Fixture for holding electronic components for vibration testing

Details Fixture for holding electronic components for vibration testing Fixture for holding electronic components for vibration testing

2002-03-07

2003-03-11

Williams, Hezron (Department: 2856)

Measuring and testing

Vibration

Vibrator

Reexamination Certificate

active

06530279

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Electronic assemblies are sometimes provided in the form of electronic modules. Modules incorporate a number of electronic components which are interconnected and provided with pins in an enclosed body. Typical electronic modules range from 1.6 inches square to 2.4×3.45 inches in outline dimension. Typically they are 0.5 inches thick. The pins typically extend outwardly from the bottom surface. Typical pins are 0.025 inches square, 0.040 inches round, or 0.080 inches round with lengths from 0.123 inches to 0.210 inches. A single module may use pins of more than one cross section. For example, a module might use 0.040 inch round pins for signals and 0.080 inch round pins for power. There is a wide variety of pin patterns used in the modules to accommodate the great variety of circuits that may be provided as modules and the internal layout of the components making up the module.
For certain applications it is desirable to perform vibration testing of the modules before they are placed into service. This requires that the module be mounted into a test fixture to hold the module as it is vibrated and also to provide electrical connections to the module so that the operation of the module can be monitored during the vibration test. It would be desirable to have a test fixture that would allow the module to be quickly and easily inserted into the test fixture and easily removed from the test fixture after testing is complete. It is undesirable to hand solder test wires to the wire pins and later de-solder and clean the pins because the module will later be used within a manufactured end product. Further, the modules are normally mounted on a larger circuit board with their pins soldered to the board for both physical support and electrical connection. The mechanical and electrical integrity of the pins is of prime importance and is one of the main reasons that a vibration test is performed on the modules. It would be desirable to provide a mounting fixture for a vibration table that clamps a module by the wire pins thus providing both physical mounting similar to the intended end use and electrical connections without the need to solder to the wire pins.
Typical sockets made for easy insertion and removal of electronic components are generally unsuitable for use in holding components during vibration testing. Typical sockets use spring-type connectors which may resonate and provide intermittent connections to the module under test. Further, sockets are not readily available for the pin patterns of most modules. Accordingly, there is a need for a vibration test fixture that can be readily and inexpensively manufactured to accept a module for testing.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
A first circuit board includes a first plurality of holes to receive an electronic module and to provide an electrical circuit environment to test the electronic module. A second circuit board includes a second plurality of holes cooperatively arranged with the first plurality of holes. The second circuit board is slidably coupled to the first circuit board and slides between an insertion position in which the first and second pluralities of holes are aligned to receive the electronic module and a holding position in which the first and second pluralities of holes are offset to hold the electronic module. A biasing member urges the second circuit board toward the holding position.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4518210 (1985-05-01), Morrisson
patent: 4603587 (1986-08-01), Kimball et al.
patent: 4959609 (1990-09-01), Prokopp et al.
patent: 5766023 (1998-06-01), Noschese et al.
patent: 6040703 (2000-03-01), Kimball
patent: 257027 (1988-06-01), None

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