CONTACT PROBE AND PROBE UNIT

• US 20130099814A1
• Filed: 06/23/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Kazama, Toshio, Souma, Kazuya, Matsui, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/755.05
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/067 Measuring probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06722 Spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07314 the body of the probe being perpendicular to test object, e.g. bed of nails or probe with bump contacts on a rigid support on an elastic support, e.g. a film, G01R1/0735
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/72 Detachable connecting means consisting of mechanical auxiliary parts connecting the device, e.g. pressure contacts using springs or clips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2421 using coil springs
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1069 with spring contact pieces

Abstract

A contact probe includes a conductive first plunger including, on a same axis, a distal end portion, a flange portion, a boss portion, and a base end portion, a conductive second plunger including, on the same axis, a second distal end portion and a boss portion, and a coil spring including a coarsely wound portion formed by winding at a predetermined pitch with an inner diameter equal to or larger than a diameter of the boss portion of the first plunger and a tightly wound portion formed by tightly winding with an inner diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the boss portion of the second plunger, so that the first plunger and the second plunger are connected to each other on the same axis.

Claims

1. A contact probe comprising:

a conductive first contact member comprising, on a same axis, a first distal end portion having a tapered distal end shape, a first flange portion extending from a base end side of the first distal end portion and having a diameter larger than a diameter of the first distal end portion, a first boss portion extending from an end portion of the first flange portion different from the side of the first boss portion which is connected to the first distal end portion and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first flange portion, and a first base end portion extending from an end portion of the first boss portion different from the side of the first base end portion which is connected to the first flange portion and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first boss portion;

a conductive second contact member comprising, on the same axis, a second distal end portion having a tapered distal end shape and a second boss portion extending from a base end side of the second distal end portion and having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the first base end portion; and

a coil spring comprising a coarsely wound portion formed by winding at a predetermined pitch with an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the first base end portion and a tightly wound portion formed by tightly winding with an inner diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the second boss portion, an end portion of the coarsely wound portion being installed in the first boss portion, an end portion of the tightly wound portion being installed in the second boss portion, so that the first and second contact members are connected to each other on the same axis,

wherein the first base end portion contacts with the tightly wound portion when a load having a magnitude equal to or greater than a predetermined magnitude is applied in a direction in parallel to an axis line and at least approaching to the second contact member.

2. The contact probe according to claim 1, wherein a distal end portion of the first base end portion different from a side of the first base end portion which is connected to the first boss portion has an R-chamfered shape.

3. The contact probe according to claim 1, wherein the end portion of the side of the first flange portion which is connected to the first distal end portion has a tapered shape.

4. The contact probe according to claim 1, wherein the coil spring comprises a connection portion having a tapered shape formed by winding with a stepwise-decreasing diameter in the direction from the coarsely wound portion to the tightly wound portion.

5. A probe unit comprising:

a plurality of the contact probes, each comprising;

a conductive first contact member comprising, on a same axis, a first distal end portion having a tapered distal end shape, a first flange portion extending from a base end side of the first distal end portion and having a diameter larger than a diameter of the first distal end portion, a first boss portion extending from an end portion of the first flange portion different from the side of the first boss portion which is connected to the first distal end portion and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first flange portion, and a first base end portion extending from an end portion of the first boss portion different from the side of the first base end portion which is connected to the first flange portion and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the first boss portion;

a conductive second contact member comprising, on the same axis, a second distal end portion having a tapered distal end shape and a second boss portion extending from a base end side of the second distal end portion and having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the first base end portion; and

a coil spring comprising a coarsely wound portion formed by winding at a predetermined pitch with an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the first base end portion and a tightly wound portion formed by tightly winding with an inner diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the second boss portion, an end portion of the coarsely wound portion being installed in the first boss portion, an end portion of the tightly wound portion being installed in the second boss portion, so that the first and second contact members are connected to each other on the same axis, wherein the first base end portion contacts with the tightly wound portion when a load having a magnitude equal to or greater than a predetermined magnitude is applied in a direction in parallel to an axis line and at least approaching to the second contact member; and

a retaining portion which retains the contact probes.

6. The probe unit according to claim 5,

wherein the end portion of the side of the first flange portion which is connected to the first distal end portion has a tapered shape, and

the retaining portion has a first tapered portion having a shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the first flange portion.

7. The probe unit according to claim 5, wherein the retaining portion comprises:

a large diameter portion having a diameter larger than a diameter of the coarsely wound portion, and

a small diameter portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the coarsely wound portion and larger than a diameter of the tightly wound portion.

8. The probe unit according to claim 7,

wherein the coil spring is in a tapered shape formed by winding with a stepwise-decreasing diameter in a direction from the coarsely wound portion to the tightly wound portion, and

the retaining portion comprises a second tapered portion having a tapered shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the coil spring between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion.

9. The probe unit according to claim 5,

wherein the second distal end portion comprises a second flange portion having a diameter larger than a diameter of a distal end side thereof at an end portion side thereof which is connected to the second boss portion,

an end portion of the distal end side of the second flange portion has a tapered shape, and

the retaining portion comprises a third tapered portion having a shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the second flange portion.

10. The probe unit according to claim 6, wherein the retaining portion comprises:

a large diameter portion having a diameter larger than a diameter of the coarsely wound portion, and

a small diameter portion having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the coarsely wound portion and larger than a diameter of the tightly wound portion.

11. The probe unit according to claim 10,

wherein the coil spring is in a tapered shape formed by winding with a stepwise-decreasing diameter in a direction from the coarsely wound portion to the tightly wound portion, and

the retaining portion comprises a second tapered portion having a tapered shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the coil spring between the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion.