Probe unit

• US 8,344,747 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Kazama, Toshio, Hironaka, Kohei, Ishikawa, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): BENITEZ ROSARIO, JOSHUA
• Application Number:
  US12/735,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 324/755.01, 32475504-75511, 439/66
• US Class Current: 324/755.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06722 Spring-loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06738 related to tip portion
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07371 using an intermediate card or back card with apertures through which the probes pass

Abstract

A probe unit includes: large diameter probes; small diameter probes; a large-diameter probe holder having large hole portions which individually hold the large diameter probes, and reception hole portions which have diameters smaller than those of the large hole portions, communicate with the large hole portions, and receive end portions of the small diameter probes so that the end portions come into contact with the large diameter; and a small-diameter probe holder probes having small hole portions which individually hold the small diameter probes. The central axes of the large hole portion and the small hole portion that communicate with each other are separated from each other, and the small hole portions include two small hole portions which are adjacent to each other and of which central axes are separated from each other by a distance shorter than a distance between the central axes of two large hole portions that are corresponding to the two small hole portions.

Claims

1. A probe unit comprising:

a plurality of large diameter probes, each of which is formed by using conductive material and is extendable in a longitudinal direction;

a plurality of small diameter probes, each of which is formed by using conductive material and has a diameter smaller than a diameter of each large diameter probe;

a large-diameter probe holder that includes

a plurality of large hole portions which individually hold the plurality of large diameter probes; and

a plurality of reception hole portions, each of which has a diameter smaller than a diameter of each large hole portion, communicates with any one of the plurality of large hole portions, and receives an end portion of the small diameter probe so that the end portion comes into physical contact with the large diameter probe, wherein

each set of one of the large hole portions and corresponding one of the reception hole portions that communicate with each other pierces through the large-diameter probe holder in a thickness direction; and

a small-diameter probe holder that includes a plurality of small hole portions which individually hold the plurality of small diameter probes while preventing the small diameter probes from coming off and which pierce through the small-diameter probe holder, and that is stacked on the large-diameter probe holder so that each of the small hole portions communicates with any one of the plurality of reception hole portions, wherein

central axes of the large hole portion and the small hole portion that communicate with each other are separated from each other, and

the plurality of small hole portions include two small hole portions which are adjacent to each other and of which central axes are separated from each other by a distance shorter than a distance between central axes of two large hole portions that are corresponding to the two small hole portions.

2. The probe unit according to claim 1, wherein each large diameter probe includes

a first plunger which is formed approximately in a needle-shape;

a second plunger of which tip is oriented in a direction opposite to a tip of the first plunger and which is brought into contact with any one of the small diameter probes; and

an elastic member of which one end portion in the longitudinal direction is attached to the first plunger and the other end portion is attached to the second plunger, and which is extendable in the longitudinal direction.

3. The probe unit according to claim 2, wherein a tip of the second plunger forms a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal direction of the large diameter probes.

4. The probe unit according to claim 2, wherein the large-diameter probe holder includes

a first substrate that holds the first plungers while allowing tip portions of the first plungers to be exposed;

and

a second substrate that is stacked on the first substrate and on the small-diameter probe holder, and receives end portions of the small diameter probes held by the small-diameter probe holder.

5. The probe unit according to claim 1, wherein the large diameter probes are pogo pins.

6. The probe unit according to claim 5, wherein tips of the pogo pins, the tips being in contact with the small diameter probes, form respective planes substantially normal to the longitudinal direction of the large diameter probes.

7. The probe unit according to claim 5, wherein the large-diameter probe holder includes

a first substrate that holds the pogo pins while allowing tips of the pogo pins, the tips being not in contact with the small diameter probes, to be exposed;

and

a second substrate that is stacked on the first substrate and on the small-diameter probe holder and receives end portions of the small diameter probes held by the small-diameter probe holder.

8. The probe unit according to claim 1, wherein the small-diameter probe holder is constructed by stacking two substrates, each of which holds the small diameter probes while allowing either end of each of the small diameter probes to be exposed.

9. The probe unit according to claim 1, wherein the large-diameter probe holder and the small-diameter probe holder have insulation properties at-on at least portions in contact with the large diameter probes and/or the small diameter probes.