Europaisches Patentamt
`
`European Patent Office
`
`Office europeen des brevets
`
`I IIIIIII IIIIII Ill lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll lllll 111111111111111111
`@ Publication number : 0 500 227 A2
`
`@
`
`EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
`
`@ Application number : 92300903.9
`
`@ Int. Cl.5
`
`: H01R 13/11
`
`@ Inventor : Matsuoka, Noriyuki
`30-18-103, Kandaiji 2-chome
`Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken
`(JP)
`
`@ Representative : Ben-Nathan, Laurence Albert
`Urquhart-Dykes & Lord 91 Wimpole Street
`London W1 M 8AH (GB)
`
`FIG. I
`
`@ Date of filing: 03.02.92
`
`@ Priority: 19.02.91 JP 103656/91
`
`@ Date of publication of application:
`26.08.92 Bulletin 92/35
`
`@ Designated Contracting States:
`DE FR GB IT
`
`@Applicant: YAMAICHI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
`28-7, Nakamagome 3-chome
`Ohta-ku, Tokyo (JP)
`
`@) Contact in electric part socket.
`
`@) A contact in an electric part socket has a first
`spring portion, a second spring portion spaced
`apart from the first spring portion but connec(cid:173)
`ted to it at both basal and distal ends thereof, a
`terminal portion continuously
`leading
`to
`the
`connected portion between the basal ends and
`adapted to be brought into contact with a wiring
`board or the like, and a mount contact portion
`formed on the connected portion between their
`to be brought into
`distal ends and adapted
`contact with a terminal of an electric part to be
`mounted on
`it. The first and second spring
`portions are flexed about the connected portion
`between the basal ends in order to displace the
`mount contact portion downward. The mount
`contact portion is pressure contacted with the
`terminal of the electric part mounted on it by
`reaction of the first and second spring portions.
`
`~
`.....
`N
`N
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`0
`
`C. w
`
`Jouve, 18, rue Saint-Denis, 75001 PARIS
`
`Feinmetall Exhibit 2022
`FormFactor, Inc. v. Feinmetall, GmbH
`IPR2019-00082
`
`Page 1 of 9
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`

