JP7826697B2 - probe - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a probe used for inspecting connectors.

Patent Document 1 discloses a probe that, when inspecting a connector, brings a fixed plunger into contact with the conductive shell of the connector to establish a ground connection, and brings multiple probe pins into contact with each contact of the connector.

International Publication No. 2019/069576

In probes such as those described in Patent Document 1, grounding is not provided in the areas between coaxial cables on the circuit board and between probe pins, which can lead to signal interference between the coaxial cables and between the probe pins. As a result, high-precision connector inspection is hindered with conventional probes.

This disclosure therefore provides a probe that improves connector inspection accuracy.

A probe according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a probe used to inspect a connector having multiple contacts, and includes: a plunger having a tip portion containing multiple probe pins arranged to correspond to the multiple contacts, and a main body portion containing conductive portions electrically connected to the multiple probe pins; a substrate disposed on the main body portion or tip portion and having a first main surface on which a first ground conductive portion is exposed; a second main surface facing the first main surface and on which a second ground conductive portion is exposed; and a signal conductive portion extending from the first main surface to the second main surface and contacting the conductive portion on the first main surface and the multiple probe pins on the second main surface, thereby electrically connecting the conductive portion and the multiple probe pins; first ground contact portions located between the conductive portions and in contact with the first ground conductive portion; and second ground contact portions located between the multiple probe pins and in contact with the second ground conductive portion.

In a probe according to one aspect of the present disclosure, between the conductive portions, the first ground conductive portion and the first ground contact portion make ground contact. Furthermore, between multiple probe pins, the second ground conductive portion and the second ground contact portion make ground contact. By ensuring ground at these contact points, it is possible to suppress interference between signals between the conductive portions and between the probe pins. As a result, it is possible to improve the inspection accuracy of connectors.

This disclosure provides a probe that improves connector inspection accuracy.

1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a perspective view, FIG. 1C is a side view, and FIG. 1D is a bottom view showing the appearance of a probe according to a first embodiment. 2A and 2B are diagrams showing the appearance of a probe and a connector, with Fig. 2A being a side view and Fig. 2B being a perspective view. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1(a) before the probe comes into contact with the connector. 4A is a plan view, FIG. 4B is a perspective view, and FIG. 4C is a side view showing the appearance of the device in a state where a substrate is housed in the tip portion. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of the substrate before it is housed in the tip portion. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4(a). 7A, 7B, and 7C are diagrams showing the appearance of a spacer (contact assisting portion), in which Fig. 7A is a plan view, Fig. 7B is a perspective view, and Fig. 7C is a side view. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along line AA in FIG. 1(a) in a state where the probe is in contact with the connector. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line AA in FIG. 1( a ) in a stroke state. FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a range F in FIG. 9 . FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a probe according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a probe according to a third embodiment.

Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description, identical elements or elements with identical functions will be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a probe 1 in a first embodiment. FIG. 1( a) is a plan view, FIG. 1( b) is a perspective view, FIG. 1( c) is a side view, and FIG. 1( d) is a bottom view. The shape of the probe 1 when viewed from above (see FIG. 1( a)) and the shape of the probe 1 when viewed from below (see FIG. 1( d)) are both approximately rectangular. Hereinafter, the direction along the long side of the rectangle will be referred to as the X-axis direction, and the direction along the short side of the rectangle will be referred to as the Y-axis direction. The height direction, which is perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis, will be referred to as the Z-axis direction. The X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to one another. The probe 1 has a generally columnar shape extending in the Z-axis direction as a whole.

Figure 2 shows the appearance of the probe 1 and connector 100. Figure 2(a) is a side view, and Figure 2(b) is a perspective view. The probe 1 is a tool used to inspect the connector 100. The connector 100 is a multi-core connector including multiple contacts 1001, 1001 (see Figure 3). The multiple contacts 1001, 1001 are arranged, for example, along multiple rows. In this embodiment, the connector 100 includes two contacts 1001, 1001 arranged in two rows, and an insulating housing 1003 that secures the contacts 1001, 1001. The connector 100 also has a shell 1002 (see Figure 3) that surrounds the outer periphery of the insulating housing 1003 and separates the multiple contacts 1001, 1001. The shell 1002 functions as a ground connection portion. The connector 100 is disposed on a printed circuit board (not shown) and is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. Furthermore, during testing, the connector 100 is electrically connected to the probe 1. Various components other than the connector 100 may also be arranged on the printed circuit board.

The probe 1 and connector 100 are electrically connected by the probe 1 moving in the Z-axis direction. Hereinafter, within the Z-axis direction, the direction in which the connector 100 is located as seen from the probe 1 will be referred to as "downward," and the direction in which the probe 1 is located as seen from the connector 100 will be referred to as "upward." The probe 1 is positioned upward as seen from the connector 100. When the probe 1 and connector 100 are connected, a force pressing upward on the probe 1 (hereinafter referred to as "pressure") is applied as a reaction to the force pressing the probe 1 downward. The state in which no pressure is being applied to the probe 1 is referred to as the initial state, and the state in which pressure is being applied is referred to as the stroke state.

