Patent Publication Number: US-2023138996-A1

Title: Connecting device for connecting an electrical device under test to a test instrument

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 202122634500.9, filed on Oct. 29, 2021. 
     FIELD 
     The disclosure relates to a connecting device, and more particularly to a connecting device for connecting an electrical device under test to a test instrument. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A conventional connecting device is used to connect an electrical device under test to a test instrument. For example, a mother board of a camera is a device under test (DUT) and has a plurality of connectors under test. The connecting device has a plurality of mating adapters which are snap-fit connected with the connectors under test. Such snap-fit connection of the connectors are susceptible to wear and breakage after prolonged use due to repeated insertion and removal of the connectors. 
     SUMMARY 
     Therefore, an object of the disclosure is to provide a connecting device that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art. 
     According to the disclosure, the connecting device for electrically connecting an electrical device under test which has a plurality of signal contact portions includes a lower modular unit and an upper modular unit. The lower modular unit includes a port substrate and a plurality of lower connecting terminals. Each lower connecting terminal is electrically connected with the port substrate at a lower end thereof. The upper modular unit is disposed above the lower modular unit and includes a plurality of upper connecting terminals movable relative to an upper wall. Each upper connecting terminal has an upper contact end which is movable as a result of a downward pressing of the electrical device under test on the upper modular unit to project outwardly of the upper wall and to electrically connect with one signal contact portions. The upper connecting terminals are electrically connected with the lower connecting terminals of the lower modular unit. 
     With the upper contact ends of the upper connecting terminals of the upper modular unit contacting and electrically connecting with the signal contact portions of the electrical device under test in a pressing manner, structure wearing due to a snap-fit engagement can be avoided and service life of the connecting device may be prolonged. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
         FIG.  1    is an exploded perspective view illustrating an embodiment of a connecting device according to the disclosure and an electrical device under test; 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment and the electrical device taken from another angle; 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded perspective view of an upper modular unit of the embodiment; 
         FIG.  4    is a sectional view illustrating an upper module of the upper modular unit and the electrical device in a state when the upper module is not connected with the electrical device; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of the embodiment and the electrical device; and 
         FIG.  6    is a sectional view illustrating the upper module of the upper modular unit and a lower module of a lower modular unit of the embodiment and the electrical device in a state when the upper module is connected with the electrical device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  and  2   , an embodiment of a connecting device  100  according to the disclosure is adapted for electrically connecting an electrical device under test  200 , such as a printed circuit mother board of a camera. The electrical device under test  200  has a plurality of insert plugs  201  and a plurality of signal contact portions  202  disposed on the insert plugs  201  (see  FIG.  4   ). The insert plugs  201  may be connectors and the signal contact portions  202  may be terminals disposed on the connectors. In other embodiments, the signal contact portions  202  may be contacts on a printed circuit board. The connecting device  100  of the embodiment includes a lower modular unit  1  and an upper modular unit  2 . 
     The lower modular unit  1  includes a port substrate  11  which is connectable with a test instrument (not shown), a lower module seat  12  on which the port substrate  11  is disposed, and a plurality of lower modules  13  which are disposed on the port substrate  11 . Each lower module  13  has a lower module housing  131  and a plurality of lower connecting terminals  132  which are mounted on the lower module housing  131  to be kept spaced apart from each other. Lower ends of the lower connecting terminals  132  are electrically connected with the port substrate  11 . In this embodiment, the lower connecting terminals  132  are POGO pins. In other embodiments, the lower connecting terminals  132  may be in the form of any type of terminal. The lower module housing  131  of each lower module  13  is removably mounted on the port substrate  11  for facilitating replacement thereof in case of failure without the need to replace the whole lower modular unit  1 . 
     With reference to  FIGS.  1  to  4   , the upper modular unit  2  is disposed above the lower modular unit  1 , and includes an upper module seat  21  which has a plurality of slots  210  formed therethrough, and a plurality of upper modules  22  which are respectively disposed in the slots  210  and aligned with the lower modules  13 . Each upper module  22  is removably fastened to the upper module seat  21  by means of a detachable screw (S) so as to facilitate replacement of the upper module  22  without the need to replace the whole upper modular unit  2 . In this embodiment, at least two of the upper modules  22  have different dimensions from each other. The upper module seat  21  is movable relative to the lower module seat  12  in an up-down direction. The upper and lower module seats  21 ,  12  respectively have upper and lower movement stabilizing portions  211 ,  121  which are matingly engageable with each other to stabilize the up-down movement of the upper module seat  21  relative to the lower module seat  12 . In this embodiment, the upper movement stabilizing portion  211  is in the form of a post extending from a lower surface of the upper module seat  21 , and the lower movement stabilizing portion  121  being in the form of a hole extending through the lower module seat  12 . In other embodiments, the upper and lower movement stabilizing portions  211 ,  121  may be any type of slidable structures. 
