Patent · US Expired

Electrical connector design and contact geometry and method of use thereof and methods of fabrication thereof

US7172431B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
27References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 27, 2004
Grant dateFeb 6, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 27, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R1/07357
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A probe or an electrical connector comprises a substrate with a surface having a plurality of electrical contact locations. A shaped elongated electrical conductor has a first end coupled to one of the electrical contact locations and a second end thereof which projects away from the electrical contact location and through an aperture in a sheet of material. The sheet is disposed to be spaced apart from the surface of the substrate. At the second end of the elongated electrical conductor there is a tip structure, which is larger than the aperture in the sheet of material. The tip structure has a pointed portion thereof. The tip structure is disposed against contact locations of a contact surface. The electronic structure is moved towards the contact surface permitting the tip structure to penetrate into the surface of the electrical contact location thereon and to move, wipe, or vibrate across the surface thereof as the shaped elongated electrical conductor flexes as a result of being compressed by the movement of the electronic structure toward the contact surface.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.