The configuration of the probe 1 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1(a) before the probe 1 comes into contact with the connector 100. The probe 1 includes a conductive portion 2, a probe pin 3, a plunger 4, a substrate 5, a flange 6, a spring 7, a housing 8, a cap 9, and a spacer 10 (contact assist portion).

The conductive portion 2 is electrically connected to the probe pin 3. Here, "electrically connected" refers not only to cases where the conductive portion 2 and the probe pin 3 are electrically connected by being directly physically connected to each other, but also to cases where the conductive portion 2 and the probe pin 3 are electrically connected by being indirectly connected to each other via a conductive component (e.g., a substrate 5) placed between the conductive portion 2 and the probe pin 3. The conductive portion 2 is also electrically connected to, for example, external testing equipment.

For example, the conductive portion 2 has multiple (e.g., two) coaxial cables 21 and multiple (e.g., two) conductive members 22. The coaxial cables 21 are conductors coated with an insulator that extend in the Z-axis direction. The conductive members 22 are conductive parts (e.g., conductors or wiring made of metal) that extend in the Z-axis direction. The coaxial cables 21 are electrically connected to the conductive members 22. The conductive portion 2 may be composed of at least one of the coaxial cables 21 and the conductive members 22.

The probe pin 3 is a needle-shaped conductive component, such as a pogo pin. A plurality of probe pins 3 (for example, two) are provided to correspond one-to-one with the contacts 1001, 1001 of the connector 100, and extend along the Z-axis direction. The tip of the probe pin 3 faces the connector 100 in the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, "facing" also includes cases where other components exist between the opposing objects.

The substrate 5 is a generally cylindrical component that electrically connects the conductive portion 2 and the multiple probe pins 3 to each other. The substrate 5 has a first main surface 51 and a second main surface 52 opposite the first main surface 51. The substrate 5 is electrically connected to the conductive portion 2 on the first main surface 51. The substrate 5 is electrically connected to the multiple probe pins 3 on the second main surface 52. Details of the substrate 5 will be described later.

The plunger 4 is a conductive component having a main body 41 and a tip 42. The main body 41 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape and contains at least a portion of the conductive portion 2. Specifically, the main body 41 contains portions of multiple coaxial cables 21 and multiple conductive members 22, and extends in the Z-axis direction along these components. The main body 41 has a cylindrical top surface 411, a bottom surface 412, and a side surface 413 extending in the Z-axis direction from the top surface 411 to the bottom surface 412. The main body 41 has multiple through holes 41H formed along the Z-axis direction from the top surface 411 to the bottom surface 412. Insulators D, which contain the conductive members 22 and other components that make up the conductive portion 2, are disposed in the multiple through holes 41H. For example, coaxial cables 21 are inserted into the multiple through holes 41H from the top surface 411 along the Z-axis direction, and the gaps where the coaxial cables 21 are inserted are filled with collars C. The bottom surface 412 faces the substrate 5 in the Z-axis direction. The tips of the conductive portions 2 (e.g., conductive members 22) are exposed from the bottom surface 412.

A circular plate-shaped protrusion 416 is formed on the lower portion 415 of the main body 41. Note that the lower portion 415 here does not refer only to the lower end of the main body 41, but also includes the vicinity of the lower end (the area close to the lower end). The protrusion 416 has the side surface 413 as its base end and protrudes outward in the X-axis direction. The upper surface 4161 of the circular plate-shaped protrusion 416 faces the lower surface 622 of the circular portion 62, described below, in the Z direction. The lower surface 4162 of the protrusion 416 faces the upper surface 821 of the bottom portion 82, described below, in the Z direction.

The tip portion 42 is formed in a columnar shape and is disposed at the lower portion 415 of the main body portion 41 and fixed to the main body portion 41. The tip portion 42 contains multiple probe pins 3 and accommodates the substrate 5, extending in the Z-axis direction along the multiple probe pins 3. The substrate 5 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the main body portion 41 and the tip portion 42.

