Retention of test probes in translator fixtures

Claim 2

A translator pin retention system for a translator fixture for a printed circuit board tester having a pattern of test probes facing away from a base upon which the translator fixture is mounted, the translator fixture comprising a plurality of essentially parallel and spaced apart rigid translator plates supported in a fixed position in the translator fixture and having selected patterns of holes aligned in the translator plates for containing and supporting translator pins extending through the plates of the translator fixture for positioning the translator pins for contacting test points on the printed circuit board which is supported at one end of the test fixture and for translating electrical test signals between the test points on the printed circuit board and the test probes on the base of the tester, the translator fixture including a thin, flexible rubber pin retention sheet positioned between an adjacent pair of said translator plates and positioned to rest loosely adjacent to and unattached to a surface of one of said pair of translator plates in the area of the translator pins so that the translator pins that extend through said pair of translator plates also extend through the pin retention sheet, the translator pins comprising straight, solid pins, the pin retention sheet having a preformed pattern of openings which are undersized with respect to the outside diameter of the translator pins which extend through the pin retention sheet so that the elastomeric properties of the rubber pin retention sheet naturally apply a resilient compression force around the circumference of the translator pins extending through the sheet at a level sufficient to retain the translator pins within the test fixture, the pin retention sheet being freely movable independently of the translator plates so that the compression force of the rubber acting on the pins essentially avoids applying drag forces or any restriction to axial movement of the pins within the fixture.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the pin retention sheet comprises a thin flexible sheet of natural or synthetic latex rubber.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 2 in which the latex rubber sheet has a thickness in the range of about 0.020 to 0.040 inch.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the pin retention sheet is mounted on top of a base plate of the translator fixture having a preformed hole pattern slightly oversized with respect to the size of the translator pins extending through the base plate and drilled on a grid pattern matching a grid pattern of the test probes on the grid base of the tester, and in which the pattern of undersized holes preformed in the pin retention sheet is aligned with the holes in the base plate of the translator fixture to match the same grid pattern.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the pin retention sheet comprises a thin, flexible sheet of natural or synthetic latex rubber.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the latex rubber sheet has a thickness in the range of about 0.020 to 0.040 inch.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the openings formed in the flexible sheet are slotted openings with resiliently flexible flaps that apply individual compression forces to the pins.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the openings formed in the flexible sheet are slotted openings with resiliently flexible flaps that apply individual compression forces to the pins.

Claim 10

A translator pin retention system for a translator fixture for a printed circuit board tester having a pattern of test probes facing away from a base upon which the translator fixture is mounted, the translator fixture comprising a plurality of essentially parallel and spaced apart rigid translator plates supported in a fixed position in the translator fixture and having selected patterns of holes aligned in the translator plates for containing and supporting translator pins extending through the plates of the translator fixture for positioning the translator pins for contacting the test points on the printed circuit board which is supported at one end of the test fixture and for translating electrical test signals between test points on the printed circuit board and the test probes on the base of the tester, the translator fixture including a thin, flexible rubber pin retention sheet positioned between an adjacent pair of said translator plates and positioned to rest loosely adjacent to and unattached to a surface of one of said pair of translator plates in the area of the translator pins so that the translator pins that extend through said pair of translator plates also extend through the pin retention sheet; the pin retention sheet being sufficiently thin in wall thickness to have both lateral and longitudinal flexibility; the translator pins comprising straight, solid pins; the pin retention sheet having a preformed pattern of openings which are undersized with respect to the outside diameter of the translator pins which extend through the pin retention sheet so that the elastomeric properties of the rubber pin retention sheet naturally apply a resilient compression force around the circumference of the translator pins extending through the sheet at a level sufficient to retain the translator pins within the test fixture; the pin retention sheet being freely movable independently of the translator plates so that the compression force of the rubber acting on the pins essentially avoids applying drag forces or any restriction to axial movement of the pins within the fixture.

