JP2001141745A - Spring connector and test head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a spring connector constituted so that the elastic force of a coil spring 12 never acts on an arranged block or the like. SOLUTION: A conductive contact pin 10 comprises a minor diameter part 10a on the base end side and a thin diameter part 10b thinner than the part 10a on the base end side middle part. The tip of a coil spring 12 to be fitted to the coil pin 10 to the tip side is regulated by the tip-side stepped part of the minor diameter part 10a so as not to move toward the tip side, and the base thereof is axially movably throttled and regulated by the base-end side stepped part of the thin diameter part 10b so as not to move toward the base end side. A conductive receiving pin 14 is fitted to the base end-side minor diameter part 10a of the contact pin 10 in such a manner as to be axially slidable. Accordingly, the receiving pin 14 contracts the coil spring 12 against the elastic force by the operation of relatively pressing and inserting the receiving pin 14 to the contact pin 10, and the elastic force of the coil spring 12 never acts on the receiving pin 14 when the operation is released.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid crystal panel and an IC.
The present invention relates to a spring connector suitable for use in a test head of a circuit board inspection device for inspecting a circuit board such as a semiconductor wafer or a semiconductor wafer. The present invention also relates to a test head using the spring connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional spring connector used for a test head of a circuit board inspection apparatus for inspecting a circuit board such as a liquid crystal panel or an IC, or a semiconductor wafer, has, as an example, a tip which abuts on an object to be inspected. A conductive contact pin is disposed slidably in the axial direction in a hole formed in the insulating block, and the tip of the contact pin has a small diameter tip and a small diameter near the outer surface of the hole of the block. A coil spring for preventing the detachment of the contact pin and for urging the contact pin toward the distal end thereof is compressed in the hole of the block.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional spring connector, when the test object comes into contact with the tip of the contact pin, the test object is moved relatively slightly in the axial direction. In order to obtain a predetermined amount of elasticity, the coil spring must elastically urge the contact pin in a state where the coil spring is contracted before its free length. Therefore, when the object to be inspected is not in contact with the tip of the contact pin, the elasticity of the coil spring acts on the block of the test head in which a small-diameter hole is formed to prevent the contact pin from coming off.

By the way, in order to arrange a large number of spring connectors densely on a test head, the outer diameter of the spring connectors must be small. Therefore, the small hole formed in the block for inserting the small diameter portion at the tip of the contact pin also has a small diameter. As for a drill for drilling a small hole with a small diameter in a block, the smaller the drill, the shorter the drillable length. Therefore, a thin hole cannot be formed in the integrated block at an arbitrary length, and the block is formed by forming holes in a plurality of plate-shaped block bodies and stacking the narrow hole to an arbitrary length. It is configured as follows. For this reason, the block body disposed on the outer surface on which the small hole for preventing the contact pin from coming off is formed is thin, and the elasticity of the coil spring acts on the single thin block body. And, as the number of spring connectors is densely arranged, the diameter of the contact pin becomes smaller, and the thickness of one block body arranged on the outer surface on which the elasticity is applied is required.

In such a structure, the individual elasticity of the coil springs of the spring connector is small, but the total elasticity of a large number of the springs is extremely large. Therefore, excessive elasticity acts on one block body provided with a small hole and disposed on the outer surface of the test head. As a result, one block body disposed on the outer surface on which the small hole for preventing the contact pin from coming off is formed is bent, and the position of the contact pin cannot be obtained with sufficiently high accuracy. is there. Also, since excessive elasticity acts repeatedly,
One block body disposed on the outer surface on which the small hole is formed is easily damaged, and there is a problem that the number of spring connectors that can be conventionally disposed cannot be increased much.

An object of the present invention is to provide a spring connector in which the disadvantages of the prior art are alleviated. The object of the present invention is to provide a spring connector in which the elasticity of a coil spring does not act on the block provided. It is another object of the present invention to provide a test head in which a block is not bent or damaged by using such a spring connector.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a spring connector according to the present invention comprises a coil spring and a distal end located at an intermediate portion on the base end side of a conductive contact pin. And further restricts the movement of the contact pin from the second position to the proximal end than the second position.
Fitted so as to be contracted from the free length between the positions, a conductive receiving pin is fitted slidably in the axial direction on the base end side of the contact pin, and the contact pin is fitted to the contact pin. By the pressing operation of relatively inserting the receiving pin, the receiving pin contracts the coil spring against the elasticity so that the elasticity of the coil spring does not act on the receiving pin when the pressing operation is released. It is configured.

