Combined test clip and component extraction tool

• US 4,012,097 A
• Filed: 10/17/1975
• Issued: 03/15/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tektest, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Everett/Charles Incorporated
• Inventors: Wohlhieter, George M., Long, Walter J., Wysocki, Lawrence E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goldberg, Howard N.
• Application Number:
  US05/623,332
• Time in Patent Office: 515 Days
• Field of Search: 339/45 R, 339/45 M, 339/46, 339/75 MP, 339/255 P, 339/261, 324/158 F
• US Class Current: 439/350
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/0425 Test clips, e.g. for IC's
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0491 Hand tools therefor

Abstract

A body is provided including opposite ends, opposite sides and a top and a bottom. A pair of upstanding levers are pivotally secured, intermediate their upper and lower end portions, to opposite end portions of the body for limited oscillation about axes transverse to the levers and the body. Spring structure is provided for yieldingly biasing the upper ends of the levers apart and the body includes opposite side rows of elongated longitudinally spaced relatively insulated contacts projecting endwise outwardly and downwardly from opposite side portions of the bottom of the body. The lower ends of the levers include coacting opposite side depending conductive hooks opening longitudinally of the body toward the remote levers and corresponding side hooks of the levers are spaced apart in planes spaced slightly inwardly of the corresponding side contacts. The contacts comprise spring contacts and the depending lower end portions thereof may be at least slightly biased outwardly of the corresponding sides of the body, the inner portions of the lower ends of the contacts being beveled and the contacts projecting at least slightly below the corresponding hooks.

Claims

1. A combined test clip and electronic component extraction tool comprising:

a. a main body including opposite ends, opposite sides, a top and a bottom;

b. a pair of upstanding levers pivotally secured intermediate their upper and lower end portions to opposite ends of the body for limited oscillation about an axis transverse to the sides of the main body;

c. means for yieldingly biasing the upper ends of the levers apart;

d. a plurality of elongated upstanding longitudinally spaced conductive side contacts insulated from each other and supported by and projecting downwardly from each side of the main body; and

f. a pair of upstanding, opposing, conductive contacts depending from each lever, each lever-depending contact having an exposed upper and lower end, the lower end of each lever-depending contact comprising conductive hooks opening inwardly toward the opposing lever.

2. The tool of claim 1 wherein the hooks are spaced slightly inwardly of the bottom of the side contacts.

3. The tool of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the side contacts comprise spring contacts having lower ends permitting outward movement from the main body when the tool is displaced around an electronic component.

4. The tool of claim 1 wherein each lever includes a pair of opposing depending dielectric legs wherein each leg is disposed slightly outwardly of one of the hooks on the corresponding lever.

5. The tool of claim 4 in which each leg comprises an inner surface adjacent the corresponding hook forming a guide surface and wherein at least a portion of each guide surface extends toward the opposing lever with respect to the corresponding hook.

6. The tool of claim 1 wherein the sides of the body include depending insulative fingers, each finger being interposed between adjacent side contacts.

7. The tool of claim 6 wherein said fingers are in the form of blade members disposed in planes generally normal to the longitudinal center line of said body.

8. A combined test clip and electronic component extraction tool comprising a body including opposite ends and sides as well as a bottom, a pair of upstanding levers pivotally supported from opposite ends of said body for limited oscillation about an axis transverse to the sides of said body, the lower ends of each lever including a pair of opposing, depending dielectric legs, each of said legs including an upstanding, conductive contact having an exposed upper and lower end, the lower portion of each contact comprising a hook opening toward the opposing lever.

9. The tool of claim 8 in which each side of the body includes a row of upstanding conductive side contacts supported therefrom.

10. The tool of claim 9 in which each side of the body includes rows of depending insulative fingers, each finger being interposed between adjacent side contacts, wherein the side contacts and the insulative fingers project below the bottom of the body.

11. The tool of claim 10 wherein the fingers are in the form of blade members disposed in planes generally normal to the longitudinal center line of the body.

12. The tool of claim 9 wherein the lower ends of the upstanding side contacts permit outward movement from the sides of the body when the tool is displaced toward an electronic component.

13. The tool of claim 8 including means yieldingly biasing the upper ends of the levers toward their limit positions of maximum spacing therebetween.