The tip portion 42, substrate 5, and probe pins 3 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4 shows the appearance of the substrate 5 housed in the tip portion 42. Figure 4(a) is a plan view, Figure 4(b) is a perspective view, and Figure 4(c) is a side view. The tip portion 42 has a support portion 421 and a holding portion 422. The support portion 421 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and houses the substrate 5. The holding portion 422 is formed in a columnar shape and extends in the Z-axis direction (downward) from a base end (upper end) connected to the support portion 421, and contains multiple probe pins 3. The tip portion 42 also has a tip surface 423, which is the lower end surface in the Z-axis direction. The holding portion 422 holds the multiple probe pins 3 so that the tips (lower ends) of the multiple probe pins 3 are exposed from the tip surface 423.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the appearance of the substrate 5 before it is housed in the tip portion 42. The substrate 5 has a signal conductive portion 53 and a ground conductive portion 54. The signal conductive portion 53 is provided from the first main surface 51 to the second main surface 52. The signal conductive portion 53 contacts multiple conductive members 22 on the first main surface 51 and multiple probe pins 3 on the second main surface 52, thereby electrically connecting the conductive portion 2 and the multiple probe pins 3. The ground conductive portion 54 is a conductive layer provided on each of the first main surface 51 and the second main surface 52.

The support portion 421 has an upper surface 4211, a recess 4212 formed by recessing the upper surface 4211, and an inner bottom surface 4213 that is the bottom surface of the recess 4212. The recess 4212 accommodates the substrate 5. In other words, the recess 4212 functions as a receptacle for the substrate 5. The inner bottom surface 4213 faces the second main surface of the substrate 5. The upper ends (other ends) of the multiple probe pins 3 are exposed on the inner bottom surface 4213.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 4(a). The substrate 5 in this embodiment is a build-up substrate. For example, the substrate 5 is composed of a base layer BL and multiple build-up layers UL that sandwich the base layer BL and form a first main surface 51 and a second main surface 52.

The signal conductive portion 53 includes a first signal conductive portion 531 provided in the buildup layer UL and a second signal conductive portion 532 provided in the base layer BL. The first signal conductive portion 531 provided in the buildup layer UL that forms the first main surface 51 is electrically connected to the conductive member 22. The first signal conductive portion 531 provided in the buildup layer UL that forms the second main surface 52 is electrically connected to the probe pin 3. The second signal conductive portion 532 relays the electrical connection between the first signal conductive portion 531 provided in the buildup layer UL that forms the first main surface 51 and the first signal conductive portion 531 provided in the buildup layer UL that forms the second main surface 52.

The substrate 5 converts the pitch of the conductive portions 2 and the pitch of the multiple probe pins 3. For example, the pitch of the multiple conductive members 22 is greater than the pitch of the multiple probe pins 3. Corresponding to this difference in pitch, the pitch of the first signal conductive portions 531 on the first main surface 51 is greater than the pitch of the first signal conductive portions 531 on the second main surface 52. In other words, the first signal conductive portions 531 convert the pitch of the conductive portions 2 and the pitch of the multiple probe pins 3 in accordance with their positions on the first main surface 51 and second main surface 52.

The diameter of the first signal conductive portion 531 is smaller than the diameter of the second signal conductive portion 532. For example, the diameter of the second signal conductive portion 532 in the base layer BL is formed by a through via. The diameter of the first signal conductive portion 531 in the build-up layer UL is formed by a laser via. A laser via can be formed with a smaller hole diameter than a through via.

As a comparative example, a substrate formed only with through vias will be described. In this case, holes are formed at the same pitch on each side of the substrate. Then, by providing wiring or the like that changes the pitch on one side of the substrate, unnecessary portions (stubs) are created on that side. In contrast, because substrate 5 of this embodiment is a build-up substrate, it can be manufactured so that stubs are not created. For example, as shown in Figure 6, substrate 5 of this embodiment does not create stubs in the position of range S, while stubs are created in the position corresponding to range S in the substrate of the comparative example. Substrate 5 of this embodiment has improved signal reflection characteristics (return loss) in the high-frequency range (e.g., 5 GHz or higher) compared to the substrate of the comparative example.

The ground conductive portion 54 includes a first ground conductive portion 541 exposed on the first principal surface 51 and a second ground conductive portion 542 exposed on the second principal surface 52. The first ground conductive portion 541 and the second ground conductive portion 542 have a multilayer structure formed, for example, by plating. The first ground conductive portion 541 surrounds the signal conductive portion 53 (first signal conductive portion 531) on the first principal surface 51. For example, when the substrate 5 is viewed from above as shown in FIG. 5 , multiple (e.g., two) first signal conductive portions 531 are provided on the first principal surface 51 near both ends in the X-axis direction, and the first ground conductive portion 541 is provided to surround the periphery of the first signal conductive portion 531. Furthermore, the second ground conductive portion 542 surrounds the signal conductive portion 53 (first signal conductive portion 531) on the second principal surface 52. For example, when the substrate 5 is viewed from the bottom, multiple (e.g., two) first signal conductive portions 531 are provided on the second main surface 52 near both ends in the X-axis direction, and second ground conductive portions 542 are provided so as to surround the periphery of the first signal conductive portions 531 (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 6, the height of the substrate 5 is greater than the depth of the recess 4212 of the support portion 421. More specifically, the distance H1 between the first main surface 51 and the second main surface 52 of the substrate 5 is greater than the distance H2 between the top surface 4211 and the inner bottom surface 4213 of the support portion 421. Therefore, when the substrate 5 is accommodated in the recess 4212, the first main surface 51 of the substrate 5 protrudes beyond the top surface 4211 of the support portion 421.

