Fixture for testing flexible circuit
AssigneeSeagate Technology LLC
InventorsDavid G. Wobbe, David G. Qualey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A test fixture for testing a head gimbal assembly having a flex circuit with a plurality of circuit pads, prior to installation of the head gimbal assembly into a disc drive. The fixture comprises a contact board having a plurality of electrically conductive contact points on a surface thereof, the contact points arranged to contact the circuit pads of the flex circuit. The fixture further comprises a clamp assembly connected to the contact board, the clamp assembly having an activation end, an opposite engagement end, and a pivot axis extending orthogonal to an axis defined by the activation end and the engagement end. The engagement end has a non-conductive engagement surface configured to contact the head gimbal assembly on a surface opposite the plurality of circuit pads.
Claims20
A test fixture for testing a head gimbal assembly having a flex circuit with a plurality of circuit pads, the fixture comprising:
- a contact board having a plurality of electrically conductive contact points on a surface thereof, the contact points arranged to contact the circuit pads of the flex circuit, each of the contact points comprising a gold surface and having a diameter and a height above the surface of the contact board of no more than 8 micrometers;
- a clamp assembly connected to the contact board, the clamp assembly having an activation end, an opposite engagement end, and a pivot axis extending orthogonal to an axis defined by the activation end and the engagement end;
- the engagement end having a non-conductive engagement surface configured to contact the head gimbal assembly on a surface opposite the plurality of circuit pads, the engagement surface extending at an angle between 0 and 45 degrees to the pivot axis and having a width the same as the diameter of the contact points.
A test fixture for testing a head gimbal assembly having a flex circuit with a plurality of circuit pads, the fixture comprising:
- a contact board having a plurality of electrically conductive contact points on a surface thereof, the contact points each having a diameter of 200-300 micrometers and comprising a dome structure comprising copper and a gold surface;
- and
- a clamp assembly connected to the contact board, the clamp assembly having an activation end, an opposite engagement end having a non-conductive engagement surface, and a pivot axis extending orthogonal to an axis defined by the activation end and the engagement end, the non-conductive engagement surface having a width of no more than 250 micrometers.
A test fixture for testing a head gimbal assembly having a flex circuit with a plurality of circuit pads, the fixture comprising:
- a contact board having a plurality of electrically conductive contact points on a surface thereof, the contact points comprising a dome structure comprising a gold surface;
- and
- a non-conductive clamp assembly pivotally connected to the contact board, the clamp assembly having an activation end, an opposite engagement end having an engagement surface, and a pivot axis extending orthogonal to an axis defined by the activation end and the engagement end;
- wherein adjacent contact points have a distance of no more than 500 micrometers therebetween, and
- wherein each of the contact points has a diameter of 200-300 micrometers.
A test fixture for testing a head gimbal assembly having a flex circuit with a plurality of circuit pads, the fixture comprising:
- a contact board having a plurality of electrically conductive contact points on a surface thereof, the contact points arranged to contact the circuit pads of the flex circuit, the contact points each comprising a dome structure comprising copper and a gold surface, having a height of no more than 8 micrometers, a diameter of 200-300 micrometers, and a distance between adjacent contact points of more than 500 micrometers;
- and
- a clamp assembly pivotally connected to the contact board, the clamp assembly having an activation end, an opposite engagement end having a non-conductive engagement surface, and a pivot axis extending orthogonal to an axis defined by the activation end and the engagement end, the non-conductive engagement surface having a width of no more than 250 micrometers and extending at an angle between 10 and 25 degrees to the pivot axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.