Hughes Aircraft Company

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Packard Hughes Interconnect Company

Blake F Woith

William R Crumly

John Steven Szalay

Haim Feigenbaum

Robert K Betz

John Pasiecznik, Jr

Jacques F Linder

Terry Shing Wang

Robert E Daugherty

Christopher M Schreiber

Eric Dean Jensen

Scott P Cohen

James R Walen

Israel V Castaneda

Raymond Jose Norland

Leslie Ann Hardie

A high-density electrical connector includes a rigid member having an array of electrical contact pads, a clamp housing attached to the rigid member, and a flexible printed circuit. The flexible printed circuit has a back surface, a front surface and a contact portion having a matching array of electrical contacts protruding outwardly of the front surface of the flexible printed circuit. The contact portion is disposed between the clamp housing and the rigid member and an elastomeric contact pressure pad is disposed between the clamp housing and the flexible printed circuit pressing each of the protruding electrical contacts into one of the electrical contact pads. The elastomeric pad is shaped and resiliently deformed by the clamp housing to provide a substantially uniform contact pressure to the array of electrical contacts.

Electrical connector having improved elastomeric contact pressure pad

Apparatus for holding and securing an electrical module, IC, or other electronic components to a PCB that is easy to use and manipulate. The apparatus utilizes a transitional element to hold the electrical module or IC and then secure itself to the PCB using fasteners or the like. Preferred methods for assembling and using the apparatus are disclosed.

De-mountable, solderless in-line lead module package with interface

A shim is provided which can be used in a connector system, whereby a flexible connector having contact surfaces is compressed against an electronic circuit board by a resilient material. The shim is incorporated between the resilient material and the flexible connector contact surfaces so as to uniformly transfer the load from the resilient material to the contact surfaces. Moreover, the shim prevents the resilient material from taking a set and the flexible connector from draping when operating under hot and/or high load conditions.

Bump contact force concentration system and method

A flex connector assembly is provided having a plug assembly and a receptacle assembly for electrically connecting with the plug assembly. The plug assembly includes a plug housing, a first plug interface surface and a plug flex connector having a first portion with a plurality of conductive protrusions thereon, wherein the plug flex connector is fixed in the plug housing such that the conductive protrusions are positioned on the first plug interface surface. The receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing, a first receptacle interface surface and a receptacle flex connector having a plurality of conductive protrusions thereon, wherein the receptacle flex connector is fixed in the receptacle housing such that the conductive protrusions are positioned on the first receptacle interface surface. The conductive protrusions of the plug assembly are aligned to contact conductive protrusions on the receptacle assembly when the plug assembly and receptacle assembly are connected. To provide EMI and RFI shielding, the housing of the plug and receptacle assemblies are preferably made of conductive metallic material.

Connector assembly for flexible circuits

The invention includes a testing apparatus for testing integrated circuit chips during vibration. The apparatus includes a vibration fixture base which is a table that can be vibrated vertically and/or horizontally. The base supports a holding fixture for supporting a flexible circuit having circuit traces whose ends terminate in raised dots or bumps. The flexible circuit is clamped to the holding fixture to properly position the raised features at the end of the circuit traces. A holder and clamp unit holds a plurality of integrated circuit chips and clamps the chips against the bumps on the flexible circuit with predetermined pressure to make electrical contact between pads on the integrated circuit chip and the bumps. The clamp unit can be raised and lower and rotated. Even pressure is assured by a compressible layer carried in the fixture and located beneath the bumps. The contact points of the bumps and the integrated circuit chip pads vibrate in unison during vibration testing. Firm clamping pressure provided by the compressible layer and the clamp eliminates damage to the chip under vibration testing.

Device for testing integrated circuit chips during vibration

A flexible membrane (12) of an integrated circuit chip test probe is provided with raised contact features (14) on one side arranged in the pattern of contact pads of the chip to be tested. During manufacture, the membrane, in the area of its raised contact features, is specifically shaped by applying a vacuum to the outside of the membrane and casting a solid resilient elastomer (26) in place on the other side of the membrane to act as a shape retaining solid backup and to provide an anti-drape (226) shaped membrane (212) or to ensure planarity (326) of the ends of the membrane contact features (314). The vacuum may be used to pull the membrane and its contacts against a shape defining mandrel (60, 260, 360) while the elastomer is cast into place.

