×

Method and apparatus for testing electrical connectors

  • US 5,177,555 A
  • Filed: 03/28/1991
  • Issued: 01/05/1993
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of determining the relative quality of electrical contact across closed opposing planar surfaces of a separable two member electronic interconnect where one of the two opposing planar surfaces is resilient and has closely spaced apart electrically conductive contact bumps thereon, the method comprising:

  • locating a member of photoelastic material having planar exterior surfaces in pressure transfer relationship with each of the electrically conductive contact bumps on the resilient planar surface, each of such members being located to have one of its planar surfaces facing toward such resilient surface;

    pressing each of the individual members of photoelastic material and its corresponding electrically conductive bump together to induce increased stress in the photoelastic material of the individual members;

    coupling plane-polarized narrow-bandwidth light into the individual members of photoelastic material at 45 degrees with the direction of force orthogonal to the direction of light propagation; and

    detecting in the plane-polarized light exiting the individual members of photoelastic material the relative phase delay created by the birefringence produced in such individual members as a result of the increased force of pressing.

View all claims
  • 3 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×