Patents Assigned to Circuit Check
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Patent number: 9772349Abstract: 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 slideability, the pin and block can insure proper probe alignment. Additional systems for correcting misaligned pins or blocks are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2014Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Circuit Check, Inc.Inventors: Gregory J. Michalko, Stuart K. Eickhoff, Jon A. Hample, Russell G. Carter
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Patent number: 9091722Abstract: A dual-stage fixture for a circuit tester includes a slide plate that can be slid between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, an upper stripper plate is spring-loaded, and a full set of test probes, including both long-stroke and short-stroke probes, can contact the circuit board or UUT (unit under test). In the second position, the upper stripper plate becomes fixed in position, and only the long-stroke probes can contact the circuit board. The fixed positioning of the upper stripper plate prevents the short-stroke probes from contacting the circuit board even when there is unbalanced loading of probe pressure between the top and bottom of the circuit board, thereby preventing transient signals from interfering with testing. In addition, a vacuum is applied in this position during a non-powered test.Type: GrantFiled: June 17, 2014Date of Patent: July 28, 2015Assignee: Circuit Check, Inc.Inventors: Clement C. Adams, Matthew Eric Lavik, Gregory J. Michalko, Stuart Eickhoff
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Patent number: 8847618Abstract: 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 slideability, the pin and block can insure proper probe alignment. Additional systems for correcting misaligned pins or blocks are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2012Date of Patent: September 30, 2014Assignee: Circuit Check, Inc.Inventors: Gregory J. Michalko, Stuart K. Eickhoff, Jon A. Hample, Russell G. Carter
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Patent number: 8754665Abstract: A dual-stage fixture for a circuit tester includes a slide plate that can be slid between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, an upper stripper plate is spring-loaded, and a full set of test probes, including both long-stroke and short-stroke probes, can contact the circuit board or UUT (unit under test). In the second position, the upper stripper plate becomes fixed in position, and only the long-stroke probes can contact the circuit board. The fixed positioning of the upper stripper plate prevents the short-stroke probes from contacting the circuit board even when there is unbalanced loading of probe pressure between the top and bottom of the circuit board, thereby preventing transient signals from interfering with testing. In addition, a vacuum is applied in this position during a non-powered test.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2012Date of Patent: June 17, 2014Assignee: Circuit Check, Inc.Inventors: Clement C. Adams, Matthew Eric Lavik, Gregory J. Michalko, Stuart Eickhoff
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Patent number: 8692569Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2011Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Circuit Check, Inc.Inventors: Troy Fossum, David Kariniemi
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Publication number: 20130271171Abstract: A dual-stage fixture for a circuit tester includes a slide plate that can be slid between at least a first position and a second position. In the first position, an upper stripper plate is spring-loaded, and a full set of test probes, including both long-stroke and short-stroke probes, can contact the circuit board or UUT (unit under test). In the second position, the upper stripper plate becomes fixed in position, and only the long-stroke probes can contact the circuit board. The fixed positioning of the upper stripper plate prevents the short-stroke probes from contacting the circuit board even when there is unbalanced loading of probe pressure between the top and bottom of the circuit board, thereby preventing transient signals from interfering with testing. In addition, a vacuum is applied in this position during a non-powered test.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2012Publication date: October 17, 2013Applicant: Circuit Check, Inc.Inventors: Clement C. Adams, Matthew Eric Lavik, Gregory J. Michalko, Stuart Eickhoff
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Publication number: 20110234248Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2011Publication date: September 29, 2011Applicant: Circuit CheckInventors: Troy Fossum, David Kariniemi
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Patent number: 8004300Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Circuit CheckInventors: Troy Fossum, David Kariniemi
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Patent number: 7852096Abstract: A circuit board tester that uses an axial translation to bring a unit under test (UUT) into physical and electric contact with a series of electrical probes. The element on the tester that comes into contact with the UUT, on the side opposite the probes, is both spring-loaded and removable. For a first configuration in which a UUT has a heat sink, an internal heat sink snaps into the top of the tester. When the UUT is tested, the heat sink on the UUT contacts the internal heat sink and depresses it slightly into the top, under the influence of a spring-loaded support. For a second configuration in which the UUT has no heat sink, a block snaps into the top of the tester, and is spring-loaded through a series of receptacles to a module that contacts the UUT during operation.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2004Date of Patent: December 14, 2010Assignee: Circuit CheckInventors: Stuart Eickhoff, Jon Hample
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Patent number: 7749566Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing an effective means for making it easy to identify which holes in an interface plate are to be populated with probes and which are to be left empty. This identification of holes or apertures in a plate is used most commonly an electrical probe testing plates where a probe array is set up and inserted though the plate. The problem is that it is very difficult to double check to see if all probes are installed. With a two-tone color identifier (or other techniques disclosed herein) it is easy to visually or machine read the probe plate for probe installation errors. The method employs coating the plate with a colorant and ablating colorant adjacent holes, which are either populated or empty, the difference being easy to spot.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2008Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: Circuit CheckInventor: Scott Staggert
