Automated closure test socket
OwnerWayne K. Pfaffinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pivoting beam or lever is used to open and close burn-in and test sockets which employ laterally moving cammed plates to form electrical contact between electrical contact fingers within the socket and terminals depending from an electronic device package. The pivoting beam is oriented and adapted for operation by vertically applied forces so that opening and closing the socket is easily automatible using the pick and place equipment conventionally used to insert and remove electronic device packages from open top sockets.
Claims8
In apparatus having a housing and a top face for supporting an electronic device package with a plurality of downwardly depending terminals positioned in windows in said top face, a plurality of resilient elongated contact fingers with free ends for contacting said terminals and a plate adapted for lateral movement to urge the terminals and the free ends together to form electrical contact therebetween, the improvement comprising:
- (a) a beam rotatable between a first position and a second position pivotally attached to said housing substantially parallel with said top surface, said beam having a first end portion and a second end portion disposed on opposite sides of a transverse axis, a first bearing surface on said first end portion oriented to react to a substantially vertical downward force when said beam is in a first position and a second bearing surface on said second end portion oriented to react to a substantially vertical downward force when said beam is in a second position;
- and
- (b) a cam responsive to movement of said beam operatively associated with the plate adapted for lateral movement to urge the terminals into contact with the elongated fingers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.