JP2000187044A - Probe apparatus for measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve setting and measurement accuracy in transmitting and receiving signals necessary for measurement by bringing a probe into touch with a high frequency circuit or the like at a predetermined position which is connected to a measuring apparatus. SOLUTION: Metallic chips 6 having touch projections 6a are arranged on lands 2a of a conductor pattern 2 set to a flexible area (elastic element 3) of a printed board 1, thereby forming a probe in this probe apparatus. Each metallic chip 6 can be surface mounted by an automatic mounting machine to the printed board 1, and a position accuracy is easy to secure for the touch projection 6a. A plurality of the metallic chips 6 can be surely brought in touch with a circuit to be measured such as a high frequency circuit or the like with utilization of a flexibility of the flexible area of the printed board 1. Accordingly, even when a large number of probes (metallic chips 6) are to be set, setting is good, manufacture costs can be reduced and measurement accuracy can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a probe device for a measuring instrument used for inputting and outputting a measurement signal by, for example, contacting a conductor pattern on a circuit board constituting a high-frequency circuit.

2. Description of the Related Art In a process of manufacturing a high-frequency electronic device, it is necessary to perform an operation of measuring an electric signal for adjusting a high-frequency circuit and confirming characteristics. A jig obtained by soldering a lead wire to a metal contact that has been made is often used. That is, after connecting this jig to the measuring instrument, by contacting the contact with a predetermined conductor pattern on the circuit board constituting the high-frequency circuit, the measurement can be performed between the measuring instrument and the high-frequency circuit. Necessary signals can be transmitted and received.

However, in the above-described conventional jig, the metal contact fixed to the holding plate cannot be elastically contacted with the conductor pattern on the circuit board. For example, when the flatness of the conductor pattern is poor, it is difficult to bring a plurality of contacts into contact with a predetermined position on the circuit board at the same time, and there is a problem that the measurement of the high-frequency circuit is easily hindered.

On the other hand, a jig (probe device) disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-232256 has a projection 11 formed at an end of a printed circuit board 10 as shown in FIGS. A metal pin (contact) 13 is erected, and the metal pin 13 is soldered to the land 12a of the conductor pattern 12 of the printed circuit board 10, and the conductor pattern 12 is electrically connected to a measuring instrument (not shown). Therefore, the metal pin 13 can be elastically contacted with a conductor pattern on a circuit board (not shown) constituting a high-frequency circuit by utilizing the flexibility of the protruding piece 11, and therefore, a plurality of metal pins 1 are provided.
3 can be reliably brought into contact with the circuit board. In addition, in such a conventional proposal, lead wires requiring manual soldering can be omitted, and a plurality of metal pins 13 can be connected to each land 12a at a time by dip soldering. is there.

[0004]

By the way, when using the probe device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-232256, the probe device is brought close to the circuit board of the high-frequency electronic device by a suitable lifting means. Since each metal pin 13 is set so as to contact a predetermined position on the circuit board, the metal pin 13
If the metal pin 13 is erected obliquely with respect to 0, the tip of the metal pin 13 cannot be brought into contact with a predetermined position on the circuit board of the high-frequency electronic device. However,
It is not easy to fix the metal pins 13 to the printed circuit board 10 while maintaining high verticality.
When the number of the metal pins 13 increases, it takes a lot of time and effort to assemble them vertically on the printed circuit board 10, and the measurement accuracy tends to deteriorate due to the poor verticality of the metal pins 13. There was a problem.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a metal chip is surface-mounted on a land of a printed circuit board, and the metal chip is brought into contact with a circuit to be measured. Improved assembly workability and measurement accuracy.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a probe device for a measuring instrument according to the present invention, a land of a conductor pattern is provided in a relatively flexible region of a printed circuit board, and the land is brought into contact with a circuit to be measured. Metal tip having a contact portion for soldering.