     Each upper module  22  has an upper module housing  221  and a plurality of upper connecting terminals  222 . The upper module housing  221  has a base seat portion  2211  and a movable portion  2212  which is disposed on and movable relative to the base seat portion  2211  in the up-down direction. The movable portion  2212  has an upper wall  2216  which has through holes  2214  formed therethrough, and a socket  2213  which projects from the upper wall  2216  and which defines a socket port  2217  that is communicated with the through holes  2214 . A corresponding insert plug  201  of the electrical device  200  is fittingly insertable into the socket port  2217 . The upper connecting terminals  222  are mounted on the base seat portion  2211  to be kept spaced apart from each other and are inserted into the through holes  2214 , respectively. The movable portion  2212  is resiliently movable relative to the base seat portion  2211  between an initial position and a pressed position. For example, a plurality of biasing members  2215 , such as biasing springs, are disposed between the movable portion  2212  and the base seat portion  2211 . The upper connecting terminals  222  may be POGO pins in this embodiment, and have upper and lower contact ends  2221 ,  2222  which are resiliently movable relative to the base seat portion  2211  by means of springs (not shown) disposed therein. 
     With reference to  FIGS.  1  to  4   , when the upper module  22  of the upper modular unit  2  is not pressed, the movable portion  2212  of the upper module  22  is in the initial position. The upper contact ends  2221  of the upper connecting terminals  222  are retracted in the through holes  2214  to be protected by the movable portion  2212  and the upper module  22  is not connected with the electrical device  200 . 
     With reference to  FIGS.  5  and  6   , when the electrical device  200  is to be connected with the upper modular unit  2 , the insert plug  201  is inserted into the socket  2213  with a downward pressing action of the electrical device  200  on the upper modular unit  2 , the movable portion  2212  of the upper module housing  221  is moved downwardly from the initial position to the pressed position to permit the upper contact ends  2221  of the upper connecting terminals  222  to project from the through holes  2214  and expose outwardly of the movable portion  2212  so as to contact and electrically connect with the signal contact portions  202  of the insert plug  201 . Thus, the upper module  22  of the upper modular unit  2  is connected with the electrical device under test  200 . Also, the upper connecting terminals  222  are electrically connected with the lower connecting terminals  132  of the lower modular unit  1 . Through the upper connecting terminals  222  of the upper modular unit  2  having the upper contact ends  2221  contacting and electrically connecting with the signal contact portions  202  of the electrical device  200  in a pressing manner, structural wear due to the snap-fit engagement can be avoided and service life of the connecting device may be prolonged. Moreover, the movable portion  2212  of the upper module  22  receives and protects the upper connecting terminals  222  in the initial position when the upper module  22  is not connected with the electrical device  200 . 
     In this embodiment, the upper module  22  further includes a printed circuit board  223  which is disposed under the base seat portion  2211  of the upper module housing  221 . The printed circuit board  223  has a plurality of bottom contacts  2231  which are disposed on a bottom surface of the board  223  to contact and electrically connect with the lower connecting terminals  132  of the lower modular unit  1 , and a plurality of top contacts  2232  which are disposed on a top surface of the board  223  to contact and electrically connect with the lower contact ends  2222  of the upper connecting terminals  222 . Each of the bottom contacts  2231  is spaced apart from an adjacent one of the bottom contacts  2231  by a distance larger than a distance by which each of the top contacts  2232  is spaced apart from an adjacent one of the top contacts  2232 . Through the printed circuit board  223 , the upper connecting terminals  222  are electrically connected with the lower connecting terminals  132  of the lower modular unit  1 . Also, the upper connecting terminals  222  can be electrically connected with the lower connecting terminals  132  when the arrangement of the upper connecting terminals  222  is different from that of the lower connecting terminals  132 . 
     Moreover, the lower modular unit  1 , for example, may further include a plurality of resilient bracing members  122  which extend upwardly from the lower module seat  12  to resiliently abut against the upper module seat  21 . Each resilient bracing member  122  includes a post and a biasing spring (not shown) disposed in the post. Thus, the bottom contacts  2231  of the board  223  are kept spaced apart from the lower connecting terminals  132  of the lower modular unit  1  when the electrical device under test  200  is not pressed to the upper modular unit  2 . 
     As illustrated, with the upper contact ends  2221  of the upper connecting terminals  222  of the upper modular unit  2  contacting and electrically connecting with the signal contact portions  202  of the electrical device under test  200  in a pressing manner, structural wear due to the snap-fit engagement can be avoided and service life of the connecting device may be prolonged. 
     While the disclosure has been described in connection with what is considered the exemplary embodiment, it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.