Returning to Figure 3, the flange 6 has a plate-shaped member 61 and an annular portion 62 formed separately from the plate-shaped member 61. The plate-shaped member 61 is a plate-shaped component for fixing the probe 1 to the testing equipment. The plate-shaped member 61 has a generally rectangular shape in plan view. The plate-shaped member 61 has an upper surface 611 and a lower surface 612. A through-hole 61H is formed in the plate-shaped member 61, extending from the center of the upper surface 611 to the center of the lower surface 612. When the upper surface 611 is viewed in plan view or the lower surface 612 is viewed from the bottom, the area where the through-hole 61H is formed is hollowed out in a circular shape. In addition, a pair of holes 61W are formed in the plate-shaped member 61 at both ends along the X-axis direction, extending from the upper surface 611 to the lower surface 612, so as to sandwich the through-hole 61H. The flange 6 fixes the probe 1 to the testing equipment by screwing it through the holes 61W. Note that the hole 61W may be a so-called screw hole (see Figures 1(a) and (d)).

The upper surface 611 of the plate-shaped member 61 secures a rod-shaped pin P formed separately from the plate-shaped member 61. The pin P has an upper end P1 and a lower end P2 fixed to the upper surface 611.

The annular portion 62 is a circular plate-shaped component and is made of a highly slidable material such as polyacetal resin. The annular portion 62 has an upper surface 621 and a lower surface 622. The annular portion 62 is arranged on the lower surface 612 of the plate-shaped member 61, along the outer periphery of the through-hole 61H of the plate-shaped member 61. The annular portion 62 also surrounds the side surface 413 at the upper portion 414 of the main body portion 41.

Through holes 62H are formed in the annular portion 62, extending from the upper surface 621 to the lower surface 622. Multiple (e.g., four) through holes 62H are formed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the annular portion 62 (see Figure 2(b)). Ribs 83 of the housing 8, described below, are inserted into the through holes 62H from the lower surface 622.

The spring 7 includes a first spring 71 and a second spring 72. The first spring 71 is a coil spring. The first spring 71 is disposed between the annular portion 62 of the flange 6 and the protruding portion 416 of the plunger 4. Specifically, the first spring 71 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the lower surface 622 of the annular portion 62 and the upper surface 4161 of the protruding portion 416. The first spring 71 biases the protruding portion 416 in a direction away from the annular portion 62, thereby biasing the plunger 4 in a direction away from the flange 6. In the initial state, the first spring 71 applies a downward biasing force to the plunger 4 from the lower surface 622 of the annular portion 62. The first spring 71 maintains the plunger 4 in an initial position spaced a predetermined distance from the flange 6. In the stroke state, the first spring 71 is compressed in the Z-axis direction.

The second spring 72 is a coil spring. The second spring 72 is disposed between the protrusion 416 of the plunger 4 and the bottom 82 of the housing 8, which will be described later. Specifically, the second spring 72 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the lower surface 4162 of the protrusion 416 and the upper surface 821 of the bottom 82, which will be described later. The second spring 72 biases the bottom 82 in a direction away from the protrusion 416, thereby biasing the housing 8 in a direction away from the plunger 4. In the initial state, the second spring 72 applies a downward biasing force to the bottom 82 from the lower surface 4162 of the protrusion 416. The second spring 72 maintains the housing 8 in an initial position at a predetermined distance from the plunger 4. In the stroke state, the second spring 72 is compressed in the Z-axis direction.

The first spring 71 and the second spring 72 surround the side surface 413 of the main body 41 and are arranged concentrically. Here, "concentrically" means that the radial center of the first spring 71 and the radial center of the second spring 72 are on the same axial line. The axial line is a line along the Z-axis direction.

The housing 8 is a conductive member formed in a generally cylindrical shape and extending along the Z-axis direction. The housing 8 accommodates the plunger 4, the first spring 71, and the second spring 72. The housing 8 has a base 81, a bottom 82, and ribs 83.