[0007] In the probe device constructed as described above, as a contact, instead of a metal pin for which it is not easy to secure the perpendicularity to the printed circuit board, surface mounting can be performed by an automatic mounting machine and positional accuracy of the contact portion can be easily secured. Since the metal tip is used, the assembling workability is good and the measurement accuracy can be improved even when the number of contacts is large.

Further, since the metal chip of this probe device is disposed in a flexible region of a printed circuit board, a plurality of metal chips can be connected to a circuit to be measured such as a high-frequency circuit by utilizing the flexibility. The contact can be made surely. In addition,
If a configuration is adopted in which a plurality of elastic pieces are provided on the printed board to form the flexible regions and metal chips are provided on lands on these elastic pieces, respectively, even if the number of metal chips is large, necessary A flexible region can be easily provided on the printed circuit board.

A metal plate having a contact portion protrudingly formed is used as the metal chip, and the metal plate can be soldered on a land with the contact portion facing upward. Alternatively, a spherical body or a hemispherical body made of copper or the like may be used as the metal chip, and the spherical body or the hemispherical body may be soldered on the land. Life can be extended.

[0010]

Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an essential part of a probe device for a measuring instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an essential part taken along line AA of FIG.

The probe device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a printed circuit board 1 on which a conductor pattern 2 is formed on one surface and elastic pieces 3 protrudingly provided at a plurality of positions on a peripheral edge thereof. A plurality of metal chips 6 surface-mounted on the piece 3 via the solder 5,
Each metal chip 6 has a contact protrusion 6a formed in advance. When the metal chips 6 are surface-mounted, cream solder is applied to the lands 2 a and the dummy lands 4 of the conductor pattern 2 extending on the elastic pieces 3,
Perform reflow soldering by heating in a reflow furnace.
That is, the solder 5 formed by melting and solidifying the cream solder electrically and mechanically connects the metal chip 6 to the land 2a and mechanically connects the metal chip 6 to the dummy land 4. The reason why the dummy land 4 which does not electrically contribute is provided near the land 2a is that the surface tension of the molten cream solder is applied to the metal chip 6 in a well-balanced manner, and the metal chip 6 is printed with high positional accuracy. This is for surface mounting on the substrate 1.

The metal tip 6 is formed by cutting and processing a metal plate, and the contact protrusion 6a can be easily formed by hitting the metal plate with a punch or the like. Also, the assembly work for surface mounting each metal chip 6 on the printed circuit board 1 can be performed by an automatic mounting machine.

In the probe device having such a configuration, a connector (not shown) is attached to a surface opposite to the side on which the conductor pattern 2 is formed while ensuring conduction with the conductor pattern 2, and the connector is illustrated in FIG. By connecting to a measuring instrument (not shown), the electrical connection between each metal chip 6 and the measuring instrument can be achieved. These metal chips 6 can be used as contacts to measure electric signals for adjusting a high-frequency circuit and confirming characteristics. It can be performed. That is, the probe device is appropriately brought close to a circuit board (not shown) constituting a high-frequency circuit of the high-frequency electronic device by a lifting means so that each metal chip 6 comes into contact with a predetermined conductor pattern on the circuit board. , It is possible to transmit and receive signals required for measurement between the high-frequency circuit and the measuring instrument.

As described above, the above-described probe device can be surface-mounted at a predetermined position on the printed circuit board 1 as a contact for making contact with a circuit to be measured.
Since the metal chips 6 that can easily secure the positional accuracy of the metal chips 6 are used, even when the number of the metal chips 6 is increased to measure a large number of locations, the mounting operation of each metal chip 6 can be automated. There is an advantage that the assembling workability can be improved and the production cost can be reduced.
Since it is easy to dispose with high positional accuracy, there is an advantage that measurement accuracy can be easily improved.

