Patent ID: 9007082
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A replaceable, longitudinally compressible membrane for forming a plurality of temporary mechanical and electrical connections between a device under test having a plurality of terminals and a load board having a plurality of contact pads, each contact pad being laterally arranged to correspond to exactly one terminal, comprising: a flexible, electrically insulating top contact plate longitudinally adjacent to the terminals on the device under test; a flexible, electrically insulating bottom contact plate longitudinally adjacent to the contact pads on the load board; a longitudinally resilient, electrically insulating interposer compressible along an axis generally orthogonal to said top and bottom contact plates; a plurality of longitudinally compressible, electrically conductive pin pairs each pin pair including upper and lower pins, extending through longitudinal holes in the top contact plate, the interposer and the bottom contact plate, each pin pair in the plurality being laterally arranged to correspond to exactly one terminal on the device under test; the plurality of pin pairs including a top and bottom contact, the top contact having a top engagement surface which engages electrical connections to a device under test, said top engagement surface including a sharp longitudinal contact ridge rising above the engagement surface, said ridge extending at least along the major portion of the engagement surface; wherein when a particular pin pair is longitudinally compressed, the pins in the pair slide past each other along a virtual interface surface that is inclined with respect to a surface normal of the interposer said lower pins including a foot for contacting the load board, said foot having an arcuate profile located centrally on the foot.