The base 81 is formed in a generally bottomed cylindrical shape, with a bottom surface 811 on one side (lower) in the extension direction. A hole 81H is formed near the center of the bottom surface 811. The bottom 82 is provided at one end 84 (one end) on one side (lower) in the extension direction of the housing 8, such that a rectangular tube extends downward along the Z-axis direction from a plate-like member 822 extending along the bottom surface 811 of the base 81, through the hole 81H in the base 81. The bottom 82 has an upper surface 821, which is the surface opposite the surface on which the rectangular tube is provided. The upper surface 821 faces the lower surface 4162 of the protrusion 416, sandwiching the second spring 72. The bottom 82 has an inner bottom surface 823 extending at one end 84 so as to face the tip surface 423 of the tip portion 42. Additionally, the bottom 82 is formed with multiple openings 82H for exposing the tips of the multiple probe pins 3 to the outside. The portions of the bottom 82 between the multiple openings 82H come into contact with the shell 1002 that separates the multiple contacts 1001, 1001 in the connector 100. This contact establishes ground contact between the connector 100 and the housing 8.

The housing 8 is configured to enclose the tip portion 42, and further has a guide portion 86 at the end 84 that positions the connector 100. The guide portion 86 is mated with the connector 100. The tip (lower end) of the guide portion 86 is tapered so that its thickness becomes thinner (the opening becomes larger) toward the tip. For example, the guide portion 86 has a pair of tapered shapes in the X-axis direction and a pair of tapered shapes in the Y-axis direction. When the guide portion 86 approaches the connector 100 in the Z-axis direction, it adjusts the position of the connector 100 along the slope of the tapered shapes.

The rib 83 is provided contiguous with the base 81 at the other (upper) end 85 in the extension direction of the housing 8. For example, the rib 83 is a plate-shaped protrusion that extends upward along the Z-axis direction from the base 81 as its base end. Multiple ribs 83 (for example, four) are provided at predetermined intervals around the periphery of the base 81 (see Figure 2(b)). The ribs 83 are inserted into the through-holes 62H from the lower surface 622 of the annular portion 62.

The cap 9 is a generally rectangular parallelepiped component. The cap 9 is arranged to surround the rib 83 of the housing 8. The cap 9 has a top surface 91 and a bottom surface 92. A hole 9H is formed in the cap 9 along the Z-axis direction, extending from the center of the top surface 91 to the center of the bottom surface 92. When the top surface 91 is viewed from above or the bottom surface 92 is viewed from below, the area where the hole 9H is formed is hollowed out in a circular shape. The diameter of the hole 9H in the top surface 91 is smaller than the diameter of the hole 9H in the bottom surface 92. The bottom surface 92 faces the top surface 611 of the plate-shaped member 61. The hole 9H in the bottom surface 92 communicates with the through-hole 61H in the top surface 611 of the plate-shaped member 61. The rib 83 of the housing 8 is inserted into the hole 9H from the bottom surface 92 and comes into contact with the lower end 93 of the top surface 91. The lower end 93 may be indirectly in contact with the rib 83 by contacting an insulator E attached to the rib 83.

Multiple (e.g., two) pin holes 92H are formed in the bottom surface 92 of the cap 9 at both ends in the X-axis direction. The pin holes 92H are formed from the bottom surface 92 toward the top surface 91 (upward), but do not reach (pass through) the top surface 91. A hole bottom 94 is formed at the deepest part of the pin hole 92H. A pin P is positioned on the top surface 611 of the plate-shaped member 61 so as to correspond to the pin hole 92H. In the stroke state, the upper end P1 of the pin P is separated from the hole bottom 94.

The spacer 10, located below the probe 1, is a conductive component made of an elastically deformable plate-like member. The spacer 10 is a separate (independent) component from the plunger 4 and the housing 8. The spacer 10 is located between the tip surface 423 of the tip portion 42 and the inner bottom surface 823 of the bottom portion 82. The spacer 10 is configured to be able to contact both the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823 at least between multiple probe pins 3 (the area sandwiched between the probe pins 3 in the X-axis direction). For example, the spacer 10 electrically contacts the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823 when the probe 1 is in a stroke state. In other words, the spacer 10 is a contact assisting part that assists in contact between the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823.

Figure 7 shows the appearance of the spacer 10. Figure 7(a) is a plan view, Figure 7(b) is a perspective view, and Figure 7(c) is a side view. The shape of the spacer 10 when viewed from above (see Figure 7(a)) approximates a rectangle. The spacer 10 has multiple openings 10H for inserting multiple probe pins 3. The spacer 10 has an upper surface 101 and a lower surface 102. The upper surface 101 faces the tip surface 423 of the tip portion 42. The lower surface 102 faces the inner bottom surface 823 of the bottom portion 82. The upper surface 101 contacts the tip surface 423 when the probe 1 is in a stroke state. The upper surface 101 does not contact the tip surface 423 when the probe 1 is in an initial state. The lower surface 102 contacts the inner bottom surface 823 when the probe 1 is in an initial state and a stroke state.

[stroke]
Next, the initial state and stroke state of the probe 1 will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section along line A-A in Figure 1(a) when the connector 100 is in contact with the probe 1. In Figure 8, the probe 1 is not pressed against the connector 100. That is, Figure 8 shows the initial state of the probe 1.