Further, since the metal chips 6 of the probe device are disposed on the elastic pieces 3 of the printed circuit board 1, even if the number of the metal chips 6 is large, a large number of elastic pieces having necessary flexibility are provided. 3 can be easily formed on the printed circuit board 1. Then, since the plurality of metal chips 6 can be reliably brought into contact with the circuit to be measured by utilizing the flexibility of each elastic piece 3, for example, a circuit board constituting a high-frequency circuit is slightly inclined at the time of measurement. Even if a plurality of metal chips 6
Can be brought into contact with a predetermined position on the circuit board at the same time, and there is no fear that the measurement of the high-frequency circuit is hindered.

The elastic piece 3 on which the metal chip 6 is provided may be formed in a region other than the peripheral portion of the printed board 1.
For example, a substantially U-shaped notch may be provided in the internal region of the printed circuit board 1, and the inside of the notch may be used as the elastic piece.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part of a probe apparatus for a measuring instrument according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main part taken along line BB of FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The present embodiment differs from the above-described first embodiment in that a metal ball 7 is used as a metal chip, and other configurations are basically the same. As a material of the metal ball 7, a copper material having excellent solderability and high conductivity is preferable, and the upper end of the metal ball 7 functions as a contact portion. When these metal balls 7 are surface-mounted, for example, cream solder is applied to the lands 2a of the conductor pattern 2 extending on the elastic pieces 3 and the surface of the metal balls 7, and then heated in a reflow furnace. Then, the solder 5 formed by melting and solidifying the cream solder electrically and mechanically connects the lower portion of the metal ball 7 to the land 2a.

In the probe device thus constructed, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be expected, and the metal ball 7 is brought into contact with the conductive pattern on the circuit board to be measured. In this case, since the upper end of the spherical shape of the metal ball 7 comes into contact with the conductive pattern as a contact portion, the wear of the contact portion can be largely suppressed, and the life of the metal ball 7 used as a metal chip can be extended. Can be.

In the second embodiment, the case where the spherical metal ball 7 is used as the metal chip has been described. However, a hemispherical body obtained by dividing the metal ball 7 in half is used as the metal chip. Can be soldered to the lands 2a of the conductor pattern 2.

[0021]

The present invention is embodied in the form described above and has the following effects.

A metal chip having a contact portion is disposed on a land of a conductor pattern provided in a flexible region of a printed circuit board to form a contact. Can be surface-mounted,
It is easy to ensure the positional accuracy of the contact portion, and to make use of the flexibility of the flexible region of the printed circuit board to securely contact a plurality of metal chips with a circuit to be measured such as a high-frequency circuit. Can be. Therefore, even when the number of contacts is large, assembling workability is good, manufacturing cost can be reduced, and measurement accuracy can be improved.

Further, if a configuration is adopted in which a plurality of elastic pieces are provided on a printed circuit board to form the flexible region and metal chips are arranged on lands on these elastic pieces, respectively, even when the number of metal chips is large, In addition, an area having necessary flexibility can be easily provided on the printed circuit board.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part of a probe device for a measuring instrument according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part of a probe device for a measuring instrument according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line BB of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of a conventionally proposed measuring device probe device.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line CC of FIG. 5;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printed circuit board 2 Conductor pattern 2a Land 3 Elastic piece 4 Dummy land 5 Solder 6 Metal chip 6a Contact protrusion 7 Metal ball (metal chip)

Claims (5)

[Claims] A land of a conductor pattern is provided in a relatively flexible region of a printed circuit board, and a metal chip having a contact portion for contacting a circuit to be measured is soldered on the land. A probe device for a measuring instrument, characterized in that: 2. The printed circuit board according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of elastic pieces are provided on the printed circuit board to form the flexible regions, and the metal chips are provided on the lands on the elastic pieces, respectively. Probe device for measuring instruments. 3. The probe device for a measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein the metal chip is formed of a metal plate having the contact portion protrudingly formed. 4. The probe device for a measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein the metal tip is formed of a spherical body. 5. The probe device for a measuring instrument according to claim 1, wherein the metal tip is formed of a hemispherical body.