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`EP O 500 227 A2
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`2
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`This invention relates to a contact to be used for
`contacting with a terminal of an electric part such as
`IC package.
`
`2. Description of the Prior Art
`
`A conventional contact 1, as shown in Fig. 9, often
`used in a socket for IC, etc. comprises a supporting
`portion 2 extending in a horizontal direction, a terminal
`portion 3 extending downward continuously from the
`supporting portion 2 in order to be contacted with a cir(cid:173)
`cuit board or the like, a spring portion 4 disposed
`above the supporting portion in such a manner as to
`be continuous therefrom and curved into a horizontal
`generally U-shape, and a mount contact portion 5 for(cid:173)
`med on a free end of the spring portion in order to
`exert a vertical resiliency thereto and adapted to
`mount thereon an external terminal of IC, the mount
`contact portion 5 being displaced downward while
`flexing the Li-shaped spring portion 4 when the termi(cid:173)
`nal of an electric part is mounted thereon and press(cid:173)
`ure is exerted thereto, so that the mount contact
`portion 5 would be pressure contacted with the termi(cid:173)
`nal of the electric part by reaction thereof.
`In recent years, with the development of elec(cid:173)
`tronics technique, a small size of an IC socket is
`demanded. Furthermore, miniaturization of a contact
`in an IC socket and of an external terminal of IC is pro(cid:173)
`gressed, and as a result, realization of a reliable con(cid:173)
`tact relation therebetween is increasingly demanded
`at present. However, the conventional contact of the
`type that a terminal of an electric part is mounted the(cid:173)
`reon in order to obtain an electric contact relation
`therebetween had such shortcomings that when the
`horizontal Li-shaped spring portion is displaced in a
`vertical direction against its resiliency in order to exert
`contact pressure to the mount contact portion, the
`mount contact portion is disconnected from the exter(cid:173)
`nal terminal of IC because the mount contact portion
`has such components as to be excessively displaced
`forward and backward while itself displacing down(cid:173)
`ward.
`Since the space for accommodating the horizon(cid:173)
`tal generally Li-shaped spring portion is limited, even
`if the configuration of the spring portion is changed in
`order to reduce the amount of displacement of the
`mount contact portion in the forward and backward
`direction, control of the displacement of the mount
`contact portion in the forward and backward direction
`owing to the change in configuration thereof is neces(cid:173)
`sarily limited.
`Also, a conventional IC package called TAB
`package had such shortcomings that since an exter(cid:173)
`nal terminal thereof is a Cu foil which is soft, strength
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`thereof is very weak and when the mount contact por(cid:173)
`tion of the contact is displaced in an upward or down(cid:173)
`ward direction, it is moved forward and backward
`while itself being friction contacted with the Cu foil, to
`cause the weak external terminal to be deformed.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`It is therefore a general object of the present
`invention to provide a contact in an electric part socket
`capable of obviating the above-mentioned shortcom(cid:173)
`ings.
`A specific object of the present invention is to pro(cid:173)
`vide a contact of the type that a terminal of an electric
`part such as IC or the like is mounted on a mount con(cid:173)
`tact portion formed on a distal end of a spring portion
`to displace the spring portion downward in order to
`obtain a contact pressure owing to reaction thereof,
`wherein displacement of the mount contact portion is
`effectively made, and displacing components of the
`mount contact portion in a forward and backward
`direction can be controlled to a necessary range with
`ease when the mount contact portion is displaced
`downward.
`To achieve the above objects, a contact in an
`electric part socket of the present invention includes
`a first spring portion, a second spring portion spaced
`apart from the first spring portion but connected
`thereto at both basal and distal ends thereof, a termi-
`nal portion continuously leading to the connected por(cid:173)
`tion between the basal ends and adapted to be
`brought into contact with a wiring board or the like, and
`a mount contact portion formed on the connected por(cid:173)
`tion between the distal ends and adapted to be
`brought into contact with a terminal of an electric part
`to be mounted thereon, said first and second spring
`portions being flexed about the connected portion be(cid:173)
`tween the basal ends in order to displace the mount
`contact portion downward, said mount contact portion
`being pressure contacted with the terminal of the elec(cid:173)
`tric part mounted thereon by reaction of said first and
`second spring portions.
`With the above constitution, when downward
`force is exerted to the mount contact portion upon
`placement of a terminal of an electric part thereon, the
`first and second spring portions are flexed downward
`together to cause the mount contact portion to dis(cid:173)
`place downward, and the mount contact portion is
`pressure contacted with the terminal of the electric
`part mounted thereon by reaction of the first and sec(cid:173)
`ond spring portions.
`When the first and second spring portions are
`flexed downward together or when they are restored
`upward together, they mutually control a forward or
`backward movement, so that the mount contact por(cid:173)
`tion can be displaced downward almost in a vertical
`direction. Otherwise, by appropriately determining
`configuration, dimension and arrangement of the first
`
`Page 2 of 9
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`