The plunger 4 is configured to be movable between a first position in which the tip of the probe pin 3 is not exposed through the opening 82H in the bottom 82 of the housing 8, and a second position in which the tip of the probe pin 3 is exposed through the opening 82H in the bottom 82 of the housing 8, in response to the elastic force of the second spring 72. In the initial state, the plunger 4 is positioned in the first position.

In the initial state, the upper end P1 of the pin P abuts against the hole bottom 94. This engages the flange 6 and cap 9. The probe 1 is fixed in its movement in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, so its initial position is determined. Specifically, in the initial position of the probe 1, the position of the cap 9 relative to the flange 6 is determined. Furthermore, the movement of the rib 83 of the housing 8, which directly or indirectly contacts the lower end 93 of the cap 9, is restricted, so the initial position of the housing 8 is determined.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1(a) in the stroke state. Figure 9 shows the state in which a pressing force is applied so that the probe 1 is pressed against the connector 100 from the state shown in Figure 8.

In the stroke state, the plunger 4 moves downward in the Z-axis direction. In this state, the plunger 4 moves to the second position, exposing the tip of the probe pin 3 from the opening 82H in the bottom 82 of the housing 8. In other words, when the plunger 4 moves to the second position, the tip of the probe pin 3 is exposed to the outside from the opening 82H. The probe pin 3 is then connected to the connector 100.

In the stroke state, the housing 8 moves upward. Because the rib 83 of the housing 8 is in direct or indirect contact with the lower end 93 of the cap 9, the cap 9 is pushed by the rib 83, causing the cap 9 to move upward. Additionally, the upper end P1 of the pin P moves away from the hole bottom 94, creating a gap inside the pin hole 92H. This allows the probe 1 to move in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions. This allows the probe 1 to adjust for axial misalignment between the probe 1 and the connector 100.

In this embodiment, the spring constant of the first spring 71 is smaller than the spring constant of the second spring 72. When a pressing force is applied to the probe 1, the first spring 71 elastically deforms faster than the second spring 72. In other words, the first spring 71 compresses in the Z-axis direction faster than the second spring 72. When the first spring 71 elastically deforms and the second spring 72 does not, the plunger 4 is in a first position that prevents the tip of the probe pin 3 from being exposed through the opening 82H in the bottom 82 of the housing 8. When the first spring 71 is compressed in the Z-axis direction, it adjusts the axial misalignment between the probe 1 and the connector 100. Subsequently, when further pressing force is applied to the probe 1, the second spring 72 compresses in the Z-axis direction. At this time, the plunger 4 moves to a second position, exposing the tip of the probe pin 3 to the outside. The elastic deformation of the first spring 71 and the second spring 72 in this order allows the axial misalignment to be adjusted while protecting the tip of the probe pin 3.

[Ground contact]
FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the structure of the probe 1, showing a range F shown in FIG.

The spacer 10 is provided over substantially the entire area where the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823 face each other. The spacer 10 is configured to be able to contact both the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823, not only between the multiple probe pins 3 but also in a position surrounding the multiple probe pins 3. For example, the spacer 10 is sandwiched between the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823 in a stroke state, and elastically deforms along each surface. The spacer 10 establishes a ground connection in area A1 between the multiple probe pins 3 on the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823. The spacer 10 also establishes a ground connection in area A2 surrounding the multiple probe pins 3 on the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823.

Moving upward, the main body 41 further includes a first ground contact portion 417 that is located between the conductive portions 2 and contacts the first ground conductive portion 541. The first ground contact portion 417 is integrally formed with the main body 41. The first ground contact portion 417 establishes a ground connection in region A3 between the conductive portions 2 in the first ground conductive portion 541.

The tip portion 42 further includes a second ground contact portion 424 that is located between the multiple probe pins 3 and that contacts the second ground conductive portion 542. The second ground contact portion 424 is configured integrally with the tip portion 42. For example, the second ground contact portion 424 may be a partial area of the inner bottom surface 4213. The second ground contact portion 424 establishes a ground connection in area A4 between the multiple probe pins 3 in the second ground conductive portion 542. The inner bottom surface 4213 also establishes a ground connection in area A5 that surrounds the multiple probe pins 3 in the second ground conductive portion 542.

The first ground contact portion 417 and the second ground contact portion 424 are in contact with the first ground conductive portion 541 and the second ground conductive portion 542, respectively, in the initial state and stroke state of the probe 1.

