Patent EP0458448A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0458448A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
An adapter and test fixture for an integrated circuit device package
Assignee: Tektronix Inc
•
Filing: 1991-03-27
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2011-03-27
Abstract
Abstract A test fixture for a high pin count surface mounted IC device has a test head assembly connected to an adapter having electrically conductive elements that couple the output of the IC device to test points on the test head assembly. The test points are coupled to conductive pads on the test head assembly via conductive runs. The test head assembly conductive pads mate with conductive pad formed in the electrically conductive elements of the adapter. The conductive elements engage leads on the IC device providing conductive paths between the IC leads an the test points on the test head assembly. The test fixture is secured to the IC device by friction forces between the periphery of the IC device and the inner surface of the adapter. The test fixture or the adapter is usable as a low profile chip carrier by inverting the fixture or adapter and as a circuit board interconnect.
Inventors
- 👤 Paul A. Cole
- 👤 Bozidar Janko
- 👤 Richard G. Chambers
- 👤 Wolfgang H. Herr
- 👤 Douglas W. Trobough
- 👤 Peter M. Compton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 03:10
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R1/00; G01R1/02; G01R1/04; G01R1/0408; G01R1/0433; H; H05; H05K; H05K1/00; H05K1/02; H05K1/03; H05K1/0393; H05K1/14; H05K1/141; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S439/00; Y10S439/912
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
An adapter for electrically connecting an integrated circuit device to a test head assembly wherein the device has top and bottom surfaces and a periphery from which electrically conductive leads extend for connecting the device to a substrate and the test head assembly has test points connected to electrical contact pads corresponding to the device leads, the adapter comprising: a housing; electrically conductive elements disposed within the housing with each element having one end engaging one of the leads on the device and the other end forming an electrical contact pad for mating with a corresponding electrical contact pad on the test head assembly; and means for securing the housing to the device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
30 words
The adapter as recited in claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises a top having engaging means extending therefrom, the engaging means being complementary with the periphery of the device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The adapter as recited in claim 2 wherein the engaging means comprises sidewalls normal to the top and having inner and outer surfaces, and cover plates coextensive with the sidewalls for securing the electrically conductive elements within the sidewalls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
92 words
The adapter as recited in claim 3 wherein each sidewall further comprises a solid portion adjacent to the top with inwardly angled grooves formed in the outer surface normal to the top and a second portion adjacent to the solid portion wherein the grooves extend through the sidewall forming a comb structures having alternating ribs and slots with the electrically conductive elements fitting within the grooves of the solid portion and extending through the slots in the second portion, the ribs of the comb structure providing electrical isolation between the conductive elements.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The adapter as recited in claim 1 wherein each electrically conductive element further comprises a first segment angularly depending from a second segment with the angle between the segments being greater than ninety degrees, the first segment being the electrical contact pad and the second segment engaging one of the device leads.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The adapter as recited in claim 1 wherein the securing means comprises the inner surface of the sidewalls mating with the periphery of the device producing frictional forces for holding the adapter in place.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
The adapter as recited in claim 1 wherein the securing means comprises a locking clip having a handle, engaging pin and locking pin with the pins being normal to and extending from the handle in the same direction, the engaging pin slidably mating with the housing and the locking pin slidably mating with the bottom surface of the device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
127 words
A test head assembly comprising: a base member having top and bottom surfaces; a support member having opposed parallel surfaces and an array of electrically conductive test points extending therethrough with the test points protruding beyond one of the surfaces; and a flexible circuit member captured between the top surface of the base member and the support member surface having the protruding test points, the flexible circuit member having electrically conductive pads thereon electrically coupled to an array of through holes formed in the flexible circuit member with each through hole being electrically coupled to a corresponding test point of the support member, the flexible circuit member being formed around the base member for exposing the electrically conductive pads on the bottom surface of the base member.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The test head assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein the test points of the support member further comprise solid conductive wires protruding from both surfaces of the support member with the wires protruding from the surface opposite the flexible circuit member accepting external probing devices.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The test head assembly as recited in claim 8 wherein the test points of the support member further comprise electrically conductive sleeves mounted flush with the surface opposite the flexible circuit member for accepting external probing devices.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
106 words
An test fixture for probing an integrated circuit device having top and bottom surfaces and a periphery from which leads extend for connecting the device to a substrate, the test fixture comprising: a test head assembly having electrically conductive contact pads coupled to corresponding test points; a housing affixed to the test head assembly; electrically conductive elements disposed within the housing with each element having one end engaging one of the leads on the device and the other end forming an electrical contact pad for mating with one of the contact pads on the test head assembly; and means for securing the housing to the device.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