`

`3
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`EP O 500 227 A2
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`4
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`and second spring portions, an amount of displace(cid:173)
`ment of the mount contact portion in a forward or back(cid:173)
`ward direction can be controlled to a limited range with
`ease.
`According to the present invention, by effectively
`restraining or removing excessive displacing compo(cid:173)
`nents of the mount contact portion in a forward or
`backward direction, the problem of a mount contact
`portion being disconnected from a minute terminal of
`an electric part and the problem of a terminal of a TAB
`package being damaged can be effectively preven-
`ted.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a contact according
`to one embodiment of the present invention;
`Fig. 2 is a side view of the above contact;
`Fig. 3 is a side view showing a displacing state of
`the above contact;
`Fig. 4 is a side view of a contact according to
`another embodiment of the present invention;
`Fig. 5 is a side view of a contact according to a
`further embodiment of the present invention;
`Fig. 6 is a side view of a contact according to a
`still further embodiment of the present invention;
`Fig. 7 is a side view of a contact according to a
`yet further embodiment of the present invention;
`Fig. 8 is a side view of a contact according to
`additional embodiment of the present invention;
`and
`Fig. 9 is a side view of the conventional contact.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`EMBODIMENTS
`
`One embodiment of the present invention will be
`described with reference to Figs. 1 through 3 inclu(cid:173)
`sive.
`The numeral 11 denotes a contact to be embed-
`ded in an electric part socket. The contact 11 has an
`inverse T-shaped supporting portion formed of a sup(cid:173)
`porting portion 12a extending in a lateral direction and
`a vertical supporting portion 12b rising from the por-
`tion 12a. Preferably, the lateral supporting portion 12a
`is extended in a generally horizontal direction, and the
`vertical supporting portion 12b is risen in a generally
`vertical direction from a position one sided toward a
`rear end of the lateral supporting portion 12a. The
`supporting portion 12 is connected to a first linear
`spring portion 14 and a second linear spring portion
`15 extending in a lateral direction by an equal length
`from the vertical supporting portion 12b. Accordingly,
`the first and second spring portions 14 and 15 are
`located in higher position than the horizontal support-
`ing portion 12a, and the first spring portion 14 is
`located in higher position than the second spring por-
`tion 15 and spaced apart preferably in parallel relation
`
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`from the second spring portion 15.
`The basal ends of the first and second spring por(cid:173)
`tions 14 and 15 are interconnected through the verti(cid:173)
`cal supporting portion 12b, and the distal ends thereof
`are interconnected through the mount contact portion
`16. Accordingly, the vertical supporting portion 12b of
`the supporting portion 12 forms the connected portion
`between the basal ends of the first and second spring
`portions, and the mount contact porti 16on forms the
`connected portion between the distal ends of the first
`and second spring sections.
`On the one hand, the mount contact portion 16
`interconnects the first and second spring portions 14
`and 15, and on the other hand, it is extended in the
`vertical direction, an upper end thereof projecting
`upward from the front end of the first spring portion 14
`to form a contact end portion 16a, an end face of the
`contact end portion 16a being served as a mount con(cid:173)
`tact point 16c with respect to a terminal of an electric
`part to be mounted thereon. Accordingly, the mount
`contact portion 16 has at its lower part a connected
`portion 16b for interconnecting the first and second
`spring portions 14 and 15, and at its upper part the
`contact end portion 16a.
`The first and second spring portions 14 and 15
`are so designed in configuration of a spring and in
`sectional configuration that resiliency of the first and
`second spring portions 14 and 15 would be equal.
`Further, a connecting configuration of the contact
`supporting portion 12 with respect to the vertical sup(cid:173)
`porting portion 12b is identical with a connecting con(cid:173)
`figuration of the contact supporting portion 12 with
`respect to the mount contact portion 16. A terminal
`portion 13 extends downward from the lateral support(cid:173)
`ing portion 12a in order to be contacted with a wiring
`board or the like.
`As is shown in Fig. 3, when an electric part's ter(cid:173)
`minal 18 is mounted on the mount contact point 16c
`and pressure is exerted to the mount contact point 16c
`from above, the first and second spring portions 14
`and 15 are displaced from the positions shown by the
`broken lines to the positions shown by the full lines
`against resiliency thereof. Reaction of the first and
`second spring portions 14 and 15 exerts contacting
`force directing upward to the mount contact portion
`16, i.e., mount contact point 16c so that the mount
`contact point 16c would be pressure contacted to the
`electric part's terminal 18.
`In case spring constants of the first and second
`spring portions 14 and 15 are set to be equal at the
`time the above displacement is given, each connec(cid:173)
`ted portion of the first and second spring portions 14
`and 15 to each mount contact portion 16 is displaced
`in a same direction by an equal distance with respect
`to the connected portion to each vertical supporting
`portion 12b. As a result, the mount contact portion 16
`is displaced almost in a vertical direction, and displac(cid:173)
`ing components of the first and second spring sec-
`
`Page 3 of 9
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`

