Test contactor head for circuit modules

Claim 2

In a test contactor which includes a housing that has a circuit module-receiving portion and a board-receiving recess, and resilient contactor members with outer ends at said modulereceiving portion and inner ends within said board-receiving recess, the improvement comprising: a compensating board which includes a base of electrically insulating material, a plurality of strips of electrically conductive material spaced from one another on said base, said board shaped for insertion into said recess so that said inner ends of said contactor members contact said strips, and said board including a film of electrically insulative oil-like material covering at least most of the surface of said conductive strips, whereby to reduce current leakage if moisture condenses on said board.

Claim 3

In a test contactor which includes a housing that has a circuit module-receiving portion and a board-receiving recess, and resilient contactor members with outer ends at said module-receiving portion and inner ends within said board-receiving recess, the improvement comprising: a compensating board which includes a base of electrically insulating material, a plurality of strips of electrically conductive material spaced from one another on said base, said board shaped for insertion into said recess so that said inner ends of said contactor members contact said strips, and said board including a film of electrically insulative oil-like material covering at least most of the surface of said conductive strips, whereby to reduce current leakage if moisture condenses on said board.

Claim 4

In a test contactor which includes a housing that has a circuit module-receiving portion and a board-receiving recess, and resilient contactor members with outer ends at said module-receiving portion and inner ends within said board-receiving recess, the improvement comprising: a compensating board which includes a base of electrically insulating material, a plurality of strips of electrically conductive material spaced from one another on said base, said board shaped for insertion into said recess so that said inner ends of said contactor members contact said strips, and said board including a film of electrically insulative oil-like material covering at least most of the surface of said conductive strips, whereby to reduce current leakage if moisture condenses on said board.

Claim 5

A contactor head for testing dual-inline packaged integrated circuit modules that have leads comprising: a housing having a first end for receiving one of said circuit modules and a second end with a pair of recesses for receiving compensating boards, said housing having a pair of elongated ledge portions there-within; a pair of elongated comb members, each having a recess that receives one of said ledges for pivotal mounting thereon, and each having a plurality of slots spaced along its length; a pair of operating members having outer button ends at said first end of said housing and inner ends engaged with said comb members to pivot them from second to first positions as said button ends are depressed; a plurality of strip-shaped contactor members constructed of electrically conductive resilient material, each having an inner end portion mounted on said housing and extending into one of said board-receiving recesses, a middle portion extending through one of said slots in one of said comb members, and an outer end portion positioned at said first end of said housing, said inner end portions of said contactor members mounted to bias said comb members towards said second position thereof and to bias said outer ends of said contactor members away from the position of leads of a circuit module received at said first housing end; and a compensating board assembly which includes a pair of compensating boards for receiving electrical compensating components and shaped for insertion in said recesses of said housing, each board having an insulative base and a plurality of strips of electrically conductive material spaced from each other to contact said inner end portions of said contactor members.

Claim 6

A contactor head for testing dual-inline packaged integrated circuit modules that have leads comprising: a housing having a first end for receiving one of said circuit modules and a second end with a pair of recesses for receiving compensating boards, said housing having a pair of elongated ledge portions there-within; a pair of elongated comb members, each having a recess that receives one of said ledges for pivotal mounting thereon, and each having a plurality of slots spaced along its length; a pair of operating members having outer button ends at said first end of said housing and inner ends engaged with said comb members to pivot them from second to first positions as said button ends are depressed; a plurality of strip-shaped contactor members constructed of electrically conductive resilient material, each having an inner end portion mounted on said housing and extending into one of said board-receiving recesses, a middle portion extending through one of said slots in one of said comb members, and an outer end portion positioned at said first end of said housing, said inner end portions of said contactor members mounted to bias said comb members towards said second position thereof and to bias said outer ends of said contactor members away from the position of leads of a circuit module received at said first housing end; and a compensating board assembly which includes a pair of compensating boards for receiving electrical compensating components and shaped for insertion in said recesses of said housing, each board having an insulative base and a plurality of strips of electrically conductive material spaced from each other to contact said inner end portions of said contactor members.

Claim 7

The contactor head described in claim 2 wherein: said plurality of contactor members are arranged in pairs, both contactor members of a pair extending through the same slot in a comb member; each comb member has an aperture extending along its length and intersecting said slots; and including an elongated deflector member extending through the aperture of each of said comb members and between the pair of contactor members in each slot to separate them while permitting their simultaneous deflection.