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Patent number: 7695766Abstract: A circuit board tester that uses a dual-stage translation to bring a unit under test (UUT) into physical and electric contact first with a series of tall probes, then with a series of short probes. Initially, the UUT is mounted on a support plate, and spaced apart from both the tall and short probes. First, in order to perform a functional test on the UUT, a first vacuum stage is engaged, and atmospheric pressure translates the UUT longitudinally until contact is made with a first hard stop, defining a first position. At this first position, the UUT is in contact with a series of tall probes, and is spaced apart from a series of short probes. After a function test is performed, a second vacuum stage is engaged in addition to, and independent of, the first vacuum stage. Atmospheric pressure translates the UUT longitudinally until contact is made with a second hard stop, defining a second position.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: April 13, 2010Assignee: Circuit CheckInventors: Neil Adams, Stuart Eickhoff, Jon Hample
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Publication number: 20100019793Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2009Publication date: January 28, 2010Applicant: Circuit CheckInventors: Troy Fossum, David Kariniemi
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Patent number: 7592796Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing an effective means for making it easy to identify which holes in an interface plate are to be populated with probes and which are to be left empty. This identification of holes or apertures in a plate is used most commonly an electrical probe testing plates where a probe array is set up and inserted though the plate. The problem is that it is very difficult to double check to see if all probes are installed. With a two-tone color identifier (or other techniques disclosed herein) it is easy to visually or machine read the probe plate for probe installation errors. The method employs coating the plate with a colorant and ablating colorant adjacent holes, which are either populated or empty, the difference being easy to spot.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2005Date of Patent: September 22, 2009Assignee: Circuit CheckInventor: Scott Staggert
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Publication number: 20080268556Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing an effective means for making it easy to identify which holes in an interface plate are to be populated with probes and which are to be left empty. This identification of holes or apertures in a plate is used most commonly an electrical probe testing plates where a probe array is set up and inserted though the plate. The problem is that it is very difficult to double check to see if all probes are installed. With a two-tone color identifier (or other techniques disclosed herein) it is easy to visually or machine read the probe plate for probe installation errors. The method employs coating the plate with a colorant and ablating colorant adjacent holes, which are either populated or empty, the difference being easy to spot.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 1, 2008Publication date: October 30, 2008Applicant: Circuit CheckInventor: Scott Staggert
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Patent number: 7200509Abstract: A circuit board tester that uses a dual-stage translation to bring a unit under test (UUT) into physical and electric contact first with a series of tall probes, then with a series of short probes. Initially, the UUT is mounted on a support plate, and spaced apart from both the tall and short probes. First, in order to perform a functional test on the UUT, a first vacuum stage is engaged, and atmospheric pressure translates the UUT longitudinally until contact is made with a first hard stop, defining a first position. At this first position, the UUT is in contact with a series of tall probes, and is spaced apart from a series of short probes. After a function test is performed, a second vacuum stage is engaged in addition to, and independent of, the first vacuum stage. Atmospheric pressure translates the UUT longitudinally until contact is made with a second hard stop, defining a second position.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2004Date of Patent: April 3, 2007Assignee: Circuit CheckInventors: Neil Adams, Stuart Eickhoff, Jon Hample
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Publication number: 20050270048Abstract: A circuit board tester that uses an axial translation to bring a unit under test (UUT) into physical and electric contact with a series of electrical probes. The element on the tester that comes into contact with the UUT, on the side opposite the probes, is both spring-loaded and removable. For a first configuration in which a UUT has a heat sink, an internal heat sink snaps into the top of the tester. When the UUT is tested, the heat sink on the UUT contacts the internal heat sink and depresses it slightly into the top, under the influence of a spring-loaded support. For a second configuration in which the UUT has no heat sink, a block snaps into the top of the tester, and is spring-loaded through a series of receptacles to a module that contacts the UUT during operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2004Publication date: December 8, 2005Applicant: Circuit CheckInventors: Stuart Eickhoff, Jon Hample
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Publication number: 20050258852Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for providing an effective means for making it easy to identify which holes in an interface plate are to be populated with probes and which are to be left empty. This identification of holes or apertures in a plate is used most commonly an electrical probe testing plates where a probe array is set up and inserted though the plate. The problem is that it is very difficult to double check to see if all probes are installed. With a two-tone color identifier (or other techniques disclosed herein) it is easy to visually or machine read the probe plate for probe installation errors. The method employs coating the plate with a colorant and ablating colorant adjacent holes, which are either populated or empty, the difference being easy to spot.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2005Publication date: November 24, 2005Applicant: Circuit CheckInventor: Scott Staggert