`

`5
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`EP O 500 227 A2
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`6
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`tions 14 and 15 in a forward and backward direction
`are removed or minimized.
`Figs. 4 and 5 show other embodiments. In Fig. 4,
`the first spring portion is formed shorter than the sec-
`ond spring portion 15. As a result, upon downward dis-
`placement of the mount contact point 16c of the mount
`contact portion 16, each connected portion of the first
`and second spring portions 14 and 15 with respect to
`the mount contact portion 16 is displaced in a different
`direction by a different distance. Actually, the connec-
`ted portion of the first spring portion 14 to the mount
`contact portion 16 is displaced backward by a greater
`degree than the connected portion of the second
`spring portion 15 to the mount contact portion 16. This
`means that the mount contact portion 16 is displaced
`downward including a backward displacing compo-
`nent. As a result, the mount contact point 16c is dis(cid:173)
`placed backward by a limited dimension at the same
`time the mount contact point 16c is being displaced
`downward. An amount of this backward displacement
`can be determined to a value within a range of, for
`example, an area of an electric part's terminal by
`appropriately setting the lengths of the first and sec-
`ond spring portions.
`In Fig. 5, the first spring portion 14 is formed
`longer than the second spring portion 15. As a result,
`upon downward displacement of the mount contact
`point 16c of the mount contact portion 16, each con(cid:173)
`nected portion of the first and second spring portions
`14 and 15 with respect to the mount contact portion
`16 is displaced by a different distance in a different
`direction. Actually, the connected portion of the sec-
`ond spring portion 15 to the mount contact portion 16
`is displaced backward by a greater degree than the
`connected portion of the first spring portion 14 to the
`mount contact portion 16. This means that the mount
`contact portion 16 is displaced downward including a
`forward displacing component. As a result, the mount
`contact point 16c is displaced forward by a limited
`dimension at the same time the mount contact point
`16c is being displaced downward. An amount of this
`forward displacement can be restricted to a necessary
`minimum by selecting a difference in length between
`the first and second spring portions. In the embodi-
`ments shown in Figs. 4 and 5, an excessive displace-
`ment of the mount contact point 16c in the forward and
`backward direction can be restrained, and an amount
`of displacement of the mount contact point 16c in the
`forward and backward direction, which is required for
`friction with the electric part's terminal 18 as men-
`tioned above, can be controlled by setting the above
`lengths.
`Besides the above, by changing various factors
`which exert affection to resiliency of the first and sec-
`ond spring portions 14 and 15, such as sectional con-
`figurations, positional relation, material, length, etc. of
`the first and second spring portions 14 and 15 which
`are not shown, an intended downward displacement
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`can be obtained while freely controlling displacing
`components of the mount contact point 16c, such as
`component of a forward displacement, component of
`a backward displacement and
`the
`like, without
`increasing the size of a contact, that is, without
`increasing the size of a socket.
`Fig. 6 shows a further embodiment, in which the
`supporting portion 12 of the contact 11 is not provided
`with the vertical supporting portion 12b, and the basal
`ends of the first and second spring portions 14 and 15
`are connected to the lateral supporting portion 12a. At
`this time, the first spring portion 14, which is located
`in a higher position, may be provided at a basal end
`portion thereof with a supporting piece 19 having high
`rigidity as shown by imaginary lines of Fig. 6 in order
`to make the spring lengths of the first and second
`spring portions 14 and 15 as equal as possible. The
`first and second spring portions 14 and 15 have a cur(cid:173)
`ved portion at basal end portions thereof, respect(cid:173)
`ively, and are connected to the lateral supporting
`portion 12a through this curved portion.
`In a still further embodiment of Fig. 7, the first and
`second spring portions 14 and 15 are interconnected
`at distal end portions thereof and are connected to the
`mount contact portion 16.
`Furthermore, Fig. 8 shows a yet further embodi(cid:173)
`ment of the present invention, in which the first and
`second spring portions 14 and 15 are curved in an
`opposing direction with respect to each other so that
`they exhibit a convex curve respectively and are
`extended in a lateral direction. This embodiment also
`includes a constitution wherein only one of the spring
`portions 14 and 15 is curved. As suggested in this
`embodiment, the first and second spring portions 14
`and 15 may take various other shapes than the cur(cid:173)
`ved-shape between the connected portion at the
`basal end portions thereof and the connected portion
`at the distal end portions thereof.
`The present invention includes the embodiments
`shown in Figs. 4 through 8 in addition to the embodi(cid:173)
`ment shown in Figs. 1 through 3 and also includes
`other modified embodiments of a mount contact type
`contact suggested by these embodiments.
`As described in the foregoing, a contact in an
`electric part socket according to the present invention
`includes a first spring portion, a second spring portion
`spaced apart from the first spring portion but connec(cid:173)
`ted thereto at both basal and distal ends thereof, a ter(cid:173)
`minal portion continuously leading to the connected
`portion between the basal ends and adapted to be
`brought into contact with a wiring board or the like,
`and a mount contact portion formed on the connected
`portion between the distal ends and adapted to be
`brought into contact with a terminal of an electric part
`to be mounted thereon, said first and second spring
`portions being flexed about the connected portion be(cid:173)
`tween the basal ends in order to displace the mount
`contact portion downward, said mount contact portion
`
`Page 4 of 9
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`7
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`EP O 500 227 A2
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`8
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`tions are in a generally parallel relation.
`
`3. A contact in an electric part socket as claimed in
`claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said first and second
`spring portions are generally equal in length.
`
`being pressure contacted with the terminal of the elec(cid:173)
`tric part mounted thereon by reaction of said first and
`second spring portions. Accordingly, since the first
`and second spring portions mutually control a forward
`or backward movement when they are flexed down(cid:173)
`ward together or when they are restored upward
`together, the mount contact portion can be displaced
`downward almost in a vertical direction. Otherwise, by
`forming a difference in length, width, etc. of the first
`and second spring portions, an amount of displace(cid:173)
`ment thereof in a forward or backward direction can
`be controlled to a limited range with ease. That is, by
`effectively restraining or removing excessive displac-
`ing components of the mount contact portion in a for-
`ward or backward direction, the problem of a mount
`contact portion being disconnected from a minute ter-
`minal of an electric part and the problem of a terminal
`of a TAB package being damaged can be effectively
`prevented.
`According to the present invention, displacement
`of a mount contact point can be freely controlled with-
`out increasing the size of a socket, and as a result, it
`becomes easy to design a contact which is hardly dis(cid:173)
`placed with respect to an external terminal of a
`miniaturized IC.
`Furthermore, since displacement of the mount
`contact point in a forward and backward direction can
`be controlled, an amount of displacement of the
`mount contact point can be limited to a necessary
`range. As a result, by effecting a wiping action in order
`to obtain a stable electric contact relation, oxide skins
`of the mount contact point and external terminal of IC
`can be wiped out with ease.
`
`Claims
`
`1. A contact in an electric part socket including a first
`spring portion, a second spring portion spaced
`apart from said first spring portion but connect
`thereto at both basal and distal ends thereof, a
`terminal portion continuously leading to the con(cid:173)
`nected portion between the basal ends and adap-
`ted to be brought into contact with a wiring board
`or the like, and a mount contact portion formed on
`the connected portion between the distal ends
`and adapted to be brought into contact with a ter-
`minal of an electric part to be mounted thereon,
`said first and second spring portions being flexed
`about the connected portion between the basal
`ends in order to displace the mount contact por-
`tion downward, said mount contact portion being
`pressure contacted with the terminal of the elec-
`tric part mounted thereon by reaction of said first
`and second spring portions.
`
`2. A contact in an electric part socket as claimed in
`claim 1, wherein said first and second spring par-
`
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`20
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`25
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`30
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`40
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`50
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`55
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`Page 5 of 9
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`