[Effects of this embodiment]
The probe 1 according to one aspect of the present embodiment is a probe 1 used for inspecting a connector 100 having a plurality of contacts 1001, 1001, and includes a plunger 4 having a tip portion 42 containing a plurality of probe pins 3 provided to correspond to the plurality of contacts 1001, 1001, and a main body portion 41 containing conductive portions 2 electrically connected to the plurality of probe pins 3; a first main surface 51 arranged on the main body portion 41 or the tip portion 42 and exposing a first ground conductive portion 541; the first main surface (51) being exposed from the substrate (5); and a signal conductive portion (53) extending from the first main surface (51) to the second main surface (52) and contacting the conductive portion (2) on the first main surface (51) and the plurality of probe pins (3) on the second main surface (52), thereby electrically connecting the conductive portion (2) and the plurality of probe pins (3); first ground contact portions (417) located between the conductive portions (2) and in contact with the first ground conductive portion (541), and second ground contact portions (424) located between the plurality of probe pins (3) and in contact with the second ground conductive portion (542).

In a probe 1 according to one aspect of this embodiment, between the conductive portions 2, the first ground conductive portion 541 and the first ground contact portion 417 are in ground contact. Furthermore, between multiple probe pins 3, the second ground conductive portion 542 and the second ground contact portion 424 are in ground contact. By ensuring ground at these contact points, it is possible to suppress interference between signals between the conductive portions 2 and between the probe pins 3. As a result, it is possible to improve the inspection accuracy of the connector 100.

In the probe 1, the first ground contact portion 417 is integrally formed with the main body portion 41. This configuration improves the stability of the ground contact. As a result, the inspection accuracy of the connector 100 can be further improved.

In the probe 1, the second ground contact portion 424 is integrally formed with the tip portion 42. This configuration improves the stability of the ground contact. As a result, the inspection accuracy of the connector 100 can be further improved.

In the probe 1, the substrate 5 is composed of a base layer BL and buildup layers UL sandwiching the base layer BL and forming a first main surface 51 and a second main surface 52. The signal conductive portion 53 includes a first signal conductive portion 531 provided in the buildup layer UL and a second signal conductive portion 532 provided in the base layer BL. The diameter of the first signal conductive portion 531 is smaller than the diameter of the second signal conductive portion 532. With this configuration, the area of the first signal conductive portion 531 appearing on the first main surface 51 is narrowed, thereby allowing the area of the first ground conductive portion 541 on the first main surface 51 to be widened. Similarly, the area of the first signal conductive portion 531 appearing on the second main surface 52 is narrowed, thereby allowing the area of the second ground conductive portion 542 on the second main surface 52 to be widened. This enables stable ground contact at each of the first ground conductive portion 541 and the second ground conductive portion 542. As a result, the inspection accuracy of the connector 100 can be further improved.

In the probe 1, the first ground conductive portion 541 and the second ground conductive portion 542 are formed by plating. This configuration makes it easier to manufacture the substrate 5.

In the probe 1, the body 41 or tip 42 of the plunger 4 has a recess 4212 for accommodating the board 5. This configuration improves the stability of the board 5 installation and enables more reliable ground contact. This further improves the inspection accuracy of the connector 100.

In the probe 1, at least one of the first ground conductive portion 541 and the second ground conductive portion 542 surrounds the signal conductive portion 53. With this configuration, ground contact is made at a position where the signal conductive portion 53 is surrounded, making it difficult for noise due to signal transmission to propagate, further improving the inspection accuracy of the connector 100.

The probe 1 further includes a conductive housing 8 that encloses the tip 42 and has a guide portion 86 that positions the probe relative to the connector 100. The guide portion 86 improves positioning accuracy when connecting the probe to the connector 100 and increases the number of points of ground contact, further improving the inspection accuracy of the connector 100.

[Second embodiment]
11 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a probe 1A according to the second embodiment. The following mainly describes the differences from the probe 1 according to the first embodiment. The probe 1A has a protrusion 10A (abutment auxiliary portion) instead of the spacer 10 of the probe 1.

The protrusion 10A is formed integrally with the tip portion 42 and is formed to protrude from the tip surface 423 toward the inner bottom surface 823. For example, the protrusion 10A is configured to protrude from the tip surface 423 toward the inner bottom surface 823 at least between multiple probe pins 3 and to be able to contact the inner bottom surface 823 in the stroke state. The protrusion 10A may be configured to be elastically deformable. The protrusion 10A may be provided over substantially the entire area where the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823 face each other. The protrusion 10A may also be configured to protrude from the tip surface 423 toward the inner bottom surface 823 at a position surrounding multiple probe pins 3 and to be able to contact the inner bottom surface 823 in the stroke state.

With the probe 1A, ground contact is made between the multiple probe pins 3 at the protruding points. This enables stable ground contact, further improving connector inspection accuracy. Furthermore, the reduced number of parts results in a simpler configuration.

[Third embodiment]
12 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a probe 1B according to the third embodiment. The following mainly describes the differences from the probe 1 according to the first embodiment. The probe 1A has a protrusion 10B (abutment auxiliary portion) instead of the spacer 10 of the probe 1.

