides conductivity and elastic contact force. Each portion is optimized for its specific local function, with the covering member length and position precisely controlled to maintain proper alignment and elasticity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The purpose is to reduce a risk of damage of a portion of a covering member to which force is repeatedly applied due to an inspection, reduce a risk of misalignment of the covering member, and thereby maintain a state where a base end portion of a probe stably contacts an electrical contact point of the contact inspection device. To achieve this, a probe 3 according to the present invention includes: a probe base body 4 having a first end 4a as a portion that contacts a test object 7 in an inspection and a second end 4b that contacts a contact point member 17; a covering member 5 that covers the probe base body 4 between the first end 4a and the second end 4b; and an enlarged diameter portion 6 provided at an exposed portion 41 on the second end 4b side of the probe base body 4. The probe 3 is attached in a bent-deformed state by pressing a terminal portion 5a on the first end 4a side of the covering member 5 against a base portion 37 of the contact inspection device 1. The second end 4b of the probe base body 4 is pressed against a contact point 16 of the contact point member 17 by opposing force due to the pressing.