`EP O 500 227 A2
`
`FIG. I
`
`FIG. 2
`16c
`16a
`
`16
`
`16
`
`13
`
`ll
`14
`
`15
`
`12b
`
`12a
`
`12
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`13
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`6
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`Page 6 of 9
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`

`

`EP 0 500 227 A2
`EP O 500 227 A2
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`FIG. 3
`F/G3
`
`2b
`
`
`
`12a
`
`FIG. 4
`F/G4
`
`14 15
`14 15
`
`16
`
`1
`
`13
`13
`
`7
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`Page 7 of 9
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`Page 7 of 9
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`

`

`EP 0 500 227 A2
`EP O 500 227 A2
`
`FIG. 5
`FIG.5
`
`14
`14
`
`15
`15
`
`16
`
`12
`12
`
`13
`13
`
`FIG. 6
`
`14
`
`15
`
`16
`
`
`
`12 (12a)
`
`13
`
`Page 8 of 9
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`8
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`Page 8 of 9
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`

`

`EP 0 500 227 A2
`EP O 500 227 A2
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`FIG. 7
`FIG.7
`4 15
`415
`
`
`
`16
`
`FIG. 8
`
`14 15
`
`3
`
`1
`
`FI G.9
`,, ............
`l..
`,,
`I
`i
`.
`..... -. .. ,
`1 I
`lh. \._ _____ _
`
`4
`
`1
`
`13
`
`
`
`2
`
`3
`
`Page 9 of 9
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`9
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`Page 9 of 9
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