The base of the contact pin is a small-diameter portion, and a narrower portion is further provided at an intermediate portion of the small-diameter portion on the base end side. The first position restricts the movement of the coil spring toward the side, and the second position restricts the movement of the constricted proximal end of the coil spring toward the proximal end due to the proximal step of the small diameter portion.
It may be configured as a position.

[0009] Further, a small-diameter portion is provided at a base end side of the contact pin, and a thinner narrow portion is provided at an intermediate portion on the base end side of the small-diameter portion. The first position restricts movement of the coil spring, and a ring that is movable in the axial direction and that does not come off at the base end side is fitted to the small-diameter portion. It may be configured as the second position for restricting movement to the proximal end side.

In the test head according to the present invention, the spring connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6 may be inserted into a hole penetrating through the insulating block so that the contact pin does not come out in the tip direction. And the distal end of the contact pin and the proximal end of the receiving pin both protrude from the block.

The block is formed by stacking a plurality of block bodies in the axial direction of the spring connector, and a space is provided at a position facing an intermediate portion on the distal end side of the contact pin of the block. The step is provided with a step to form a small-diameter portion at the tip, and the small-diameter portion at the tip is inserted into a small hole formed in a portion of the block closer to the distal end than the space portion so that the contact pin does not come out in the distal direction due to the step. May be configured.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of a spring connector according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a first embodiment of the spring connector of the present invention. 2A and 2B show a base end side of the coil spring according to the first embodiment, wherein FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view and FIG. 2B is an enlarged front view.

In FIG. 1 and FIG.
The first conductive contact pin 10 is provided with a small-diameter portion 10a having an outer diameter D2 smaller than the diameter D1 on the base end side, and a narrower diameter having a smaller outer diameter D3 at a base-end intermediate portion of the small-diameter portion 10a. A part 10b is provided. Further, on the distal end side, a distal small diameter portion 10c having an outer diameter D4 smaller than the diameter D1 is provided. Then, the step at the distal end of the small diameter portion 10a is set as the first position,
With the step at the proximal end of the small diameter portion 10b as the second position, the coil spring 12 is fitted and compressed between the first and second positions. As shown in FIG. 2, the winding diameter of the coil spring 12 at the proximal end is narrowed and narrowed in a tapered shape.
The step toward the base end is prevented by the step at the base end of the small diameter portion 10b, and the small diameter portion 10b is movable in the axial direction within the range of the small diameter portion 10b. In addition, the distal end of the coil spring 12 is restricted from moving toward the distal end by a step on the distal end of the small diameter portion 10a. The distal end of the coil spring 12 may be movable in the axial direction within the range of the small-diameter portion 10a, or may be fixed. The installed length L of the coil spring 12 contracted in this way is shorter than the free length of the coil spring 12, and a predetermined elasticity is generated. Furthermore, contact pin 1
A conductive receiving pin 14 having a bottomed hole with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter D2 is fitted on the base end side of the small-diameter portion 10a slidably in the axial direction. When the receiving pin 14 is pressed and inserted relatively to the contact pin 10 in the axial direction, the receiving pin 14 comes into contact with the proximal end of the coil spring 12 so that the coil spring 12 is further contracted. Further, the outer diameters of the contact pin 10, the coil spring 12, and the receiving pin 14 are all set to the same diameter D1. As described above, the spring connector 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes the contact pins 10, the coil springs 12, and the receiving pins 14. The free length of the spring connector 20 in the state where the pressing and inserting operation is not performed in the axial direction is such that the receiving pin 14 is not in contact with the proximal end of the coil spring 12 in FIG.
The length is as shown in the figure.

In the spring connector 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration, the elastic force of the coil spring 12 acts on the receiving pin 14 in a free state in which the pressing and inserting operation is not performed in the axial direction. Instead, the contact pin 10 or the receiving pin 14
It is not necessary to prevent the escape from occurring, and the elasticity does not act on the block or the like. In addition, the receiving pin 14 is
When the receiving pin 14 comes into contact with the base end of the coil spring 12 by the pressing force insertion operation in the axial direction relatively to the contact pin 10 and the receiving pin 14 immediately after the pressing force insertion operation. A predetermined amount of elasticity acts.