Cast elastomer/membrane test probe assembly

A test probe including a flexible membrane (12) having an array of test probe contacts (14) capable of softly and gently contacting pads on a device under test is provided with a structure that effectively applies tension to the membrane while at the same time automatically leveling the membrane and removing distortions. A small pressure plate (30) is bonded to the inner surface of the membrane behind the test probe contacts. A pressure post (58) having a pointed or rounded end (64) is pressed against the pressure plate (30a) and makes pivotal contact with the plate. A spring (50) including an adjustment screw (56) that axially adjusts the compression of the spring, applies pressure through the pivot point to the pressure plate and thus to the membrane at its test probe contacts. When the probe contacts (14) are pressed against a device to be tested, the probe contacts and pressure plate (30) rotate about the pivot point (64) of the pressure post (58), and thereby both planarize the test probe contact array (14 ) and level the test contact array while appropriately tensioning the membrane.

Self leveling and self tensioning membrane test probe

A test probe for testing an integrated circuit formed on an integrated circuit die. The probe comprises a printed circuit board interface having an opening in its center. A flexible membrane is formed on a bottom surface of the printed circuit board interface that is flexible in the middle thereof. A plurality of electrical traces and a plurality of bumps are formed on the flexible membrane that terminate at a plurality of termination pads that permit interfacing of the integrated circuit to the external test equipment. A clear plastic window is secured to the printed circuit board interface an a portion thereof protrudes into the opening in the interface. A cone shaped retainer having a circular opening at its center that abuts a bottom surface of the clear plastic window. A pivotable elastomer member having a truncated conical cross section abuts the bottom surface of the clear plastic window. A clear plastic pressure and pivot plate is disposed between the flexible membrane and a bottom surface of the pivotable elastomer member. When the probe is assembled, the flexible membrane is disposed in its flexed position, extending outward relative to the non-flexible portion thereof. The flexible membrane is moved into its flexed position by the force created by the force exerted thereon by the pivotable elastomer member and clear plastic pressure and pivot plate. The elastomer member compresses during interconnection to the integrated circuit, and deflects, as required, to permit tilting of the flexible membrane and thus proper mating of the bumps and pads on the integrated circuit. Upward movement of the die and integrated circuit provides the force to ensure contact between the bumps and pads and to tilt the flexible membrane when required. The probe is especially suitable for very small integrated circuit die patterns, such as are used in testing die whose die patterns are less than 250 inches square.

Pivotable self-centering elastomer pressure-wafer probe

A flexible membrane (12) of an integrated circuit chip test probe is provided with raised contact features (14) on one side arranged in the pattern of contact pads of the chip to be tested. During manufacture, the membrane, in the area of its raised contact features, is specifically shaped by applying a vacuum to the outside of the membrane and casting a solid resilient elastomer (26) in place on the other side of the membrane to act as a shape retaining solid backup and to provide an anti-drape (226) shaped membrane (212) or to ensure planarity (326) of the ends of the membrane contact features (314). The vacuum may be used to pull the membrane and its contacts against a shape defining mandrel (60,260,360) while the elastomer is cast into place.

Method of making a cast elastomer/membrane test probe assembly

A test probe for use in testing a liquid crystal display device includes a rigid carrier block (20) having a lower surface to which is secured a flexible circuit (44) having a free end (50) aligned with the free end (26) of the carrier block. A plurality of projecting probe contact features (54) are integrally formed on traces (56) of the flexible circuit (44) and project from the plane of the flexible circuit adjacent the free end. An elastomeric back-up pad (40) is interposed between the carrier block (20) and the projecting contact features (54). The lower side of the carrier block is recessed (30) and the flexible circuit is pre-formed to the configuration of the recess in which it is mechanically secured by a rigid clamp or pressure bar (60). Conductive traces (56) of the flexible circuit have inner ends (58) bearing electrical contacts (68) for connection to test circuitry. The rigid carrier block (20) is mounted to enable the projecting probe contact features to be pressed against a line of contacts (16) on a display device panel (12) while maintaining a clearance between the aligned free ends of the carrier block (26), elastomer (42) and flexible circuit (50) and the edge (70) of a member (18) that overlies the display panel (12) and extends closely adjacent to and parallel to the row of display panel contacts (16).