Claim 11

A translator pin retention system for a translator fixture for a printed circuit board tester having a pattern of test probes facing away from a base upon which the translator fixture is mounted, the translator fixture comprising a plurality of essentially parallel and spaced apart rigid translator plates supported in a fixed position in the translator fixture and having selected patterns of holes aligned in the translator plates for containing and supporting translator pins extending through the plates of the translator fixture for positioning the translator pins for contacting the test points on the printed circuit board which is supported at one end of the test fixture and for translating electrical test signals between test points on the printed circuit board and the test probes on the base of the tester, the translator fixture including a thin, flexible rubber pin retention sheet positioned between an adjacent pair of said translator plates and positioned to rest loosely adjacent to and unattached to a surface of one of said pair of translator plates in the area of the translator pins so that the translator pins that extend through said pair of translator plates also extend through the pin retention sheet; the pin retention sheet being sufficiently thin in wall thickness to have both lateral and longitudinal flexibility; the translator pins comprising straight, solid pins; the pin retention sheet having a preformed pattern of openings which are undersized with respect to the outside diameter of the translator pins which extend through the pin retention sheet so that the elastomeric properties of the rubber pin retention sheet naturally apply a resilient compression force around the circumference of the translator pins extending through the sheet at a level sufficient to retain the translator pins within the test fixture; the pin retention sheet being freely movable independently of the translator plates so that the compression force of the rubber acting on the pins essentially avoids applying drag forces or any restriction to axial movement of the pins within the fixture.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the pin retention sheet has a thickness from about 0.020 to about 0.040 inch.

Claim 13

Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the pin retention sheet comprises natural or synthetic latex rubber.

Claim 14

A translator pin retention system for a translator fixture for a printed circuit board tester having a pattern of test probes facing away from a base upon which the translator fixture is mounted, the translator fixture comprising a plurality of essentially parallel and spaced apart rigid translator plates supported in a fixed position in the translator fixture and having selected patterns of holes aligned in the translator plates for containing and supporting translator pins extending through the plates of the translator fixture for positioning the translator pins for contacting test points on the printed circuit board which is supported at one end of the test fixture and for translating electrical test signals between the test points on the printed circuit board and the test probes on the base of the tester; the translator fixture including a thin, flexible pin retention sheet comprising an elastomeric material positioned between an adjacent pair of said translator plates and positioned to rest loosely adjacent to and unattached to a surface of one of said pair of translator plates in the area of the translator pins so that the translator pins that extend through the translator plates also extend through the pin retention sheet; the pin retention sheet comprising a closed cell rubber material sufficiently thin in wall thickness to have both lateral and longitudinal flexibility; the translator pins comprising straight, solid pins; the pin retention sheet having a preformed pattern of openings which are undersized with respect to the outside diameter of the translator pins which extend through the pin retention sheet so that the elastomeric properties of the rubber pin retention sheet naturally apply a resilient compression force around the circumference of the translator pins extending through the sheet at a level sufficient to retain the translator pins within the test fixture; the pin retention sheet being freely movable independently of the translator plates so that the compression force of the rubber acting on the pins essentially avoids applying drag forces or any restriction to axial movement of the pins within the fixture.

Claim 15

A translator pin retention system for a translator fixture for a printed circuit board tester having a pattern of test probes facing away from a base upon which the translator fixture is mounted, the translator fixture comprising a plurality of essentially parallel and spaced apart rigid translator plates supported in a fixed position in the translator fixture and having selected patterns of holes aligned in the translator plates for containing and supporting translator pins extending through the plates of the translator fixture for positioning the translator pins for contacting test points on the printed circuit board which is supported at one end of the test fixture and for translating electrical test signals between the test points on the printed circuit board and the test probes on the base of the tester; the translator fixture including a thin, flexible pin retention sheet comprising an elastomeric material positioned between an adjacent pair of said translator plates and positioned to rest loosely adjacent to and unattached to a surface of one of said pair of translator plates in the area of the translator pins so that the translator pins that extend through the translator plates also extend through the pin retention sheet; the pin retention sheet comprising a closed cell rubber material sufficiently thin in wall thickness to have both lateral and longitudinal flexibility; the translator pins comprising straight, solid pins; the pin retention sheet having a preformed pattern of openings which are undersized with respect to the outside diameter of the translator pins which extend through the pin retention sheet so that the elastomeric properties of the rubber pin retention sheet naturally apply a resilient compression force around the circumference of the translator pins extending through the sheet at a level sufficient to retain the translator pins within the test fixture; the pin retention sheet being freely movable independently of the translator plates so that the compression force of the rubber acting on the pins essentially avoids applying drag forces or any restriction to axial movement of the pins within the fixture.

Claim 16

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the pin retention sheet comprises natural or synthetic latex rubber having a sheet thickness from about 0.020 to about 0.040 inch.