In the first embodiment, the distal end of the coil spring 12 at the proximal end has a structure in which movement toward the proximal end is restricted by the step of the proximal end of the small diameter portion 10b. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, the proximal end of the coil spring 12 may be bent inward to be narrowed. here,
3A and 3B show another variation of the coil spring in the spring connector of the first embodiment, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view and FIG. 3B is an enlarged front view.

Next, a spring connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway front view of a second embodiment of the spring connector of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the ring of the second embodiment. 4 and 5, FIGS.
The same reference numerals are given to the same members or equivalent members, and duplicate description is omitted.

The spring connector 30 of the second embodiment differs from the spring connector 20 of the first embodiment in that the ring 16 is fitted in the small diameter portion 10b so as to be movable in the axial direction. The base end of the coil spring 12 is brought into contact with the coil spring 12. The coil springs 12 have the same diameter in the axial direction. The ring 16 is made of an elastic member having a C-shaped cross section,
The outer diameter is D1, which is the same as the outer diameter of the contact pin 10, and the inner diameter is set slightly larger than the outer diameter D3 of the small diameter portion 10b. Further, on the proximal end side of the receiving pin 14, a proximal small diameter portion 14a having an outer diameter D5 smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the receiving pin 14 is provided. The movement of the ring 16 toward the base end is restricted by the step on the base end side of the small-diameter portion 10b, and the coil spring 12 is located between the step on the front end side of the small-diameter portion 10a and the front end surface of the ring 16. Is fitted and contracted.

In the spring connector 30 according to the second embodiment of the present invention having such a structure, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained, and the shape of the coil spring 12 is the same in the axial direction as the winding diameter. Simple and suitable for mass production. In the second embodiment, the proximal end small-diameter portion 14a provided on the receiving pin 14 prevents the receiving pin 14 from coming off toward the proximal end by appropriately forming a block or the like in which the receiving pin 14 is disposed. can do.

Further, a spring connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a main part of a third embodiment of the spring connector of the present invention, wherein (a)
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view of a base end portion, and FIG. 2B is a partially cutaway enlarged front view of a coil spring portion. 6, the same members or equivalent members as those in FIGS. 1 to 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

A feature of the spring connector 40 of the third embodiment is that a small-diameter portion 10b having an outer diameter D3 is provided relatively long at an intermediate portion on the base end side of the contact pin 10, and the contact pin A small-diameter portion 10a having a diameter D2 larger than the diameter D3 is provided on the base end side of 10. The coil spring 12 has the same winding diameter in the axial direction, the outer diameter thereof is D1 having the same outer diameter as the contact pin 10, the inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter D3 of the small diameter portion 10b, and the small diameter portion 10a is formed. Is selected so as to be smaller than the outer diameter D2.

In the spring connector 40 according to the third embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration, both ends of the coil spring 12 move to the distal end side and the proximal end side, respectively, due to the steps at both ends of the small diameter portion 10b. When the receiving pin 14 is pressed and inserted relatively to the contact pin 10,
The coil spring 12 is further contracted by the receiving pin 14. Thus, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained. Moreover, by appropriately setting the wire diameter of the coil spring 12, the structure thereof can be made simpler than that of the spring connectors 20 and 30 of the first and second embodiments, which is more suitable for mass production. is there.

Next, the structure of the first embodiment of the test head using the spring connector of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the first embodiment of the test head of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the same members or equivalent members as those in FIGS. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

The test head 60 of the first embodiment shown in FIG.
The block 50 is made of an insulating plate-like first block body 5.
2 and the second block body 54 are formed by being stacked and arranged. The first block body 52 has a U-shaped cross section with an opening on the side, and a space 52a is formed at the center. A hole 5 having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter D1 of the spring connector 20 of the first embodiment extends over one side of the U-shape of the first block body 52 and the second block body 54.
0a is bored, and the tip of the contact pin 10 is smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the spring connector 20 coaxially with the hole 50a in the small hole drilled portion 52b which is the other side of the U-shape of the first block body 52. A small hole 50b through which the small diameter portion 10c is inserted is formed. These holes 50a and small holes 50b are respectively formed in the first block body 52 and the second block body 54 before stacking. Then, in a state where the spring connector 20 is movable in the block 50 in the axial direction and the distal end of the contact pin 10 and the proximal end of the receiving pin 14 are respectively projected from the block 50,
The test head 60 is inserted as shown in FIG. A relay board 62 electrically connected to a circuit board inspection device or the like is provided outside the second block body 54, and the inspection object 64 contacts the outside of the small hole perforated portion 52 b of the first block body 52. It is disposed at the tip of the pin 10 so as to be able to contact and separate. Here, the relay board 62 abuts on the base end of the receiving pin 14 at a position where the receiving pin 14 is not pressed and inserted against the elasticity of the coil spring 12 in a state where the inspection object 64 does not abut on the contact pin 10. Or slightly spaced apart.

