Electrical connectors – Including handle or distinct manipulating means – Randomly manipulated implement
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-08-21
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Including handle or distinct manipulating means
Randomly manipulated implement
C324S072500, C033S027020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276956
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates generally to test probes for surface mount boards and circuit boards, and more particularly, to a dual point test probe suitable for one handed manual operation when testing components mounted on surface mount boards or electronic circuit boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Probing components on a printed circuit board becomes increasingly difficult as the miniaturization of electronic components continues and circuit densities increase. Traditional alligator clips have been miniaturized over the years to allow testing of components on miniaturized circuit boards. However, newer surface mount components in many cases do not have any leads on which alligator clips can be connected. Since surface mount components are soldered directly onto the PC board, conventional test clips simply cannot be hooked onto these components. Presently, in order to connect test leads to the surface mounted components, a sharp test probe is placed directly on the solder pad on each side of the component. This normally requires two hands, as a single pointed test lead is held in each hand to make contact with each side of the component or to two measurement points in the circuit. With both hands in use just to hold the test probes, the technician does not have a hand free to make adjustments to the test equipment, press test buttons, etc. Not only that, the technician may not even be able to look at the measurement results on the test equipment because so much attention is required simply to keep the test probes in place on the solder pads. Dual point test probes, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,407; 4,915,258; and 2,675,528 simply do not have the miniaturization needed to work with surface mount boards, or are not adjustable sufficiently to utilize the close contacts necessary in miniaturized surface mount PC boards. U.S. Pat. No. 3,098,304 discloses a drafting compass that may hold two steel points, however, the entire compass is electrically conductive and made for a differing purpose than applicant's invention.
A need has developed for a new and improved dual point test probe which is manually operated by a single hand of a technician to contact both solder pads of a surface mount electronic component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to an adjustable dual point test probe adapted for electrical communication with an electronic test instrument. The test probe includes caliper-like body means including a bight portion and a pair of elongate arms extending from the bight portion in adjustable pivotal relation thereto. The caliper-like body means provides a pair of adjustably separable distal mountings at the free ends of the elongate arms. A pair of pointed electrical contacts are mounted to extend from each of the free ends of the elongate arms. Coaxial cable means including a pair of conductors extend through each of the elongate arms in conductive relation with one of the pointed electrical contacts and extend through those elongate arms and the bight portion of the caliper-like body means and outwardly thereof to terminate in a two wire jack-type connector. The invention further includes means on the caliper-like body means for infinitely adjusting the separation between the pair of pointed electrical contacts and maintaining any desired separation distance therebetween from contact to at least one inch of separation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2297999 (1942-10-01), Eubanks
patent: 3265969 (1966-08-01), Catu
patent: 4132946 (1979-01-01), Holdren et al.
patent: 4183359 (1980-01-01), Husbands
patent: 4195258 (1980-03-01), Yen
patent: 4923407 (1990-05-01), Rice et al.
patent: 5574359 (1996-11-01), Arthur
patent: 5764072 (1998-06-01), Kister
patent: 5939890 (1999-08-01), Kohen et al.
Le Thanh-Tam
Patnaude & Videbeck
Sencore Inc.
Sircus Brian
LandOfFree
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