US 5,314,342 AGranted

Universal probe adapter

AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company

InventorTimothy A. Figge

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Abstract

The invention provides an adapter for electrically connecting an electronic probe to an electronic device. A pair of jaws are slidably mounted on rails. Teeth protrude from the jaws in a position to engage the gaps between the leads of a fine pitch integrated circuit chip. A flex circuit has traces connecting exposed contacts on one end, which exposed contacts are located between the teeth. The contacts have the same pitch as the chip leads. A wire-filled elastomer is located over the exposed contacts. A screw passing through threaded bores in the jaws, draws the jaws toward each other, urging the teeth into the gaps to self-align the adapter, and compressing the elastomer, so that the wires in it connect each chip lead to one of the exposed contacts. A probe may be connected to a selected lead by connecting it to the appropriate through-hole.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A probe adapter for making electrical connection between an electronic probe and leads of a fine pitch surface mount electronic device, said probe adapter comprising:

a flexible circuit having a plurality of conductive traces formed thereon, wherein portions of said conductive traces are exposed to provide a plurality of contacts at one end of said flexible circuit and said conductive traces are patterned to provide means for electrically connecting at another end of said flexible circuit, said flexible circuit having at least one fold between said plurality of contacts and said means for electrically connecting;
an electrical connecting member comprising a plurality of conductors and an elastomer block, wherein said plurality of conductors are embedded in said elastomer block and said plurality of conductors are aligned substantially perpendicular to the plurality of contacts on the flexible circuit and the leads on the electronic device;
means for compressing said connecting member between said plurality of contacts and said leads so that more than one of said plurality of conductors electrically connect one of said leads to one of said plurality of contacts wherein said means for compressing comprises a pair of jaws, each jaw supporting a plurality of said contacts and said electrical connecting member, and means for urging said jaws toward each other and wherein said means for compressing also comprises means for adjusting said probe adapter to fit a number of possible physical sizes of said electronic device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.