In the test head of the first embodiment having such a configuration, the elasticity of the coil spring 12 does not act on the block 50. Therefore, the first block body 52 is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and a large space portion 52a is provided facing the middle portion on the distal end side of the contact pin 10 to make the small hole perforated portion 52b in which the small hole 50b is formed thin. This small hole perforated portion 52
b does not bend. Then, this small hole drilling part 5
By reducing the thickness of 2b, the small holes 50b can be made thinner and denser. As a result, the spring connectors 20 can be arranged more densely, and the number of spring connectors 20 can be arranged more.

Next, the structure of the second embodiment of the test head using the spring connector of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of the test head according to the present invention. 8, the same members as those in FIGS. 1 to 7 or equivalent members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

The test head 70 of the second embodiment shown in FIG.
The block 50 is made of an insulating plate-like first block body 5.
An insulating plate-like third block body 56 is interposed between the second block body 54 and the second block body 54, and is formed by being stacked and arranged. Then, the second block body 54 and the third block body 56
A hole 50a having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter D1 of the spring connector 30 is formed, and a small diameter portion at the base end of the receiving pin 14 which is smaller than the diameter D1 and coaxial with the hole 50a near the outer surface of the second block body 54. Small hole 50 through which 14a is inserted
c is drilled. The first block body 52 has a U-shaped cross section that opens inward and has a space 52 at the center thereof.
a is formed and the small hole perforated portion 52 at the bottom
b, the contact pin 1 smaller than the diameter D1 on the same axis as the hole 50a.
A small hole 50b through which the zero tip small diameter portion 10c is inserted is formed. These holes 50a and small holes 50b, 50c
Before stacking, the first block body 52, the second block body 54, and the third block body 56 are drilled in advance. The block 50 is provided with the spring connector 30 which is movable in the axial direction and the block 50.
The test head 70 is inserted as shown in FIG. 8 with the distal end of the distal small-diameter portion 10c of the contact pin 10 and the proximal end of the proximal small-diameter portion 14a of the receiving pin 14 protruding from each other.
Is configured. The small hole 50 c is formed so that the receiving pin 14 of the spring connector 30 incorporated in the block 50 is not pressed and inserted against the elasticity of the coil spring 12.

The test head 7 of the second embodiment having such a configuration is described.
0, the same effect as that of the test head 60 of the first embodiment is obtained, and in the state where the spring connector 30 is incorporated, both the contact pin 10 and the receiving pin 14 do not fall out of the block 50, and Is easy.

The spring connectors 20, 3
In the embodiments 0 and 40, the outer diameters of the contact pin 10, the coil spring 12, and the receiving pin 14 are all the same in order to reduce the outer diameter and increase the strength.
1, but if the outer diameter of the spring connector does not need to be particularly thin, the coil spring 1
The distal end of the contact pin 2 may be restricted from moving in the distal direction by a flange portion provided at an intermediate portion of the contact pin 10, or may be appropriately fixed by being fitted into a groove. The proximal end of the coil spring 12 may be of any structure as long as it is movable in the axial direction and is restricted from moving toward the proximal end in a state where it is contracted from its free length. Therefore, an enlarged portion is provided on the base end side of the contact pin 10 and the receiving pin 14 is provided.
The distal end of the receiving pin 14 is a narrowed portion so that the distal end of the receiving pin 14 can be slid in the axial direction and does not come out to the proximal end side. The portion may be pressed. Also,
The spring connectors 20, 30, and 40 of the present invention are not limited to those used in the test head of the circuit board inspection device as described above, and may be incorporated in any other device.

[0029]

As described above, since the spring connector and the test head of the present invention are constituted,
It has the following special effects.

In any of the first to sixth spring connectors, the elastic force of the coil spring does not act on the receiving pin when the receiving pin is not pressed and inserted relatively to the contact pin. Moreover, since the coil spring is contracted to be shorter than the free length and contracted, when the receiving pin is pressed and inserted relatively to the contact pin,
Immediately, a predetermined elasticity of the coil spring acts on the receiving pin, and the distal end of the contact pin and the base end of the receiving pin can be brought into contact with the inspection object, the relay board and the like with the predetermined elasticity.

