Probe Head Protection Structure for Contact Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Probe heads for electronic devices face limitations in maintaining effective contact after cleaning operations, as modifications in probe length can alter contact dynamics, leading to force changes on pads and risk of permanent deformations or interlocking, compromising connection with the PCB and test equipment.
Innovation Solution
A probe head design incorporating a protection structure that can be removably adjusted to maintain the length of the floating area and prevent changes in the bending area, ensuring consistent contact and reducing wear on contact tips during cleaning, using individually removable layers or adhesive materials to extend the life of the probe head.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cleaning operations are performed on contact probes, then contact tips are cleaned, but probe length changes alter contact dynamics and cause force changes on pads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a compensation element that预先 compensates for the length changes of contact probes during cleaning operations. The compensation element is designed to maintain the floating area length constant even when contact probes are cleaned and shortened, thereby preventing harmful force changes on contact pads while still allowing cleaning operations to be performed
2Stability of the object's composition
If probe length is modified to maintain contact, then contact consistency is improved, but risk of permanent deformations or interlocking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the probe head structure into separate functional components: contact probes, floating area, and compensation element. This segmentation allows the compensation element to independently adjust for probe length changes without affecting the structural integrity of the contact probes themselves, maintaining contact consistency while preventing permanent deformations
Solution Approach 2:
The compensation element acts as an intermediary between the contact probes and the floating area. It mediates the length changes caused by cleaning operations, absorbing the dimensional changes and preventing them from propagating to cause permanent deformations or interlocking of the contact probes
3Reliability
If contact probes are cleaned frequently, then contact tips remain clean, but probe head useful life is reduced due to wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies discarding and recovering by designing the compensation element to be replaceable. When contact probes wear out after frequent cleaning operations, only the compensation element needs to be replaced rather than the entire probe head assembly, thereby extending the overall useful life of the probe head while maintaining contact cleanliness through frequent cleaning
Data Source
AI summary
A probe head for a test equipment of electronic devices comprises a plurality of contact probes inserted in guide holes provided in at least one upper guide and one lower guide, a bending area for the contact probes being defined between the upper and lower guides, each contact probe having at least one first terminal portion which protrudes of a first length from the lower guide and ends with a contact tip (22A) adapted to abut onto a respective contact pad of a device to be tested, as well as a second terminal portion which protrudes of a second length from the upper guide and ends with a contact head adapted to abut onto a contact pad of a board for connecting or interfacing with the test equipment, suitably comprising at least one protection structure projecting from the upper guide in direction of a longitudinal development axis of the contact probes towards the board, the protection structure thus extending in correspondence of the contact heads of the contact probes.