IP Library Granted Patent US 8,282,428
Granted Patent B2
US 8,282,428 · App. 12/742,888 · Granted Oct 9, 2012

Contact base

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,282,428
App. No.
12/742,888
Granted
Oct 9, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a contact base with a plurality of contact springs for making contact with electronic components, in particular ICs, the contact springs each have an elongate contact blade, the longitudinal center plane of said contact blade being situated parallel to the bending plane of the spring arm of the contact spring. Furthermore, the spring arm is formed in such a way that, when a pin is pressed, the contact blade moves in a direction which differs from the feed direction of the component in such a way that the contact blade moves along the pin.

Claims (16)

1. A contact spring for contacting electronic components, particularly integrated circuits, wherein the contact spring comprises an elongate spring arm a free end of which comprises an elongate contact blade, on which a pin of a component may be placed, wherein the spring arm is displaceable in a predefined bending plane by movement of the component in a feed direction, wherein the longitudinal centre plane of the contact blade is arranged at an angle of at most +/−30°, particularly parallel, to the bending plane of the spring arm, wherein the spring arm is constructed in such manner that, when the pin is pressed on, the contact blade moves in a direction which differs from the feed direction of the component in such a way that the elongate contact blade shifts along the pin and wherein the elongate contact blade is convex for at least a part of its length, wherein the contact blade is curved in an arch over its length, and wherein a width of the contact blade is narrower in a middle area than in end areas.

2. The contact spring of claim 1 , wherein the contact blade is arranged in a middle of the free end of the spring arm.

3. The contact spring of claim 1 , wherein the contact blade has a corrugated faun along its length.

4. The contact spring of claim 1 , wherein the contact blade has a contact zone that has a width of at most 0.06 mm at a narrowest point, and a width of at most 0.09 mm at a widest point.

5. The contact spring of claim 4 , wherein a length of the contact zone over which the pin shifts is 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm.

6. The contact spring of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal centre plane of the contact blade is arranged at an angle of at most +/−20°, particularly parallel, to the bending plane of the spring arm.

7. The contact spring of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal centre plane of the contact blade is arranged at an angle of at most +/−10°, particularly parallel, to the bending plane of the spring arm.

8. The contact spring of claim 1 , wherein the contact blade is continuously curved in a convex manner.

9. The contact spring of claim 1 , wherein the contact spring comprises a spring end that comprises an inclined surface on the contact blade.

10. The contact spring of claim 9 , wherein the spring end consists of one, two or more inclined surfaces on the contact blade.

11. The contact spring of claim 10 , wherein the inclined surface comprises a first principal axis that inclines from a vertical end section of the spring arm relative to a spring tip of the contact spring, and the inclined surface comprises a second principal axis that is perpendicular to the first principal axis and extends parallel to the longitudinal centre plane of the contact blade.

12. A contact base having a plurality of contact springs, wherein each contact spring is for contacting electronic components, particularly integrated circuits, wherein the contact spring comprises an elongate spring arm, a free end of which comprises an elongate contact blade, on which a pin of a component may be placed, wherein the spring arm is displaceable in a predefined bending plane by movement of the component in a feed direction, wherein a longitudinal centre plane of the contact blade is arranged at an angle of at most +/−30°, particularly parallel, to the bending plane of the spring arm, wherein the spring arm is constructed in such manner that, when the pin is pressed on, the contact blade moves in a direction which differs from the feed direction of the component in such a way that the elongate contact blade shifts along the pin and wherein the elongate contact blade is convex for at least a part of its length, wherein the contact blade is curved in an arch over its length, and wherein a width of the contact blade is narrower in a middle area than in end areas.

13. The contact base of claim 12 , wherein the contact blade is arranged in a middle of the free end of the spring arm.

14. The contact base of claim 12 , wherein the contact blade has a contact zone that has a width of at most 0.06 mm at a narrowest point, and a width of at most 0.09 mm at a widest point.

15. The contact base of claim 14 , wherein a length of the contact zone over which the pin shifts is 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm.

16. The contact base of claim 12 , wherein the longitudinal centre plane of the contact blade is arranged at an angle of at most +/−20°, particularly parallel, to the bending plane of the spring arm.

Assignments (7)
MERGER Recorded Dec 5, 2025
From: MULTITEST ELEKTRONISCHE SYSTEME GMBH
To: COHU GMBH
Reel/Frame 073901/0811 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INCORRECT PATENT NUMBER 7261561 AND REPLACE WITH PATENT NUMBER 7231561 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 034660 FRAME 0188. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Feb 11, 2016
From: XCERRA CORPORATION; EVERETT CHARLES TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 037824/0372 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN UNITED STATES PATENTS Recorded Dec 18, 2014
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: XCERRA CORPORATION; EVERETT CHARLES TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 034660/0394 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 18, 2014
From: XCERRA CORPORATION; EVERETT CHARLES TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 034660/0188 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 27, 2014
From: LTX-CREDENCE CORPORATION
To: XCERRA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 033032/0768 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 17, 2014
From: LTX-CREDENCE CORPORATION; EVERETT CHARLES TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 032086/0476 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2010
From: GSCHWENDTBERGER, GERHARD
To: MULTITEST ELEKTRONISCHE SYSTEME GMBH
Reel/Frame 024383/0305 →