In any of the test heads according to the seventh and eighth aspects, the elasticity of the coil spring does not act on the block in which the spring connector is disposed.
There is no bending of the block. Therefore, high positional accuracy of the spring connector can be obtained. Further, since the elasticity of the coil spring does not repeatedly act on the block, the block is not damaged by the elasticity of the coil spring. As a result, the spring connectors can be densely arranged, and a large number of spring connectors can be arranged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a first embodiment of a spring connector according to the present invention.

2A and 2B show a base end side of the coil spring of the first embodiment, wherein FIG. 2A is an enlarged plan view and FIG. 2B is an enlarged front view.

3A and 3B show other variations of the coil spring in the spring connector of the first embodiment, wherein FIG. 3A is a plan view and FIG. 3B is an enlarged front view.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway front view of a second embodiment of the spring connector of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of a ring according to a second embodiment.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a main part of a third embodiment of the spring connector according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 6A is a front view of a base end partly cut away, and FIG. It is an enlarged front view.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of the test head of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of the test head according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Contact pin 10a Small diameter part 10b Small diameter part 10c Tip small diameter part 12 Coil spring 14 Receiving pin 14a Base end small diameter part 16 Ring 20, 30, 40 Spring connector 50 Block 50a Hole 50b, 50c Small hole 52 First block body 52a Space Part 52b Small hole drilling part 54 Second block body 54 Third block body 60, 70 Test head

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A coil spring is provided at an intermediate portion on the base end side of a conductive contact pin so that the tip of the coil spring is restricted from moving to the tip side from the first position of the contact pin, and the base end is movable in the axial direction. The contact pin is fitted so as to restrict the movement of the contact pin from the second position to the proximal end side with respect to the second position and to be contracted from the first position and the second position by a free length. Is slidably fitted in the axial direction on the base end side of the contact pin, and the receiving pin resists the coil spring against the elastic force by a pressing operation of inserting the receiving pin relatively to the contact pin. A spring connector configured to prevent the elastic force of the coil spring from acting on the receiving pin when the pressing operation is released. 2. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein a base end side of the contact pin is a small-diameter portion, and a narrower narrow portion is provided at an intermediate portion of the base end side of the small-diameter portion, and a distal end side of the small-diameter portion. The first position restricts the distal end of the coil spring from moving toward the distal end due to the step, and the narrowed proximal end of the coil spring moves toward the proximal end due to the proximal end of the small diameter portion. The spring connector is configured as the second position to be regulated. 3. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein the base end side of the contact pin is a small-diameter portion, and a narrower small-diameter portion is provided at a base-side intermediate portion of the small-diameter portion, and a distal end side of the small-diameter portion. The first position restricts the distal end of the coil spring from moving toward the distal end due to a step, and a ring that is movable in the axial direction in the small-diameter portion and that does not come off at the proximal end is fitted. The spring connector is configured as the second position for restricting movement of a base end of the coil spring toward a base end at a distal end. 4. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein a middle portion on the base end side of the contact pin is formed as a small diameter portion, and the tip of the coil spring moves toward the front end side by a step on the tip side of the small diameter portion. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein the first position is a restricting position, and the second position is a restricting position of a base end of the coil spring moving toward the base end due to a step on the base end side of the small diameter portion. 5. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameters of the contact pin, the coil spring and the receiving pin are set to the same size. 6. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein a small-diameter portion is provided at a distal end of the contact pin, or a small-diameter portion is provided at a distal end of the contact pin. A spring connector comprising a base end portion provided with a base end small diameter portion. 7. A hole penetrating through an insulating block,
7. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin is inserted and disposed movably in the axial direction so that the contact pin does not come off in the distal direction, and the distal end of the contact pin and the proximal end of the receiving pin are connected to each other. A test head, wherein both are configured to protrude from the block. 8. The test head according to claim 7, wherein
The block is formed by stacking a plurality of block bodies in the axial direction of the spring connector, providing a space at a position facing a tip side intermediate portion of the contact pin of the block, and providing a step at the tip of the contact pin. A small diameter portion at the distal end, and configured so that the small diameter portion of the distal end is inserted into a small hole formed in a portion of the block closer to the distal end than the space portion so that the contact pin does not come out in the distal direction due to the step. Test head to feature.