| Probe for use in determining an attribute of a coating on a substrate -> Monitor Keywords |
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Probe for use in determining an attribute of a coating on a substrateProbe for use in determining an attribute of a coating on a substrate description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060290362, Probe for use in determining an attribute of a coating on a substrate. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) [0001] None. STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] None. REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX [0003] None. TECHNICAL FIELD [0004] This invention relates to a probe for providing electrical communication between a material (e.g., a coating defined by a film or layer on a substrate) and a processing system (e.g., analyzing system) that determines an attribute of the material (e.g., the thickness of a coating) by analysis of detected or sensed phenomena in the material (e.g., an electrical characteristic temporarily established in the material as a result of the application of electrical energy to the probe near, or in contact with, the material). BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND TECHNICAL PROBLEMS POSED BY THE PRIOR ART [0005] Some attributes (i.e., characteristics or features) of a material can be determined (e.g., measured) with an appropriate instrument. For example, various models of instruments for non-destructively measuring the thickness of a film or layer (i.e., coating) of copper as electroplated on a printed circuit board are sold by Oxford Instruments Coating Measurement, a part of the Oxford Instruments Analytical division of Oxford Instruments plc (hereinafter referred to as "Oxford"), which has a place of business at 945 Busse Road, Elk Grove Village, Ill. 60007, U.S.A. Typically, during the manufacture of a printed circuit board, it is desirable to know whether or not the design specifications are being met by, inter alia, the copper coating(s) on a substrate component of the printed circuit board. In particular, it typically is important to know the thickness of the copper coating(s) within some sufficient range of precision and accuracy in order for the manufacturer to determine whether or not the copper thickness on a portion or portions of the printed circuit board is within the allowable manufacturing tolerances as established by the design. [0006] Different systems can be employed in an instrument to measure a feature, such as a coating thickness. These systems can include, for example, the use of a probe employing magnetic induction, eddy currents, or micro-resistance methods or techniques. Selection of the technique to be employed can depend on various factors (e.g., the type of coating material, geometric configuration of the coating and substrate, desired accuracy and precision, size of the area being measured, range of thickness to be measured, efficiency of use, ambient environmental conditions, and cost). Such a probe may employ one or more contact members for engaging the coating, and the probe may be a separate, hand-held probe, or may be mounted in a stationary device. [0007] Although Oxford markets probes that are designed for various applications and that function exceptionally well in systems efficiently performing measurement analyses (such as measurement of a coating thickness), it would be desirable to provide improved probe features that would result in, or accommodate, even better performance, greater functionality, more versatility, ease of use, ease of manufacturing, lower cost manufacture, and/or improvement in accuracy, precision, efficiency of use, tolerance of ambient environmental conditions, and durability. [0008] It would be particularly advantageous to provide an improved probe that optionally could be selectively configured with a different tip geometry to maximize accuracy and precision in various applications and/or that optionally could accommodate replacement of a worn or broken component. [0009] It would also be beneficial to provide an improved probe permitting the user or operator to better observe the end of the probe and the adjacent portion of the material where the particular attribute of the material (e.g., thickness) is to be determined by the use of the probe. [0010] Also, with a probe of the type that employs a pin or pins for engaging or contacting a material (e.g., a copper coating), it would be desirable to provide an improved probe that has greater pin stability so as to minimize deleterious effects on measurement precision. [0011] The present invention provides an improved probe which can accommodate designs having one or more of the above-discussed benefits and features. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0012] Various aspects of the present invention can be incorporated in a portable or stationary probe that may include one or more of the above-discussed, desired features. