Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – Instruments and devices for fault testing
Patent
1993-06-14
1995-10-10
Wieder, Kenneth A.
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
Instruments and devices for fault testing
324543, 324757, 324149, G01R 3102
Patent
active
054573920
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a national phase of PCT/RO91/00003 filed 19 Dec. 1991 and based, in turn, on a Romanian national application 146,608 filed 20 Dec. 1990 and a Romanian national application 148,260 filed 15 Aug. 1991 under the International Convention.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a testing clip for providing the electrical connections of a connecting wire to points to be contacted and tested. More particularly this invention relates to a device for making connections between points, conductive surfaces or pins and electric and electronic measuring equipment and generators. The invention relates also to a circuit board contacting method, providing electrical connections of testing clips to circuit boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known testing probes can include probes which have an electrically conductive metallic needle, included in an insulated body of the probe and connected to a connecting wire. This probe has no gripping possibilities to perform hitch on connections to test points and the operator-signal insulation may not be sufficient, as it depends on the thickness of the body.
Probes can also have a hollow sleeve body receiving a mobile rod. The mobile rod is connected to the connecting wire, has a hooked end, is electrically conductive and acts as the testing contact. This probe has hitching on capability, but is disadvantageous because the direct point-contact is unwieldy and tiring, requiring continuous pressure on the button. Also the insulation between the operator and the signal may not be sufficient.
Alligator clips can be used which comprise two conductive jaws rotating on a pivot and compressed by a spring. One of the jaws is connected to the connecting wire. The alligator clip has gripping possibilities, but poor direct pointing contact performance, especially in narrow places, and also very poor insulation between the operator and the electrical signal.
Existing probes do not offer good testing performance in both contact modes, i.e. direct point contact and hitching on. Moreover the probes do not offer very good operator-signal insulation and do not enable hitch on, hands free connections on the circuit boards.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is to provide a testing clip which achieves good performance, and has low contact resistance in the two testing modes, namely direct pointing and hitching on. The clip should provide reliable contact on points, surfaces, pins, wires, and electronic devices even in narrow places. The clip also should provide very good operator-signal insulation. In the hitch-on connection, the clip should have only low stress on the contacting parts. The clip should also provide hitch-on opportunities on electronic circuit boards on the edges of the holes performed in the board. Connections to one or several points of the circuit should also be available by the circuit board contacting method.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, a testing clip is provided, comprising a hand-held unit or handle, a gripping unit, a resilient device and a connecting wire.
The hand-held unit comprises a hollow outer sleeve made of insulating material on one side of which a needle is fixed, preferably by means of a support. The needle is made of an electrically conductive material, such as metal. The outside end of the needle is used to make the electrical contacts to test points, and the inside end is electrically connected to the conductive wire.
The needle can have different shapes. In a preferred embodiment of this invention it is a metal sheath.
In an alternative arrangement the needle is not hollow and has a forked tip while the hooked rod can slide along the needle performing the gripping when necessary. The testing needles are fixed in the support, preferably made of a rigid insulating material, such as plastic. The joint between the support and the sleeve is preferably detached, for instance, by threading.
Preferably, a finger grip is provided on the sleev
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Brown Glenn W.
Dubno Herbert
Wieder Kenneth A.
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