The protrusions 10B are formed integrally with the bottom 82 and protrude from the inner bottom surface 823 toward the tip surface 423. For example, the protrusions 10B protrude from the inner bottom surface 823 toward the tip surface 423 at least between multiple probe pins 3, and are configured to be able to contact the tip surface 423 in the stroke state. The protrusions 10B may be configured to be elastically deformable. The protrusions 10B may be provided over substantially the entire area where the tip surface 423 and the inner bottom surface 823 face each other. The protrusions 10B may also protrude from the inner bottom surface 823 toward the tip surface 423 at a position surrounding multiple probe pins 3, and be configured to be able to contact the tip surface 423 in the stroke state.

With probe 1B, ground contact is made between multiple probe pins 3 at protruding points. This enables stable ground contact, further improving connector inspection accuracy. Furthermore, the reduced number of parts results in a simpler configuration.

[Modification]
Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

In this embodiment, the connector 100 has two contacts 1001, 1001 arranged in two rows, but multiple rows of contacts may be provided in each of the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Furthermore, the shell 1002 that separates the multiple contacts 1001, 1001 may also separate the multiple rows of contacts.

In the above embodiment, the pin P is described as being fixed to the upper surface 611 of the flange 6, but the pin P may also be provided on the cap 9.

In the above embodiment, the substrate 5 is described as being housed in the tip portion 42, but the substrate 5 may also be housed in the main body portion 41. For example, the recess 4212 that houses the substrate 5 may be provided so that the lower portion 415 of the main body portion 41 is recessed.

When the probe pin 3 is exposed outside the housing 8, the contact assisting portion may bring the tip surface 423 into contact with the inner bottom surface 823. Since ground contact only needs to be made when the probe pin 3 is exposed outside the housing 8 (a state in which the connector 100 can be inspected), the contact assisting portion can be configured to be miniaturized.

1, 1A, 1B...probe, 2...conductive portion, 3...probe pin, 4...plunger, 5...substrate, 6...flange, 7...spring, 8...housing, 9...cap, 10...spacer (contact auxiliary portion), 10A, 10B...protrusion (contact auxiliary portion), 41...main body portion, 42...tip portion, 51...first main surface, 52...second main surface, 53...signal conductive portion, 54...ground conductive portion, 82...bottom portion, 84...end portion, 86...guide portion, 82H...opening, 100...connector, 417...first ground contact portion, 423...tip surface, 424...second ground contact portion, 531...first signal conductive portion, 532...second signal conductive portion, 541...first ground conductive portion, 542...second ground conductive portion, 823...inner bottom surface, 4212...recess, P...pin, BL...base layer, UL...build-up layer.

Claims (8)

A probe used to test a connector having a plurality of contacts,
a plunger having a columnar tip portion that holds, in an insulated state , a plurality of probe pins provided to correspond to the plurality of contacts, and a cylindrical main body portion that contains, in an insulated state , a plurality of conductive members that are electrically connected to the plurality of probe pins;
a substrate disposed so as to be sandwiched between the main body portion and the tip portion, the substrate having a first main surface on which a first ground conductive portion is exposed, a second main surface facing the first main surface and on which a second ground conductive portion is exposed, and a signal conductive portion extending from the first main surface to the second main surface, contacting the plurality of conductive members on the first main surface and contacting the plurality of probe pins on the second main surface, thereby electrically connecting the plurality of conductive members and the plurality of probe pins;
a first ground contact portion located between the plurality of conductive members and in contact with the first ground conductive portion;
a second ground contact portion located between the plurality of probe pins and in contact with the second ground conductive portion ,
the tip portion holds the plurality of probe pins such that the tips of the plurality of probe pins are exposed from a tip surface of the tip portion through through holes through which the plurality of probe pins are inserted,
the main body holds the plurality of conductive members such that tips of the plurality of conductive members are exposed from a bottom surface of the main body through through holes through which the plurality of conductive members are inserted, respectively;
probe. The probe of claim 1, wherein the first ground contact portion is integrally formed with the main body portion. The probe described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the second ground contact portion is integrally formed with the tip portion. the substrate is configured with a base layer and build-up layers sandwiching the base layer and forming the first main surface and the second main surface,
the signal conductive portion includes a first signal conductive portion provided in the buildup layer and a second signal conductive portion provided in the base layer;
a diameter of the first signal conductor is smaller than a diameter of the second signal conductor;
The probe according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A probe according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first ground conductive portion and the second ground conductive portion are formed by plating. The probe described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the body or tip of the plunger has a recess for accommodating the substrate. A probe according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of the first ground conductive portion and the second ground conductive portion surrounds the signal conductive portion. 8. The probe according to claim 1, further comprising a conductive housing provided to enclose said tip portion and having a guide portion for positioning said tip portion relative to said connector.