Claim 8

A head for testing circuit modules with leads comprising: a housing having a module receiving portion for receiving the leads of said modules and a second portion having at least one elongated recess for receiving the end of a compensating board; a plurality of resilient elongated contact members disposed within said housing, said contact members having outer end portions at said module receiving portion and inner end portions disposed along said recess; comb means mounted to move between first and second positions within said housing, said comb means engaged with each of said contact members at positions spaced from said outer end portions thereof, to deflect said contact members so their outer end portions move against said circuit module leads as said comb means moves from said second position to said first position; said housing including walls for fixing the position of said contact members at locations along said inner end portions so that said contact members bias said comb means towards said second position; operating means responsive to the reception of a circuit module at said module receiving portion, for moving said comb means towards said first position; and a compensating board having a base of insulating material with first and second ends and a plurality of parallel electrically conductive strips thereon extending between said ends of said board, said first end of said board formed for reception in said recess so that said conductive strips contact said inner end portions of said contact members, and said board having a length between said ends thereof more than three times the depth of said recess to permit coupling to a connector at said second end of said board and still leave room for the mounting of electrical compensating components on the board portion between said ends.

Claim 9

A head for testing circuit modules with leads comprising: a housing having a module receiving portion for receiving the leads of said modules and a second portion having at least one elongated recess for receiving the end of a compensating board; a plurality of resilient elongated contact members disposed within said housing, said contact members having outer end portions at said module receiving portion and inner end portions disposed along said recess; comb means mounted to move between first and second positions within said housing, said comb means engaged with each of said contact members at positions spaced from said outer end portions thereof, to deflect said contact members so their outer end portions move against said circuit module leads as said comb means moves from said second position to said first position; said housing including walls for fixing the position of said contact members at locations along said inner end portions so that said contact members bias said comb means towards said second position; operating means responsive to the reception of a circuit module at said module receiving portion, for moving said comb means towards said first position; and a compensating board having a base of insulating material with first and second ends and a plurality of parallel electrically conductive strips thereon extending between said ends of said board, said first end of said board formed for reception in said recess so that said conductive strips contact said inner end portions of said contact members, and said board having a length between said ends thereof more than three times the depth of said recess to permit coupling to a connector at said second end of said board and still leave room for the mounting of electrical compensating components on the board portion between said ends.

Claim 10

The head described in claim 4 including: at least one discrete impedance member having first and second leads directly electrically connected to portions of said conductive strips of said compensating board which are electrically insulated from each other.

Claim 11

The head described in claim 4 wherein: said contact members are strip-shaped; and said conductive strips of said compensating board each have a width and thickness substantially equal to the width and thickness of each of said contact members, whereby to reduce distortion at high frequencies.

Claim 12

A head for testing circuit modules with leads comprising: a housing having a module receiving portion for receiving the leads of said modules and a second portion; first and second sets of strip-shaped resilient elongated contact members disposed within said housing, each member of the first set extending parallel to and spaced from the face of said second set, said contact members having outer end portions at said module receiving portion and inner end portions at said second housing portion; comb means including an elongated comb mounted to move between first and second positions within said housing to deflect said contact members so their outer end portions move against the circuit module leads as the comb moves to the first position, said comb having a plurality of slots spaced along its length, each slot receiving one of the contactor members of said first set and one of the contactor members of said second set, and said comb means also including a pair of elongated deflector members extending along the length of said comb, one deflector member positioned between the bottom of each slot and the contactor member of the first set therein, and the other deflector member positioned between the contactor member of the first set and the contactor member of the second set therein; said housing including walls for fixing the position of said contact members at locations along said inner end portions so that said contact members bias said comb means towards said second position; and operating means responsive to the reception of a circuit module at said module receiving portion, for moving said comb means towards said first position.

Claim 13

A head for testing circuit modules with leads comprising: a housing having a module receiving portion for receiving the leads of said modules and a second portion; first and second sets of strip-shaped resilient elongated contact members disposed within said housing, each member of the first set extending parallel to and spaced from the face of said second set, said contact members having outer end portions at said module receiving portion and inner end portions at said second housing portion; comb means including an elongated comb mounted to move between first and second positions within said housing to deflect said contact members so their outer end portions move against the circuit module leads as the comb moves to the first position, said comb having a plurality of slots spaced along its length, each slot receiving one of the contactor members of said first set and one of the contactor members of said second set, and said comb means also including a pair of elongated deflector members extending along the length of said comb, one deflector member positioned between the bottom of each slot and the contactor member of the first set therein, and the other deflector member positioned between the contactor member of the first set and the contactor member of the second set therein; said housing including walls for fixing the position of said contact members at locations along said inner end portions so that said contact members bias said comb means towards said second position; and operating means responsive to the reception of a circuit module at said module receiving portion, for moving said comb means towards said first position.