Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20070229099
Timestamp: 2018-04-19 11:50:39
Document Index: 387040420

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 291', 'art 292', 'art 291', 'art 293', 'art 291', 'art 291', 'art 292', 'art 292', 'art 292', 'art 293', 'art 292', 'art 292', 'art 293', 'art 293', 'art 291', 'art 292', 'art 293']

US20070229099A1 - Resistive test probe tips and applications therefor - Google Patents
US20070229099A1
US20070229099A1 US11725736 US72573607A US2007229099A1 US 20070229099 A1 US20070229099 A1 US 20070229099A1 US 11725736 US11725736 US 11725736 US 72573607 A US72573607 A US 72573607A US 2007229099 A1 US2007229099 A1 US 2007229099A1
US7321234B2 (en )
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/018,133, filed Dec. 17, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. ______. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/018,133 claims the benefit under 35 USC Section 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/531,076 filed Dec. 18, 2003. The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/352,128, filed Feb. 10, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. ______. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/352,128 claims the benefit under 35 USC Section 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/652,046, filed Feb. 10, 2005. The present application is based on and claims priority from these applications, the disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Any suitable encapsulating material 164 may be employed in the practice of the present invention. The encapsulating material 164 may be insulating or conducting. If cross-directional electrical connection is desired along the edges of the pultrusion, a conducting polymer may be used. Conversely, if insulating properties are desired along the edges of the pultrusion, an insulating encapsulating material 164 may be used, or insulating fibers can be used in the outer periphery of the pultruded configuration and the conducting fibers can be configured to reside away from the edges. Typically, the encapsulating material 164 may be, for example, a polymer selected from the group of structural thermoplastic and thermosetting resins. Polyesters, epoxies, vinyl esters, polyetheretherketones, polyetherimides, polyethersulphones, polypropylene, and nylon are, in general, suitable materials with the polyesters being preferred due to their short cure time and relative chemical inertness. If an elastomeric matrix is desired, a silicone, fluorosilicone, or polyurethane elastomer may provide the polymer matrix.
FIGS. 12-15 will be used to explain one preferred method of determining the proper length of the test probe tip 140 of the present invention. First, as shown in FIG. 12, a metal probe tip can be modeled as a distributed circuit or transmission line with inductance and capacitance per unit length. The frequency response of the circuit shown in FIG. 12 would be approximately the trace shown in FIG. 13. The increase in signal amplitude is undesirable as the ideal frequency response would have a trace that was substantially flat. If the test probe tip 140 were made of resistive material 160, then the equivalent circuit would be the circuit of FIG. 14. If resistance (R) is optimized, a substantially flat frequency response such as that shown in FIG. 15 could be achieved. Some simulations were performed to determine the optimum value of resistance. The resistance is proportional to the impedance of the transmission line (√(L/C)) as well as inversely proportional to the square root of the length. Based on the above considerations, an initial point at which the resistance could be set would follow the formula of R1=0.75×(√(L1/(C1×Length)). In this equation, R1, L1, and C1 are resistance, inductance, and capacitance per millimeter. Length is the probe tip length in millimeters. 0.75 is the proportional constant. For example if the probe tip is 5 mm long, the inductance is 0.787 nH/mm, and the capacitance is 0.08 pF/mm, the equation above would yield R1=33.3 Ω/mm. R1 can also be adjusted to compensate for any capacitance at connection point Vo.
In practice, if a probing tip 224 is in a closed position (e.g. the connectors 250 are close together as shown, for example, in FIGS. 17, 19, 20, 22, and 24) and a user wants to widen the distance between the connectors 250 (e.g. open the probing tip 224 to an at least partially open position such as those shown, for example, in FIGS. 18, 23, and 25), the user would actuate the motion actuator 246. In one preferred embodiment, the motion actuator 246 would ultimately (directly or indirectly) actuate motion in a linear direction x (forward for opening). Because the motion actuator 246 is functionally attached to the motion translator 248, the motion translator 248 “translates” or “converts” the motion of the motion actuator 246. The motion translator 248 is connected or linked (via link 252) to a movable test point connector projection 242. Because the distance between the motion actuator 246 and the link 252 is fixed, the motion translator 248 cannot go forward, but instead flexes at or near hinge mechanism 254. If the hinge mechanism 254 moves upward (e.g. peaks), the remote end of the motion translator 248 moves downward. If the hinge 254 moves downward (e.g. valleys), the remote end of the motion translator 248 moves upward. The linked movable test point connector projection 242 moves in the same direction with the remote end of the motion translator 248. Causing the motion actuator 246 to actuate motion in a backward linear direction x (for closing), the motion translator 248 would “flaften,” the hinge mechanism 254 would move back to its original position, and the linked movable test point connector projection 242 would move back to its original closed planar configuration.