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a probe provides electrical communication between a coating on a substrate and a processing system that determines an attribute of the coating (e.g., such as the thickness of the coating) by detection of phenomena resulting from the application of electrical energy to the probe in contact with the coating. The probe has one or more engaging members which can engage the coating and which can be readily removed by the user to allow replacement by the user if the electrically conducting engaging members become worn or damaged, or if it is desired to use new electrically conducting engaging members arranged in a different configuration and/or having different characteristics. [0013] In particular, in the presently preferred embodiment which incorporates the first aspect of the invention, the probe comprises a housing and at least one contact mounted within the housing. The probe further includes an electrical circuit adapted to provide electrical communication between the contact and the processing system (which may be remote from the probe). The probe also includes at least one electrically conductive engaging member that (1) has a distal end projecting outwardly for engaging the coating, (2) has a proximal portion in the housing for engaging the contact and for accommodating disengagement from the contact, and (3) is captivated partially in an electrically insulating captivation structure which can be manually grasped by a user for removal from the housing together with the captivated electrically conductive engaging member. [0014] In accordance with this first aspect of the invention, the presently preferred form of the electrically conductive engaging member is a pin which defines the distal end of the engaging member projecting outwardly for engaging the coating and which defines the proximal portion of the engaging member for engaging the contact. According to the first aspect of the invention, the presently preferred form of the probe captivation structure is molded or machined from a thermoplastic material having a hole or passage in which a portion of the pin is captivated to hold the pin in a fixed orientation. The pin and the captivation structure together define an integral unit in the form of a nose assembly which may be characterized as a probe tip that has (1) an inner portion that is releasably received in the housing, and (2) an extending portion that (a) projects from the housing, and (b) can be manually grasped by a user for pulling the tip out of the housing without using a tool. [0015] Further, in the presently preferred form of a probe incorporating the first aspect of the invention, the housing is a hand-held or hand-holdable, tubular structure defining a receiving cavity with an access opening for accommodating insertion of the probe tip. Each contact is mounted in the receiving cavity of the housing and includes an arm that is elastically deflectable in response to a force exerted by the proximal portion of a pin which engages the contact arm. [0016] In the presently preferred form of a probe incorporating the first aspect of the invention, a snap-fit engagement releasably retains the probe tip in the housing. To that end, the tubular structure of the housing has a peripheral wall that defines a slot having an enlarged recess and a reduced width opening to the recess. The pin captivation structure includes a tab having an enlarged head and a reduced width neck whereby the tab head can be forced into the enlarged recess of the slot so that the tab neck is received in the reduced width opening of the slot to create a releasable snap-fit engagement that holds the probe tip in the housing. [0017] A second aspect of the invention relates to improved visibility of a portion of the probe that is located adjacent the coating. The probe has a housing having a receiving cavity with an access opening. The probe also has a light transmissive captivation structure that is mounted in the receiving cavity of the housing for communication through the receiving cavity access opening with the exterior of the probe. The probe further includes at least one electrically conductive pin that (1) has a portion captivated in a fixed orientation within the light transmissive captivation structure, (2) has a distal end projecting outwardly of the light transmissive captivation structure for engaging the coating, and (3) is connected with an electrical circuit adapted to provide electrical communication with the processing system. The probe also has a light emitting source in the housing for emitting light through the light transmissive captivation structure along the pin to illuminate the pin distal end. This permits the user to better observe the placement of the probe pin at a desired location on the coating. [0018] According to a presently preferred embodiment of a probe incorporating this second aspect of the invention, the housing is a generally tubular, opaque structure, but the light transmissive captivation structure is molded from a transparent, thermoplastic material, such as polycarbonate, and is drilled to provide a hole or passage in which a portion of the pin is captivated and held in the desired fixed orientation. At least one contact is mounted in the tubular, opaque structure, and the contact is connected with the electrical circuit adapted to provide electrical communication with the processing system. The pin and the light transmissive captivation structure together define an integral unit in the form of a probe tip that has (1) an inner portion that is received in the housing so as to effect engagement between the pin and the contact, and (2) an extending portion that projects from the housing at the receiving cavity access opening. The tip may or may not be designed to be readily removable from the housing by the user. Continue reading about Probe for use in determining an attribute of a coating on a substrate... Full patent description for Probe for use in determining an attribute of a coating on a substrate Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Probe for use in determining an attribute of a coating on a substrate patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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