Spherical Spacer Probe Board Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connecting apparatuses require complex and skillful adjustments to maintain probe tip alignment, especially when dealing with multiple integrated circuits, and are prone to instability and durability issues due to spacer misalignment and production errors.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connecting apparatus features a support member with a mounting reference plane, a wiring board, a probe board with probes and threaded holes, and cylindrical spacers with spherical curved surfaces to ensure stable contact and retention of probe board deformation, eliminating the need for frequent adjustments and enhancing durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional adjustment methods are used to maintain probe tip alignment, then probe tip alignment can be achieved, but the adjustment operation becomes complicated and requires skill, especially when dealing with multiple integrated circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer features a spherical curved contact surface instead of a flat surface. This spherical surface can accommodate slight inclinations and deflections of the support member or through holes, ensuring uniform abutment of the spacer end face with the contact face of the support member or probe board, thereby maintaining probe tip alignment without complex adjustments
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical curved surface of the spacer automatically compensates for misalignments and deflections through its geometry. When the spacer is installed, the spherical contact surface self-adjusts to find the optimal contact point, eliminating the need for skilled manual adjustment operations and enabling automatic alignment maintenance
2Device complexity
If flat end faces are used for the spacer, then the structure is simple, but instability occurs when inclination is caused by deflection or distortion of the support member or production errors in through holes
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer incorporates a spherical curved contact surface instead of a flat end face. This curved geometry allows the spacer to accommodate inclinations caused by support member deflection or through hole production errors, ensuring stable and uniform contact across the interface while maintaining structural simplicity
3Manufacturing precision
If frequent adjustments are made to maintain probe tip alignment, then alignment can be preserved, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming operations every time the probe assembly is replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical curved surface of the spacer is pre-configured to automatically compensate for misalignments and deflections. This preliminary geometric design ensures that when the probe assembly is installed, the spacer self-adjusts to maintain proper probe tip alignment, eliminating the need for frequent manual adjustments and maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The spacer with spherical curved surface performs self-adjustment through its geometry, automatically maintaining probe tip alignment without requiring external intervention or frequent manual adjustments, thereby preserving productivity during probe assembly replacements
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connecting apparatus for use in an electrical inspection of a tester and a device under test. The electrical connecting apparatus is provided with a probe assembly to be tightened by tightening screw members toward the support member and having a wiring board interposed between itself and a support member. In order to prevent deformation of the probe board of the probe assembly due to tightening of the screw members, a spacer disposed to penetrate the wiring board is between the support member and probe board and penetrated by the screw members. Both end faces of the spacer are convex spherical surface.