Circuit board testing device with self aligning plates

Abstract

A circuit board tester and method that precisely aligns the probe plate and circuit board is disclosed. With a circuit board and probe plate mounting within a housing having a top and bottom, hinged together, at closure there may be slight misalignments of the two. By making one of the two plates floating, or laterally slideable with respect to each other, it is possible to make final alignment at closure. One of the two plates can be provided with a pin and the other with a pin receiving alignment block. With the lateral sideability, the pin and block can insure proper probe alignment. Additional systems for correcting misaligned pins or blocks are also disclosed.

1 . A circuit tester for testing for testing circuit boards comprising:
 a housing having first and second parts hinged together;   a first board mounting plate affixed to the first part of said housing;   a probe plate attached to the second part of said housing, said plate having at least one probe   at least one of said plates being slideably attached to said housing to permit lateral shifting thereof;   at least one aligner between said board mounting plate and said probe plate for bringing said probe plate into desired alignment with said board when said first and second parts are hingedly brought together; said aligner including a bolt attached to one plate and a bolt receiving element attached to the other, and wherein said bolt receiving element includes an aperture larger than the bolt, so that the plates may move relative to each other, and further including a further pin on one plate and fixed alignment receiver which when brought together they align the two plates.   
   
   
       2 . The tester of  claim 1  wherein the pin includes a distal end which is chamfered to aid in mating with said aperture in said receiver. 
   
   
       3 . The tester of  claim 1  wherein said bolt is round and of a predefined diameter and wherein said aperture in bolt receiving element has a diameter larger than said predefined diameter, thereby defining a gap. 
   
   
       4 . The tester of  claim 1  wherein said gap is generally equal to the degree of lateral movement of one of said plates. 
   
   
       5 . The tester of  claim 1  wherein said bolt has a threaded portion an unthreaded shoulder portion and a head portion. 
   
   
       6 . The tester of  claim 1  including at least to aligners, and wherein said aligners are located in different quadrants of the plates. 
   
   
       7 . The tester of  claim 1  wherein said aligner further includes:
 at least one aperture on said plate which includes said pin,   a shoulder bolt of dimension smaller than said aperture.   
   
   
       8 . A circuit tester for testing for testing circuit boards comprising:
 a housing having first and second parts hinged together;   a first circuit board mounting plate affixed to the first part of said housing;   a probe plate attached to the second part of said housing, said plate having at least one probe capable of contacting the circuit board;   at least one of said plates being mounted to said housing by a plurality of bolts received within receivers of diameter larger than said bolts lateral shifting thereof generally equal to the differential between the bolt diameter and the receiver diameter,   at least two alignment elements located on different quadrants of the plates, between said board mounting plate and said probe plate for bringing said probe plate into desired alignment with said circuit board when said first and second parts are hingedly brought together; said aligner including a fixed pin on one plate and fixed alignment receiver, said pin and said receiver being of generally the same size so that which when brought together they align the two plates.   
   
   
       9 . The tester of  claim 9  wherein the alignment receiver includes an aperture for receiving said pin and further includes a position adjuster capable of adjusting the position of the aperture. 
   
   
       10 . The test of  claim 10  wherein said position adjuster includes a pair of screw adjusters, one for x and y axes. 
   
   
       11 . A method of precisely aligning a circuit board with a probe plate comprising the steps of:
 mounting the circuit board or probe plate on either side of a hingeable housing;   providing slideable engagement of either the probe plate or circuit board with respect to its side of the housing;   proving an engageable aligner between the plate an circuit board, bringing the two boards together,   precisely aligning the boards just before the moment of contact.