The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 25, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1999
Bernd Riechelmann, San Diego, CA (US);
Raymond Twigg, San Diego, CA (US);
Jason Hsang Wang, San Diego, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus for electrically coupling a plurality of DUT terminals to corresponding terminals of a circuit. The apparatus includes a corresponding plurality of contact devices aligned both with the DUT terminals and the circuit terminals. Each contact device includes a fulcrum on which a contact lever is rockable over a range by pressing a corresponding DUT terminal against it. Each lever includes a first arm of 'X' length on a DUT side of the fulcrum and a second arm of 'Y' length on an opposite side of the fulcrum. A biasing spring, having travel, reacts against and through the second arm to resist rocking of the lever. Included is a way for electrically coupling the contact lever and its corresponding circuit terminal. The contact device operates according to the principle that contact lever travel, during rocking caused by a pressing upon it of a corresponding DUT terminal, is greater than responsive travel of the bias means according to a ratio of X/Y. The invention also includes a housing to contain the lever and bias means of each device in relation to each other. Preferably the bias spring of each device is a metal spring which is U-shaped and includes a fulcrum at an end of one long arm of the spring, the second long arm being a leaf spring reacting against the second (Y) arm of the contact lever.