Test probe for panel having an overlying protective member adjacent

A circuit testing fixture is provided in which a flexible membrane (17) is provided with raised features (25) on one side arranged in the pattern of contacts (65) on a device (63) to be tested and circuit means (26) connected to a probe card (12). On the opposite side of the membrane is a support form (58), (66), (70) that is clamped in position so that it acts as a pressure pad to planar bottom edge which may provide ridges (61) in back deflect the membrane outwardly. The support form has a of the raised features (25) on the membrane (17) or recesses (68) at that location. The support form also may have a flat bottom surface (71) and may be of soft compliant material or of rigid material.

Rigid-flex circuits with raised features as IC test probes

A multi-layered flexible circuit comprises a plurality of electrical traces (52) formed on a rigid substrate (50) and each including a contact pad (56) from which is raised a projecting contact feature (58). The contact pads (56) and features (58) extend along a line or lines of such contact pads and connection features, and both the contact pads and the raised features carried thereby are supported at or above the plane of the circuit traces by a compressed molded elastomeric gasket (44) positioned adjacent and edge (66) of the rigid substrate that underlies the traces. The gasket directly underlies the line of contact pads and raised features and is incorporated during the lamination of the several layers.

Electrical circuit with resilient gasket support for raised connection

A circuit testing fixture is provided in which a flexible membrane (17) is provided with raised features (25) on one side arranged in the pattern of contacts (65) on a device (63) to be tested and circuit means (26) connected to a probe card (12). On the opposite side of the membrane is a support form (58), (66), (70) that is clamped in position so that it acts as a pressure pad to deflect the membrane outwardly. The support form has a planar bottom edge which may provide ridges (61) in back of the raised features (25) on the membrane (17) or recesses (68) at that location. The support form also may have a flat bottom surface (71) and may be of soft compliant material or of rigid material.

An electrical connector is provided for connecting a flexible circuit (45) to a printed circuit board (14). The connector includes a housing (10) within which is a slide (26) beneath which is a pressure bar (34) and a pad (42). The housing (10) is attachable to a circuit board (14) and a flexible circuit end can be inserted into the housing (10) beneath the pad (42). The slide (26) is moved longitudinally, causing cam surfaces (29, 30, 31, 32, 38, 39) on the slide (26) and pressure bar (34) to force the pressure bar (34) against the flexible circuit (45). This causes contacts (47) on the flexible circuit (45) to firmly engage contacts (46) on the circuit board (14) to effect an electrical connection.

Sliding wedge electrical connector

A hardboard (12) and a flat flexible cable (14) each carry a number of electrically conductive leads or traces (16, 18) having main portions which extend parallel to the longitudinal axes (12a, 14a) thereof. Conjugate connector portions (16a, 18a) of the traces (16, 18) extend from the ends of the main portions thereof at an acute angle (.theta.), such that the connector portions (18a) of the cable (14) are aligned over the connector portions (16a) of the hardboard (12) for soldering when the cable (14) is mated to the hardboard (12). The cable (14) is stiff and difficult to move laterally, but may be shifted longitudinally with small effort. Longitudinal relative movement of the cable (14) and hardboard (12) causes parallel shifting of the angled connector portions (18a) of the cable (14) relative to the connector portions (16a) of the hardboard (12), thereby enabling precise lateral adjustment of the connector portions (16a, 18a) without lateral relative movement between the cable (14) and the hardboard (12).

Growing community of inventors

Orange, CA, United States of America

Blake F Woith