Integrated circuit chip insertion and removal tool

Claim 1

A hand tool for removing and inserting an IC chip (110) from its installation, comprising: a U-shaped inner bracket (104) having two parallel legs joined by a connecting section; a pair of pivoting jaws (106, 108) mounted along parallel pivot axes across the open end of the U-shaped inner bracket between the two parallel legs; teeth (134-164), spaced at selected intervals along a grasping edge of each jaw, the intervals corresponding to intervals between the pins of the IC chip for insertion therebetween on the underside of the IC chip; extension coil spring means (170, 172), connected between the pair of jaws for splaying the jaws open about their pivot axes; insertion means (192, 194), mounted on the inside surfaces of the two parallel legs of the U-shaped inner bracket and extending within the jaws for being positioned on the surface of an IC chip grasped by the jaw, for distributing forces exerted by the inner bracket on the chip surface during insertion of an IC chip into its installation; U-shaped outer housing guide means (102), for slideably engaging the inner bracket along its two legs during retraction and extension of the inner bracket therein and therefrom, the sliding action actuated by externally and alternately supplied, oppositely directed retracting (for extracting a chip) and extending (for inserting a chip) forces applied by hand to the connecting section of the inner bracket, the guide means for guiding the inner bracket including jaws in alternate extended and retracted directions during extension and retraction of the inner bracket, the guide means having rails (182, 184, 186) for permitting the jaws to open when the inner bracket is extended for aligning the jaw teeth between the legs of the IC chip to be removed or inserted from or into its installation, said rails interfering with and thereby forcing the jaws to close and grasp the IC chip when partially retracted into the outer housing both, for extraction, (i) as the outer housing is forced by hand down over an inner bracket positioned for grasping an installed IC chip to be removed from its installation, (ii) as the outer housing is seated by hand on an IC chip installation surface (112), and (iii) as the chip is extracted from its installation during full retraction by hand of the inner bracket within the seated outer bracket by means of the teeth pulling on the underside of the IC chip, and, for insertion, (i) as the inner bracket is retracted by hand into the outer bracket to force the jaws to grasp a loose IC chip for insertion (before the outer housing is positioned for seating on an IC chip installation surface), (ii) as the outer housing, with the inner bracket holding the chip fully retracted within the outer housing, is seated by hand on the surface of the chip's installation, and (iii) as the chip is inserted into its installation during a hand actuated extending motion of the inner bracket in a direction extending out from the seated outer bracket, the insertion effected by means of the insertion means pushing on the topside of the grasped IC chip; the rails forming angled overhanging lips of the parallel legs of the outer bracket for slideably engaging and forcing the jaws to pivot shut to a closed state during retraction of the inner bracket within the outer bracket, and for permitting the jaws to pivot open to an opened state during extension of the inner bracket outside the outer bracket; and the U-shaped outer housing having flat surfaces at each end of its legs forming foundation means, for securing the outer bracket firmly on the surface of the installation of the IC chip such that the direction of insertion or extraction is substantially perpendicular to the installation surface.