Patent EP0314481A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0314481A1
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A temperature control instrument for electronic components under test
Assignee: Irish Transformers Ltd
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Filing: 1988-10-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-10-27
Abstract
Abstract An instrument for controlling the temperature of electronic components under test. The instrument creates a testing environment in an enclosure within which the component contacts directly the active face of a set of back-to-back Peltier cells. Heating and cooling of the component under test is readily easily achieved by controlling the Peltier cells and test components may be easily interchanged using a removable mounting assembly. The instrument has the advantages of being small (portable), easy to operate, inexpensive to manufacture and to run and of producing very little electrical noise.
Inventors
- 👤 David Philip Burton
- 👤 Paul Anthony Dillon
- 👤 Malcolm Ian Stephenson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 09:05
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W40/00; H10W40/20; H10W40/28; F; F25; F25B; F25B21/00; F25B21/02; F25B21/04; G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/2851; G01R31/2855; G01R31/2872; G01R31/2874; H10W40/10; G01R31/286; G01R31/2862; G01R31/2863
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
114 words
A temperature control instrument (1) for an electronic component (20) under test comprising:- a test enclosure having socket means (10) for reception of the component (20); heat transfer means for heating or cooling the enclosure; temperature sensing means (31 ) for sensing temperature within the enclosure; and a controller for controlling operation of the heat transfer means; characterised in that the heat transfer means comprises a thermoelectric device (50) of the type having a heat transfer active face (9) and a reference face (51), maintained at a substantially constant temperature, the temperature of the active face (9) being altered by the controller varying the magnitude and direction of current applied to the device (50).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
114 words
A temperature control instrument (1) for an electronic component (20) under test comprising:- a test enclosure having socket means (10) for reception of the component (20); heat transfer means for heating or cooling the enclosure; temperature sensing means (31 ) for sensing temperature within the enclosure; and a controller for controlling operation of the heat transfer means; characterised in that the heat transfer means comprises a thermoelectric device (50) of the type having a heat transfer active face (9) and a reference face (51), maintained at a substantially constant temperature, the temperature of the active face (9) being altered by the controller varying the magnitude and direction of current applied to the device (50).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed, in claim 1 in which the active face (9) is arranged to contact the component (20) under test.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the socket means (10) and the thermoelectric device (50) are separately mounted and movable with respect to each other by a mounting assembly between a closed position in which they are adjacent and an open position in which they are spaced apart.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in claim 3 in which the mutual movement between the socket means (10) and the thermoelectric device (50) is substantially perpendicular to its active face (9).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in any preceding claim in which the socket means (10) is mounted in a removable housing (12).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in claim 5 in which the socket means (10) is spring mounted within the housing (12) so that, in use, a component (20) in the socket means (10) is urged against the active face of the thermoelectric device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
65 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in claim 5 or 6 in which the active face (9) of the thermoelectric device (50) forms part of an internal surface (16) of the instrument and the housing (12) has upstanding walls for contacting this internal surface (16) in the closed position to surround the active face (9) of the thermoelectric device (50) and form the test enclosure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7 in which the housing (12) includes means for supporting circuits (54) separate from the test enclosure for connection to a component (20) under test.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8 in which the housing (12) is mounted on a door (13) of the instrument.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
120 words
A temperature control instrument as claimed in claim 9 in which:- the door (13) is mounted on a pivot hinge spring urged away from the active face (9) of the thermoelectric device (50); a stay (40) is adjacent one end pivotally mounted on the door (13) and adjacent its other end pivotally and slidably mounted on a longitudinal guide (43), substantially perpendicular to the active face (9); and a stop (47) for preventing further pivotal movement of the stay (40) when on closing the door (13), the door (13) has reached a position substantially parallel to the active face (9), closure of the door (13) being completed by pushing the door (13) substantially perpendicularly inwards towards the active face (9).
Claim 12
Independent Claim
54 words
A method of operating a temperature control instrument as claimed in any preceding claim in which the temperature of a component under test is controlled by comparing the sensed actual temperature of the component with a user target temperature and with reference to the time difference between peak values of previously sensed actual temperatures.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as claimed in claim 11 in which, when the test enclosure is open, there is performed the additional step of heating the enclosure a predetermined amount above ambient temperature.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4253515A
Cited
US4324285A
Cited
GB2112565A
Cited
WO1983002527A1
Cited
GB2180959A
Cited
EP0247927A1
Cited
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