The test fixture as recited in claim 11 wherein the housing further comprises a means for mounting the housing to the test head assembly and a top having engaging means extending therefrom, the engaging means being complementary with the periphery of the device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The test fixture as recited in claim 12 wherein the engaging means comprises sidewalls normal to the top and having inner and outer surfaces, and cover plates coextensive with the sidewalls for securing the electrically conductive elements within the sidewalls.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
93 words
The test fixture as recited in claim 13 wherein each sidewall further comprises a solid portion adjacent to the top with inwardly angled grooves formed in the outer surface normal to the top and a second portion adjacent to the solid portion wherein the grooves extend through the sidewall forming a comb structures having alternating ribs and slots with the electrically conductive elements fitting within the grooves of the solid portion and extending through the slots in the second portion, the ribs of the comb structure providing electrical isolation between the conductive elements.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
The test fixture as recited in claim 12 wherein the mounting means further comprises the top having through holes formed therein for accepting a screw for threaded engagement with the test head assembly having a corresponding threaded screw hole therein.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
53 words
The test fixture as recited in claim 11 wherein each electrically conductive element further comprises a first segment angularly depending from a second segment with the angle between the segments being greater than ninety degrees, the first segment being the electrical contact pad and the second segment engaging one of the device leads.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The test fixture as recited in claim 11 wherein the securing means comprises the inner surface of the sidewalls mating with the periphery of the device producing frictional forces for holding the adapter in place.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
60 words
The test fixture as recited in claim 11 wherein the securing means comprises a locking clip having a handle, mounting pin and locking pin with the pins being normal to and extending from the handle in the same direction, the mounting pin slidably mating with the housing and the locking pin slidably mating with the bottom surface of the device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
151 words
A circuit board interconnect system comprising: a first circuit board having an integrated circuit device mounted thereon with the device having top and bottom surfaces and a periphery from which electrically conductive leads extend for connecting the device to the circuit board; an adapter positioned on the integrated circuit device and having electrically conductive elements disposed therein for engaging the leads on the device, each electrically conductive element having a electrical contact lead segment on one end engaging one of the device leads and the other end forming an electrical contact pad segment; a second circuit board having contact pads thereon formed in a pattern coextensive with the electrical contact pad segments on the adapter; means for securing the second circuit board to the adapter with the circuit board contact pads in mating electrical contact with the adapter electrical contact pad segments; and means for securing the adapter to the device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
160 words
The circuit board interconnect system as recited in claim 19 further comprising: a flexible circuit member having electrically conductive runs thereon for connecting the adapter on the first circuit board to the contact pads on the second circuit board, the flexible circuit member having contact pads on either end with the contact pads on one end formed in a pattern coextensive with the electrical contact pad segments on the adapter and the contact pads on the other end formed in a pattern coextensive with contact pads on the second circuit board, the respective ends of the flexible circuit member being mounted on a base member and a support member; and means for securing the base member to the adapter with the electrical conductive pad segments of the adapter mating with the flexible circuit member contact pads and the support member to the other circuit board with the flexible circuit contact pads mating with the contact pads on the circuit board.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
52 words
The circuit board interconnect system as recited in claim 19 wherein the adapter further comprises a housing having a top and sidewalls with the sidewalls being normal to the top and having inner and outer surfaces, and cover plates coextensive with the sidewalls for securing the electrically conductive elements within the sidewalls.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
95 words
The circuit board interconnect system as recited in claim 21 wherein each sidewall further comprises a solid portion adjacent to the top with inwardly angled grooves formed in the outer surface normal to the top and a second portion adjacent to the solid portion wherein the grooves extend through the sidewall forming a comb structures having alternating ribs and slots with the electrically conductive elements fitting within the grooves of the solid portion and extending through the slots in the second portion, the ribs of the comb structure providing electrical isolation between the conductive elements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
55 words
The circuit board interconnect system as recited in claim 19 wherein each electrically conductive element further comprises a first segment angularly depending from a second segment with the angle between the segments being greater than ninety degrees, the first segment being the electrical contact pad and the second segment engaging one of the device leads.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
The circuit board interconnect system as recited in claim 19 wherein the securing means comprises the inner surface of the sidewalls mating with the periphery of the device producing frictional forces for holding the adapter in place.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
62 words
The circuit board interconnect system as recited in claim 19 wherein the securing means comprises a locking clip having a handle, engaging pin and locking pin with the pins being normal to and extending from the handle in the same direction, the engaging pin slidably mating with the housing and the locking pin slidably mating with the bottom surface of the device.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.