Exemplary Motion Actuators:
FIG. 30 shows a first exemplary motion actuator 246 a that is implemented using an external tool 290 a such as a screwdriver. One advantage of this embodiment is that a user would have to consciously choose to actuate the motion actuator 246 a (as opposed to accidentally or casually actuating a motion actuator). The motion actuator 246 a includes at least three parts: a motion actuator fixed part 291 a being fixed in relation to the body 240, a motion actuator rotating part 292 a that rotates in relation to the fixed part 291 a, and a motion actuator directional movement part 293 a that moves in a predetermined direction (e.g. forward and backward along axis x). In this embodiment of the motion actuator 246 a, the fixed part 291 a is a sleeve. The fixed part 291 a contains an interior chamber 294 a. The rotating part 292 a is a screw (e.g. a jack screw) that includes a shaft with an external helical thread (inclined plane). The rotating part 292 a has a head 295 a (with a tool accepter 296 a such as a slot defined therein) that is positioned within the interior chamber 294 a. Washers 297 a help to hold the head 295 a within the interior chamber 294 a. The rotating part 292 a rotates in relation to the sleeve 291 a. The directional movement part 293 a is a nut that has an internal helical groove that mates with the external helical thread of the rotating part 292 a. As the rotating part 292 a rotates, its external helical thread interacts with the internal helical groove of the directional movement part 293 a causing the directional movement part 293 a to move forward or backward in relation to the fixed part 291 a depending on the direction in which the rotating part 292 a is rotated. This configuration allows torque (from the external tool 290 a) to be converted into linear force (the movement of motion actuator directional movement part 293 a).
Transmission Line Structure:
Test Point Connectors:
One alternative test point connector 250 includes a test probe tip 327 constructed substantially from resistive material (a resistive test probe tip 327) that is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/018,133 (entitled Resistive Probe Tip) and PCT Application No. PCT/US04/43884 (entitled Resistive Probe Tip), both of which have been assigned to LeCroy Corporation (the assignee of the present invention) and are hereby incorporated by reference. Another alternative test point connector 250 is the wedge test probe tip described in U.S. Design Pat. No. D444,401 (entitled Electrical Test Probe Wedge Tip), U.S. Pat. No. 6,518,780 (entitled Electrical Test Probe Wedge Tip), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,131 (entitled Electrical Test Probe Wedge Tip), all of which issued to LeCroy Corporation (the assignee of the present invention) and are hereby incorporated by reference. The general shape of this wedge shaped alternative test point connector 250 is shown as the “point” in FIGS. 33 and 34. As shown in FIG. 35, still another alternative test, point connector 250 b is the flexible spring probe tip described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,576 (entitled Electrical Test Probe Flexible Spring Tip) which issued to LeCroy Corporation (the assignee of the present invention) and is hereby incorporated by reference. As shown in FIG. 36, yet another alternative test point connector 250 c is the wedge test probe tip described in U.S. Design Pat. No. D444,720 (entitled Notched Electrical Test Probe Tip), U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,424 (entitled Notched Electrical Test Probe Tip), U.S. Pat. No. 6,809,535 (entitled Notched Electrical Test Probe Tip), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/971,344 (entitled Notched Electrical Test Probe Tip), all of which have been assigned to LeCroy Corporation (the assignee of the present invention) and are hereby incorporated by reference. The above described test point connectors may be made from the resistive material described above or any conductive material (e.g. metal, carbon).
Probing Head:
Alternative Embodiment of a Planar Probing Tip:
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